Today’s telecom news includes announcements on Ethio Telecom, Ericsson, Ghana’s National Communications Authority, Suyog Telematics, Vodafone Idea, among others.
Ethio Telecom Plans Major Expansion to 11,014 4G Sites
Ethio Telecom plans a 4G network expansion in 2026/27, increasing LTE sites from 6,924 to 11,014 under its Next Horizon – Digital & Beyond Strategy 2028. The operator expects 4G population coverage to rise from 82.23 percent to 95 percent, while geographic coverage is targeted to increase from 36.3 percent to 54 percent. LTE coverage will expand to 1,500 towns from 1,200, while 5G sites are planned to increase from 340 to 648 and 5G-covered towns from 33 to 73. Overall mobile network capacity is expected to rise from 115.1 million to 135.7 million subscriber capacity. Ethio Telecom also plans 1,685 additional mobile sites, including 605 rural sites, targeting more than 1,400 kebeles and about 4.5 million citizens.
Ericsson and Ghana NCA Strengthen Focus on 5G and Network Security
Ericsson and Ghana’s National Communications Authority discussed 5G deployment, quality of service, cybersecurity and network resilience during a meeting in Accra. The discussions also covered sustainable energy solutions and enterprise connectivity for critical sectors including oil and gas, mining and ports. Ghana’s 5G licence conditions require operators to achieve 70 percent population coverage by March 2027, with the NCA planning stronger compliance monitoring around coverage and service quality. The regulator also highlighted the need for resilient and secure networks, including robust national emergency communications infrastructure. Ericsson, which is marking 30 years of operations in Ghana, reaffirmed its willingness to support the country through knowledge sharing and capacity building. The discussions included cybersecurity, resilient networks, artificial intelligence and digital skills development.
Sceye HAPS Completes 30,000 km US–Japan Round Trip, Advancing Stratospheric 6G Network Plans
Sceye has completed its Service Test 1 HAPS mission after a 30-day, nearly 30,000 km round trip between New Mexico and Japan, providing a significant new milestone beyond the earlier one-way connectivity demonstration. The platform re-entered the continental United States on September 4 and reached airspace near Sceye’s New Mexico headquarters on September 5. During roughly a week over Japan, Sceye and SoftBank demonstrated direct-to-device mobile broadband to standard smartphones, HAPS-to-drone communications and stratospheric edge computing. The platform carries SceyeCELL, effectively a cell tower in the sky. At commercial scale, Sceye says one HAPS could cover an area equivalent to about 500 terrestrial towers, supporting future NTN and 6G network architectures.
Africa Urged to Secure 600 MHz Spectrum for Rural Connectivity
Telecom expert Bashir Gwandu has renewed calls for African countries to secure 600 MHz spectrum for mobile services to strengthen rural 4G and 5G connectivity. Speaking at the 2026 Spectrum Management Conference in Tunis, he said the low-band spectrum can deliver wider coverage at lower deployment costs and can be aggregated with 700 MHz, 800 MHz and 900 MHz resources. Citing GSMA findings, Gwandu said an additional 50 MHz of sub-1 GHz spectrum is associated with a seven-percentage-point increase in 4G coverage and an 11-percentage-point increase in 5G coverage. He noted that more than 135 million people in rural Africa remain unconnected and urged regulators to coordinate spectrum policy ahead of WRC-27 and future ITU decisions.
Suyog Telematics Wins 819 New Vodafone Idea Site Orders
Suyog Telematics has received 819 additional site orders from Vodafone Idea in multiple tranches during the current financial year, strengthening its telecom infrastructure deployment pipeline. The orders follow approximately 636 site orders secured from Vodafone Idea in June and add to Suyog’s expanding footprint across India. As of June 30, 2026, Suyog operated 6,103 towers and 7,468 tenancies, while Vodafone Idea contributed 27 percent of its consolidated first-quarter FY27 revenue. The company is targeting 3,000 new Vodafone Idea tenancies during the current fiscal year. Suyog’s Q1 FY27 standalone operating income rose to ₹67.42 crore from ₹65.70 crore a year earlier, while net profit declined to ₹13.93 crore from ₹17.01 crore.