Today’s telecom news includes announcements on Fastweb, Telecom Italia, MTN Nigeria, Airtel Nigeria, Airtel, Reliance Jio, BSNL, Vodafone Idea, among others.
Italy’s 5G Alliance Faces Antitrust Heat Amid Competition Concerns
Italy’s antitrust regulator has opened a formal investigation into a 5G network-sharing agreement between Fastweb and Telecom Italia (TIM), raising fresh scrutiny over consolidation in the country’s telecom sector. The deal, announced in January, aims to jointly build mobile infrastructure and accelerate 5G rollout in rural and low-density regions while cutting operational costs. Regulators will examine whether the partnership could restrict competition by giving the companies excessive market influence in network infrastructure sharing. The probe is expected to continue until April 2027. The investigation adds pressure to an already evolving Italian telecom market, where operators are pursuing partnerships and infrastructure sharing to offset declining revenues and rising investment demands for next-generation connectivity.
Nigeria Launches Major Telecom Rescue Plan to Boost Network Quality Nationwide
Nigeria has unveiled a dual strategy aimed at improving telecom service quality across the country by combining long-term infrastructure expansion with immediate regulatory and economic reforms. The government plans to accelerate nationwide fibre-optic deployment through Project BRIDGE and expand satellite connectivity to address years of underinvestment and network congestion. Authorities say the initiative will strengthen broadband access in both urban and rural areas over the next three to five years. At the same time, reforms including tariff adjustments, tax harmonisation, and improved foreign exchange stability are expected to create a more sustainable environment for operators such as MTN Nigeria and Airtel Nigeria. Regulators will closely monitor network performance, with Nigerians expected to see improvements in call quality, data speeds, and coverage in the coming months.
Postpaid Price War Heats Up as Airtel, Jio, BSNL and Vi Fight for Subscribers
India’s leading telecom operators are stepping up competition in the affordable postpaid segment with feature-rich plans targeting value-conscious users. Airtel, Reliance Jio, BSNL and Vodafone Idea are offering benefits such as unlimited calling, bundled data, OTT subscriptions and 5G access to attract new customers. Jio is drawing attention with competitively priced entertainment-focused plans, while Airtel emphasizes premium network quality and unlimited benefits. Vodafone Idea is focusing on flexible bundled offers, and BSNL continues appealing to budget users with low-cost plans. The growing similarity between prepaid and postpaid pricing is encouraging more consumers to shift toward postpaid services for greater convenience, stable monthly billing and access to additional digital benefits in an increasingly competitive telecom market.
Canada Powers Up AI Future With TELUS’ $9 Billion Sovereign Supercluster
TELUS is partnering with the Government of Canada and Westbank to build a massive Sovereign AI Factory network across British Columbia, strengthening the country’s AI infrastructure and data independence. Following the complete sellout of its Rimouski AI Factory in Quebec, TELUS plans to expand capacity with more than 60,000 NVIDIA GPUs across facilities in Kamloops and Vancouver. The project is expected to contribute $9 billion to the Canadian economy while supporting startups, researchers, businesses and public institutions with secure domestic AI computing power. Designed with sustainability in focus, the data centres will operate on 98 percent renewable energy, use advanced liquid cooling systems, and recycle waste heat to warm the equivalent of 150,000 homes.
SHAFANA FAZAL