Today’s telecom news includes announcements on Freedom, Nokia, Grameenphone, Orange Morocco, ZTE, MWC 2026, among others.
Nokia & Freedom Telecom Set to Revolutionize AI with New California Innovation Lab
Freedom Telecom International (FTI), part of Freedom Holding, has signed an agreement with Nokia to launch an Innovation Lab at Nokia’s campus in Sunnyvale, California. The lab will focus on testing and evaluating AI architectures, cloud technologies, and advanced networking solutions, with an initial emphasis on next‑generation AI data center designs and feasibility studies for Kazakhstan and neighboring markets. Freedom Lifestyle Group will use the facility to trial AI‑powered consumer services such as chat and voice assistants and advanced SuperApp features, leveraging Nokia’s global ecosystem to scale cloud and AI services.
Grameenphone & ZTE Join Forces to Revolutionize Telecom with AI‑Powered Autonomous Networks
Grameenphone, Bangladesh’s largest telecom operator, and ZTE Corporation have signed a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at Mobile World Congress Barcelona 2026 to advance autonomous network development using Large Language Models (LLMs) and Agentic AI technologies. Under the agreement, the two companies will deploy ZTE’s AIR Net autonomous network solution with intelligent agents to automate network operations end‑to‑end, improving efficiency and resilience. The partnership also includes collaboration on TM Forum Catalyst projects and conducting Autonomous Network Level Assessments to create a replicable blueprint for global telecoms innovation.
Morocco Gets First-Ever prplOS 4.0 Router: A Smart Home Game-Changer
Orange Morocco, in partnership with ZTE Corporation, has launched the Livebox 7, the world’s first commercially deployed router built on the open‑source prplOS 4.0 standard, with Morocco as the exclusive initial market. The device, revealed on February 24 and confirmed at an event in Barcelona, features tri‑band Wi‑Fi 7, 1 GB of RAM, ten smart antennas, built-in VPN, parental controls, and energy management. Unlike traditional routers, prplOS allows third-party developers to build and install apps directly on the device, creating an open multi-service ecosystem. Orange Morocco is inviting local developers to contribute to its Nova Box platform.
Powering Africa’s Connectivity: Mirova Injects $15M into Solar Telecom Towers
Asset manager Mirova has agreed to provide a $15 million (€13 million) loan to communications and satellite services company iSAT Africa Mauritius to support the rollout of solar‑powered telecom towers across Africa. The financing will help upgrade and expand infrastructure that relies on renewable energy instead of diesel generators, improving network reliability and reducing carbon emissions in off‑grid or unstable power regions.
SHAFANA FAZAL