The latest telecom news includes announcements on Orange, OpenAI, Virgin Media O2, Daisy, AT&T, Ericsson, 1Finity, Beeline, ZTE, among others.
Orange Partners with OpenAI to Develop AI Models for African Languages
Orange, a French telecom operator, is collaborating with OpenAI to adapt AI models for African languages. The project focuses on languages such as Wolof and Pulaar spoken in West Africa. Orange is fine-tuning OpenAI’s open-weight models using local data and deploying them locally to support customer service and public services. The AI models will also be available for free to governments and public institutions. This initiative addresses the lack of AI support for regional African languages due to limited data. The project started in 2025 and aims to improve digital access by enabling AI systems to understand and process these languages, Reuters reports.
Virgin Media O2 and Daisy Merge to Create £1.4bn UK Business Telecom Powerhouse
Virgin Media O2 and Daisy Group merged to form O2 Daisy, a UK business telecoms company. Virgin Media O2 owns 70 percent, Daisy owns 30 percent. The merger combines Virgin Media O2’s fixed and mobile networks with Daisy’s IT platforms and customer support. O2 Daisy serves businesses from small offices to large enterprises and public sector organisations across the UK. It offers digital connectivity and managed services including cloud communications, 5G private networks, IoT, cybersecurity, and AI-driven services like O2 Motion. The merger is expected to generate £600 million in cost savings, around £70 million annually by 2030, with more than half within the first three years. The combined operation will serve about 700,000 business customers and aims for annual revenues of £1.4 billion.
First Open RAN Call with Third-Party Radios Sparks New Era of Network Innovation
AT&T, Ericsson, and 1Finity completed the first Open RAN call using third-party radios at AT&T Labs. This shows how collaboration is helping build open and programmable telecom networks. Ericsson’s RAN Processor 6672 and 1Finity radios were used to ensure performance and reliability. This highlights how Open RAN enables more interoperability and flexibility in network infrastructure.
Kazakhstan Boosts Digital Network with Giga City 2.0: AI, Green Tech, and Smart Infrastructure
Beeline Kazakhstan and ZTE launched Giga City 2.0 to improve Kazakhstan’s digital infrastructure using AI and green technology. This project follows the 2024 Giga City initiative and aims to enhance connectivity across the country. Key innovations include the Magic Pole smart infrastructure installed in Astana, combining a mobile base station with street lighting to optimize network coverage and support smart city functions. Hybrid-powered telecom towers along the Astana-Borovoe highway use solar panels and wind turbines to provide signal coverage in remote areas while reducing environmental impact. Qcell technology was deployed in Mega Silkway shopping mall to remove indoor coverage dead zones and improve connection quality for users.
TelecomLead.com News Desk
