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BT sounding out Orange and AT&T as potential partners for global ops

Annie Turner
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BT sounding out Orange and AT&T as potential partners for global ops

The move, reported by Bloomberg News, is no big suprise given BT Group’s strategy to focus on home market and explore options for its global infra

BT has approached AT&T and Orange about a possible tie-up in what was its BT Global business unit according to Bloomberg News [subscription needed] citing unidentified sources.

This is no surprise since BT Group’s CEO, Allison Kirkby, took up the mantle about a year ago, the company’s strategy is to focus on its domestic business and explore options regarding its struggling international operations. This could include partnerships or sale of the unit, she has said.

This is despite the pioneering Global Fabric built by BT, under the leadership of it CTO Colin Bannon (pictured), which started commercial operations recently. Bannon* will be participating in the opening panel at our annual, virtual Telco to techco event next week. Register to attend for free here.

BT Global was combined with BT’s ailing domestic business unit under the umbrella of BT Business in December 2022, when Philip Jansen was BT Group’s CEO. Bas Burger was the long-serving CEO of BT Global then BT Business. In January it announced he would be superseded in that role by Jon James, who had reported to Kirkby when she was briefly CEO of Denmark’s national operator, TDC.

Burger, the press information stated, would be devoting “all of his time to the optimisation of BT’s international operations and explore options for the [former BT Global] unit”.

Neither AT&T nor Orange has commented on the story so far.

Cassava to upgrade data centres with NVIDIA super computers

Annie Turner
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Cassava to upgrade data centres with NVIDIA super computers

The firm says data centres will allow Africa to develop its own AI technologies, boost productivity, protect data within its own boundaries and support businesses

Cassava Technologies is to build Africa’s first “AI factory” — a secure data centre powered by NVIDIA’s technology. The plan is to give African businesses, governments and researchers access to “cutting-edge” AI computing capacity to help them develop AI products, streamline operations and stay competitive.

The intention is to provide the supercomputers and software needed to train AI while keeping data within Africa’s borders.

Cassava plans to deploy NVIDIA’s Cloud Partner (NCP) reference architectures at its data centres in South Africa by June 2025, and progressively roll out the tech to its other data centres in Egypt, Kenya, Morocco and Nigeria.

Cassava’s AI Factory will leverage the company’s pan-African fibre network using its sustainable data centres to deliver AI as a Service (AIaaS), the firm says.

The NVIDIA GPU-based supercomputers should enable faster AI model training, fine-tuning and “advanced” inference capabilities. Cassava aims to be the first to introduce the computing platforms to Africa as an NCP, playing a crucial role in the continent’s AI ecosystem.

AI economy

“Building digital infrastructure for the AI economy is a priority if Africa is to take full advantage of the fourth industrial revolution. Our AI Factory provides the infrastructure for this innovation to scale, empowering African businesses, startups and researchers with access to cutting-edge AI infrastructure to turn their bold ideas into real-world breakthroughs — and now, they don’t have to look beyond Africa to get it,” said Strive Masiyiwa, Founder & Chairman of Cassava.

“Collaborating with NVIDIA gives us the advanced computing capabilities needed to drive Africa’s AI innovation while strengthening the continent’s digital independence.”

“AI is helping innovators solve our greatest challenges in agriculture, healthcare, energy, financial services and many other industries creating opportunity in Africa,” said Jaap Zuiderveld, VP EMEA at NVIDIA. “As an NVIDIA Cloud Partner, Cassava is providing essential infrastructure and software to help pioneering companies and organizations accelerate AI development to foster innovation across the continent.”

Arcep sees first evidence of EU Digital Markets Act working

Simon Dux
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Arcep sees first evidence of EU Digital Markets Act working


Despite the plaintive cries from big tech, the French regulator reports that users are seeing browser choices on handsets

The Autorité de Régulation des Communications Électroniques, des Postes et de la Distribution de la Presse’s  (Arcep) latest digital barometer has once more revealed that users are addicted to their smartphones. But more interestingly, it provides some evidence that the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) is making the US tech giants actually take action. 

Last week, both Apple and Google were targeted by EU action under the Digital Markets Act (DMA). In preliminary findings against Google parent Alphabet, the EC stated that certain features and functionalities of Google Search treat Alphabet’s own services more favourably compared to rival ones. The Commission has informed Alphabet of its preliminary view that its app marketplace Google Play does not comply with the DMA, as app developers are prevented from freely steering consumers to other channels for better offers.

The EC also adopted two decisions under the DMA specifying the measures that Apple has to take to comply with its interoperability obligation. Apple will be required to open up support for non-Apple accessories on the iPhone. This means Apple will be required to provide other companies and developers with improved access to iOS for consumer devices like smartwatches, headphones or TVs.

Google warned darkly that the EU’s position “will hurt European businesses and consumers, hinder innovation, weaken security, and degrade product quality”. It added that the Commission had created a “false choice”  between openness and security. 

While the smartphone is taking hold as an essential tool, handset, operating system (OS) and browser suppliers have become key players in free and open access to content and services. Europe’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) came into force in March 2024, and seeks to guarantee open digital markets. Among its rules: operating systems are prohibited from imposing any software by default on their users. 

Arcep’s latest report found that four months after the DMA came into force, close to a third of smartphone owners report having been given the option of switching their mobile browser or being informed of these new provisions.

Connected society

The report – which was carried out with CREDOC on behalf of the regulator,  the Economic Council (CGE) and France’s National Agency for Territorial Cohesion (ANCT) – also found that in 2024, 98% of people in France aged 12 and up owned a mobile phone (up 4 points YoY). Of particular note, the already massively adopted smartphone has become virtually ubiquitous: 91% of people aged 12 and up own one, alongside computers which are owned by 89% of the population. 

Smart speaker ownership is also rising (33%, up 4 points) and their rate of daily use has overtaken that of landline phones. Other connected devices (health, security, home automation, household appliances) are found in 40% of households (up 3 points). Online storage services, whose free versions are the most widely used, have been adopted by 50% of the population. 

Fibre rules

Underpinning this trend is the increasingly widespread access to fibre. In 2024, 75% of people aged 12 and up with a fixed internet connection had a fibre or a cable plan (up 8 points YoY), whereas copper line access was still predominant in 2020. This percentage of fibre users is rising even more significantly thanks to a surge in the proportion of fibre customers in municipalities with a population of under 20,000, which reached 69% in 2024 and is nearing the fibre subscription rates found in large cities.

Addicted to phones

Queried about how much time they spend on their devices for personal use, close to three out of four people report spending more than two hours a day, and one in four report spending more than five hours a day on their screens. Average screen time is around four hours a day, or a quarter of people’s waking hours. Also queried about how they perceive their screen time, 42% of respondents said they feel that they spend too much time and, for 19% of them, far too much time on their devices. 

The youngest among them stand out for being the heaviest consumers, but also the most sensitive to their overexposure: 61% of 18 to 24-year-olds who spend more than three hours a day on their devices consider it excessive, compared to 31% of people aged 70 and over.

An apparently determining factor in this sentiment is the use of digital platforms with a business model based on capturing users’ attention: 59% of users who go on social media multiple times a day feel that their screen time is excessive. For equal screen time, regular social media users are two to three times more likely to feel that they spend too much time online compared to those who never use social media.

More for more plans

Unsurprisingly, given it is a global phenomenon, the percentage of mobile customers with a monthly allowance of more than 100 Gb has more than doubled in four years, going from 15% to 32%. Despite which, two thirds of people almost never consume their entire monthly allowance. It has nevertheless been observed that average data traffic on mobile networks (16.5 Gb a month per SIM card) continues to grow, albeit more slowly: an over 10% increase in 2024, compared to around 25% a year between 2020 and 2023. The results show that more for more plans may have a shelf life. 

Circular economy

Every household in France owns an average of around 10 digital devices with a screen, of which two are never used and could be recycled or sold. Smartphones in particular are kept after no longer being used: by more than half the population. People are keeping their smartphones longer, however. In 2020, only 16% of those queried kept their smartphone for more than three years. 

This percentage grew to more than a quarter in 2024 (27%), marking an 11-point increase in four years. Despite this trend, buying a new smartphone remains the norm, representing 78% of all handset sales, compared to 22% for used or repurposed smartphones. This latter statistic is hardly surprising given the enforced software obsolescence handset manufacturers inflict on the public making buying a refurbished older phone less straightforward.

Arcep also found that information has been available to mobile service users since January 2022 on their data traffic’s carbon footprint, but only a minority of users are aware of this fact, however: 40% are aware that this information exists, and 28% have consulted it. Among those who are aware, only a third say this information created an incentive for them to limit their data consumption, or 14% of all mobile phone owners.

e& UAE partners Motorola Mobility to provide enterprise solutions like MDM

Simon Dux
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e& UAE partners Motorola Mobility to provide enterprise solutions like MDM


The operator will used Motorola’s mobile device management for businesses large and small

e& UAE has signed a strategic partnership with Motorola Mobility which it said is designed to equip businesses with a B2B enterprise mobility solutions that streamline device management, boost productivity, and ensure robust security. Motorola Mobility, now part of Lenovo, offers a mobile device management (MDM) solution called Moto Device Manager that enables organisations to manage and secure their fleet of Motorola devices, including features like policy management, provisioning, and kiosk mode. 

Moto Device Manager meets the requirements of Android Enterprise Partner, so ensures compatibility with Android Enterprise managed configurations. e& said it will use the solutions for SMBs right up to large enterprises. 

“As the UAE solidifies its position as a global digital transformation hub, businesses face increasing pressure to adopt digital-first strategies that enhance agility and performance. Our partnership with Motorola Mobility addresses the rising demand for solutions that ensure operational efficiency, team connectivity, and sustainability,” said e& UAE SVP business marketing and innovation Oscar Garcia. 

“By integrating enterprise-ready mobility solutions, businesses can streamline everyday tasks, overcome operational challenges, and focus on driving growth. With advanced and reliable tools, we aim to empower organisations to confidently navigate this digital evolution and create lasting value,” he added. 

The partnership between Motorola Mobility and e& UAE will also involve several strategic initiatives. These include joint projects that use their combined strengths in enterprise mobility technology development, service enhancements and market expansion. Additionally, the companies will develop tailored enterprise mobility solutions to meet the specific needs of government, enterprise, and SMB customers in the UAE. Motorola Mobility and e& UAE will also collaborate on sustainability efforts, such as eco-friendly trade-in offers and increasing eSIM adoption.

Providing tools

“Motorola’s B2B enterprise-ready smartphones offer the latest advancements in digital technology, data security, and mobile device management,” said Motorola Middle East general manager Sharay Shams. 

“Our commitment to empowering businesses with solutions that enhance productivity and elevate performance is at the heart of this partnership with e& UAE,” he said. By providing tools that are not only advanced but also user-friendly, we aim to transform workspaces, enhance collaboration, and ensure device security.”

He added: “From streamlining workflows to safeguarding sensitive data, Motorola is dedicated to making business operations smoother and more accessible.”

Motorola Mobility’s B2B enterprise mobility solutions include a suite of services with desktop and multi-screen capabilities, secure device fleet management solutions, streamlined task and workflow management tools and “robust communication features” that facilitate seamless collaboration. Using ThinkShield for Mobile – the vendor’s mobile device security solution, Motorola said it ensures its devices are safeguarded against cyber threats, maintaining the integrity of business data. 

Satellite and mobile: not a match made in heaven…yet

Enrico Ottolini
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Satellite and mobile: not a match made in heaven…yet

MWC2025 finally had some strong interest from operators about non-terrestrial networks in general, and direct to device in particular, but which way will the market go?

At the recent Mobile Work Congress (MWC25) in Barcelona we could notice a strong increase in interest from the cellular industry in non-terrestrial network (NTN), and in particular Direct-to-Device (D2D) satellite services, which will allow modified or unmodified cellular devices to connect seamlessly over both terrestrial cellular and satellite networks.

Almost one year ago at the Mobile World Congress, the Global System for Mobile Communications Association and Global Satellite Operators Association announced their cooperation to foster innovation and seamless terrestrial network/non terrestrial network (TN-NTN) integration. Over the past year, several providers of Direct-to-Device (D2D) satellite services have progressed to the stage of beta testing or initiated a limited commercial launch of their services. 

So now is a good moment to evaluate the progress so far, and see what the status is of this merger between the terrestrial cellular and satellite industries, which, as I described in an earlier article, Satellites are from Mars mobile is from Venus, has the potential to bring global communication to a whole new level.

In general, this subject did catch the attention of many of the leading players from both camps, which is good news. Different associations, satellite and mobile operators, smart phone manufacturers, chip makers and network vendors are taking very different approaches on the subject. This will provide very interesting and useful new insights which can be leveraged to reach the stage of fully seamless TN-NTN integration. However, parties have to be critical in assessing the long-term technical and commercial feasibility of their planned solutions, looking beyond the limitations of their current specialism and assets. Only then will they be able to obtain a sustainable position in this new, promising market.

GSMA and GSOA cooperation programs

The cooperation between the Global System for Mobile Communications Association (GSMA) and Global Satellite Operators Association (GSOA) intended to create educational programs, workshops and events aimed at raising awareness and understanding of the benefits and opportunities presented by converging the satellite and terrestrial technologies. However, concrete results have been limited so far. 

For one, the GSMA has been most active so far in forging collaborations with satellite entities and associations like the European Space Agency (ESA) and the MSSA (Mobile Satellite Service Association). 

On one hand, the collaboration between the GSMA and ESA aims at bringing new possibilities for the telecommunications industry by leveraging ESA’s satellite network operations for the advancement of 5G and future 6G systems. This partnership is mainly focused on conducting comprehensive test programs, and its outcomes should provide the necessary input for developing fully integrated TN/NTN 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) standards. As such, this partnership will facilitate the launch of fully 3GPP-standardised D2D-services in four or five years. 

By then, the partly 3GPP-standardised D2D satellite operators that will launch their initial services this year will have reached full global coverage and further developed their systems to meet more advanced 4G and 5G service needs. Because they will already have become the de-facto standards for full TN-NTN integration, this raises the question of whether the GSMA and ESA shouldn’t work closer together with these satellite operators.

However, the at the MWC25 by ESA and the GSMA Foundry announced new founding round to support 3 innovation challenges centred on 5G/6G innovation for D2D communications shows that for the moment ESA and the GSMA have no intention to do so.

On the other hand, the alliance between the GSMA and the MSSA will explore new approaches to integrating D2D and Internet of Things (IoT) services via Mobile Satellite Services (MSS) satellites. Particularly, the focus will be on how long-established satellite operators like Viasat, Iridium and Orbcomm can leverage their existing legacy satellite constellations to provide services to cellular devices.

Nonetheless, a limiting factor is that these constellations are only capable of providing rather basic D2D-service based on MSS-spectrum — like emergency SOS and messaging — and need substantial upgrades to be able to support more advanced 4G and 5G services. 

Within this panorama, it is remarkable that the program with ESA is directed to the (distant) future, whilst the alliance with the MSSA is more focused on the constellations from the past. At the same time, GSMA has not yet made any efforts to establish close partnerships with the soon-to-be launched D2D LEO-sat operators. For instance, AST Space Mobile, Starlink Direct-to-Cell (D2C) or LYNK, are all at the verge of starting to offer partly 3GPP-standardised D2D/C services, and are predicted to have a huge impact on the global cellular industry already this year. 

The GSOA so far has not developed any projects or collaborations in this area with cellular network operators or associations. 

This leaves the impression that, although both the GSMA and GSOA have shown their interest in D2D services and the associated merger of the satellite and cellular industry, the sense of urgency still appears to be missing within these two entities.

Legacy satellite operator and smart phone manufacturers

Among the legacy satellite operators, the further extension of the partnership between Globalstar and Apple and the establishment of a joint ownership of a new low Earth orbit (LEO) constellation has been the most noticeable achievement of the past year.

Through this partnership, Apple will invest $1.5 billion into Globalstar. This investment serves to build a new satellite constellation, named “Extended MSS Network”, and lease 85% of the network capacity to provide D2D-services exclusively to the owners of future iPhone releases. To provide these services directly to its iPhone users, Apple will be able to leverage, potentially on a global scale, Globalstar’s 10MHz bandwidth of Band 53/n53 spectrum located at 2.4GHz, as approved by the 3GPP. 

With this, Apple will bypass Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) and exclude a large part of the MNO’s customer base who do not use an iPhone. In doing so, they will strongly limit their addressable market and spark strong rejection amongst MNOs.

Remarkably, though, is that, with this decision, Apple is reviving Steve Jobs’ old dream from 2007 to create his own network in the 2.4 GHz Band. Nonetheless, this decision was aborted years ago, based on the insight that it would have devastating consequences for Apple’s global MNO’s sales channels around the world. Why Apple believes the outcome will be different this time remains unclear.

A comparable, but much less far-reaching deal was closed between Ligado and Google, aimed at providing SOS services to Google Pixel 9 series smartphones. Besides that, Ligado has also tested SMS-service over geostationary orbit (GEO)-satellite in cooperation with Qualcomm and T-Mobile.

Taking into consideration the very basic characteristics of these D2D services of the legacy satellite operators, and the limitations of these satellite constellations to keep up the pace with the fast-developing requirements for the increasingly more advanced 5G services, a crucial question emerges. Namely, will these services be only used by the smart phone manufacturers for short- term product differentiation, or are they meant to be a starting point for more advanced services in the future?

Within this perspective the recent alliance formed by the SES and Lynk Global is the first case where a legacy and a new partly 3GPP-standardised satellite operator join forces to bring more advanced D2D-services to the market. As part of this agreement SES will invest in Lynk Global, provide a suite of integrated services over its MEO/GEO-constellations and ground network to enhance capabilities of Lynk’s services, and will also become a strategic channel partner for Lynk Global.

Cellular network vendors

In the cellular network vendor market, we see a wide variety of approaches taken by the different players to merge terrestrial and satellite services. Particularly, each of them takes a specific approach somewhere between the opposite pathways that Ericsson and Nokia have been taking in the past year.

On one hand, Ericsson, by completely ignoring the partly 3GPP-standardised D2D services, like SpaceMobile and Starlink D2C, has placed itself outside of the first wave of the soon-to-be launched serious providers of D2D services. Instead, Ericsson is only working on its alliance with the MSSA to develop D2D services on legacy MSS satellite systems and initiated close cooperation with ESA targeting the development of 3GPP TN/NTN standards for the future. Consequently, Ericsson will not be an active player at this stage. As such they have placed themselves in a less favourable starting position to benefit from future market opportunities for fully 3GPP standardised D2D services.

On the contrary, Nokia went in deep with Space Mobile, playing a crucial role in delivering its AirScale Single RAN equipment, including its AirScale base stations powered by its latest generation of Nokia’s ReefShark System-on-Chip chipsets. Additionally, Nokia will also provide SpaceMobile with its NetAct solution for network management and seamless daily network operations, as well as optimisation and technical support services. This close partnership between Nokia and SpaceMobile could also be witnessed at the MWC25 by Nokia hosting SpaceMobile on their booth.

As such, Nokia has become a leading player in providing network solutions to D2D LEO operators. This will enable them to further leverage this position, and thus obtain a preferred position for the next wave of D2D constellations.

The new operators of partly 3GPP-standardised D2D services

Also, very different approaches are taken between the different new operators of partly 3GPP-standardised D2D LEO services, as exemplified by Starlink and Space Mobile.

Starlink has outraged the global MNO community over its out-of-band (OOB) emissions waiver request to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for its D2C LEO satellite messaging system. Particularly, this is causing serious interference problems with the services of mobile and other satellite operators. Besides that, Starlink is trying to obtain its own spectrum with the objective of bypassing local MNOs and thus providing its services directly to the end-users. 

In sheer contrast, Space Mobile has obtained full support for its constellation from all the leading MNOs around the world, offering a model where the MNO is in the lead towards the customer and receives a full revenue share. Additionally, Space Mobile will provide its MNO partners in the U.S. with 45 MHz of additional premium, lower mid-band spectrum to offer Space Mobile D2D services to their clients. Besides this, Space Mobile received major investments and has board members from various leading cellular players like AT&T, Verizon, Google, American tower, Vodafone and Rakuten.

A clear proof of this close collaboration between these companies is the joint announcement by Vodafone and SpaceMobile at the MWC25 that they have signed an agreement to create a jointly owned European satellite service business to serve mobile network operators (MNOs) in all European markets.

With the key involvement of these renowned global cellular players, Space Mobile takes terrestrial cellular networks as a starting point for its systems and constellation design, and can, as such, guarantee the best possible match between terrestrial cellular and satellite services. 

What sort of relationship will evolve?

Overall, the different satellite and cellular associations, entities and companies are all taking very diverse approaches to D2D-services. Apart from just a few cases, where parties from the satellite and cellular industry work together in full partnership with a joint objective, in most cases there appears to be a desire by the cellular or satellite entity to be in full control, be in the lead, or take the most benefits. However, this competitive mentality is hindering players from both terrestrial and satellite industries to go all the way together. Only through a more collaborative approach will all relevant stakeholders be able to obtain their fair share of the business and achieve real big things together.

The merger of the satellite and mobile industry is not yet a happy marriage — in fact, it has not yet passed the stage of a Living Apart Together (LAT) relationship. Nonetheless, we believe truly promising avenues can emerge from this merger. Perhaps all that is needed is simply more time and faith in one another to move to the next stage and make this a marriage made in heaven.

Enrico Ottolini is co-founder and executive director of Planet Earth Connect. He has more than 25 years of extensive international experience in both the mobile and satellite communications industries. He guides telecom operators and solution providers through the rapidly changing and fragmented LEO-sat landscape. Currently, he and his team are in the process of creating a platform that will merge both these technologies into one fully integrated and seamless Terrestrial Network / non-TN enterprise solution.

MWC25 – Video Interview with Intellias, Connectbase and VirtuGrp

Marcin Piechowski
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MWC25 – Video Interview with Intellias, Connectbase and VirtuGrp

Mobile Europe’s Michelle Donegan discusses Intellias’ accelerators, as well as use cases in data analytics, connectivity and software integrations by Connectbase and Virtugrp, with:

  • Dennis Fliller, VP of Telecom & Media, North America at Intellias
  • Roman Makarchuk, Senior Delivery Director, Telecom & Media at Intellias
  • Edison Smith, VP of Sales, EMEA at Connectbase
  • Miguel Blockstrand, Head of IOT at VirtuGrp

To learn more about Intellias, visit https://intellias.com/

Entries for CTO of the Year Awards 2025 are now OPEN

Marcin Piechowski
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Entries for CTO of the Year Awards 2025 are now OPEN

If you* are responsible for running telecoms infrastructure in Europe, the Middle East or Africa, this could be your year.

Mobile Europe is inviting entries to its CTO of the Year Awards 2025, sponsored by Amdocs. For the entry form, CLICK HERE.

Our Awards are now in the twelfth year and previously have been won by those in charge of executing network strategy from operators large and small – see our illustrious Hall of Fame of former winners here.

Oleg Volpin, President, Europe, Telefonica Global and Network Offering Division, Amdocs, said:

“Amdocs are delighted to be partnering with Mobile Europe for the 2nd year running, to present their acclaimed CTO of the Year Awards.

Amdocs work closely with many network operators in Europe and beyond, supporting them in their transformations to achieving their business goals. 

The Mobile Europe CTO of the Year Awards shine a light on those leaders, and their teams, who truly stood out in the last year with their forward-thinking strategy, tech innovation and business accomplishments.

We look forward to discovering who will collect the trophies in 2025!”

The Awards are open to CTOs, CTIOs and people with other, equivalent job titles, whether responsible for mobile, fixed, converged, cloud or satellite telecoms infrastructure.

We will present two Awards:

  • TRAILBLAZER recognises someone (and their team) who has done something new and different. An example could be a novel use case for AI deployment or integrating satellite into the mix. Whatever the innovation, it may not yet have proven itself – we’re looking at creative thinking for the future here.
  • GAMECHANGER has transformed existing networks and associated operations, taking them to a whole new level. This could be in terms of more efficient delivery (for the operator and their customer) or making better use of capital, say.

Entries close on 30th May 2025, and the Winners will be revealed on 9th September 2025.

For the entry form, CLICK HERE.

*Candidates can enter on their own behalf, or for a colleague. 

Zain Group entices IoT OEMs with Global M2M offering

Simon Dux
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Zain Group entices IoT OEMs with Global M2M offering


The telco, operating in eight markets, wants to be the connectivity partner of choice for device OEMs looking to crack the Middle East

With just under 19 billion connected IoT devices globally and solid growth, it is easy to think the market is a no brainer for telcos but even the largest, like Vodafone, have opted instead to spin-off their IoT units after finding the market fiendishly fragmented with competing protocols and even networks. 

Kuwait-headquartered Zain Group has come up with an interesting approach to address the market and that is to be a gateway connectivity provider for OEMs to the eight Middle Eastern markets it serves. It has launched a Global M2M offering which it said represents a “comprehensive solution” designed to simplify IoT connectivity for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) across industries. At the same time, Zain claims to have become the first regional operator to offer global connectivity using global International Mobile Subscriber Identifier (IMSI). 

Zain’s solution is set to empower OEMs from across the globe to seamlessly integrate their devices into multiple regional markets through a single point of integration and contractual relationship. This development enables partner OEMs to access all the required connectivity for their devices, eliminating the necessity to establish local presence while ensuring full compliance with local regulations.

In partnership with MAVOCO AG, a provider of connectivity management platforms, Zain said it is able to offer its customers state-of-the-art connectivity management and control technologies, with full self-service and open integration capabilities. Zain already has several million devices across its footprint and it reckons the launch of the Global M2M offering will further facilitate and enable the proliferation of connected devices across the region.

“The introduction of our Global M2M offering is a strategic move that accompanies the recent launch of Zain’s new 4WARD strategy, capitalising on our strategic footprint and superior connectivity to position Zain as the regional partner of choice,” said Zain Group chief strategy officer Kamil Hilali. 

Local compliance

“This service addresses the significant challenges faced by OEMs operating in or looking to operate in the region, including compliance with local regulations and high integration costs,” he said. “By providing a unified solution that ensures compliance and simplifies connectivity across our extensive network, Zain is empowering the connection of global manufacturers to the Middle East. This will boost the pace of digital transformation of enterprises and governments, driving socio-economic growth across the region.” 

Hilali reckons the service addresses several region-specific challenges OEMs may have entering the Middle East. It ensures full regulatory compliance by adhering to local requirements in markets such as Saudi Arabia and Oman, where permanent roaming restrictions pose significant hurdles. 

The solution simplifies integration through a single connectivity point, eliminating the complexity and cost of engaging multiple mobile network operators (MNOs) across different countries.

Additionally, the global IMSI-based solution provides competitive roaming rates and worldwide coverage, allowing OEMs to avoid establishing local entities and thereby reducing operational costs and legal complexities. The offering further streamlines processes by presenting a unified contractual relationship, enabling OEMs to leverage their scale without fragmentation by country or operator.

Through this launch, Zain is targeting a diverse range of market segments seeking more intelligent coverage, including international car manufacturers, industrial equipment manufacturers, smart meter providers, connected device companies, and enterprises involved in international freight, shipping containers, and cold supply chain management.

“We are confident of the opportunity to capture a first-mover advantage in the provision of comprehensive, universal connectivity services to OEMs and further solidify Zain’s position as a leader and partner of choice for digital transformation,” said Hilali. 

Webscale capex surpassed telco capex in 2024 – MTN

Simon Dux
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Webscale capex surpassed telco capex in 2024 – MTN


Not even DeepSeek’s market reality check has dampened the hyperscale data centre industry as fear of missing out replaces market reality in some cases

In 4Q24, webscale – or hyperscale – capex grew an astounding 78% YoY, to push the annual total just over the $300 billion benchmark, according to MTN Consulting’s latest report. Perhaps more astounding is that webscale capex surpassed telco capex in 2024 – one for the regulators to ponder whether they are focusing all their energy on the right sector. 

“Key webscalers retain ambitious buildout plans for 2025, in part to curry favour with politicians looking for big announcements to brag about,” said MTN Consulting chief analyst Matt Walker. “Capex plans have not been adjusted since Deepseek or the tariff-induced stock market crash, but it seems likely many of these companies will gradually come to their senses.”

“Generative AI is a bubble,” he added. “There is no way current levels of spending can continue.” 

Walker may well be right as the MTN report comes at a time when multiple reports have appeared suggesting Microsoft is actually walking away from some of its huge data centre commitments globally. 

After declining 3% in 2023, webscale capex grew at incredibly fast, unsustainable rates in 2024: up by 26%, 53%, 61%, and 78% YoY in the four quarters of the year. Q4 FY24 capex of $100.2 billion pushed the annualised total to $304.4 billion, up 56% YoY, and another all-time high. Investor interest in generative AI has spread rapidly, driving GPU spend in the data centre. Some companies claim they are struggling to procure all the GPUs they want, and prices are unusually high, both due to Nvidia’s market power. Nvidia’s net profit margin for the quarter ending 31 January 2025 was 55.85%. The chipmaker’s average net profit margin for 2024 was 53.25%, a 96.49% increase from 2023.

Walker reckons the current investment spike would seem to be inspired by a mix of hype and fear of missing out, as GenAI brings with it a plethora of legal and regulatory risks and relative lack of proven business models. 

MTN said the most recent webscale capex is focused on outfitting existing data centres: from 48% of annualised capex in 2022, Network/IT and software capex was 60% of total capex in 2024. The biggest capex outlays in 4Q24 came from Amazon ($27.8bn), Microsoft ($15.8bn), Meta ($14.4bn), and Alphabet ($14.3bn). These four accounted for over 70% of single quarter spending. 

Double bubble trouble? 

Synergy Group recently said the number of large data centres operated by hyperscale providers increased to 1,136 at the end of 2024, having doubled over the last five years. They added it has taken less than four years for the total capacity of operational hyperscale data centres to double, as the average capacity of newly opened facilities continues to climb. The United States still accounts for well over half of total worldwide capacity, measured by MW of critical IT load, with Europe and China each accounting for about a third of the balance.

Synergy forecasts that it will take less than four years for total hyperscale data centre capacity to double once again. Each year will see a reasonably steady 130-140 additional hyperscale data centres coming online, but overall capacity growth will be driven more by the ever-larger scale of those newly opened data centres.

Naturally, the companies with the broadest data centre footprint are Amazon, Microsoft and Google. In aggregate the three now account for 59% of all hyperscale data centre capacity. They are followed in the ranking by Meta, Alibaba, Tencent, Apple, ByteDance and then other relatively smaller hyperscale operators. 

Pedal to the metal

MTN said annualised revenues for the webscalers has reached almost $2.6 trillion. Topline growth has been driven by the big 4: Alphabet, Amazon, Meta (FB) and Microsoft. For six straight quarters, all of these companies have recorded double digit revenue growth. 

Webscale free cash flow margins averaged out to 16.3% in 2024, a bit lower than the 18.6% average of 2023. Unlike Nvidia, the average net profit margin for 2024 was 19.9%, a bit higher than 17.5% in 2023. Net margins are around the same level as in the year before Covid, but free cash flow margins have dropped recently due to high capex spend. 

“Meta, Tencent and Microsoft were 1-2-3 for FCF margins in 2024 overall,” said Walker. “The ecommerce specialists Amazon and Alibaba are the laggards, as usual. In gauging webscalers’ ability to fund their capex, their recent levels of free cash flow profitability is one factor to consider.”

He added: “The overall level of average margins is a bit low relative to history, and it’s moving in the wrong direction. Webscalers can afford this for a few quarters, but not for a few years.” 

Odido turns to Netcracker for Klik&Klaar FWA service billing

Simon Dux
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Odido turns to Netcracker for Klik&Klaar FWA service billing


The operator has been busy consolidating its BSS platforms streamline its operations and support new services like fixed wireless

Despite the Netherlands having some of the best fixed networks in Europe, there will always be so-called white addresses which can’t get fast fixed internet. Therefore Odido, formerly known as T-Mobile Netherlands, launched its Klik&Klaar fixed wireless access (FWA) to reach around  20,000 addresses where there is no fibre infrastructure or where customers only have a single provider for internet access. 

With the launch of its Klik & Klaar service, Odido became the first operator in the Netherlands to offer FWA for B2C customers. The operator made the service competitive. At launch last October it was €25, or €20 if users were also mobile subscribers, and featured a soft data limit of 2TB per month. The operator offered some innovation to make the strive more attractive. With FWA, internet can be used immediately upon receipt with an installation app that helps the customer to locate the best reception in the home. Coverage can be expanded in the home using Wi-Fi points and in combination with services such as Videoland and Viaplay.

While the maximum speed is limited to 300/30 Mbps, the use of 3.5 GHz means some parts of urban environments are going to receive less than that. To bill the service, the operator had already been simplifying and unifying its IT stacks onto the Netcracker Digital Commerce & Monetization platform as part of an ongoing BSS consolidation and transformation program.

“Our long-term partnership with Netcracker, which began before the formation of Odido, has given us the confidence to work together on this critical step in our IT transformation program,” said Odido CIO Robert Purdy. “We are excited that we can deliver high-speed access to our customers and look forward to additional innovative services as a result of this alliance.”

“Bringing FWA to our customers is an important milestone since our rebranding to the market,” said Odido head of IT mass market Bas Touw. “I am confident that our collaboration with Netcracker will lead to further such innovations as we continue to disrupt the Dutch telecom landscape.”

The FWA service uses Netcracker’s BSS suite of products and professional services, including Product Catalogue, Customer Order Management, Customer Information Management and CPQ, as part of a standardised IT deployment. The operator reckons it has streamlined its order process and delivered digital services for customers and agents.

“As the leading mobile operator in the Netherlands, Odido is blazing a trail to 5G monetization, including the investment in FWA,” said Netcracker GM Benedetto Spaziani. 

Wider collaboration 

The FWA partnership is just one aspect of Odido’s wider relationship with Netcracker. Last year, the operator chose Netcracker to consolidate a number of critical processes across various brands and legacy environments onto its Netcracker Digital BSS. The deal included professional and support and maintenance services, as part of a large-scale digital transformation project. Odido was already using Netcracker Digital BSS for Configure, Price, Quote (CPQ) and Order Management but this was expanded to expanded to Product Management (Product Catalog and Product Lifecycle Management). 

On the mobile side, in October Odido and Wipro shifted its direct mobile customers to the cloud-native Ericsson Billing platform, hosted on Amazon Web Services (AWS). In the end, Odido wants to reduce complexity and legacy systems, modernise its entire technology stack, “cloudify” its BSS platform and if it achieves all of that, enhance the end user experience.

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