Briefing Desk
Latest Briefings
Concise reporting on the developments shaping internet governance and infrastructure. Browse each area for recent news, context and watchpoints.
Amazon and OpenAI in talks over potential $10bn investment
Amazon is in talks to invest about $10bn in OpenAI, a potential major AI funding move amid IPO plans and industry competition.
Airtel Africa and SpaceX team up for Starlink satellite-to-mobile connectivity
Airtel Africa partners with SpaceX to launch Starlink Direct-to-Cell across 14 markets, raising questions about terrestrial network reliance.
Australian operators face A$7.3B spectrum payment burden
Telstra, Optus and others must pay A$7.3 billion for mid-band and 5G spectrum, a major cost as network upgrades accelerate.
SkyTel expands international connectivity for Bangladesh
SkyTel Communications delivers international connectivity solutions and IP data routing for Bangladesh ISPs and mobile operators.
HRS enterprise highlights the tension between global travel tech and regional autonomy
HRS Enterprise offers corporate travel technology, but highlights risks of reliance on global platforms over regional autonomy.
Smart Artist Internet strengthens Australian web hosting
Australian hosting provider Smart Artist offers web hosting, domains, and SSL certificates with daily backups and 24/7 customer support.
Hotline IT Pty Ltd and the struggle for regional tech autonomy
Australian IT provider Hotline IT offers tailored services while highlighting broader issues of external control over digital infrastructure.
Smart Africa and CAIGA fail to earn public trust
Public trust in Smart Africa and CAIGA is eroding as critics warn of opaque governance and political control over Africa’s internet.
Hostnet Security Sdn Bhd and Malaysia’s push for digital autonomy
Hostnet Security Sdn Bhd supports Malaysia’s digital sovereignty with local hosting and security amid growing external pressures.
Infineon and Lenovo intensify push into autonomous driving compute platforms
Infineon and Lenovo expand collaboration to integrate AURIX microcontrollers into vehicle compute for autonomous driving platforms.
US pauses £31B UK tech prosperity deal
Washington has paused the £31 billion UK–US Tech Prosperity Deal over broader trade and regulatory disputes, halting planned cooperation.
SK Telecom’s new CEO signals shift to quality-centred strategy amid security concerns
SK Telecom’s new CEO prioritises quality, customer trust and capital efficiency over sheer growth amid competitive and security challenges.
New report highlights rising data centre emissions across Europe
Europe’s data centre emissions are increasing amid rapid growth, according to a new environmental analysis from Arbonics.
Macquarie Technology names new director as growth ramps up
Macquarie Technology Group names Luke Clifton as director to support growth across telecom, cloud, cyber and data centre operations.
Skytap: Enabling legacy workloads in the public cloud
Skytap delivers hybrid cloud and cloud services to help enterprises run traditional and modern workloads in public cloud environments.
Hostlink Limited: Hong Kong web services firm navigates global market pressures
Hong Kong’s Hostlink (HK) Limited offers web hosting and IT services but faces pressure from large global tech and cloud providers.
Who should govern Africa’s internet — AFRINIC or CAIGA?
A look into the power struggle between AFRINIC and CAIGA, questioning ICANN’s neutrality and its impact on Africa’s internet governance.
Balkan Digital Gateway wins €24M boost for connectivity
A €24 million investment backs the Balkan Digital Gateway to upgrade fibre-optic backbone across the Western Balkans.
Why Africans remain sceptical of Smart Africa’s digital promises
Smart Africa faces criticism as AFRINIC’s collapse and ICANN’s influence deepen mistrust in African internet governance.
Is Smart Africa becoming another symbolic continental initiative?
Smart Africa’s CAIGA rollout raises fears of continental symbolism replacing genuine fixes for AFRINIC’s long-running failures.
Gujarat signs MoU with Henox IT for proposed cable landing station
Gujarat inks Rs 1,317 crore deal with Henox IT for a cable landing station aimed at boosting digital infrastructure.
Ofcom probes BT and Three after mobile network failures
Ofcom is investigating BT and Three after recent mobile outages, raising questions about network resilience and reliability.
Indian government weighs major AGR relief for Vodafone Idea amid telecom distress
India is evaluating a plan to halve Vodafone Idea’s AGR liabilities with an extended moratorium, easing financial stress on the operator.
Pure DC lands Europe’s largest hyperscale lease
Pure DC has signed Europe’s largest standalone hyperscale data centre lease of 2025, highlighting strong demand for large-scale capacity.
UK initiative seeks practical quantum computing use cases with Google collaboration
UK’s quantum centre invites researchers to propose experiments on Google’s Willow quantum processor to find real-world use cases.
Skynet Broadband builds a niche in Australia’s ISP market
Skynet Broadband provides business broadband and fibre connectivity in Australia, supporting enterprises with reliable network services.
Competition boosts foldable phone growth in Europe
Foldable smartphones in Europe are rising fast, with more brands, lower prices, and carriers boosting adoption through plans and displays.
AFRINIC
AFRINIC election outcomes can only be verified through receiver notices, voter eligibility records, proxy controls, court compliance, and member-visible results.
CAIGA is not reform, it is a rewrite of who controls Africa’s internet
Stakeholders clash over CAIGA’s future, questioning Smart Africa and ICANN’s push for a state-led governance model.
Why CAIGA’s governance efforts struggle with enforcement
CAIGA’s AI ambitions expose deeper governance weaknesses, with enforcement gaps echoing AFRINIC’s long-running failures.
EE begins rollout of next-generation Wi-Fi 7 technology
EE begins commercial rollout of Wi-Fi 7, offering faster speeds, lower latency and better multi-device performance across the UK.
LINX Accra goes live at Digital Realty’s ACR2 data centre
LINX Accra is now live in Ghana, hosted at Digital Realty’s ACR2 data centre, with questions remaining over uptake and impact.
du and China telecom global sign MoU to explore advanced connectivity in the UAE
du and China Telecom Global sign a MoU in the UAE to explore future telecom technologies, with benefits and adoption still uncertain.
Why Smart Africa’s digital transformation promises rarely reach citizens
Smart Africa’s digital promises face criticism as governance failures and external influence leave citizens behind.
Regulatory unity or political capture? The real agenda behind CAIGA
CAIGA risks weakening technical independence and replacing diverse African regulations with politically shaped, centralised frameworks.
Sky Network Television expands New Zealand’s media landscape
Sky Network Television Ltd delivers pay TV and streaming services, adapting to digital transformation in New Zealand’s evolving media market.
AT&T nears major deal to expand its Mexico presence
AT&T is reportedly close to a multi-billion-dollar deal in Mexico, signalling renewed focus on its Latin American telecoms strategy.
CAIGA and ICANN spark new fears over Africa’s IPv4 and IPv6 future
CAIGA and ICANN raise fears of centralised control over Africa’s IPv4 and IPv6 policies, threatening regional autonomy and transparency.
U Mobile expands 5G indoors with major IGB property coverage deal
U Mobile and IGB expand next-gen 5G inside malls, offices and hotels, offering multicarrier access while debating deployment value.
AI and data-centre boom exposes five key debt hotspots
AI-driven data-centre growth has sparked heavy borrowing across five global regions, prompting analysts to warn of rising credit risks.
Samsung and KT validate AI-RAN on commercial networks, boosting 6G prospects
Samsung and KT show AI RAN can enhance user connectivity, though broader commercial adoption still faces technical and strategic hurdles.
Broadcom lifts outlook as AI chip demand accelerates
Broadcom forecasts strong quarterly revenue as demand for AI chips and networking hardware continues to surge.
Horizon Power’s regional energy role faces evolving governance pressures
Horizon Power supplies regional Western Australia but must balance local energy autonomy with external regulatory and market pressures.
Sky Cable drives growth in Nepal’s digital connectivity
Nepal’s Sky Cable delivers digital TV and fibre broadband services, offering affordable combo plans and 24-hour customer support.
Hoopla Hosting Limited: New Zealand web host amid rising autonomy concerns
Hoopla Hosting Limited offers web and cloud hosting from NZ datacentres, reflecting regional control versus global network reliance.
Sky Net Multi Services strengthens broadband offerings
Sky Net Multi Services is a local internet provider offering broadband services and business connectivity across Pakistan’s urban areas.
Will CAIGA really improve cross-border internet cooperation?
CAIGA claims to improve cross-border cooperation, but critics warn it risks entrenching ICANN’s overreach and worsening Africa’s internet governance crisis.
MasOrange embraces automation with Ericsson as questions over progress remain
MasOrange and Ericsson launch AI-powered RAN automation in Spain. Could this model transform network management — or limit operator flexibility?
Amazon doubles down on India with US$35 billion commitment
Amazon’s US$35bn India investment boosts AI adoption, expands e-commerce exports, and aims to create one million new jobs by 2030.
Intel pursued deals under CEO that boosted his own fortune
Intel’s AI strategy under Lip-Bu Tan has included talks on firms tied to his venture interests, fuelling governance concerns.