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2G and 3G Shutdowns Continue

Mobile network operators around the world continue to close legacy 2G and 3G networks in order to migrate valuable spectrum resources to more widely used 4G and 5G technologies.

Following up on our August 2021 piece covering 3G sunsets in Europe, today we have a look at how the situation has developed since then and which markets will be next to wave goodbye to 2G and 3G.

The Panama Paper Trail: Tracking Five Years of Telecom Upheaval

Back in 2018, the Panamanian government rubber-stamped long-gestating plans to reduce the mobile market from four players to three, seeking to make better use of the country’s spectrum resources.

Despite multiple meetings, no breakthroughs were achieved, and all four operators were unwilling to concede ground.

Five years later, multiple international telecom groups have exited Panama and the authorities find themselves in the unusual position of trying to attract a new operator to fill the void.

Today, we track the key events that led to this point.

Shake-up in Hungary as Vodafone Exits

U.K.-based Vodafone Group has agreed to leave the Hungarian telecom market after more than 20 years of competing in the country’s mobile and fixed sectors.

2022: The Essential CommsUpdate Selection

Our daily CommsUpdate newsletter has featured a staggering 82,000 telecom stories since making its debut back in December 2002!

Twelve months is a long time in the world of telecom. So as another eventful year draws to a close, we’re looking back at the telecom stories that captured our readers’ attention during 2022.

From SIM card registration to Simba Telecom, satellite broadband to Standalone 5G, the CommsUpdate team left no stone unturned in their quest to bring you the biggest daily news stories from around the world.

Read on for the most popular CommsUpdate stories of 2022.  

Ask The Experts: What Defined The Industry in 2022?

What will we remember about this year in telecommunications?

And what does the landscape look like as we kick off 2023?

Greg Bryan (and his rapidly color-changing beard*) posed these questions to six TeleGeography experts in a rousing two-part episode of TeleGeography Explains the Internet. You might have caught the first episode earlier this week.

CommsUpdate Is 20!

Since making its debut back in December 2002, our daily CommsUpdate newsletter has featured a staggering 82,000 telecom stories and now ranks as one of the most extensive telecom news resources in the world.

Born out of desk research for TeleGeography’s GlobalComms Database Service, CommsUpdate is produced by a team based in the historic city of Exeter in Devon, England.

CommsUpdate actually has its roots in the Communications Update newsletter launched by CIT Publications on September 6, 1999. CIT Publications eventually merged with TeleGeography to create the telecom research giant you now know. 

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of CommsUpdate, let's take a look at some of the choice telecom headlines of December 2002. We'll see what has changed in this ever-evolving industry—and what (if anything) has stayed the same. 

Turkcell Unsuccessful With Iran Lawsuit

South Africa’s MTN Group has announced the end of a decade-long legal battle centered on its Iranian subsidiary, MTN Irancell.

A Passage to India: 5G Finally Arrives

The second most populous nation in the world, India, also boasts the world’s second-largest mobile market, with almost 1.15 billion subscriptions at the end of June 2022, according to TeleGeography’s GlobalComms Database.

The country’s mobile customers are getting access to 5G services for the first time this month following the widely anticipated launch.

Mobile as Infrastructure in Africa

Hello podcast listeners. It's Tuesday, which means there's a new episode of TeleGeography Explains the Internet hot off the press.

Our latest guest is Waheed Adam, Global Board Director of the Mobile Ecosystem Forum and Executive Chairperson at iTouch Messaging Service. He was a fantastic guest who brought a wealth of knowledge—and some really excellent stories—about mobile adoption as infrastructure in Africa.

Punch the play button below if you'd like to hear his chat with host Greg Bryan and Senior Research Manager Patrick Christian.

Africa’s Mobile Sector: Still Room for Growth

Africa’s mobile communications market continues to grow at a steady pace. And take up shows no signs of slowing. 

Subscription numbers were up 5% in 2021, following growth of 7% the year before and 6% in 2019.

According to figures from our GlobalComms Database, at the end of 2021 the continent was home to 1.22 billion mobile subscriptions, up from 1.16 billion 12 months earlier.