For better or worse, MTN has been unafraid of doing business in locations experiencing war, political turmoil, and disaster.
This strategy has made them one of the biggest telcos in Africa—but it hasn't come without cost. The Wall Street Journal's recent profile earns the top spot on our list of monthly reads.
We've also selected stories about fixed voice trends, blockchain, and that whole Huawei situation.
Telecom Giant Pushes Into Dangerous Areas
This Wall Street Journal article looks closer at South African MTN Group Ltd., a company that has "made a name for itself wading into nations dealing with war, sanctions, and strife." This profile provides good insight on the strategies that have made MTN Africa's largest telco—as well as the risks, fines, and actions that have hurt their bottom line.
U.S. Bans Federal Purchases of Telecom Gear from Huawei
Huawei always finds a way into our monthly reading list. This time around, it's because of new U.S. bans on purchasing equipment from five Chinese companies, including Huawei. Aljazeera explains the new purchase regulations and what that means for all involved.
Indian Telecom Companies May Leave Huawei Out of Core 5G Network
On a related note, Bharti Airtel, Vodafone Idea, and Reliance Jio Infocomm are weighing the risks of doing business with Huawei. These telcos are considering excluding the controversial company from core elements of their 5G networks. This Economic Times piece lays it all out.
No Lifeline for Wireline: Fixed Voice Continues to Fall
The fixed voice telephony market continued its downward trend in 2018—and the decline shows no signs of stopping.
There were 971 million lines in service worldwide at the end of last year, down from 996 million 12 months earlier and a peak of almost 1.28 billion back in 2007. Pete Bell breaks it all down.
Blockchain Shows Massive Potential For The Telecom Industry
"Blockchain technology can solve most if not all the challenges faced by the telecom sector," writes Forbes' Ilker Koksal. Is that remotely true? Click above to peruse his full argument and decide for yourself.
(Or is this actually our feeble attempt to include the word "blockchain" in this post as many times as possible to boost its searchability? It can't hurt!)
Why Marseille Became a Top 10 International Internet Hub in Just Five Years
"Marseille has long been strategically important for trade and commerce thanks to its unique geographical location at the crossroads between Europe, Africa, and the Middle East," writes Delphine Masciopinto and Mike Hollands in this CommsMEA post. What's more interesting is that Marseille is the fastest-growing internet hub on the continent. Read their post to find out what makes Marseille such a hot spot.
Think you've got something that should be on our monthly reading list? Tweet it to us @TeleGeography.