Global Scans · Telecoms · Weekly Summary

• [New] Recall that Ethio telecom launched the 'NEXT HORIZON: Digital & Beyond 2028 Strategy', a strategy that goes beyond continuity and reenvisions its role in shaping Ethiopia's digital future and expanding inclusive growth across Africa. ENA English
• [New] Rising defence spending, especially in Europe, means the sovereign information and communications technology (ICT) opportunity for telecoms will accelerate given the pivotal role digital and communications technology plays in military and defence applications, including cybersecurity. PwC
• [New] Annual US tariff measures affecting technology, media, and telecommunications supply chains could rise from $76 billion to $697 billion, before accounting for any retaliation on the part of other countries-raising hardware costs, elongating lead times, and complicating capital planning. PwC
• [New] Global telecom service revenue is set to rise from US$ 1.15 trillion in 2024 to roughly $1.32 trillion in 2029, representing a steady, but unremarkable, compound annual growth rate of around 2.8%. PwC
• [New] Saudi telecoms giant STC plans to invest USD 800 million to expand Syria's fibre-optic network, and agreements were also signed with ACWA Power on water and desalination projects. MUFG Research
• [New] The fallout in 2026 is likely to include stricter requirements on telecom equipment security and more intense threat hunting in critical networks. Malware Analysis, News and Indicators
• [New] AI in telecom in 2026 is best understood as a layered capability that turns telemetry into decisions, with value concentrated in well scoped domains and with risk concentrated where AI can trigger actions without strong guardrails. P1 Security
• [New] The roadmap to reach one million units by 2027 requires capital expenditures that exceed the typical venture capital model, prompting Musk to look toward the robust balance sheet of SpaceX, which has seen its Starlink revenue soar as it becomes a global telecommunications standard. FinancialContent
• [New] The Federal Communications Commission is warning telecommunications companies to regularly patch their systems, enable multifactor authentication and segment their networks to avoid falling victim to ransomware attacks. Yahoo News
• [New] 2026 will mark a strategic shift in telecom: from human-driven networks to AI-augmented operations, empowering both people and systems. Telecoms
• [New] If SpaceX executes, it could force hyperscalers and telecom operators to accelerate their own edge and satellite strategies - potentially triggering a new wave of partnerships or M&A. Futurum
• [New] A challenge for telecom operators is clear: they must bridge the gap between ambition and execution to lead the charge toward a hyper-connected future, or risk being outpaced in a world where connectivity defines competitiveness. Mobile Industry Review
• [New] IT & telecom will remain the dominant end-user, while defence and automotive will deliver outsized growth rates. Cision PR Newswire
• [New] The world's demand for connectivity, capacity, and intelligent communication services will only continue to grow, and telecommunications will remain at the heart of meeting that demand in ever more creative ways. Telecoms
• [New] How infrastructure dependencies become political leverage, with Washington pressuring Five Eyes alliance members and European partners to ban Chinese telecommunications equipment under threat of severed intelligence sharing. Planet Crust
• If a chain reaction of collisions occurs, certain altitudes could become unusable, threatening the $190+ billion worth of global satellite infrastructure we rely on for GPS, telecommunications, and climate monitoring. Innovation News Network
• Project Kuiper's carrier-centric strategy and OneWeb's partnerships with telecom operators could help integrate LEO capacity into national broadband plans rather than positioning it purely as a premium product. Programming Helper
• Experts have repeatedly warned that adversaries have treated American power, water, telecommunications, and energy systems as latent battlefields. The National Law Review
• In 2026, telecom companies will see somewhat higher revenues from upgraded 5G and fiber networks. ING Think
• NEC plans to collaborate with telecommunication carriers to conduct performance evaluations and verification tests, aiming for a product launch in Japan in the first half of fiscal year 2026. IOT Insider
• Planning deals around foreign direct investment (FDI) screening obligations will remain central to infrastructure in 2026, with energy, water, transport, telecoms, and data centers increasingly falling within scope as governments tighten controls. Freshfields
• Telecom growth in 2026 will come from smarter networks, not bigger ones. Mobile Industry Review

Last updated: 16 February 2026