AGP Executive Report

Fraud & Trust Tech: Equifax rolled out Signal Score for Email and Signal Score for Device to help e-commerce, financial services and telecoms spot account takeovers and synthetic fraud in real time. UN Tech Sovereignty: ITU warns UN agencies are looking to diversify cloud and AI sourcing, with exit plans in mind as chip and model access could be restricted by geopolitics. Copper Supply Deal: Prysmian and Aurubis signed a long-term copper wire agreement to secure access for electrification and digital networks while boosting recycling and lowering carbon footprint. Payments Policy Clarification: India’s NPCI said GST on UPI merchant discount rate won’t hit small merchants because MDR (and GST on it) applies only above ₹2,000 and most volume stays below. Platform Access Crackdown: Philippines telcos blocked Discord after CICC demanded a local presence; CICC extended Reddit but not Discord. Connectivity in the Field: U Mobile and ZTE completed a solar-powered portable 5G proof of concept using satellite backhaul, cutting rural deployment timelines to days. Spectrum Testing: T-Mobile asked the FCC to trial prototype equipment in 2.7GHz and 4GHz bands ahead of 6G plans. Broadband Permits Fight: US local governments challenged an FCC proposal for a 120-day shot clock on wireline right-of-way approvals. Robocall Push: The FCC published carrier-specific guides to turn on existing call-blocking and text-filtering tools. Rail Comms Upgrade: Frequentis will supply mission-critical digital radio and trackside gateway capabilities for Queensland’s FRMCS/ETCS rollout. Telco Sector Security: Malaysia warned telecom vandalism and theft in Kelantan is threatening coverage and local business activity. M&A Watch: StarHub and Keppel confirmed talks over a potential M1 deal after Simba’s bid collapsed. Mobile Safety Service: Nepal Telecom launched weather and flood early warnings via toll-free 1155. AI Skills Funding: Verizon pledged $70m for free nationwide AI training with partners including IBM, Google, Microsoft, Coursera and OpenAI.

AI Governance & Geopolitics: Thomas Friedman argues the US and China must cooperate on global AI guardrails to avoid an arms-race dynamic. Regulation & Emergency Calling: Australia’s Senate committee calls for a new national authority to oversee Triple Zero after the Optus 000 outage, pushing telecom law upgrades and clearer accountability. Universal Service Funding: Pakistan’s USF approved Rs32.90bn for FY27, targeting 3.66m people with 15 new 4G projects plus first-quarter funding to keep rollouts moving. Enforcement Focus: Pakistan PTA appoints Brigadier (Retd) Amir Shehzad as DG Enforcement to tighten service-quality and compliance oversight. Consumer Protection & Fraud: India’s DoT warns about fake SIMs and urges checks via Sanchar Saathi, with penalties up to Rs50 lakh and up to 3 years jail. Local Telecom Planning: Leeds council blocks a 5G mast plan over highway safety concerns. Network/Infrastructure Moves: Mavenir and Neysa partner to deliver AI-native, sovereign AI infrastructure for operators and enterprises. Cross-border Connectivity: Meta, NEC and Sumitomo back “Petal,” a 7,000km petabit-class transatlantic cable planned for 2029. Commercial Telecom Finance: Singapore’s Simba/Tuas posts a 277% profit jump but details unauthorised spectrum usage that sank its M1 deal.

Cybersecurity Coordination: Kyrgyzstan convened its new interdepartmental information and cybersecurity commission at CYBERNOMAD FEST 2026, focusing on agency-to-municipality cooperation and protection of government digital systems. Network Build-Out: Venezuela’s CANTV is installing about 43,000 optical ports across Apure, Barinas, Cojedes, Guárico and Portuguesa to expand Aba Ultra, Aba TV GO and IP telephony. AI Monetisation Shift: Goldman Sachs says consumer AI agents are moving from chat to action, with advertising and subscriptions likely to become the main revenue routes. Off-grid 5G Trials: Malaysia’s U Mobile and ZTE completed a proof-of-concept for a portable, fully off-grid 5G site using green power and satellite backhaul, aiming to cut deployment time dramatically. Fintech Policy: Oman launched a national fintech strategy and central digital portal to coordinate regulators, improve interoperability, and strengthen cybersecurity and consumer protection. Fraud & Safety: Ghana’s telecoms chamber urged MoMo users to protect PINs and watch for SIM-swap and phishing scams, while the Philippines’ NTC blocked two websites tied to grooming minors for real-world violence. Infrastructure Investment: WIOCC says the US DFC will join AFC and Vision Invest to back Africa’s terrestrial and subsea networks and data centre expansion. Public Safety Tech: 911 systems faced disruptions in multiple places, including Atlanta’s Monday night outage, highlighting ongoing telecom resilience pressure.

Airport Telecom Disruption: A telecom outage tied to a failed FAA circuit and an accidentally severed fiber line grounded and delayed thousands of US flights across the Northeast, with JFK, LaGuardia, Newark, Philadelphia and Boston hit before operations gradually resumed after repairs. Regulation & Emergency Services: Australia’s Senate inquiry into the Optus outage urges major telecom changes, including stripping Telstra of Triple Zero control and mandating domestic roaming. QoS Enforcement: Pakistan’s PTA fined Telenor Pakistan, PTML (Ufone) and Zong Rs145.8m for call, SMS and internet quality shortfalls after QoS re-verification surveys. Digital Inclusion Shift: A new take on the “digital divide” argues connectivity isn’t enough; capability and productive use are the next battleground. Online Safety: Philippines’ NTC blocked two websites linked to “groomers” allegedly encouraging minors toward real-world violence after police requests. AI Infrastructure & Policy: ETSI’s Critical Communications Systems committee completed leadership for standards supporting EUCCS by 2030, while US air-traffic telecom fragility highlights the stakes for resilient networks. Semiconductors Strategy: India’s next phase should deploy domestically designed chips in locally made products, not just expand chipmaking capacity.

AI Governance & Security: The US proposes an AI incident alert system with China to notify each other of serious national-security threats, as both sides race for AI dominance. Network Policy & Regulation: California’s broadband funding plan would exempt recipients from the state’s net neutrality law for 14 years, raising alarms for competition and emergency traffic rules. Telecom Fraud & Enforcement: China and Madagascar launched their first joint crackdown on telecom fraud, repatriating 50 suspects to China. Child Safety Online: Egypt rolled out age checks and “safe mode” rules for social media users under 15, while the Philippines blocked websites tied to “groomers” encouraging real-world violence. Infrastructure & Data Centers: Fort Pierce tabled a data-center rezoning as officials lack clear rules for how such sites should be classified. Mobile Quality & Fines: Pakistan’s PTA fined Zong Rs 3.89 crore over poor network quality and QoS failures. Fiber Expansion: GoNetspeed connected first South River customers on its 100% fiber network, with East Brunswick construction underway. Semiconductors: India’s next phase should focus on using domestically designed chips in locally made products, not just expanding manufacturing capacity.

Emergency Telecom Reform: Australia’s Triple Zero inquiry says Telstra shouldn’t run the emergency hotline, urging an independent authority, a text option, and mandated domestic roaming after repeated outages. Consumer Connectivity Rules: Canada’s CRTC will require clearer internet plan pricing and more realistic speed disclosures, including peak-hour performance and the post-promo monthly rate. Network Capacity Pressure: Mobile operators are lobbying for the full upper 6GHz band to be opened for mobile use as traffic strains networks. Subsea Expansion: EXA Infrastructure launched EXA Meridian, a new transatlantic subsea cable linking the US and UK, targeting service in 2029 to boost AI/cloud capacity. AI Infrastructure & Safety: China is building a nationwide computing power network, while US and China leaders prepare for AI safety talks focused on incident notification. Regional Broadband Growth: Safaricom passed one million fixed internet subscriptions in Kenya as fibre and wireless rollouts intensify. Data Governance: Pakistan set up a power-sector data governance council to standardise and share consumer and grid information. Local Tower Dispute: A Twizel community board petitioned against a proposed third cell tower, citing limited consultation.

Satellite Connectivity & Voting: Russia’s Bureau 1440 tested its Rassvet low-orbit satellite links with real users in the Nenets region, letting residents access a remote electronic voting system via a ground terminal and Wi‑Fi to tablets, with plans to expand to other hard-to-reach areas. Critical Infrastructure Defense: France is preparing for Russian hybrid attacks, with intelligence reportedly shifting a major scenario to autumn 2027 and warning of targets including power, rail, telecom networks and water systems; officials are also setting up local security teams. Regulatory & AI Governance: An in-house legal roundtable highlights how telecom and tech firms are embedding lawyers earlier in product design to handle fast-changing AI rules across jurisdictions. Semiconductors Push: India’s semiconductor market is projected to hit $200bn by 2035, driven by demand from AI, data centres and telecoms, alongside efforts to grow local manufacturing. Digital Economy Moves: Egypt’s El-Sisi ordered faster 5G, AI, cloud and data-centre expansion while aiming to reduce concentration risks in telecom infrastructure. Network Build-Out: A1 says its Bulgaria fibre project delivered high-speed access to 181,000 people across 64 municipalities. Security & Fraud Risk: US prosecutors opened a landmark Huawei criminal trial, alleging a decades-long scheme involving stolen tech, sanctions violations and fraud.

Fibre Adoption Gap: New Zealand’s Ultra-Fast Broadband rollout is largely built out, but Chorus says fibre uptake sits at 75.9% of serviceable addresses—leaving about one in four fibre-ready homes still not connected, shifting the challenge from construction to take-up. Nigeria Connectivity Friction: Nigerians are venting over data that “vanishes” during key moments, with operators blaming smartphone behaviour and usage changes, while subscribers say poor connectivity and fast depletion are hitting jobs, banking and education. Cable Cut Coordination: A Nigerian telecom entrepreneur warns fibre cuts are driven by weak coordination and low public awareness, after the NCC reported more than 5,000 fibre cuts in Jan–Jun 2026. Open Banking Rollout: New Zealand’s regulated open banking is expanding budgeting and money-management apps via direct bank connections, with more services due to follow. Space & Connectivity Regulation: SpaceX filed with the FCC for its Starmind LEO “space data centre” network, addressing re-entry and collision-risk concerns. Infrastructure Mapping: UK’s NUAR underground asset register has passed 400 asset owners, aiming to reduce accidental strikes as full fibre and next-gen mobile rollouts accelerate.

Spectrum & Telecom Regulation: Belgium moves to curb surprise charges by forcing paid directory services to announce the highest possible call price up front, with audible charging start rules aimed at protecting consumers. Mobile Network Oversight: Pakistan’s PTA orders operators to fix Rawalpindi and Islamabad coverage gaps by October, including along major roads and via new sites tied to 5G rollout. Cybersecurity & Trust: Uganda’s UCC urges regulators and tech firms to treat public trust as the real cybersecurity success metric, not just compliance checklists. AI Fraud: Greek police dismantle an AI voice-cloning scam ring tied to €1m+ in profits, targeting telecom and utility impersonation. Data Centres & Investment: PPC and AWS plan a €3.5bn data centre investment in Western Macedonia, with a 300MW start and potential expansion, supported by local power infrastructure. Digital Infrastructure: Canada’s federal plan for a sovereign fibre backbone highlights concerns that internet traffic detours through the US, raising surveillance and capacity issues. Energy Shock: Cuba suffers a nationwide power grid collapse amid an ongoing energy crisis, disrupting services including telecommunications. Geopolitics & Connectivity: Denmark and Greenland signal cautious optimism after Trump’s Greenland security deal, while parliamentary steps remain before enforcement.

Middle East Security: Saudi Arabia issued air-defence alerts to Riyadh residents via mobile apps after Houthi drone incidents, with Civil Defence later lifting the danger and urging people not to gather or film. Critical Infrastructure: Cuba suffered a nationwide power grid collapse amid an energy crisis, with the utility saying recovery protocols were activated as fuel shortages and aging plants continue to bite. Spam & Competition: India’s telecom regulator is pushing new rules that require caller-ID/spam apps to share spam complaint data with operators, drawing pushback from Truecaller over potential anticompetitive effects. Broadband Policy: California regulators cleared $1.4bn in federal broadband funding, but net-neutrality advocates warn the deal’s conditions could force a rollback of equal access rules. Satellite Connectivity: Papua New Guinea Defence Force is trialling Starlink to improve troop communications in remote areas. Payments Regulation: India’s UPI merchant MDR changes from Oct 15 will apply only to certain merchant payments above ₹2,000, with person-to-person transfers staying free. Quality of Service: Pakistan’s PTA says mobile operators missed QoS benchmarks in mobile broadband and is moving to enforce compliance. US Telecom Transition: Verizon plans to end copper landline service in 2025, pushing customers toward fiber or VoIP.

Satellite & International Telecom Regulation: The FCC granted SpaceX international Section 214 authority to carry Starlink Mobile traffic between the US and other countries, clearing the way for broader global roaming-style connectivity. AI & Telco Operations: EY says telcos expect major AI productivity gains, but cite budget limits, skills gaps, and unclear “North Star” strategy as the biggest blockers to turning AI into measurable value. Wireless Spectrum & 5G: Ghana’s NCA awarded Telecel three 2.3GHz spectrum lots to expand capacity for planned 5G rollout. 6G Progress: The UAE moved its “6G Golden Band” (upper 6GHz) toward commercial deployment after engineering findings showed much higher capacity using existing sites. Regulation & Consumer Impact: Nigeria’s NCC device registration fees drew pushback from phone dealers, who warn costs could flow to consumers. Public Safety Networks: Bell Canada reported a next-gen 911 outage affecting parts of six provinces, with CRTC review expected after a post-outage report. Accessibility Compliance: Europe published EN 301 549 V4.1.1, adding a compliance framework for the European Accessibility Act for ICT products and services. Cybersecurity & Disinformation: A European consortium is set to test secure satellite communications against disruption and cyberattacks ahead of reliance on EU’s IRIS² system. Digital Rights Watch: A Cambodia-focused report claims scam-related job ads kept appearing on Telegram even after officials said no scam compounds remained.

Regulatory Crackdown (Philippines): The House passed a bill modernizing anti-espionage laws, expanding “spying” to cover sharing any “classified matter” and unauthorized access to sensitive infrastructure, with penalties up to life imprisonment without parole. Security & AI (Australia): Home Affairs warned that AI is boosting foreign interference and hacking, while ASIO’s spy chief said China understands Australia’s telecom systems well enough to potentially “turn them off.” Workplace Tech Policy (Australia): Australia is considering banning smart glasses in government workplaces over espionage and data-leak risks. Network Modernisation (UK): VodafoneThree activated Ericsson’s cloud-native 5G Core, aiming to boost capacity and reliability and support services like 5G Standalone and network slicing. Public Safety Comms (Canada): Bell said 9-1-1 service was largely restored after intermittent outages while it probes the cause. Enterprise Cyber (Sri Lanka/Regional): Plexus Global partnered with TrendAI to distribute AI-powered cybersecurity for endpoints and threat intelligence. Market Shock (India): Sebi barred Kore Digital and top executives after allegations of manipulated financial statements, sending shares down 10%.

Emergency Services: Ontario’s OPP says 9-1-1 is largely stabilized after early-morning intermittent outages, with Bell reporting a digital 911 issue and rerouting via backup systems across multiple provinces. Conflict & Telecom Infrastructure: Yemen-Houthi fighting spills into telecom assets, with reports of strikes on telecommunications towers in Taiz and casualties tied to drone debris near Mecca. AI Governance & Cyber Risk: US Senator Mark Warner urges Congress to set AI safety standards by year-end, while Naver Cloud calls for global cooperation as AI accelerates cyberattacks. Digital Identity & Inclusion: Somalia and Pakistan deepen cooperation on digital identity and public digital infrastructure after a peer learning mission, as countries push interoperability and citizen services. Payments Regulation: India’s UPI MDR debate heats up as petroleum dealers seek exemptions for fuel purchases, adding pressure to margins. Venue Connectivity: Smart City Networks wins a new Colorado Convention Center deal to deploy Wi‑Fi 7 and expand on-site event tech support. Child Online Safety: Pakistan considers stricter social media rules, including possible age limits and platform restrictions, after concerns over child exploitation and obscene content.

UPI MDR Shake-Up (India): From Oct 15, UPI merchant payments above ₹2,000 will face a 0.4% MDR, but five categories get a flat Rs 5 MDR—railways, telecoms, insurance, fuel and agricultural inputs—while person-to-person stays free and banks are told not to pass the charge to customers. Digital Identity (New Zealand): Westpac becomes the first NZ bank accredited to issue digital ID credentials via the Govt.nz app wallet for business customers, using QR plus SMS verification. Subsea Capacity (Transatlantic): EXA Infrastructure plans EXA Meridian, a 6,552km US-UK cable targeting 2029 service and 500Tbps+ capacity for hyperscalers, finance and governments. AI Data & Security (US-China): A Foreign Affairs analysis warns that efforts to distil US AI models could be exporting sensitive real-world user and industrial data back to the US. Nigeria Fintech Access (Policy): CBN Governor Olayemi Cardoso says financial inclusion must deliver real wellbeing, while former CBN boss Sanusi Lamido admits delaying telcos’ entry into Nigeria’s financial services slowed inclusion. Network Growth (Nigeria): NCC reports active internet subscribers hit 157.7M in July and usage rose to 1.66M TB. Satellite Connectivity (Africa): Thales Alenia Space wins a contract for NIGCOMSAT-2A to expand secure broadband and TV services across West/Central to Southern Africa. Regulation & Competition (Trinidad & Tobago): Public utilities minister Barry Padarath defends TSTT chairman Kern Dass and signals legal action against the telecoms union.

UPI MDR Fight in India: India’s finance ministry says the new 0.4% Merchant Discount Rate on select high-value merchant UPI payments (above ₹2,000) is not driven by “external pressure,” insisting P2P stays free and most merchants remain unaffected. Legal Challenge: A petition filed in the Supreme Court asks the court to scrap the MDR framework, arguing costs could be passed to consumers. Regulatory Pressure in Canada: Telus is reportedly heading to Canada’s Federal Court of Appeal to challenge CRTC rules blocking a $15 SIM fee, keeping the “junk fees” dispute alive. Africa Digital Identity Push: Nigeria’s government set a December 2026 deadline to reach 95% NIN coverage, framing identity as the backbone for access to services and finance. Network Security: Meo reported DDoS-caused international congestion, while Hungary’s NMHH is using bike-based field testing to measure broadband quality on hard-to-reach cycle paths. Mobile Market Moves: Hutchison in Macau will surrender its 4G licence and wind down services by December 1. Court Shock in East Africa: Kenya’s High Court nullified Vodacom’s Safaricom stake purchase, sending uncertainty through the deal and Vodacom’s control plans. Infrastructure & Connectivity: Hughes won a contract to support NIGCOMSAT’s next satellites with its JUPITER gateway system, targeting multi-band broadband across Nigeria and the region. Local Telecom Upgrades: St Helena’s government and Sure signed an MoU to progress a broadband and mobile network upgrade, pending licensing and approvals.

Regulation & Accountability: Norway’s Telenor has been charged over alleged crimes against humanity and alleged sanctions breaches tied to its former Myanmar operations, including claims it repeatedly handed over customer traffic data to the military and included sanctioned surveillance equipment in a sale. Public Safety Networks: The US FirstNet Authority approved new investments for 220 additional cell sites to expand rural and remote coverage, plus upgrades for mission-critical push-to-talk and situational awareness services. Digital Payments Policy: India’s RBI backed a new Merchant Discount Rate for UPI: from Oct 15, a 0.4% MDR applies to person-to-merchant payments above ₹2,000 (capped at ₹300 for ₹75,000+), while P2P and payments up to ₹2,000 stay free for users. Telecom Governance & Local Planning: Oxford Township in the US held a public hearing on a proposed data-centre ordinance after residents pushed back hard; commissioners sent the draft back for revisions. Network & Service Moves: Spark New Zealand is expanding wholesale optical transport to link data-centre campuses around Auckland for enterprise customers. Fraud & Cross-border Scams: A Malaysian expert warned online scams now operate as transnational criminal enterprises, calling for deeper intelligence sharing among banks, telecoms and law enforcement. Access & Inclusion: Pakistan’s PTCL is rolling out ConnectHear’s AI sign-language agent across customer care centres in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad.