Sovereign AI push (Pakistan): Data Vault Pakistan has signed a three-year contract with NTC to deliver government-controlled AI services using NVIDIA GPUs, enabling GPUaaS and Models-as-a-Service through Pakistan-based data centres. Mobile policy (Pakistan): A Senate committee told PTA to finalise a uniform eSIM transfer policy, speed up 5G rollout, and tighten consumer protection, while also pushing telecom regulation reforms. Satellite broadband (India): IN-SPACe has given Reliance Jio’s 1,600-LEO satellite plan a technical nod, clearing the way for international filings and support toward India’s first homegrown constellation. AI governance (UN/ITU): The UN launched a Global Dialogue on AI Governance and the ITU introduced an AI for Good Global Commission at the Geneva summit, signalling a shift toward permanent governance institutions. Competition regulation (Nigeria): NCC has started reviewing MVNO business rules to boost competition and expand access, with clearer licensing and host-operator responsibilities. Funding for connectivity (Philippines): Globe secured a P10bn LandBank term loan for capex and refinancing, with most spending aimed at data-related projects. Market watch (India): Sensex and Nifty closed nearly flat as investors weighed geopolitical uncertainty and oil moves. Digital equity (US): SBA opened new Business Recovery Centres in Mississippi, Wisconsin, and Louisiana to help disaster-hit small businesses and nonprofits with loan applications. Remittances to broader finance (Western Union): Western Union is expanding beyond transfers into lending and payments, using its Dash wallet acquisition to build a wider digital financial services platform. Network resilience (Cuba/Caribbean): ETECSA in Holguin is adding solar-plus-storage backup power to keep some fixed and mobile services running amid power instability. Infrastructure planning lesson (New Zealand): A report argues the country’s infrastructure boom-and-bust is driven more by decision-making than money, urging longer-term, less political planning. Regulatory privacy risk (US): A new FCC proposal would impose “know your customer” checks that could end the anonymity of burner phones. Mobile internet usage gap (West Africa): Regulators say the next big opportunity is converting broadband coverage into actual internet use, citing affordability and skills gaps.