In news that is likely to be relevant to developing world markets where coverage of remote areas remains a problem, iPhone maker Apple has announced that it will invest up to US$1.5 billion in Globalstar, a provider of satellite and terrestrial connectivity services, to fund the expansion of its iPhone communication services.

El Salvador aims to enhance its digital government services with the help of a $60 million loan from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), which partners with the public sector in the Latin America and Caribbean region to design and provide innovative, high-impact solutions for sustainable and inclusive development.

DigitalBridge Group, a global alternative asset manager dedicated to investing in digital infrastructure, has announced that it has reached an agreement to acquire Yondr Group a global developer and operator of hyperscale data centres, through one of its managed investment funds.

Global Tower Corporation Pty Ltd (GTC), described as an independent player licensed for the construction and provision of telecommunication tower and related infrastructure services in the Kingdom of Cambodia, has secured US$19.97 million in financing from EXIM Bank Malaysia to support the expansion of essential telecommunications infrastructure across Cambodia.

Brazilian telecommunications company Oi is continuing the slow business of restructuring its operations and settling debts. It has now signed a deal with infrastructure business American Tower Corporation (ATC) that will see it transfer selected towers (the number has not been revealed) and properties to ATC.

The World Bank, described as one of the world’s largest sources of funding and knowledge for developing countries, says that more than 20 million Filipinos are going to enjoy better internet with the approval of World Bank funding for a Philippines government connectivity project.

Operators Brisanet, Ligga/Sercomtel and TIM have been declared the winners of Brazil's first reverse mobile auction, held by the Ministry of Communications, the regulator Anatel and Seja Digital, the group involved in effecting the transition to digital TV broadcasting in Brazil, which, in turn, has opened up 4G spectrum.

Ukraine’s telecoms industry is about to receive a boost thanks to The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), and the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, with support from the European Commission (EC) and the government of France.

The 10% sell-off of Ethio Telecom is finally going ahead. In fact Reuters reports that Ethio Telecom will become the first company to list on Ethiopia’s new stock market next week when the government sells a 10% stake in the company.

The growing appeal of Vietnam as an investment destination for many companies – notably those in the telecoms and IT sectors – has been underlined by announcements from Meta and Ericcson this week.

IL Cazar, a leading real estate company, has announced a partnership agreement with service provider Orange Egypt to provide Orange's telecommunications services and smart technology solutions to two of IL Cazar's prime projects in New Cairo, a satellite city within the metropolitan area of Cairo.

The African Development Bank (AfDB) Group, a multilateral institution whose objective is to contribute to the sustainable economic development and social progress of African countries, has approved grants for digitising the Comorian economy.

Malaysia-based subsea cable solutions company OMS Group said on Monday it has allocated US$300 million for strategic investments in its global cable systems and terrestrial infrastructure in the ASEAN region.

Kenya's ICT Authority has reportedly launched an ambitious US$2.4 billion project to reduce digital inequality, modernise business processes, and improve the country's digital landscape. But this isn’t the only digital transformation initiative announced in East Africa in recent weeks, as the Eastern Africa Regional Digital Integration Project may soon be rolled out.

Burkina Faso is planning to extend mobile and internet services to 1,000 remote areas over the next three years. These areas, known as ‘white zones’, are regions without access to telephony and internet services.

The International Finance Corporation (IFC), the largest global development institution focused on the private sector in emerging markets, and tech giant Microsoft have signed a strategic agreement to identify and enhance investment opportunities in digital transformation across Latin America and the Caribbean.

The question of whether over-the-top (OTT) services need to pay for the infrastructure they use has come up again – this time in South Africa, where an industry organisation wants digital content and service providers to help pay for the roll out and upgrade of network infrastructure .

African fibre company Liquid Telecommunication Holdings is seeking to raise US$225 million in equity by the end of the year, according to a number of reports.

Mubadala Investment Company, the Abu Dhabi sovereign investor, has announced an investment in Yondr Group, a leading global hyperscale data centre developer.

In a deal that seems to have been finalised last week but has only recently been widely reported, Uganda plans to sell 60% of its troubled state-owned service provider Uganda Telecommunications Corporation Limited (UTel) to Dubai-based global contractor Rowad Capital for US$225million.

Clear Mobitel, a UK-based technology data company, has announced plans to invest US$200 million in Zimbabwe’s telecommunications sector.

Millicom International Cellular says it has entered into a non-binding memorandum of understanding (MoU) to acquire a 67.50% stake in Colombia Telecomunicaciones (aka Coltel or Telefonica Colombia) from owner Telefonica Hispanoamerica, for approximately US$400 million.

The World Bank has pledged US$100 million to fund a new project that promises to speed up development of Zambia's digital infrastructure and narrow the digital divide.