Wallet-led fintech push: FIS and Ericsson say they’ve removed integration barriers by pairing FIS payments and issuing with the Ericsson Fintech Platform, aiming to speed launches of wallet-led financial services from Q3 2026. Smart city connectivity: Flashnet has joined Netmore’s Pulse Partner Program to combine LoRaWAN connectivity with intelligent street lighting, targeting scalable smart infrastructure rollouts. FWA spectrum progress: Tarana Wireless and Itellum demonstrated live 1 Gbps fixed wireless access in Costa Rica, tied to SUTEL’s new 6 GHz standard power framework using AFC-managed operation. Digital identity and fraud controls: Philippines police reported 766 cyber arrests (Jan–Jul 2026) and urged SIM registration reform toward a one-ID approach; Namibia meanwhile launched a National PKI push under DigiNam to reduce repeated document checks. Cloud and fibre investment: Nigeria’s federal government targets $750m private cloud investment and a 90,000km fibre rollout. Satellite security demo: Arqit, Es’hailSat and AIEE demonstrated quantum-safe encryption integrated into live satellite communications without disrupting operations. Regulatory/market signals: Portugal telecom prices fell in July, while Bangladesh’s BSEC approved draft direct listing rules that include telecom and ICT-related providers. Network security and resilience: Kenya sentenced a man to 10 years for vandalising telecom equipment at an American Tower site, underscoring ongoing physical-layer threats.