What’s up with… Ericsson, Kyivstar, Telecom Argentina

• Ericsson appoints new head of networks
• Veon’s Kyivstar adds key apps to its D2D service
• Regulator places heavy conditions on Telefónica’s Argentine unit sale

In today’s industry news roundup: Ericsson names David Hammawall as its new head of networks, replacing new CEO Per Narvinger; Veon’s Kyivstar makes key apps, including maps and messaging, available through Starlink; the Argentinian competitions watchdog tells Telecom Argentina it must shed 6 million customers to push through its takeover of Telefónica’s Argentinian unit; and much more!

Having promoted its current head of networks to become the new CEO, Ericsson has now appointed David Hammarwall, who has been with the Swedish vendor since 2007 as its next head of business area networks starting on 1 October. Hammarwall, who is currently head of the T-Mobile customer unit  at Ericsson, stated: “I’m honored and excited to be offered this opportunity. Business area networks is home to me and this is a very interesting time where Ericsson is truly setting a new standard for network intelligence with AI in RAN by bringing powerful AI capabilities to service providers.”

Veon has launched satellite-ready applications and services for customers of its Ukrainian arm Kyivstar, in partnership with Starlink. Due to the ongoing conflict with Russia, the people of Ukraine continue to experience frequent and prolonged power outages, which limits terrestrial coverage. To tackle this, Kyivstar is making apps, such as Viber, WhatsApp and Google Maps, available using direct-to-device (D2D) satellite data connectivity provided by Starlink for those with compatible devices. Over the past six months, more than 10 million SMS messages have been transmitted by Kyivstar customers using D2D connections, the majority of them during blackouts experienced in January and February. Veon CEO Kaan Terzioglu said it is “our job as a digital operator to keep people connected to what matters” and pledge to expand this service to more apps, including Kyivstar’s own Helsi e-health service and its Ukon ride-hailing app in the near future.

UK regulator Ofcom has launched two new consultations looking into spectrum usage related to satellite communications. The first consultation looks at the future use of 2GHz MSS (mobile satellite service) band spectrum. The current authorisations for use of these spectrum bands, held by Viasat and Echostar, are due to expire in May 2027. Ofcom is proposing a three- to five-year extension of the incumbent licences, while also inviting stakeholder views on potential longer-term approaches to using the 2GHz band. The UK communications sector watchdog is also proposing to increase the amount of spectrum made available for UK ships and aircraft through Earth Stations in Motion (ESIM) uplinks. The proposed authorisations for aeronautical ESIM links would sit across GSO (geosynchronous orbit) satellites in 12.75-13.25 GHz and 27.8185-28.4545 GHz, and NGSO (non-GSO) satellites in 27.5-29.1 GHz and 29.5-30 GHz. In addition, the new authorisations for maritime ESIMs connecting to GSO satellites would be in 12.75-13.25 GHz and 27.8185-28.4545 GHz and 28.8265-29.4625 GHz, and to NGSO satellites in 27.8185-28.4545 GHz and 28.8265-29.1 GHz.

France and Germany have issued a joint call to action for European Union members to back digital sovereignty efforts, which have been brought back into the spotlight by the current friction between the US government and AI developer Anthropic that resulted in the Trump administration pulling the ‘kill switch’ on Anthropic’s most powerful AI models. Such events show that Europe must develop its own AI capabilities and not be at the mercy of regulators, governments or companies in other jurisdictions, stated ministers from the two countries, according to this report from Euronews. Germany’s federal minister for digital transformation and government modernisation, Karsten Wildberger, stated: “The suspension of access to the most advanced models makes one thing clear to everyone. This is no longer an access debate; rules can change overnight, and sovereignty means we can still act if things like that happen.”

The call came as the European Commission released the results of a Special Eurobarometer survey, conducted between February and March 2026, which shows that 79% of Europeans rank digital policy as a top EU priority in shaping the future and that a majority would be prepared to pay more for services delivered by EU companies. “Citizens are firmly behind a more autonomous European digital future, prioritising investment in EU-developed infrastructure (85%) and reduced dependency on third-country technology (82%),” noted the EC in this announcement, while “80% think it is important to make the EU a global leader in technological infrastructures. Furthermore, 58% of Europeans would switch to an EU provider even at a higher cost. The top-five factors encouraging switching to an EU-based provider include: Greater security and reliability (50%), better protection of personal data (49%), clearer rules and consumer protection (39%), reduced dependence on non-EU countries (33%), supporting the EU economy and competitiveness (30%). Europeans believe that digital health (55%), green technologies (50%), faster connectivity (42%) and AI (39%) will have the most positive impact for the next decade.”

The $1.25bn sale of Telefónica’s Argentinian unit could be blocked by the country’s National Competition Authority (ANC) unless Telecom Argentina agrees to a number of structural conditions, including the divestment of 6 million mobile customers. The ruling (here in Spanish) from the ANC’s Competition Defence Tribunal says that in order for the Clarin Group-owned telco to complete its takeover it will need to cede not just the customer base but also any associated infrastructure, strategically distributed between regions, to a new competitor. Telecom Argentina – which operates commercially under the brand Personal – will also be required to give a new competitor guaranteed access to its infrastructure, spectrum, systems, and interconnection conditions for a minimum of 12 years. The competition watchdog is also demanding that the merged company return a total of 130 MHz of spectrum, of which 60MHz of nationwide spectrum must be immediately returned to the market – including to areas of high population – and will be made available to other companies. The conditions also include an obligation to transfer fixed internet customers to other competitors in areas where the retail share tops 50%. According to the regulator, these conditions mean that the merged entity would control around 50% of the market, as opposed to around 70% of telecom services in Argentina as cited by its analysis. “The operation will only be viable if these measures are implemented to prevent the consolidation of dominant positions and ensure that the options available to consumers, businesses and potential competitors are not reduced,” the regulator said in its statement. “The ultimate goal is to consolidate an open, dynamic and competitive telecommunications market, free from dominant positions that could harm users and the country’s development.”

A1 has partnered with Nokia and Skyfora to trial technology that uses its mobile network to capture data about the weather. The project transforms mobile sites into intelligent sensors that generate atmospheric data, and aims to improve the accuracy of weather forecasts, particularly in Austria and Slovenia’s Alpine regions, where the weather changes rapidly and can be challenging for locals. The solution – which has already been deployed at sites in Roethelstein, Weißkirchen, St. Georgen ob Judenburg, Turrach and Metnitz – relies on global navigation satellite system (GNSS) signals received at mobile sites, which travel through the atmosphere and can be affected by atmospheric conditions such as humidity. A1 and its partners can then analyse these signal variations to obtain insights into water vapour in the air – helping to achieve more accurate forecasting.

– The staff, TelecomTV