• MWC26’s numbers crunched  
• Amazon Leo preps launch in Germany
• African operator Cassava unveils sovereign cloud

In today’s industry news roundup: GSMA pegs MWC26 attendee numbers at around 105,000 humans (we assume the robots are not included in that figure…); Starlink rival looks set to launch its satellite broadband service in Germany this May, according to local report; pan-African operator Cassava is pitching a sovereign cloud service to African government bodies; and much more!

As MWC26 closed its doors and the booth tear-down began, the GSMA announced that “despite global travel disruptions” – which is one way to refer to the impact of the escalating military activity in Iran and the broader Middle East – the show welcomed almost 105,000 attendees this year, about the same as in 2025, with 58% of that total “representing industries adjacent to the core mobile ecosystem,” according to the organising body. We assume that this total number includes the many thousands of students shipped in on the final day who made some parts of the event, including the telco booth area in Hall 3 of the Fira, almost impossible to navigate. According to the GSMA, this year’s event had 2,900 exhibitors, sponsors and partners, and more than 1,700 speakers, but it didn’t say how many robots were on display… some attendees suggested during the week there were about 1,000 spread around the show’s eight halls. 

Amazon Leo, the low-earth orbit (LEO) satellite operator previously known as Project Kuiper that is playing catch-up with SpaceX’s Starlink, is set to launch its satellite broadband service in Germany this May, according to respected German newspaper Handelsblatt, which notes that Starlink has been commercially active in Germany since 2021. Amazon Leo had previously been expected to launch its services in the US, Canada, Germany, UK and France by the end of March. The company currently has more than 200 satellites in orbit but ultimately plans to have some 3,000 spacecraft in its constellation.  

Pan-African digital infrastructure and communications networks operator Cassava Technologies has launched its National Sovereign Cloud (NSC) solution, which has been designed to “support African governments with secure, locally governed digital infrastructure that enables the deployment of AI-enabled public services.” The offer includes cloud, cybersecurity, compute AI infrastructure, local-language AI models, and “an AI Institute to support national platforms across the public sector,” noted Cassava in this announcement.  It added that by “combining sovereign cloud infrastructure, advanced AI compute capabilities, and secure connectivity, Cassava serves as a technology partner, supporting Africa’s digital transformation by developing trusted, sovereign digital ecosystems.” Ahmed El Beheiry, group COO and group chief technology and AI officer at Cassava Technologies, stated: “Across Africa, governments are accelerating their digital transformation agendas and are increasingly focused on ensuring that data and digital infrastructure remain secure and sovereign. Our National Sovereign Cloud solution enables governments to develop secure AI and cloud environments that support national digital transformation while empowering African developers, enterprises and institutions to create solutions that address the continent’s unique needs.”

Struggling UK ISP TalkTalk has secured £115 million in funding from its existing shareholders and lenders, as it looks to strengthen its working capital and invest in transforming its network from copper to fibre. The funding comprises £65m term facilities and a working capital facility of £50m, with maturities in February 2028 and interest to be capitalised. TalkTalk, which is the UK’s fifth-largest broadband service provider with about 3 million customers, said the cash injection will “support development of its product and customer service capabilities”. It comes six months after the ISP signed up investment bank PJT Partners to seek potential investors or buyers (as reported here) with a “formal process to explore disposal options underway,” according to its latest announcement.

Pan-African operator MTN Group and Huawei, already long-time partners, are to deepen their cooperation around “AI-driven intelligent network evolution, digital inclusion, home broadband development, data monetisation, digital infrastructure, and ESG initiatives,” noted Huawei in this announcement. The vendor added that the companies are targeting autonomous networks (AN) Level 4 for MTN’s network operations: AN Level 4 requires intelligent automation using AI, according to the autonomous networks framework that is measured in levels 0 to 5. Huawei added: “To address the growing demand for digitalisation and intelligence across Africa, both parties will leverage AI as the core driving force to upgrade network planning, deployment and operations capabilities: Together, they will accelerate the development of a next-generation intelligent network architecture represented by agentic networks.” 

– The staff, TelecomTV