What’s up with… STC & Humain, Bharti Airtel, telco AI

• STC unit to build AI datacentres with Tareq Amin’s Humain
• Bharti Airtel preps CEO handover
• O2 Telefónica to advance AI-native strategy with Capgemini

In today’s industry news roundup: The datacentre unit of Middle East telco STC Group is teaming up with Tareq Amin-led Humain to build AI infrastructure facilities; India’s second-largest mobile operator will have a new CEO from the start of 2026; German operator expands its relationship with Capgemini to further develop its AI-native telco strategy and launch AI services for enterprises; and more!

STC Group’s datacentre and international connectivity subsidiary, center3, is forming a joint venture (JV) with Humain, the new Saudi AI infrastructure and services company launched in May this year, to “build advanced AI datacentres in Saudi Arabia [with] up to 1 GW of AI workload capacity, starting with an initial capacity of up to 250 MW,” the companies announced. Humain and center3 had previously struck a data transport connectivity services deal. The joint venture “brings together center3’s scale, datacentre leadership, and extensive regional connectivity with Humain’s strategic mandate to champion end-to-end capabilities, laying the groundwork for high-capacity, low-latency infrastructure critical to the AI era.” Fahad AlHajeri, CEO of center3, stated: “Our role in this partnership is to turn vision into capacity. Leveraging our expanding datacentre footprint, interconnected platforms and proven operations, we will deliver the density, resilience and availability required for next-generation AI computing. This JV marks an important step in scaling the infrastructure foundation to meet surging regional market demand.” Humain’s CEO, Tareq Amin, who is well known in telecom circles from his time at Rakuten Mobile, added: “AI at scale requires purpose-built compute, efficiency and resilience. Through this joint venture, Humain and stc group are engineering infrastructure capable of meeting the most demanding workloads while designed to support future advancements.”

Shashwat Sharma will take over from Gopal Vittal as managing director and CEO of  Bharti Airtel, one of the world’s largest telcos by subscriber numbers, from 1 January 2026, the operator has announced. At that point, Vittal, who has headed up the telco for the past 13 years, will take on the role of executive vice chairman, with responsibility for “driving group synergies in the areas of digital and technology, network strategy, procurement and talent. He will also focus on group strategy and future-proofing the organisation for the next evolution of its development.” Sharma has been CEO designate since late 2024 and has spent the past year working alongside Vittal, to whom he will report. Sunil Bharti Mittal, Bharti Airtel’s chairman, stated: “I am extremely pleased with the succession and transition of leadership at Airtel and there could not have been a better time, where change and continuity will go hand in hand. I have no doubt both Gopal and Shashwat will continue to build on the momentum and I wish them much success in their roles. As an organisation we pride ourselves with our highly energised and professional management team which, combined with our entrepreneurial flair, brings to hundreds of millions of customers, the best technology and services across the geographies [in which] we operate. I look forward to working alongside Gopal and the team to continue this pursuit as we drive towards our ambition of building the best global telecom company.” Bharti Airtel ended October with 393.7 million mobile connections, giving it a mobile market share in India of 33.6%, second only to Reliance Jio, which had 484.7 million mobile connections for a market share of 41.4%. 

Giant German telco O2 Telefónica has expanded its existing relationship with IT services and consulting firm Capgemini, which is to “support the implementation of O2 Telefónica’s comprehensive AI strategy,” the operator announced. Till Jonas Fuhlbrück, director of data & AI at O2 Telefónica, stated: “O2 Telefónica aims to become a data- and AI-driven company. Our goal is to drive innovation that further enhances customer experience, optimises our network and makes internal business processes even more efficient. Capgemini’s expertise and commitment make the company the ideal partner for our AI strategy.” The operator added that the agreement is “intended to significantly accelerate the development of AI use cases. This includes faster prototyping, iterative development and the rapid deployment of impactful AI solutions across various business areas throughout the organisation. Specifically, O2 Telefónica aims to further enhance its customer experience. In addition, the company plans to build a comprehensive portfolio of AI services and products for business customers, such as AI-based cybersecurity solutions.” 

Spanish telco MásOrange, working with 5G standalone (5G SA) tech supplier Ericsson, is providing a network slice to Madrid’s public and emergency services – including police, fire brigades and medical responders – “with advanced connectivity designed to maintain secure, reliable and low-latency communications in the most challenging scenarios, from wildfires to natural disasters,” according to Ericsson. Joaquín Colino, general director of B2B at MásOrange, which is set to become fully owned by Orange, stated: “This project marks a milestone in the modernisation of emergency services in Spain, as it guarantees secure and uninterrupted communications in the most demanding scenarios, and places Madrid at the forefront of European innovation in the service of public safety. We are committed to offering robust, scalable solutions that are ready to save lives, thereby reinforcing our role as a strategic ally of public administrations.”

– The staff, TelecomTV