• Telia Company to divest Latvian operations
• Bridge Alliance rolls out Aeris IoT Watchtower into Asia Pacific
• Google sees $1tn global market for agentic AI services

In today’s industry news roundup: Telia to sell two operators in Latvia in “milestone” move, and reports gains in Sweden and the Baltics; Bridge Alliance boosts IoT security and visibility in Asia Pacific amid growing numbers of cyberattacks on cellular IoT devices; US congress passes cryptocurrency bill with President Trump eagerly standing by to sign it into law today; and much more!

Telia has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Republic of Latvia, Latvenergo and the Latvia State Radio and Television Centre (LVRTC) to sell all of its shares in fixed network operator Tet and mobile network operator LMT. The parties are aiming to close the transaction in the first half of 2026. In a brief statement, Patrik Hofbauer, Telia Company president and CEO, said: “We are pleased to have reached a common view on the best way forward for these great Latvian companies. This MoU is, therefore, a milestone for us and for Tet and LMT, who will now have the possibility to develop further under a new ownership model, in turn benefitting their customers and all stakeholders.” Telia owns 49% of the shares in Tet and 60.3% of the shares in LMT. Hofbauer added that “the complex holding structure of Tet and LMT has slowed value creation”. No details have yet been shared about the value of the transaction. 

The news came a day before Telia published its interim financial statement for quarter two, reporting a solid operational performance for the period. Like-for-like revenue edged up 1.2% to krona (SEK) 19.8bn, with service revenue up 1%, driven by ongoing momentum in Sweden and the Baltics. Although operating income increased to SEK 3.4bn, net income dropped to SEK 2.2bn (largely because 2024 included a one-off capital gain from its Denmark divestment). CEO Hofbauer said “Operational momentum is healthy in Sweden and the Baltics, customer satisfaction is improving, and cost efficiencies are materialising across the group as a result of last year’s change programme. Meanwhile, we are taking measures to improve revenue trends in Norway and Finland.” Interestingly, when introducing news of its commercial progress, Telia led with the “trusted partner… in an uncertain world” angle, announcing that the Swedish armed forces had joined its NorthStar 5G innovation programme to test new solutions in military communications, logistics and security. Read more.

Bridge Alliance, a collective of leading mobile network operators across Asia-Pacific, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, has extended its partnership with Aeris Communications to launch the Aeris IoT Watchtower in the Asia Pacific region. This move aims to address the rising security challenges faced by enterprises deploying cellular internet of things [IoT] devices, which have become prime targets for cyberattacks. The agreement is an extension of an existing partnership through which Aeris provides cellular IoT connectivity management services to participating Bridge Alliance member operators via the Aeris IoT Accelerator (IoTA) platform. As IoT devices become increasingly attractive targets for cyber attackers – now ranked as the top target for corporate cyberattacks, according to Forrester – Bridge Alliance says traditional connectivity solutions have fallen short in providing the necessary end-to-end visibility and control. The Aeris IoT Watchtower addresses this with what is described as an agentless and frictionless solution that gives enterprises full visibility into their IoT device risks and offers tools for real-time threat prevention and mitigation. The solution, already available in the US and Europe, is now being rolled out in Asia Pacific, offering regular risk assessments and device insights to help enterprises meet operational and regulatory needs. Dr Ong Geok Chwee, CEO of Bridge Alliance, called the launch “a milestone in enhancing security for the IoTA platform”. Emmanuel Bain, SVP of IoT at PCCW Global, said the service “provides in-depth reports on device activity, enabling customers to spot illegal traffic,” adding that “it’s not just about connecting things – it’s about creating safer, smarter and more impactful digital experiences”. A recent report by the GSMA shows that the Asia Pacific region (excluding China) should see the current 170 million connected cellular IoT devices almost double by 2030. Read more.

Google Cloud has released a new analysis highlighting the transformative potential of agentic AI for its partners, projecting a global market opportunity of approximately $1tn for agentic AI services. The report, entitled Shaping the Future: The Transformative Potential of Agentic AI and the Strategic Imperative for Google Cloud Partners, positions agentic AI as a paradigm shift that will reshape industries and redefine business value creation. According to Google Cloud, last year nearly 80% of its incremental revenue growth was influenced by its partner ecosystem. With agentic AI, the company sees an even larger opportunity, noting that the projected $350bn to $450bn US market alone exceeds the entire current US traditional partner services market. Interest is surging, with more than 90% of enterprises reportedly planning to deploy agentic AI solutions within the next three years. The report outlines six core principles for partners to capitalise on this shift: Identifying customer pain points, reimagining business processes, leveraging new tools to address data gaps, deploying agents at scale, managing the full agentic lifecycle, and innovating with commercial models. “We are committed to supporting our partners at every level with a partner-first approach to services and delivery,” said Kevin Ichhpurani, president of the global partner organisation at Google Cloud, emphasising ongoing investments in open-source tools, infrastructure and partner training.

Brendan Carr, the chairman of the US telecoms regulator the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has announced that early next month (7 August 2025) the body will vote to act to “secure US linked and connected undersea cables from America’s international adversaries” and will oversee increased expenditure on US submarine communications assets as part of an ongoing effort “to accelerate the buildout of AI infrastructure”. In a statement, Carr added, “As the US builds out the datacentres and other infrastructure necessary to lead the world in AI and next-gen technologies, these cables are more important than ever.” He noted that subsea cables now carry 99% of global internet traffic and are facing “increased threats from countries like China and Russia” that constitute “an unacceptable risk to the national security of the United States.” If passed, (and it will be, the body is dominated by Republican nominees and the number of commissioners on the FCC board is currently just three, down from the usual five), the FCC’s latest initiative will henceforth “issue default denials to certain foreign adversary-controlled applicants” for cable construction, operation or leasing, and would prohibit the use of “covered equipment in subsea cable infrastructure” to “guard our submarine cables against foreign adversary ownership, and access as well as cyber and physical threats,” noted the announcement. It is not clear if the new regulations will mean another lengthy (literally so in the case of submarine cables) and expensive rip-and-replace exercise on the part of US service providers as they will be legally required to remove networking equipment and infrastructure from Chinese manufacturers, such as Huawei and ZTE. The FCC’s Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (FNPRM) is a followup to an earlier and initial Notice of Proposed Rule Making. The proposed FNPRM seeks further public comment on a specific set of proposed rules or policies, in this case Chinese company involvement in the strategic national asset that is the US subsea cables infrastructure. Read more.

The US legislature has acted to pass the nation’s first federal cryptocurrency law. The Genius Bill (the Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for US Stablecoins Act) gained the assent of Congress last month and was passed by the House of Representatives yesterday. It will be signed into law today (Friday, 18 July) by President Donald Trump, a man with considerable interests in, and enthusiasm for, cryptocurrencies – despite having once been a firm opponent of digital currencies he described as “a scam”. These days his family business promotes its own cryptocurrency. As reported by Reuters news agency, the act focuses on the regulation and policing of stablecoins, a type of cryptocurrency linked to a defined “stable asset” such as the US dollar. Stablecoins, which are backed at a ratio of 1:1 by the US Treasury, are the base “currency” used by traders to move funds between different forms of crypto tokens. The aim of the act is to ensure the construction of a sturdy, enforceable “clear and consistent” framework for the “issuance, regulation and oversight of these digital assets, aiming to provide clarity for the growing industry while mitigating financial risks”. The US administration is striving to stay legislatively ahead of the pack as payment systems develop and mutate. Thus, it is defining what types of cryptocurrency should be treated as ‘commodities’ to be regulated by the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission and which shall be classified as ‘securities’ that fall under the regulatory remit of the US Securities and Exchange Commission. It is hoped that the new law will encourage more organisations and individuals to use digital currencies and make them a commonplace part of the US economy. Opponents say the Genius Act will mean yet more risks for the overarching US financial system because if stablecoins become mainstream financial instruments, they will operate without being subject to the same oversight and rules pertaining to the traditional banking system.

– The staff, TelecomTV