The European Commission (EC) flagged concerns KKR may have provided incorrect or misleading information during its investigation into a deal for Telecom Italia’s (TIM) fixed network assets led by the company in 2024.

In a Statement of Objections document, the regulator cited concerns about responses submitted by the investment company on wholesale access agreements.

The EC explained following a probe into the issue sparked by complaints from operators it holds the preliminary view KKR “at least negligently, submitted incorrect and/or misleading information on the terms of its existing long-term agreements”.

Its accusation centres on a claim terms in existing contracts would continue to apply post-acquisition, since they could only be changed in agreement with third-party operators.  

This policy being in place, it believed, would ensure “KKR will not be able to deteriorate the conditions for wholesale access or terminate such access”, the regulator added.

EC asserted information on this issue was key in its assessment of the proposed deal at the time.

However, following the buyout the regulator received complaints from third-party operators claiming the wholesale provider, FiberCop, had increased the price.

EC EVP for clean, just and competitive transition Teresa Ribera said: “Effective merger control depends on companies providing the commission with correct information.”

She continued: “KKR appears to have provided incorrect or misleading information about whether it would keep its existing long-term access agreements under the same terms unless mutually agreed otherwise with the third-party operators. Our evidence suggests that, after the merger, KKR may have raised prices for existing wholesale broadband customers, in some cases significantly.”

A KKR spokesperson told Mobile World Live it “strongly disagrees with the European Commission’s preliminary assessment. We stand by the accuracy of the information provided during the commission’s 2024 review”.

“We will vigorously challenge these preliminary allegations in our response to the Statement of Objections, while continuing to engage constructively with the commission. The Statement of Objections is not a final finding of infringement, and the commission’s existing clearance of the transaction remains valid.”

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Telecom Italia appointed new enterprise and technology chiefs effective today (19 October), with both executives being replaced set to depart the company at the end of the year.

The operator’s new chief enterprise and innovative solutions officer is Mirko Mischiatti. He replaces Elio Schiavo, who held the role for more than four years.

Mischiatti joins from Poste Italiane, which has a controlling stake in the operator after a shareholder buyout offer executed earlier this year. He held various positions at the postal service provider, most recently as head of the digital, technology and operations.

Telecom Italia’s new CTO is Claudio Ongaro, who was previously chief strategy, business development and wholebuy officer at the operator.

He takes over from Leonardo de Carvalho Capdeville, who spent just over two years heading the operator’s technology office and spent a decade in the equivalent role at its operation in Brazil.

Ongaro’s former responsibilities have been handed to Telecom Italia’s CEO Pietro Labriola on an interim basis.

In a short statement on the moves, the operator noted the two departing employees were leaving voluntarily to “pursue new professional challenges”, adding the company “expresses its gratitude” for “their significant professional and managerial contributions”.

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Mormugao Port Authority (MPA) became the first body of its kind in India to get the nod for a private 5G network, as it eyes smart operations, cargo tracking and general digital transformation benefits.

A statement from the country’s official press agency explained the port authority, in Goa, was issued with a Captive Non-Public Network (CNPN) licence for the network last month with preparatory work already underway to help deliver the project.

It is apparently the first major port operator in India to secure the authorisation and the “first government autonomous body” to do so.

MPA has already issued a request for information to identify systems integrators and manufacturers for the project and appointed a consultancy firm to create a detailed plan.  

Its move aligns with a focus from India’s Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways to promote “digitisation, process optimisation and improving operational efficiency across the maritime sector”.

As with most projects of this type, the network is expected to deliver high-speed, low latency connectivity.

The authority anticipates this could “support operational requirements” while providing “greater control over network management and the handling of operational data”.

Potential use cases cited include automated logistics and cargo tracking, drone-based surveillance and management of port infrastructure.

“The adoption of these technologies is expected to support improved operational visibility, more efficient cargo movement and better coordination of port activities,” the statement added, noting as the project progresses it could provide reference points for ports elsewhere.

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Telefonica Tech unveiled a platform for the smart management of water meters aimed at local authorities and customers in the utility sector, highlighting benefits for billing and flagging irregularities.

The system, developed in-house, provides data and analysis from meters to identify trends, usage and remotely monitor the status of devices.

Telefonica noted it is compatible with meters from a range of manufacturers and integrates with its IoT connectivity platform Kite which, among other things, facilitates security and automation for “deployments involving thousands of geographically distributed meters”.

The company’s director of IoT Dario Cesena said: “The digitalisation of the water sector requires tools that are simple, efficient and capable of transforming data into useful information for day-to-day management”.

He added with the latest launch it was “taking another step forward in our mission to be the best gateway to digital technologies by helping water management companies and public authorities to optimise resources and move towards smarter and more sustainable water management.”

The move is the latest by the operator group targeting the utility sector with IoT technology including projects in Spain and Germany with water companies.

A study by GSMA Intelligence released in April 2026 cited smart utilities as one of the main sectors contributing to an expected a boost in enterprise IoT connections in the years to 2030, alongside smart building deployments and manufacturing.

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Jio Platforms set the price band for shares sold in its IPO, with the company set to raise a maximum of INR302.1 billion ($3.2 billion) from the float.

In a stock market filing, parent company Reliance Industries announced shares would be priced at between INR1,065 and INR1,119 with 270 million units available. Employees are set to receive a INR54 per share discount.

The latest filing came hours after the publication of a prospectus confirming the offer is scheduled to open on Wednesday 21 October and close two days later. Anchor investors can bid from the start of the week.

Reuters reported if Jio reaches the $108.3 billion valuation the top end would equate to, the company would become India’s fourth largest by market capitalisation behind Reliance Industries, Bharti Airtel and bank HDFC.

It also noted the IPO represented a record offering in the country.

Jio stated in its prospectus the net proceeds are set to be used to pay down debt and for general corporate purposes.

The IPO has been a major media talking point for some time, especially in India. In June 2026 Reuters reported the company was aiming for around $3.8 billion from a sale, a significant drop from how much Bloomberg estimated Jio was targeting from a float during 2025.

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BT Business unveiled a managed security service aimed at increasing protection against AI-enhanced attacks for enterprises and public sector organisations, combining its technology and know-how with that of partner Microsoft.

Announcing the Security Operations Centre-as-a-Service (SOCaaS) product for the Microsoft Sentinel platform, the operator noted the launch was the result of an extended relationship with its partner across AI, security and cloud.

BT added the product combined the tech giant’s “leading security technology” with its scale, security and network operations.

Pointing to the need for beefed-up security in the AI era given accelerated attack timelines, BT positioned the offering as helping customers cut complexity of security operations, control costs and “improve detection, response and resilience”.

BT Business CEO Jon James explained “AI is transforming the cyber threat landscape at unprecedented speed, and our customers need protection that stays one step ahead”.

“By extending our partnership with Microsoft, we’re combining cutting-edge security technology with BT’s cyber expertise and threat intelligence to deliver stronger, more proactive protection”.

The managed service launch is the latest enterprise-focused offering promoted as helping UK organisations battle the ever-increasing tide of cybercrime.

In May, it unveiled what it called industrial-grade security products for small and medium sized businesses using technology from specialist CrowdStrike.  

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Nokia and satellite sector specialist ICEYE inked a deal to develop sovereign low Earth orbit (LEO)-based communications systems for government use cases including defence, border security and disaster response.

The Finnish pair aim to launch the first communications satellites for the project in 2028, noting the planned systems would give nations ownership and control of the satellites, ground infrastructure and terminals.

In a joint statement, they explained they intend to deliver “targeted, high-throughput, low-latency connectivity over priority mission areas” to complement existing military and commercial networks rather than replace them.

Their birds are expected to add reach, resilience and capacity for critical connections.

The pact draws on ICEYE’s expertise in delivering sovereign satellite projects in Europe, and Nokia’s experience in networks and defence.

They plan to “integrate satellites, ground infrastructure and ruggedised end-user terminals” to extend ICEYE’s so-called sovereign intelligence from space business model to satellite communications.

The satellite company has customers in defence, environmental monitoring, insurance and emergency management, among others, operating what it describes as the world’s largest and most advanced synthetic aperture radar satellite constellation.

It provides data services and whole sovereign satellite projects.

Complementary
ICEYE CEO and co-founder Rafal Modrzewski said “nations must be able to fully own and control their communications, without dependency on a foreign commercial operator’s terms of service”.

“We delivered Poland its own radar satellite system in under a year. Partnering with Nokia lets us move at a similar speed for satellite communications, on the timelines nations need.”

Nokia president and CEO Justin Hotard added “sovereign operations depend on the ability to sense, decide and act in real time. Physical AI makes that possible, but only with secure, resilient connectivity across land, sea, air and space”.

He added the joint project would complement terrestrial networks “giving nations the situational awareness, connectivity and control they need to operate with confidence in contested environments across all domains”.

The move is the latest from European companies targeting increasing demand for sovereign technology systems from commercial and public sector organisations.

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Construction and heavy machinery manufacturer Komatsu launched a telematics system for its kit in Saudi Arabia using technology from NTT Docomo Business and STC Group.

In a statement on the project, NTT explained the manufacturer is expanding its Komtrax telematics and remote monitoring system to the country using the equipment and expertise of the two telecoms partners.

The system captures operational data from construction machinery with the aim of providing greater visibility of equipment usage and improving operational efficiency.

It offers the means for remote monitoring, data analytics and predictive maintenance, and is already available in a number of Komatsu’s markets.

Komtrax is promoted by the Japanese-headquartered manufacturer as delivering cost savings to clients while helping achieve peak machine performance.

To support the launch in Saudi Arabia, NTT supplied platform design and delivery, helping “Komatsu address country-specific telecommunications requirements while minimising the need for changes to its connectivity model”.

STC provided network services, and a SIM and connectivity management platform offering “reliable and scalable connectivity for Komatsu’s construction equipment” while meeting local regulations.

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