North America Operators Verizon April 9, 2021 Verizon recalls hotspots following fire probe US operator Verizon was forced to recall 2. 5 million mobile hotspot devices, following an investigation which revealed the batteries used in the products could overheat and pose a fire hazard. By Kavit Majithia
Devices Nokia RAN Vendors April 8, 2021 HMD brings fresh Nokia smartphones, MVNO to UK HMD Global rolled out five new Nokia-branded phones in the UK across premium, mid-tier and budget ranges, boosting its offering with the planned launch of an MVNO in the country. By Kavit Majithia
Asia Pacific April 8, 2021 Twitter, Snap back ShareChat in $500M funding round Indian social media company ShareChat raised $502 million from big-name investors, cash it plans to use to pursue its aim of reaching more than 1 billion users a month with its portfolio of apps. By Chris Donkin
April 8, 2021 AppLovin eyes $30B valuation from IPO Mobile gaming company AppLovin launched a long-anticipated initial public offering (IPO) in the US, with the company seeking a valuation of more than $30 billion, Reuters reported. By Yanitsa Boyadzhieva
T-Mobile US April 8, 2021 T-Mobile US offers upgrades, free devices to push 5G T-Mobile US unveiled a range of offers designed to persuade customers to adopt 5G, including trade-ins on compatible handsets, upgrades to unlimited plans and a home broadband product. By Chris Donkin
Europe Operators April 8, 2021 KPN in line for $15B takeover bid Rumours resurfaced about a potential buyout of Dutch telecoms giant KPN, with a pair of private equity companies reportedly teaming up to start work on a bid valuing the operator at more than $15 billion. By Kavit Majithia
Asia Pacific Rakuten April 8, 2021 Rakuten Mobile continues promotional efforts Rakuten Mobile made a fresh play for new subscribers, employing an existing tactic of offering free data as a lure as it seeks to build on the 3. 9 million customers attracted in its first year of operation. By Joseph Waring