French operator Iliad – which recently agreed to acquire some of rival SFR’s assets alongside Orange and Bouygues Telecom – saw its H1 consolidated EBITDAaL (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization, after leases) rise 2.2% year-over-year to €2.09 billion (US$2.43 billion), on revenues that were up 3% to €5.24 billion ($6.10 billion). Subscriber numbers for both mobile and broadband remained more or less flat, however. In terms of territories, Italy was the standout – there, EBITDAaL was up 20.2% on revenues that climbed by 10.2%.
Salt surges in Switzerland
In Switzerland, Salt enjoyed a 9.2% increase in EBITDAaL to 267.5 million Swiss francs ($331.9 million) in the first six months of 2026. Operating revenue was up 5% to CHF522.3 million ($648.1 million). The operator’s Salt Home fiber broadband package is now available to more than 3 million households – around 60% of the Swiss market. Earlier this month, Salt signed a memorandum of understanding with rival operator Sunrise to explore the expansion of their current mobile network-sharing arrangement. (See Eurobites: Switzerland’s Salt tests Starlink’s direct-to-cell satellite tech.)
MTN eyes data center expansion
South Africa’s MTN has teamed up with a UAE-based data center investment platform founded by Tarek Al Ashram to develop AI-ready digital infrastructure platforms across Africa. The partners will pursue this partnership through Africa Data Hub Holding Limited, which will serve as the platform through which digital infrastructure projects will be developed across key African markets, with an initial focus on South Africa and Nigeria.
Call-blocker seller fined in irony overload
Eurobites’ irony klaxon has been activated as news comes that the UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has fined a company selling call blockers for making too many nuisance calls to plug its wares. Elderly Aids Limited (EAL) made 758,053 unsolicited direct marketing calls to people registered with the Telephone Preference Service – which is supposed to protect people from such calls – between May 2024 and February 2025. EAL must now hand over £190,000 ($258,000) to the ICO and presumably hang its head in shame.
Boldyn heads down to the farm
In udder news, Boldyn is supplying a private 5G network for a connected-cows project in the southern English county of West Sussex. An environmental monitoring device developed by Pneumonitor connects to Boldyn’s network via 5G Reduced Capability (RedCap) technology, giving farmers near real-time insight into conditions inside livestock buildings and helping them respond faster to problems that may arise there. (See Boldyn to go totally tubular in 4G and 5G for London commuters.)
Finnish kids get to grips with AI
Elisa and Nokia have joined forces with non-profit initiative Foundation PostScriptum to launch a project that aims to teach primary school children in Finland about AI – what it is, how it works and, perhaps most significantly, how it affects the world around them. The project will use an AI learning robot, “Bella,” which combines robotics, digital tools and teacher-led activities to promote understanding of the technology in a safe manner. (See AI ‘scandal’ risks pulling telecom down with it.)
