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Uzbekistan to raise $2.5bn to develop digital infrastructure
Uzbekistan plans to raise $2.5bn to develop the coun- try's digital infrastructure. Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov announced the move, speaking at the Interna- tional Digital Almaty Forum held on February 5.
“Modernizing mobile communications and setting up effective e-government are the priorities,” he said.
According to Aripov, the funds would help to launch three new data centres, to be located in Tashkent, Bukhara and Kokand. The government plans to give all schools and districts a quality internet connection, he added.
Aripov noted that the expansion of digitalisation in the fields of healthcare and agriculture, as well as transformation in the banking sector, were among main tasks. He emphasised that the demand for digital services has significantly increased in the country, and the number of users of electronic pay- ment systems has already exceeded 14mn people.
The Uzbek government last year approved the 800-page strategy “Digital Uzbekistan – 2030”, according to which the share of the digital economy in Uzbekistan`s GDP is expected to reach at least 7% in coming years.
By 2023, the country is expecting to invest $676.8mn in ICT.
Romania to auction 5G frequency bands in Q3
Romania's telecom market regulator, ANCOM, plans to hold the auction for the frequency bands allocated to 5G services, initially announced in 2019 when the state expected to raise €580mn, in the third quarter of this year, News.ro announced quoting ANCOM’s 2021 plan of actions.
The decision on the selection procedure to grant the rights to use the frequency bands in the bands of the 700 MHz, 800 MHz, 1500 MHz, 2600 MHz,
3400-3800 MHz will be approved in Q2 and the selection procedure will take place in Q3.
The 5G auction was supposed to take place last year but was delayed over issues related to the selection criteria for the equipment providers for the new networks.
In August 2019, Romania and the US signed
a memorandum of understanding on the safe development of 5G technology. The memorandum sets out several criteria that companies participating in developing 5G networks should meet.
These criteria request that bidders are "consistent with the rule of law" and “transparent".
Turkey’s Twozero invests $1mn in beertech Pubinno
Turkish venture capital fund Twozero Ventures has invested $1mn in San Francisco-based Pubinno, business daily Dunya reported on February 5.
Pubinno, established in 2015, has raised $2.5mn in funding so far.
Pubinno’s smart-taps have to date served more than 20mn drinks in five countries, including the US, Tur- key, Spain and Israel, so far. The company is targeting an expansion into the UK, CEO Can Algul has said.
Recently, Twozero acquired a 2.77% stake in local online streaming platform BluTV.
Also on February 5, Dunya reported that Dubai- based investment fund Masterbaker has bought an undisclosed stake in Ankara-based patisserie products maker Arolez Gida.
In 2013, Masterbaker bought a 50% stake in Turkish bakery ingredients maker Mildo Food.
Also on February 5, Dunya reported that online hospital information management system Bulutklinik’s health clinics network had reached