Get the latest announcements from MEF Members across the mobile ecosystem globally in this weekly review of member news…
BICS, a Proximus Global company, expands global standalone 5G roaming with two new operators
BICS, a global communications enabler under Proximus Global, has made significant progress in advancing 5G standalone (SA) international roaming by successfully onboarding two new operators—Drei and Elisa—marking the first 5G SA roaming deployments in their respective countries. Unlike 5G non-standalone, which depends on a 4G core, 5G SA offers lower latency and greater efficiency, representing a major technological upgrade. While Europe currently lags behind regions like China, India, and the U.S. in deployment, it leads in the number of planned future rollouts, indicating a promising outlook.
One of the major hurdles to broader 5G SA adoption has been the lack of a strong business case and readiness for international roaming, particularly important for enterprise use. This is shifting, with Kaleido Intelligence forecasting a 500% growth in 5G IoT roaming traffic over the next two years.
Drei and Elisa’s readiness stems from investments in their network cores and adoption of BICS’ ‘Service Hub’ solution. This hub facilitates roaming connections through secure Transport Layer Security (TLS) and a robust 5G management portal that provides analytics and roaming steering. With eight operators already live on the platform, BICS is building a strong community of 5G SA-enabled MNOs.
“5G’s potential hinges on operators and industry leaders driving innovation and pushing boundaries,” says Jorn Vercamert, the newly appointed Chief Product Officer at Proximus Global, taking the role effective May 1, 2025. “Advancements in global IoT are fueling demand and bringing us closer to a pivotal tipping point. Operators investing in the right infrastructure now will lead and thrive when 5G reaches widespread adoption. BICS leadership in providing this global connectivity is vital in Proximus Global’s mission to connect, protect and engage everyone, everything, everywhere.”
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Boku appoints Leila Kassner as Chief Operating Officer
Boku has promoted Leila Kassner to Chief Operating Officer and added her to the senior leadership team. In her new role, Leila will focus on enhancing Boku’s global operational efficiency, streamlining decision-making processes, and supporting the company’s expanding global customer base. Having joined Boku in 2014, she has held key roles in global partnerships, leading a team that manages major clients like Meta, Microsoft, Amazon, and Netflix. With her extensive internal experience and cross-functional relationships, Leila is set to drive operational resilience and reinforce Boku’s reputation for delivering high-quality, innovative payment solutions.
Stuart Neal, CEO at Boku says: “After announcing our excellent financial results for 2024 last month, we’re looking to continue our upwards momentum. Leila’s promotion is a great example of how Boku invests in and develops talent from within, a home-grown COO with over a decade of Boku knowledge behind her. I’m excited to see what she can achieve as our new Chief Operating Officer. Leila is a leader who embodies our values and consistently delivers for our customers- and that’s going to be more important than ever as we scale to be the best global network for local payments.”
Leila Kassner, newly appointed COO at Boku added: “After over 11 years at Boku, I am excited to step into the role of Chief Operating Officer. With over a decade of deep insight into the business, I am well positioned to make strategic, data-driven decisions that will help drive our continued growth. As COO, my focus will be on advancing our transformation by optimising operations, enhancing efficiency, and empowering teams to deliver exceptional value to our growing, global customer base. Having had the privilege of managing the global partnerships team and consistently delivering outstanding results for our customers, I look forward to contributing to Boku’s next chapter in this new capacity.”
BTS Group Invests in ZIM to Expand into Global eSIM Connectivity Solutions
BTS Group has made a strategic investment in ZIM Connections, a company specializing in global eSIM connectivity for both businesses and consumers. This partnership brings together BTS, a major player in communications and technology investment and enablement, with ZIM, a leader in eSIM solutions. The collaboration aims to enhance global connectivity by combining BTS’s strong relationships with mobile network operators and ZIM’s innovative eSIM technology. As a result, users will benefit from more reliable and faster mobile access across regions, while mobile providers gain new revenue opportunities through increased global eSIM roaming traffic.
“The global eSIM market is experiencing remarkable growth, with projections estimating an increase from $4.8 billion in 2023 to $34.6 billion by 2033*. With smartphone eSIM adoption expected to reach 76% by 2030**, this investment represents a strategic move into one of the fastest-growing segments in telecom,” said Rafael Olloqui, CEO and Co-Founder of BTS Group. “As global travel and eSIM adoption accelerate, we’re helping operators capitalize on emerging roaming opportunities.”
“Joining forces with BTS allows us to scale our technology and reach, making seamless, high-quality mobile connectivity accessible to more users and businesses around the world,” emphasized Giulia Acchioni Mena, Co-Founder and COO of ZIM Connections. “With BTS as a strategic partner, we can bring our white-label eSIM solution to a broader range of operators—making it easy for them to deliver global coverage while eliminating the technical complexities traditionally associated with eSIM implementation.”
RCS : Dotgo announces its availability of its Business Messaging platform in France
Dotgo has announced a major milestone in its efforts to expand Rich Communication Services (RCS) Business Messaging by securing partnerships with all major telecom operators in France—Orange, SFR, Bouygues Telecom, and Free. This collaboration enables full nationwide RCS coverage, allowing businesses to deliver rich, interactive messaging experiences to French consumers regardless of their mobile carrier. Through Dotgo’s RBM Hub®, developers, ISVs, agencies, and resellers can now onboard agents and send RCS traffic to all eligible users in France. Significantly, RCS for Business is also available on iPhones within these carrier networks, marking a major step forward in RCS adoption and accessibility.
“RCS adoption continues to accelerate globally, driven by strong penetration and proven ROI in major markets . With the RCS service expected to reach 85% of mobile devices in France by the end of this year, we are excited to drive innovation, monetization, and growth in this market. French businesses have an unprecedented opportunity to connect with customers through interactive and engaging messaging”, said Barinderpal Singh Mumick, Vice President, Dotgo.
“At Orange, we are committed to driving innovation in business messaging by offering our customers the best-in-class communication experiences. Partnering with Dotgo enables us to offer a seamless and scalable RCS messaging solution . We are excited to see the expansion of RCS in the country and look forward to working together to accelerate its adoption and monetization”, said Amelia Newsom-Davis, Director of Messaging and Payment at Orange.
First Orion Launches Protect+, Safeguards Businesses from Inbound Spam and Scam Calls
First Orion has launched Protect+ Risk Detection, an AI-powered solution designed to safeguard businesses from spam and scam inbound calls. This advanced system uses proprietary analytics to assess and categorize inbound call traffic by risk level and call purpose. The insights provided enable businesses to decide how to handle each call, ensuring that only legitimate ones reach their agents. Protect+ is especially beneficial for sectors frequently targeted by fraudulent calls, including finance, healthcare, insurance, government, and retail. The solution is also easy to integrate, offering a layered approach to risk detection.
“Businesses are facing an unprecedented wave of nuisance and fraudulent calls, making it harder than ever to ensure legitimate conversations occur. Wasted time is wasted money,” said Josh Whitehurst, Head of Product at First Orion. “Protect+ is designed to give businesses full control over their inbound call security, allowing them to identify and filter out high-risk calls while ensuring critical communications get through.”
Infobip becomes Platinum Partner of Rakuten Viber
Infobip has been elevated to Platinum Partner status by Rakuten Viber, deepening their longstanding collaboration. This new status grants Infobip early access to new Viber products and features, as well as priority use of Viber’s knowledge center. Over the past eight years, Viber has integrated with Infobip’s platform as a key over-the-top (OTT) channel, allowing businesses to engage customers through direct, rich media messaging. This partnership supports Infobip’s mission to enhance digital communication strategies and drive digital transformation for its global customer base.
Cristina Constandache, Chief Revenue Officer at Rakuten Viber, said: “At Rakuten Viber, we believe that strong partnerships are key to driving mutual growth. Our collaboration with Infobip has fuelled significant innovation and expansion. Infobip achieving the Platinum Partnership status shows our shared commitment to revolutionizing customer engagement with advanced technology and integrated communication solutions.”
The strong partnership between Infobip and Viber underscores our shared commitment to future-focused, seamless customer experiences. We’re proud to have reached the Platinum Partner status in the Rakuten Viber Partner Growth Program, and we look forward to continuing working closely with Viber and shaping the future of customer engagement together.” Silvija Renuša, Business Unit Head of Digital Channels at Infobip.
