March 2026

Huawei successfully held the TECH cares forum during MWC 2026. James Zeng, Vice President of Huawei’s Wireless Network Product Line, delivered a keynote speech titled “Huawei Full-Scenario Rural Coverage Solutions Bridge the Digital Divide” at the forum.

He highlighted that as the world accelerates toward digitalization, network connectivity has become a key foundation driving social development and economic growth. However, in vast rural regions, the digital divide remains prominent, with hundreds of millions of people still in an “unconnected” status. Centered on the long-term mission of “connect the unconnected”, Huawei leverages its full-scenario Rural solutions to continuously advance rural network construction and sustainable business development, helping remote rural areas unlock social and commercial value in education, healthcare, agriculture, e-commerce and other scenarios.

Despite the rapid growth of the global mobile industry, as of today, there are still 300 million people worldwide who do not have access to network connectivity, primarily in remote rural areas. These regions suffer from weak infrastructure, lack of electricity and roads, and scattered populations. Operators face three major challenges in network deployment: high cost for towers and civil work, high cost for satellite transmission, and high cost for diesel generators and fuel. These multiple factors combined result in up to 10 years ROI to operators in remote rural areas, making it difficult to achieve a sustainable business model.

To achieve inclusive connectivity in remote areas globally, Huawei remains committed to innovation. We have pioneered the “3 Conversions” technology in the industry: convert tower to pole, convert diesel to solar, and convert satellite to relay. Through these “3 Conversions”, Huawei’s Rural series solutions can reduce cost to 20%~40% of traditional macro base stations, significantly lowering site construction costs.

Over the past 10 years, Huawei has continuously innovated its rural network solutions:

• In 2017, Huawei launched the RuralStar solution, achieving inclusive coverage for medium-sized villages with a population of 3,000 to 5,000.
• In 2021, Huawei introduced the RuralLink solution for large villages with a population of 5,000 to 8,000.
• And in 2025, Huawei innovates again and launched the world’s first RuralCow solution for small village with a population less than 3,000, building the simplified rural site with “1 box 1 site”.

Huawei has joined hands with global operators to build multiple replicable and scalable models for rural digital development.

In Zambia, Huawei has cooperated with operators to build smart villages. Muchila Village is located in a remote area in southern Zambia, with about 100 permanent households, including one school and one clinic. The village has long suffered from insufficient power supply and no network coverage, with backward education and medical conditions. After an on-site survey in 2024, Huawei adopted the RuralStar solution tailored to local conditions to deploy an affordable and easy-to-deploy mobile network in the village, enabling villagers to communicate with the outside world. Huawei

also built smart classrooms for the village school to improve teaching conditions, and provided a solar power station to address the village’s insufficient power supply. Huawei’s RuralStar solution has helped remote rural areas in Zambia take the first step toward improving lives through digital technologies. In the future, with the in-depth development of digital technologies, it will play a greater role in cultivating digital talents and boosting economic development. As a medium- and long-term goal, the Muchila Smart Village project model will be expanded to 100 villages in Zambia, benefiting more residents in remote areas and making clean energy and digital connectivity new drivers for rural revitalization.

In 2025, Huawei launched an innovative RuralCow solution, which realized the “last mile” coverage for the village with less than 3,000 population, and recently completed the world’s first commercial deployment in Nigeria. The solution highly integrates BBU, RRU and transmission capabilities into one, realizing a simplified “1 Box, 1 Site” architecture. This design enables agile transportation and installation, greatly reduces engineering complexity, and allows fast on-air deployment within one day. As per calculation, in this case, RuralCow can shorten the ROI from about 10 years to 1.5 years, creating a positive business cycle and laying a solid foundation for operators to continuously build networks in remote areas. Meanwhile, RuralCow is equipped with Huawei’s GigaGreen

technology, which significantly reduces equipment power consumption and increases the backup power duration at sites by 44%, making it more suitable for off-grid or power-constrained scenarios. In addition, RuralCow does not rely on fiber or microwave transmission, with a backhaul distance of up to 30 kilometers in non-line-of-sight scenarios, significantly improving coverage in remote areas. It also integrates intelligent remote O&M, reducing on-site tower climbing operations and improving maintenance efficiency.

Huawei’s full-scenario Rural solutions have been deployed on a large scale worldwide. To date, this solution has provided connectivity to 170 million people in remote areas across 80+ countries, including Ghana in Africa, Indonesia in Asia Pacific, Peru in Latin America, and Oman in the Middle East. The solution helps operators connect the unconnected and has received high recognition from the industry, winning 4 GLOMO awards. It has formed a complete closed loop from technical system to business model: solving not only the technical challenge of “whether it can be built”, but also the commercial challenge of “whether it is worth building”. In this process, the network has become more than just a communication infrastructure, and it has evolved into a digital foundation for educational equity, inclusive healthcare, agricultural income growth and rural governance.

Huawei will never stop innovation for inclusive connectivity! In the future, we will continue to cooperate with partners such as global operators, governments and international organizations to launch more innovative Rural series solutions, thereby bridging the digital divide and enriching communication and life for everyone!

source : www.mobileworldlive.com

A state-of-the-art ICT laboratory has been launched at Tingi Secondary School in Nyasa District, Ruvuma Region, with Helios Towers supporting the facility with 30m/- worth of equipment through its corporate social responsibility programme.

The 26-computer laboratory, officially unveiled today (February 27, 2026), is expected to enhance digital learning and equip students with practical ICT skills essential for today’s technology-driven world.

Speaking at the launching of the ICT lab, Helios Towers’ Director of Supply Chain, Baraka Andrew mentioned the donated equipment as 26 computers, a projector, maintenance tools, a whiteboard, a smart TV and the necessary laboratory infrastructure

According to the director, Helios Towers implemented the project in partnership with Camara Education Tanzania, which served as the project supervisor and executor, working closely with the school leadership and district education authorities.

The laboratory is expected to benefit more than 360 students by providing hands-on ICT learning opportunities, enhancing their technological skills and preparing them for employment and participation in the digital economy.

He added that the initiative forms part of Helios Towers Tanzania’s broader community investment programme, supporting government efforts and education stakeholders in improving the quality of education and promoting digital development among the younger generation.

“Helios Towers has recognized the great importance of participating in preparing young people to enter the digital economy, an area that President Samia is also strongly emphasizing to ensure Tanzania reaches a higher level in line with the fast pace of global development,” he explained.

On the other hand, Technical Director of Camara Education and Country Manager at Camara Education Tanzania, Dayani Mbowe said the donated computers have been installed with various systems, including examination materials, textbooks, and notes to enable students to study independently.

“The systems installed at the school and the training provided to both students and teachers have been aligned with the requirements of the newly improved education curriculum, with the aim of equipping Tingi Secondary School students with the knowledge and skills needed in the job market,” Mbowe said.

On his part, Nyasa District Education Officer thanked Helios Towers for sponsoring the project and Camara Education for successfully installing and uploading relevant digital content to enable students to easily access textbooks and learning materials online.

“The world today is increasingly driven by the use of ICT in almost every aspect of life. Therefore, these students will benefit not only academically but will also acquire skills that will enable them to start their own income-generating activities, including stationery businesses, after completing various levels of education,” the education officer noted.

Source : www.dailynews.co.tz

The Minister for Communications, Digital Technology and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George, has announced that government is developing a new Data Protection Bill to strengthen Ghana’s legal framework in response to artificial intelligence, automated decision-making and cross-border data flows.

Speaking at the Data Protection Conference 2026 in Accra, Mr. George said Ghana must move beyond expanding digital services and focus on building a deliberate and resilient digital architecture anchored on trust.

He noted that work is underway to reform legislative and institutional frameworks for data protection, with the objective of strengthening enforcement, clarifying international data transfer rules and enhancing citizens’ rights.

The Minister stressed that compliance with the Data Protection Act is both a legal obligation and a moral duty, warning that organisations that have not registered with the Data Protection Commission must do so without delay.

He disclosed that government will soon issue a policy directive to the Commission to ensure strict compliance and impose fines on institutions that fail to adhere to the law.

Mr. George also revealed that Ghana is advancing a data harmonisation initiative to reduce fragmentation and align standards across financial services, telecommunications and the public sector.

According to him, strong data protection should not be seen as a barrier to innovation but rather as a competitive advantage as Ghana positions itself as a regional hub for fintech and digital services.

Source : www.gbcghanaonline.com

The government has announced the commencement of processes for a nationwide SIM card re-registration exercise, following Cabinet deliberations.

The announcement was made by the Minister for Communication, Innovations, and Digital Technologies, Samuel Nartey George, during a keynote address at the 2026 Data Protection Commission Conference.

According to the minister, the upcoming SIM re-registration will be structured to ensure customer convenience, with measures aimed at preventing long queues and disruptions, while strengthening data integrity and national security within the telecommunications sector.

“The failure in the last SIM card registration has left us with a difficult but necessary decision. After extensive cabinet deliberation, we are announcing the beginning of the process for a new SIM card registration exercise across the whole country.

“This exercise will be the first in our history to have live verification against the NIA’s database and provide biometric verification for every registration. Let me state this up front. The upcoming SIM card registration exercise will prioritize customer’s comfort. We are putting in place measures, working with the Chamber of Telecoms, to avoid long queues, including self-service portals and a seamless process for completing the registration,” he said.

Samuel Nartey George added that the exercise will not be constrained by strict deadlines and assured that all data collected will be fully protected in line with existing data protection regulations.

“You won’t have the queues. You won’t have the deadlines that were unreachable in the past experience. We are going to make sure that the citizen is placed at the front of this registration.

“The regulator, the National Communications Authority is engaging stakeholders on the rollout. The Data Protection Commission must be central to ensuring that even as biometric data is collected and processed, it is done with the principal consideration of protecting the customer. Trust must be elevated above all other considerations,” the minister remarked.

Source : www.citinewsroom.com

Telecommunications giant Scancom PLC (MTN Ghana) has cemented its market leadership with a stellar 2025 fiscal report, announcing a 55.9 per cent leap in profit after tax to GH¢7.8 billion. 

The results, underpinned by an aggressive expansion in data and financial services, come at a time when a stabilising macroeconomic climate has re-energised consumer spending across the country.

The company’s service revenue surged by 36.2 per cent, reaching a staggering GH¢24.4 billion. This growth was propelled by a near-tripling of digital revenue and robust gains in the mobile money and data sectors, reflecting Ghana’s rapidly maturing digital economy.

In a move that will delight investors, the Board of Directors has recommended a final dividend of GH¢0.40 per share. This represents a significant increase from the GH¢0.24 paid out the previous year, signaling deep confidence in the company’s liquidity and future growth path.

Pending shareholder approval at the next Annual General Meeting, the dividend is slated for distribution on 10 April 2026.

In his review of the year, MTN Ghana CEO Stephen Blewett attributed the financial windfall to a combination of heavy infrastructure spending and a friendly economic backdrop.

“MTN Ghana reported a strong operational and financial performance for 2025, driven by the significant investment in our network and targeted commercial initiatives that have enhanced the customer experience,” Blewett remarked.

He further observed that the broader economic recovery played a crucial role: “These results were achieved in a favourable macroeconomic climate, with subsiding inflation and a strengthened local currency boosting consumer purchasing power.

To sustain this growth, MTN Ghana committed GH¢6.4 billion in capital expenditure during the year. This investment was primarily directed at bolstering 4G coverage and improving overall service quality to support a burgeoning subscriber base. Total mobile subscribers now stand at 31.2 million, with active data users jumping to 19.9 million.

As the company transitions out of its “Ambition 2025” strategic cycle, the leadership team remains bullish on the medium-term horizon. The company has maintained its guidance for service revenue growth in the “mid-to-upper thirties” per cent range.

“Looking ahead to 2026, MTN Ghana is well-positioned to capitalise on Ghana’s improving macroeconomic environment. Building on 2025’s performance and operational agility, we will continue to deliver value to our stakeholders,” Blewett concluded.

Source : www.myjoyonline.com

MTN Ghana, in partnership with Emirates Airlines, awarded a loyal customer a complimentary return ticket to Dubai in a special reward drawn from its Closed User Group Offer (CUGO), reinforcing the company’s commitment to delivering value beyond connectivity.

The initiative recognised clients on the uptake of the Emirates CUGO travel platform, which allows MTN customers to access exclusive flight booking benefits and discounts of up to 12 percent on selected economy, business and first-class fares.

At the presentation ceremony, Sandra Oduro Antwi, Senior Specialist, High Value Segment – Marketing at MTN Ghana, said that the collaboration with Emirates reflected MTN’s evolution from a conventional telecom provider to a lifestyle enabler.

“Connectivity is not just about networks. It is about connecting people to opportunity, convenience and experiences that enrich their lives,” she said. She explained that the Emirates CUGO portal was built to make international travel more accessible by eliminating complexity and hidden conditions in the booking process.

The complimentary ticket was randomly awarded to an eligible customer who had travelled using the CUGO platform during the qualifying period.

Speaking to BusinessGhana, Ms. Oduro Antwi said the partnership had been delivering value for nearly a decade and continued to provide MTN customers with travel discounts and periodic rewards. She explained that, in addition to the complimentary ticket sponsored by Emirates, MTN ensured the winner would remain connected during his trip by activating roaming on his eSIM-enabled device. He also received high-value MTN souvenirs for use during his travels.

“We want our customers to think of MTN not only for services but as a gateway to lifestyle benefits. We are building an ecosystem where customers receive real value beyond connectivity,” she said, encouraging customers to use the CUGO platform to unlock even more benefits and discounts as partnerships expand.

Representing Emirates Airlines, Mr Cecil Tenkorang, Sales Manager for Ghana and Ivory Coast, congratulated the winner and affirmed the airline’s pride in working with MTN Ghana. He noted that Emirates had connected Ghana to its global network of more than 150 destinations across six continents, offering travellers unparalleled service and seamless connections worldwide.

The lucky winner, Mr Kwame Kwakye, a businessman and long-standing MTN customer, expressed deep appreciation for the award. He recounted his long loyalty to MTN, dating back to the early 2000s when SIM cards were harder to obtain and network coverage was less reliable. Over the years, he said, MTN’s improvements in voice, data and broadband services had kept him connected and satisfied.

“As a loyal customer, this recognition means a lot. MTN has been part of my journey from the early days of connectivity to now enjoying high-speed services and seamless roaming. I have no intention of leaving the network,” he said. He also suggested that future collaborations could explore additional travel-related benefits such as hotel discounts to enhance the customer experience further

Source : www.businessghana.com

MTN Ghana’s plan to install 500 new network sites in 2026 alone, backed by a US$1.1 billion three-year capital programme, has taken on a new strategic dimension following its parent group’s acquisition of a majority stake in IHS Towers, the infrastructure company that currently owns and operates a substantial portion of the physical masts underpinning MTN’s Ghanaian network.

In February 2026, MTN Group acquired the remaining 75 percent stake in IHS Towers, one of the largest tower infrastructure companies in Africa, valuing the deal at approximately US$6.2 billion. The acquisition significantly deepens MTN’s control over the physical infrastructure underpinning its network operations across its 16 markets, including Ghana, reducing its dependency on third-party tower operators and creating structural conditions for faster rollout.

For Ghana specifically, the timing is significant. MTN Group CEO Ralph Mupita confirmed during a three-day working visit to Accra that the company currently operates more than 5,000 telecommunications sites across the country and intends to add 500 more this year alone, representing a tenfold increase compared with recent expansion rates. MTN Ghana CEO Stephen Blewett put the acceleration into perspective, noting the company built 50 sites in 2025 and between 25 and 30 in 2024 before committing to 500 in a single year.

Previously, the pace of tower deployment in Ghana was partly constrained by the need to negotiate site acquisition, construction and lease arrangements through third-party tower companies. With MTN Group now owning IHS Towers outright, the chain of approvals and cost structures for new site development across its African markets shortens materially.

The US$1.1 billion capital programme targets network resilience, 4G densification, 5G connectivity, large-scale data centre development, and expanded subsea cable connectivity to improve international bandwidth resilience, areas directly aligned with Ghana’s ambition to position itself as a regional artificial intelligence and cloud services hub.

On 5G, Mupita was direct in his discussions with Communications Minister Sam George. He told the minister that the availability of 5G spectrum would enable and empower everyday Ghanaians in terms of home connectivity, and that quality of service improvements, particularly in peri-urban and rural areas, were at the centre of the company’s commitments to government. Ghana has yet to formally auction 5G spectrum, and MTN’s accelerated investment timeline creates additional pressure on the National Communications Authority to clarify its spectrum allocation roadmap, as operators cannot deploy 5G equipment without licensed frequencies regardless of how many physical sites they build.

The US$1.1 billion commitment also encompasses digital skills training for Ghanaian youth, an area MTN Group CEO Ralph Mupita described as a deliberate strategic extension of the company’s role beyond connectivity into human capital development, with a focus on supporting young Ghanaians to become content creators rather than simply content consumers.

Source : www.newsghana.com.gh