Industry News

In line with its commitment to boost smartphone adoption, telecom operator AirtelTigo has joined forces with Nokia to roll out smartphone offer with free data and voice package for a year.

The Acting Chief Executive Officer, Murthy Chaganti, said, “With our brand promise to make life simple for our customers, we are delighted to partner with Nokia, and we believe that the partnership offers a great proposition to our customers.”

MTN Group has granted third parties access to its Mobile Money Access Programming Interface (API) platform.

The open API enables developers and programmers to innovate on the platform and develop products and other solutions that will create a wider range of digital financial offerings for MTN’s customers.

MTN is inviting developers and entrepreneurs, across five countries, to participate in the MoMo API Hackathon to further foster innovation and enhance financial inclusion.

The Hackathon, run in partnership with Ericsson (MTN’s MoMo technology partner), will give app developers based in Ghana, Uganda, Cote d’Ivoire, Cameroon and Zambia the opportunity to create innovative financial and transactional applications using the MTN MoMo API platform.

Finalists stand the chance to win up to USD 2,500, and one team member will win a trip to Ericsson’s Innovation Lab in Sweden.

Source: telecompaper.com

MTN Ghana Foundation is ready to present scholarship packages to 100 students this Friday.

This follows the completion of the screening of applications received for the second batch of its Bright Scholarship program instituted for tertiary students. The award ceremony will be held on 25th October,2019 at the MTN House, Accra.

A total of 2,674 applications were received from all 16 regions of Ghana and the number was pruned to 300 applicants. The shortlisted candidates were subsequently invited for interviews. The interviews were conducted by an independent panel which comprised academia and accredited human resource personnel.

The panel, after interviewing and verifying information received, selected 100 students who will be awarded the MTN Bright Scholarship.

The scholarships will cover the cost of tuition, accommodation and a stipend for books and other relevant reading materials for the duration of their studies. The list of successful students have been published in selected newspapers.

Commenting on the Bright Scholarship program , the Ag Corporate Services Executive of MTN, Robert Kuzoe said, “the MTN Ghana Foundation is committed to supporting needy and brilliant students to realize their dreams. Through the MTN Bright Scholarship, we want to ensure that under-privileged students who would have missed higher education as a result of lack of funding get the opportunity to tertiary education.”

“The first batch of 100 scholarships were awarded in 2018 to students in public tertiary institutions across the country.

The MTN Bright Scholarship is in fulfillment of a commitment MTN made to Ghanaians during the commemoration of its 20th Anniversary in 2016. During the celebrations, MTN, through the MTN Foundation said it will award 300 scholarships to students in public tertiary institutions over a three year period. In all, 300 scholarships would be awarded.

For over 20 years, Scancom PLC (MTN Ghana) has awarded over 1000 scholarships to students from basic school to the tertiary level. Apart from the Bright Scholarship, MTN Ghana Foundation launched the Teacher Improvement Award Programme in 2015. Since the inception of the programme, 60 teachers have been awarded scholarships to pursue First or Masters degrees at the University of Cape Coast and the University of Education, Winneba.

Source: thebftonline

Beginning next month, Vodafone Ghana would show its newly packaged and improved “Healthline” programme on television to promote health information and access to healthcare.

According to a statement from Vodafone Ghana to the Ghana News Agency, this year’s edition promises a unique approach to captivate the public as they acknowledge it as the most impactful health programme in the country.

The 1-hour and 13-episode series would cover topics such as ‘Bones and Joint,’ ‘Pregnancy,’ ‘Mental Health,’ ‘Hypertension and diabetes.’

According to the statement, it would interact with some of Healthline’s past beneficiaries to find out how their lives had been impacted by the programme.

The programme for Vodafone, remains its flagship commitment to the health industry in Ghana.

Mr Gayheart Mensah, the External Affairs Director of Vodafone Ghana, according to the statement said: “Healthline on TV remains the ultimate reflection of what we mean by a commitment to social good and purpose.”

He explained that Healthline has a voice that speaks to the needs of the average Ghanaian who cannot afford basic access to healthcare delivery.

“People with next to impossible medical conditions are catered for through highly complex surgeries that have the power to sway mankind,” he said.

The statement noted that the programme had significantly contributed to changing the lives of Ghanaians since its debut 10 years ago with education from health experts that has empowered them to take control of their lives.

Mr Pushpinder Gujral, Director of Consumer Business, Vodafone Ghana was quoted as saying: “We cannot wait to start airing this amazing programme on TV. We believe in a commitment to the communities in which we live and work. Access to Healthcare information is a fundamental issue for the average Ghanaian and Healthline is the answer.”

Healthline addresses the health concerns of Ghanaians through free surgeries, education and entertainment.

Source: GNA

MTN, a leading telecommunications company with presence in 21 countries in Africa and the Middle East has selected Ericsson to digitize their product catalog management and order management processes, leveraging Ericsson Catalog Manager and Ericsson Order Care.

Catalog Manager will enable MTN to digitalize the product lifecycle from offer creation to fulfillment. Order Care will equip MTN to realize operational improvements and service augmentation, as well as coordinate hybrid workflows (automated and manual activities) across services, systems and group. Ericsson’s Digital BSS suite will cover critical business processes, such as lead-to-service and service-to-cash, that are in the center of MTN Revenue Management and MTN’s Customer Experience focus areas.

Nikos Angelopoulos, MTN Group Executive – Information Technology says: “The modernization of the systems that support our business processes enables us to focus even more on service excellence. Ericsson’s BSS solutions have played an important role in enabling our customers to enjoy our new services more quickly and efficiently. This partnership will safeguard our capability to continue enhancing the customer experience and service demands on our journey towards realizing our Digital Telco ambition.”

Fadi Pharaon, President of Ericsson Middle East & Africa, says: “The ever-increasing diversity of the applications, services and bundles consumers wish to use on their devices, requires ever more flexible real-time charging, simplification of offers and automation. BSS modernization empowers MTN to monetize assets while meeting customer demands with new offers, strengthen competitiveness, enable flexibility to meet market demands, outpace competition with faster time to market for new offers, reduce costs through streamlined operations and TCO-efficient solutions.”

The announcement of the cooperation takes place during the 2019 Ericsson BSS User Group Summit, Ericsson’s annual global flagship event hosted by MTN in Cape Town, South Africa. The 20th edition of this event takes place where the first event was held and will give operators using Ericsson’s BSS products and services from all parts of the world the opportunity to hear from Ericsson global experts and discuss with their peers about Digital Transformation, strategy, product roadmaps and the future of BSS.

Source: biztechafrica.com

Airtel Africa, a leading global telecommunications services provider with operations in 14 countries across Africa, and Ecobank Transnational Incorporated (“ETI”), the parent company of Ecobank the leading pan-African banking group operating in 33 countries, have signed a partnership which will allows millions of Airtel Money and Ecobank customers across Africa to improve their access to mobile financial services and carry out a variety of mobile transactions.

MTN Ghana said it will step up its Know Your Customer (KYC) activities. This will be done mainly through strict adherence to regulatory requirements. Activities to ensure KYC compliance include suspending newly registered SIM cards that are not activated within 72 hours of purchase.

Registered SIM cards should have been used for making a voice call, sending an SMS, using data services or undertaking a MoMo transaction upon registration. Suspended numbers can be reactivated after the customer provides a valid ID card at an MTN service centre for reactivation.

MTN is also setting a maximum number of SIM cards that can be sold to one individual.

The operator periodically reviews its KYC database by asking customers to update their records.

Source: MTN

Vodafone’s Small and Medium-sized Enterprises’ (SMEs) Masterclass, a capacity-building programme for SMEs, would run from Thursday, October 4 to Saturday December 15, 2019, Alfred Nkrow, the Director of Vodafone Business, has announced.

Mr. Nkrow said the SMEs Masterclass, which is part of Vodafone’s commitment to develop the potential and capacity of SMEs, would treat modules such as Corporate Governance, Social Media and Digital Selling, Innovation and Entrepreneurship Growth, Financial Management and Negotiation & Supply Chain Strategy.

Mr. Nkrow made this known to players in the SMEs at the “Vodafone SMEGA 18” held in Accra. SMEGA is SME Ghana Awards and SMEGA 18 is the sixth edition sponsored by Vodafone Ghana to honour and appreciate entrepreneurs whose operations had contributed significantly towards the promotion of socio-economic development in the country.

The Director explained that lecturers with international reputation, would teach entrepreneurs in the Masterclass. “I hope the participating companies will enjoy rare insights and guidance to continue affecting their spheres of influence in the country,” he said.

Alan Kyeremateng, the Minister of Trade and Industry in a speech delivered on his behalf, commended Vodafone and its co-organisers for honouring SMEs, as they played a crucial role in facilitating economic growth.

SMEs, he emphasized, were responsible for creating jobs for a big percent of the population and contributed massively to the country’s Gross Domestic Product. He said government had put measures in place to create a friendly environment for businesses to thrive.

Mr Kyeremateng said Ghana was fortunate to host the African Continental Free Trade Agreement and Area and urged entrepreneurs to take advantage of the opportunity and harness the benefits to trade their products and services to other parts of the world.

SMEGA 18 rewarded SMEs under various categories including SMEGA Entrepreneurship Discovery Award won by Jilfa Trends, Rising Star Award won by Spark Food and Beverages, Service Sector Education Award won by MBA Mode Ghana Limited, and Service Sector Financial Institution Award won by Summit Vision Microfinance.

Other categories were Trades Sector Textiles and Clothing won by MBA Mode Ghana, Trade Sector Pharmaceuticals and Cosmetics obtained by Aide Chemist Limited, Agri Products won by Greencesta Ventures & Consulting Limited, and Media Reportage Award given to Biz Trends Show.

Other supporting sponsors of SMEGA 18 were Ghana Investment Promotion Centre, Activa International Insurance, Food IOI, GS1 Ghana, Firmus Advisory, PUM Netherlands Senior Experts, Kipindi Business Consult, MassMuv Travel and Transport Services, Vista Consults Limited, and Besiaba’s Brew.

Source: THEBFTONLINE

MTN Ghana has been adjudged the 2018 Telecom Company of the Year, Brand Activation of the Year and the Internet Service Provider Company of the Year. These awards were received at the awards ceremony organized by the Chartered Institute of Marketing Ghana (CIMG) in Accra.

The Chief Marketing Officer of MTN Ghana, Mr. Noel Kojo-Ganson was also adjudged ‘The Marketing Practitioner of the Year’.

The awards were in recognition of MTN’s excellence in strategic marketing in the areas of Market insights, People Management, Corporate Reputation Management and Corporate Social Responsibility. The company was also commended for being a strong player within Corporate Ghana.

In a citation,

MTN was eulogized for exceeding its vision of delivering a bold new digital world for its customers and has maintained top of mind brand awareness through visibility on multiple traditional and digital channels of communication. MTN was also recognized for introducing innovations like payment of mobile apps using MoMo, buying and trading shares on MoMo platform, airtime purchase reversals on MTN MoMo and seamless connectivity and unified billing across fibre broadband, wireless and Mobile Networks.

Commenting on the awards, the Chief Executive Officer of MTN Ghana,Selorm Adadevoh said, “As the leading telecom company, MTN continues to find innovative ways to lead in delivering a bold new digital world to its customers. Digital is the way to go and MTN has introduced various digital devices into the market to support this initiative in ensuring that our customers keep up with the changing digital trends.”

“We continue to grow the brand and in the area of MoMo, we will continue to bring convenience to customers through the use of the mobile phone while contributing to a cash lite society” he added.

The CEO, Selorm Adadevoh congratulated Noel Kojo-Ganson for being adjudged Marketing Practitioner of the Year.

The CIMG National Marketing Performance Awards is a high-profile event that acknowledges individuals and organizations for marketing excellence and innovation. The awards seek among other things to promote high professional standards and to encourage excellence among marketing practitioners. This year’s event was under the theme “Celebrating 30 Years of Promoting Marketing Excellence – Synergies for the Future.”

MTN Ghana has received several awards from CIMG for its innovative products and services in previous awards events.

Source: GNA

U.S. based OpenRAN company Parallel Wireless on Monday announced working with Vodafone to deploy a macro OpenRAN pilot in Asia (Turkey) and in Africa (Democratic Republic of the Congo).

Both production trials are a part of a telecom infra project OpenRAN initiative to reduce deployment and maintenance costs for RAN platforms, according to a joint statement.

The association stems from the need to reduce operating expenditure(opex) amid growing demand for mobile broadband services and rising capital expenditure(capex) and operating expenditure (opex) in relation to network deployment, both the companies added.

Amrit Heer, head of Business Development, EME, Parallel Wireless said, “Hardware-based networks are costly and difficult to maintain and upgrade. By shifting networks to virtualized OpenRAN, telecom operators can cloudify their networks to deliver coverage to every single subscriber at much lower cost.”

Lux Maharaj, Director, Africa Sales, Parallel Wireless, said, “ Parallel Wireless enables cloud native architectures, providing greater flexibility for operators.”

Source: telecom.economictimes.indiatimes.com