Industry News

After a couple of years of fairly modest activity, Facebook is now ramping up its public Wi-Fi connectivity program with renewed conviction and resolve: On February 25 the social media giant announced three new mobile operator partners as well as three new Wi-Fi technology partners. Facebook made the announcement at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain.

Despite the power of the brand and the company’s famously deep coffers, Facebook’s connectivity programs have thus far largely failed to move the needle when it comes to connecting more people to the Internet in emerging markets. All of that is now about to change as the company appears once again focused and intent on bringing public Wi-Fi to the masses.

This week Facebook announced three new mobile operator partners: Vodafone Ghana (already announced in Ghana and covered by Wi-Fi NOW here), CellC in South Africa, and Globe in the Philippines. No details on the size of the networks were released although information from Vodafone Ghana indicates a probable size of a couple hundred access points for starters.

Facebook also announced three new Wi-Fi technology partners: HPE/Aruba, Edgecore Networks, and – surprisingly – Nokia. Nokia has in recent years offered a carrier Wi-Fi line of products although the extent of their deployment is largely unknown. The three new vendors join existing Facebook Express approved vendors Cambium Networks, Ruckus Networks, and Arista (Mojo Networks).

Facebook also says that Cambium Networks will incorporate into their Wi-Fi solution Facebook’s ‘self organising mesh access’ (SOMA) technology, which Facebook says is a “self-healing mesh Wi-Fi technology that allows for greater self-configuration, reliability, and performance and reduces the need for operators to spend time manually configuring their networks.”

Earlier this week Cambium Networks announced it will be incorporating Facebook’s Terragraph (60 GHz unlicensed radio) technology into a their new 60 GHz product.

Visitors to Facebook’s meeting area at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona were able to try out the Facebook Express Wi-Fi service itself during the event. And Facebook has indeed made it simple to use: Access requires SMS verification but otherwise users need just few entries and taps to connect.

Source: Mobile World Live

MTN Ghana has been adjudged Employer of the Year at the second edition of the Ghana Human Resource Innovation Awards (GHRIA) held in Accra.

At the same event, MTN Ghana won:

Outstanding Employee Retention Policy
Excellence in Employee Engagement
HR Innovation of the Year
HR Team of the Year for the Private Sector (Gold)
In addition, the Human Resource Executive of MTN Mrs. Amma Benneh-Amponsah was adjudged the HR Personality of the Year and one of the top 20 Human Resource Practitioners in Ghana.

Receiving the awards, Mrs Amma Benneh-Amponsah said “The awards attest to our continued commitment and investment in our people. We are humbled by this recognition. We will continue to invest in our human capital and infrastructure to create a conducive environment that enable employees to deliver their best.” She dedicated the awards to the staff of MTN.

Speaking on behalf of the Minister of Employment and Labour Relations, the Chief Executive of the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC), Dr Edward Kwapong, reiterated the importance of the HR practitioner to the socio-economic development of a nation. He said the wealth of a nation or an organization lies in the hands of its human resources and how well those resources are managed to the benefit of all.

“An event such as this to recognize the great works of professionals is a good catalyst and a motivator to make sure that our human resources are at par if not ahead of the changes in the human resource sector in the country”, Mr. Kwapong stressed.

Over the years, MTN has been recognized by several institutions both local and internationally for their unequalled commitment to high performance through exceptional people management. MTN is the first Corporate organization in Ghana to be awarded a Gold accreditation by Investors in People International, the international standard for people management. In 2018 alone, MTN Ghana won Investor in People Gold Employer of the year. The company also won HR Leader of the Year (Top 50 HR Practitioners) and Human Resources (HR) Team of the Year at the maiden edition of the Ghana Human Resources Awards.

The HR Executive of MTN Ghana, Amma Benneh-Amponsah, was awarded and recognized as an HR Change Maker at the HR Awards Ghana.

The GHRIA is an annual event that recognises leading Human Resource persons and organizations who have contributed significantly to the practice.

Source: Myjoyonline

Mobile Industry body, the GSMA, has kicked off Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona with a prediction that 5G will account for 15 per cent of all mobile connections by 2025.

5G is the major theme of this year’s event, with device makers, equipment manufacturers and other firms showcasing their wares at the Fira over the next four days.

5G networks have already gone live in the USA and South Korea, and the GSMA’s latest Mobile Economy report says 16 more markets will witness a launch in 2019. This includes the UK, where all four mobile operators have confirmed their initial rollout plans.

The GSMA believes the proportion of 5G connections will be as high as 30 per cent in Europe and China and close to 50 per cent in the US. 4G will also receive attention, increasing its share of global connections from 43 per cent last year to 60 percent within seven years.

Meanwhile, an additional 700 million new mobile subscriptions will be added by 2025 and 1.4 billion new mobile data users will come online during the same period. This will bring the total to more than five billion although a significant proportion is likely to be IoT-related.

Overall, it is predicted that mobile technologies and services will deliver $4.8 trillion of economic value by 2023 and that today, more than 32 million jobs are directly or indirectly supported by the industry.

“The arrival of 5G forms a major part of the world’s move towards an era of Intelligent Connectivity, which alongside developments in the Internet of Things, big data and artificial intelligence, is poised to be a key driver of economic growth over the coming years,” declared Mats Granryd, Director General of the GSMA.

“While 5G will transform businesses and provide an array of exciting new services, mobile technology is also helping to close the connectivity gap. We will connect more than a billion new people to the mobile internet over the next few years, spurring adoption of mobile-based tools and solutions in areas such as agriculture, education and healthcare, which will improve livelihoods of people around the world.”

Source: techradar

Samsung jumped the queue and arguably raised the bar as rival manufacturers get set to launch new gadgets at MWC19 Barcelona, unveiling a foldable device and four smartphones in its Galaxy S10 range.

The South Korean manufacturer, which unveiled the new line-up at events in London and San Francisco, opted to show its hand just a few days before the annual industry gathering in Barcelona kicks off.

There were four new devices shown-off at the event in the Galaxy S10 range: the Galaxy S10; a higher-spec Galaxy S10+; the lower-tier Galaxy S10e; and the Galaxy S10 5G.

Galaxy Fold
But, the headline grabber was what Samsung described as a revolution for the smartphone market, a new foldable device dubbed Galaxy Fold.

DJ Koh, president and CEO of Samsung’s IT and Mobile Communications division, said the device represented the company’s desire to “reinvent the smartphone from the ground up.”

The device was billed as both a smartphone and a tablet as its 4.6-inch screen folds out into a 7.3-inch display.

By switching between the smaller and larger screen, users can access three apps at once, with an App Continuity feature custom-built for the foldable design. Apps can open up on the smaller display, and users can pick up where they left off when opening up the device to access the larger screen.

The Fold’s specs are also at the high-end. It packs an HD+ Super AMOLED display, 12GB RAM and 512GB storage, and a six-camera system.

In a statement, Koh said: “Samsung is writing the next chapter in mobile innovation history by changing what’s possible in a smartphone.”

Owning the next chapter in mobile innovation will, however, not come cheap. Samsung priced the device at $1,980 in the US and €2,000 in Europe. It will be available in certain markets from 3 May.

The 5G era

Coming to the new Galaxy S10 range, the company highlighted the fact it was now a decade since the launch of its first Galaxy S device, as it touted the new lines’ beefed-up capabilities in display, camera and performance.

And, ten years on, the company was keen to talk up the Galaxy S10 5G device, which it said “charts the path for Galaxy for the next ten years”.

The S10 5G is the biggest of the new foursome, sporting a 6.7-inch curved display.

Samsung said the phone was designed bigger to enable consumers to take full advantage of 5G connectivity for streaming TV shows, gaming, and augmented- and virtual-reality experiences.

There is one storage option, at 256GB and 8GB RAM.

In terms of availability, the company said a number of operators, including Sprint, Vodafone and Deutsche Telekom, will carry the device when 5G launches later this year. A firm date or pricing was not revealed.

Screens, cameras, storage
The Galaxy S10e is the smallest of the four new devices, with a 5.8-inch full HD+ flat dynamic screen, while the Galaxy S10 sports a 6.1-inch, quad HD+ curved display.

Although offering higher specifications, the Galaxy S10+ is slightly smaller than the S10 5G at 6.4-inches. It also packs a curved display.

All four devices have been built with a “Dynamic AMOLED display”, as well as being the “first HDR10+” certified smartphones.

The devices’ screens also pack an “array of sensors and camera technology”, including an in-display ultrasonic fingerprint scanner “that reads the 3D contours of your physical thumbprint”, providing extra security.

When it comes to the camera, Samsung said it raised the bar with its new line-up, pointing to dual-pixel and dual-aperture firsts, along with enhanced artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities.

The Galaxy S10 line offers an ultra-wide lens with a 123-degree field of view, as well as an AI camera that it said makes smart features more accurate via a Neural Processing Unit (NPU).

Galaxy S10e packs a dual camera; the S10 and S10+ have triple cameras; and the S10 5G has a quadruple system.

The S10+ offers the biggest option in terms of storage, with 1TB and up to 12GB RAM. It also has a 128GB and a 512GB option. The S10 comes with 128GB or 512GB of storage and the S10e offers 128GB and 256GB (RAM is 8GB in both cases).

Another standout feature in the devices is the inclusion of the new Wi-Fi 6 standard, enabling better performance and speed.

Galaxy S10e pricing starts at $749.99; the S10 at $899.99; and the S10+ begins at $999.99.

Along with the new smartphones, Samsung also launched new wireless headphones, Galaxy Buds, as well as two fitness-focused wearables, Galaxy Watch Active and Galaxy Fit.

Source: mobileworldlive.com

In line with its vision of a better life for all its customers, AirtelTigo has launched AirtelTigo Business, its Business-to-Business arm in Accra.

AirtelTigo Business aims to provide end-to-end connectivity solutions to Small, Medium and Large corporate organisations to enable them achieve growth and profitability.

Under the tagline “Making Business simple”, AirtelTigo Business offers total communications solutions including; Mobile Voice and Data, Fixed lines, Internet connectivity, Hosting and Managed Services among others.

Speaking at the launch graced by captains of industry, directors of state institutions and customers, the Chief Executive Officer of AirtelTigo, Mrs Mitwa Kaemba Ng’ambi, said: “At AirtelTigo, we believe that we are your partner in helping you evolve and finding ways to be better and do better. We would like to make your businesses simple by addressing all your communication needs thus freeing you up to focus on your core business.”

She disclosed that AirtelTigo Business connectivity solutions cover not only Ghana, but span across Africa, adding that the company will also leverage the infrastructure of its two parent companies – Bharti Airtel and Millicom to give businesses the best telecommunications network experience.

Launching the sub-brand, the Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, Mr. Carlos Kingsley Ahenkorah, applauded AirtelTigo management and staff for the successful completion of its network integration and upgrade last year, describing the integration as unprecedented in the telecommunications industry in Ghana.

He also commended AirtelTigo for introducing AirtelTigo Business to help businesses realize their full potential with the wide portfolio of digital solutions offered to customers. The Hon.  Deputy Minister said; “I am happy to note that AirtelTigo Business aims to address connectivity solutions for businesses with its “total communications solution” agenda and is already serving some of the largest businesses in the country.

He also appreciated the fact that AirtelTigo Business is providing leadership in setting the business solutions standard for companies by rolling out innovative products and services in line with its vision.

He explained that the Ministry of Trade and Industry with its allied agencies and partners are ready to support business initiatives to create jobs and transform communities. “The government will continue to support individuals, SMEs and other businesses to adopt ICT solutions to enhance their business operations so they can contribute to the growth of the economy,” he noted.

In line with its vision of a better life for all its customers, AirtelTigo has launched AirtelTigo Business, its Business-to-Business arm in Accra.

AirtelTigo Business aims to provide end-to-end connectivity solutions to Small, Medium and Large corporate organisations to enable them achieve growth and profitability.

Under the tagline “Making Business simple”, AirtelTigo Business offers total communications solutions including; Mobile Voice and Data, Fixed lines, Internet connectivity, Hosting and Managed Services among others.

Speaking at the launch graced by captains of industry, directors of state institutions and customers, the Chief Executive Officer of AirtelTigo, Mrs Mitwa Kaemba Ng’ambi, said: “At AirtelTigo, we believe that we are your partner in helping you evolve and finding ways to be better and do better. We would like to make your businesses simple by addressing all your communication needs thus freeing you up to focus on your core business.”

She disclosed that AirtelTigo Business connectivity solutions cover not only Ghana, but span across Africa, adding that the company will also leverage the infrastructure of its two parent companies – Bharti Airtel and Millicom to give businesses the best telecommunications network experience.

Launching the sub-brand, the Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, Mr. Carlos Kingsley Ahenkorah, applauded AirtelTigo management and staff for the successful completion of its network integration and upgrade last year, describing the integration as unprecedented in the telecommunications industry in Ghana.

He also commended AirtelTigo for introducing AirtelTigo Business to help businesses realize their full potential with the wide portfolio of digital solutions offered to customers. The Hon.  Deputy Minister said; “I am happy to note that AirtelTigo Business aims to address connectivity solutions for businesses with its “total communications solution” agenda and is already serving some of the largest businesses in the country.

He also appreciated the fact that AirtelTigo Business is providing leadership in setting the business solutions standard for companies by rolling out innovative products and services in line with its vision.

He explained that the Ministry of Trade and Industry with its allied agencies and partners are ready to support business initiatives to create jobs and transform communities. “The government will continue to support individuals, SMEs and other businesses to adopt ICT solutions to enhance their business operations so they can contribute to the growth of the economy,” he noted.

Source: AirtelTigo

MTN Ghana Limited has presented a set of science instruments to some basic schools within the Western and Central Regions to improve teaching and learning of the science.

“Practical Learning has proven to be more empirical as against theory and skills acquisition in evidence based learning is touted as the best form of learning and it is on that score that MTN is providing the numerous science sets to aid practical learning”.

Mr Yakubu Tiyuniba Mohammed, the Acting Regional Senior, South West, at a donation at the Bethel Methodist Basic School in Takoradi said the aim of the initiative was to help students to convert whatever they have learnt from the text books into the practical form.

Mr. Mohammed said the Science sets would therefore enhance education in the selected institutions as well as the knowledge base of students that would pass through the schools.

The Science-sets contained basic science equipment that transforms theory into practical forms.

According to Mr. Mohammed, MTN was passionate about equipping the current generation with requisite skills and ICT information to make science teaching more practicable.

He said currently, fourteen (14) schools have been chosen to benefit from 2000 Science sets and prayed for the second phase building on the success story of the schools selected.

Mr. Caleb Fugah, Marketing Head of Dext Technology, suppliers of the equipment said a pupil of the Berekum Basic School, has been able to invent light to help him study in the night.

He said there was another story in Wa, where a child used the science set to create a traffic light.

The Bethel Methodist School was the only school that was adopted by MTN in the Western Region to be given the science set.

The science set is also called mobile lab and can be used for twenty-six (26) experiments, including alarm system, traffic light, and electromagnet energy among others.

He said the vision of Dext Technology is to make all Ghanaian schools have the Science sets to make Science teaching very practicable.

The Headmistress of Bethel Methodist School, Ms. Gifty Acheampong who received the set, was grateful to MTN for haven chosen the school and prayed that the items would be judiciously used to improve upon science education.

Source: GNA

Vodafone has taken its customer commitment a notch higher by streamlining its mobile offerings to ensure easy choice and convenience for customers.

The telecommunications company says it arrived at this decision following issues it identified were affecting customers, such as indecision when choosing a preferred bundle from the numerous options in its product portfolio.

Using customer insights, the telecommunications giant has today introduced eight unique value-packed bundles, which will replace its tall list of integrated bundles.

These will empower customers, to choose an ideal monthly, weekly or daily plan based on their usage.

The new eight bundles, namely Red 1, Red 2, Red 5, Red 10, Red 20, Red 25, Red 50 and Red 100, offer minutes for calls to Vodafone numbers, calls to other networks, and international destinations in specially designed packages. They also offer SMS and data to enable customers connect to the things that matter to them.

Commenting, Pushpinder Singh Gujral, Consumer Business Unit Director at Vodafone Ghana said, ‘This is a game changer for us in the way customers access our product offerings. Our commitment is to ensure the customer is truly satisfied and empowered to make informed choices without complexities. From today, we are giving Ghanaians every reason to find in us, the right partner to keep them confidently connected”

Customers can subscribe to any of these unique bundles by dialing *7070# or *151*3# to subscribe.

The new bundles are also available on the MyVodafoneApp. Customers can download this free Vodafone app from the Play Store or App Store.

Source: Ghanaweb

Mobile industry body GSMA has urged European policy makers and operators to work together to safeguard the security of network infrastructure without jeopardising 5G supply chains, as concern grows over the future of vendors in major global markets.

In a statement, the association declared it is time for regulators to take “a fact-based and risk-based approach” to network security, or risk jeopardising the success of 5G rollout in Europe.

The statement comes as European authorities weigh action to block Chinese vendor Huawei from their telecommunications infrastructure amid security concerns. Huawei has strenuously denied it poses a threat.

By 2025, mobile operators are expected to invest between €300 billion and €500 billion on the roll out of 5G across Europe.

GSMA warned actions which disrupt the network equipment supply “will increase costs to European operators, businesses and citizens; delay 5G deployment by years across Europe; and potentially also jeopardise the functioning of existing 4G networks upon which 5G is intended to be built.”

Last month it was reported that Deutsche Telekom believes Europe’s 5G rollout could be delayed by at least two years if governments on the continent implement a ban on Huawei.

Along with Germany, France and Norway have also said they are considering a ban on Huawei. In the UK, Vodafone Group said in January it was pausing installation of new Huawei core network equipment across its European operations. BT previously said it would remove kit made by the vendor in mobile operator EE’s core network within two years.

No evidence of wrongdoing
While the GSMA noted extensive government and operator testing has “not discovered any evidence of wrongdoing” to date, it stated operators “stand ready to work with policy makers now to agree on further proportionate and risk-based methods, not least a common, consistent and agreed security assurance, testing and certification regime for Europe.”

The GSMA said it will build on its existing security work and is assembling a task force of European operators to identify ways to enhance and extend current schemes. It also recommends that governments and mobile operators work together to agree what this assurance testing and certification regime for Europe will be, “so that it ensures confidence in network security while maintaining competition in the supply of network equipment.”

Source: mobileworldlive.com

Uganda’s government approved proposals to sell national bonds through the country’s mobile money platforms, a policy politicians believe will increase financial inclusion and widen the country’s range of investors.

In an explanation of the scheme on social media, a Ugandan cabinet representative said it would “enhance distribution capacity” of government securities to individual investors, especially those in rural areas.

It also reduces the concentration of bonds held by international institutional investors. The value of investments set to be offered was not disclosed, nor was notification of which of the country’s mobile money platforms would participate.

The announcement follows a fractious period between the country’s authorities and mobile money providers sparked by the introduction of a controversial tax on transactions at the start of July 2018.

In the first fortnight after the taxes were imposed, the value of funds processed on platforms reportedly sank by UGX672 billion ($182 million).

Uganda’s move to sell bonds is similar to an initiative in neighbouring Kenya, where the government offered a batch of investments through Safaricom’s m-Pesa and Airtel Money platforms in 2017.

Source: mobileworldlive.com

An Ivory Coast consumer association denounced escalating taxes on mobile money transactions in the country and demanded the complete removal of the levies, Le Monde Afrique reported.

In a statement to the newspaper, Jean-Baptiste Koffi, president of the Confederation des Consommateurs de Cote d’Ivoire, said a 7.2 per cent increase in tax rates on mobile money payments and cash transfers damaged the country’s financial inclusion effort.

The federation, which represents ten different consumer groups in the country, stated that less than a fifth of consumers in Ivory Coast have access to bank accounts.

It noted the traditionally low cost of transactions using mobile money services had led to a “dynamic” industry, but the increase in government levies made it “more expensive for consumers to use an accessible service that has started to enter our habits.”

Le Monde Afrique estimates XOF15 billion ($25.8 million) is transacted through mobile money in Ivory Coast on a daily basis.

Source: mobileworldlive.com