Industry News

The product, called AI in RAN, is a subscription service that embeds artificial intelligence (AI) models directly into Radio Access Network (RAN) basebands and radios already in the field. One of three dominant global RAN suppliers alongside Nokia and Huawei, Ericsson says the approach allows operators to extract more from existing networks rather than buying new equipment.

Trial networks recorded 20 percent higher downlink throughput and 10 percent gains in spectral efficiency. Coverage prediction accuracy reached 95 percent, and user positioning became five times more precise.

Mårten Lerner, Ericsson’s head of networks strategy and product management, said the company is “redefining what’s possible in mobile networks” by bringing AI capabilities directly to service providers.

Major operators including SoftBank, Bell, SK Telecom, and Rogers have backed the product. They say it can sharpen network management in real time and support services that depend on AI.

The system also reduces energy use through optimised processing, letting operators cut running costs without compromising service quality.

Feature rollout begins in the second quarter of 2026, with updates planned for later in the year. These include scheduling systems built on AI, intelligent beamforming, precision location tracking, and expanded network monitoring tools.

AI in RAN runs on Ericsson’s 5G Advanced and Cloud RAN platforms, supporting deployment across dedicated environments and cloud infrastructure. Ericsson began embedding AI into network equipment during the 4G era and has built on that foundation with each generation since.

Source : www.newsghana.com.gh

MTN Ghana is partnering Sika P3 Adwuma Company Limited to repair 500 broken beds at the Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital in Sekondi. This forms part of this year’s 21-day Y’ello Care initiative, targeting challenges in the country’s healthcare sector.

The initiative, undertaken by MTN employees as part of its volunteerism drive, is under the theme, “Expanding equitable health for every community: strengthening access to quality, preventative and responsive healthcare services for underserved and remote populations.”

Since its inception 19 years ago, the Y’ello care campaign has mobilized thousands of MTN employees to support initiatives from education and healthcare to youth development and economic empowerment.

Speaking at the 2026 opening ceremony of the 21 days of Y’ello Care in Sekondi, the Regional Senior Manager for South-West Business District, Prince Owusu Nyarko said the no bed syndrome in Ghana’s hospitals remains a major barrier to quality healthcare, hence MTN’s intervention.

He added, as part of this year’s campaign, MTN Ghana has partnered Sika P3 Adwuma Company Limited to repair 500 broken beds at Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital within 21 days. He stated this intervention is their contribution to ensuring that patients have access to decent beds and dignified care.

Mr Owusu-Nyarko said as a company that cares about sustainability and the importance of environmental protection, fixing broken hospital beds is their way of emphasizing the need to reduce, reuse and recycle to avoid wastage and pollution while saving money.

The Administrator, Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital, Michael Danso commended MTN Ghana for the support. He said beds are crucial for delivering equitable, quality healthcare to all patients, adding that, it will as well improve service delivery and reduce the burden on their wards.
For his part, the Operations Director, Sika P3 Adwuma Company Limited, Matthew Bentho assured the team will work within schedule to restore dignity to patients.

SOURCE : www.gbcghanaonline.com

People’s Pension Trust (PPT), in partnership with MTN Mobile Money Fintech Limited, has launched FlexiPension, a digital retail personal pension product aimed at bringing millions of informal sector workers into Ghana’s pension ecosystem.

The product, unveiled as part of PPT’s 10th anniversary celebrations, is designed to provide flexible and accessible retirement savings opportunities for workers who have traditionally been excluded from formal pension arrangements.

Speaking at the launch, Chief Executive Officer of People’s Pension Trust, Issaka Ibrahim, said the initiative was born out of a conviction that every Ghanaian worker deserves access to retirement security, regardless of income level or employment status.

“Ten years ago, we started People’s Pension Trust with a question that many were not interested in asking. Not how do we build a pension company, but rather how do we build a pension company that works for the market woman in Makola, the carpenter in Suame, the farmer in Tamale, and the driver on the Accra-Tema Motorway?” he said.

According to Mr. Ibrahim, many believed the informal sector was too fragmented and unpredictable to support a viable pension system.

https://d5e77f28b19759a22265d41b78edf729.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-45/html/container.html “We were told the informal sector was too fragmented, too unpredictable and too challenging to serve. We were told that people without regular incomes could not meaningfully participate in pensions. Every time we heard those arguments, we returned to the same conviction: that is precisely why it must be done,” he stated.

He described FlexiPension as a practical solution to one of Ghana’s most pressing social and economic challenges.

“Today, we gather not simply to launch a new product. We gather to take another significant step toward solving one of Ghana’s greatest social and economic challenges, ensuring that every working Ghanaian, regardless of occupation or income level, has a realistic pathway to retirement security,” he said.

Under the product’s structure, contributions are automatically deducted from subscribers’ MTN Mobile Money wallets and split equally between a savings account and an investment account. While the savings portion can be accessed after six months, the investment component is preserved to build long-term retirement wealth.

Mr. Ibrahim said the innovation is intended to meet workers where they are and align with the realities of their livelihoods.

“Starting today, that changes. Because retirement planning has become more accessible, more flexible and more relevant to the realities of everyday Ghanaian workers. And that is why this launch matters, not because of the technology, not because of the innovation, but because the future of pensions is inclusive,” he added.

The Chief Executive Officer of the National Pensions Regulatory Authority (NPRA) described the launch as a significant milestone in efforts to expand pension coverage and strengthen financial security among informal sector workers.

He noted that while Ghana’s pension assets under management have surpassed GH¢100 billion, pension participation among informal sector workers remains relatively low.

“Right now, 80 percent of our workforce, 14.2 million individuals, toil in the informal sector. Yet out of our pension assets under management, only 1.2 million informal sector workers are enrolled. That is barely 16 percent. This is not a minor gap; it is a structural failure we are duty-bound to correct,” he said.

The NPRA Chief Executive commended People’s Pension Trust for developing a product tailored to the financial realities of informal workers.

“PPT did not wait for the problem to solve itself. They built FlexiPension around the lived financial realities of our people — their irregular incomes and mobile-first lives. FlexiPension demands nothing an informal worker cannot give. No minimums, no maximums. You save daily, weekly or whenever you can, and your mobile money wallet handles the rest,” he noted.

The regulator disclosed that the Authority granted its formal “No Objection” approval for the product in June 2025 after a rigorous assessment process.

“We did so because this is more than a commercial venture; it is a project of national importance. PPT has proven that doing good and doing well are not in conflict,” he emphasized.

He also praised MTN Ghana and MTN Mobile Money Fintech Limited for leveraging their extensive digital infrastructure to support financial inclusion.

“By bridging this platform with FlexiPension, MTN has placed retirement security directly into the palms of millions,” he said.

Industry experts believe the initiative could significantly boost pension penetration in Ghana, particularly among market traders, artisans, transport operators, farmers, gig workers and self-employed professionals who form the backbone of the country’s informal economy.

As Ghana continues its drive toward greater financial inclusion, stakeholders view FlexiPension as a potentially transformative innovation capable of expanding retirement security and helping millions of workers build long-term financial resilience.

Source : www.myjoyonline.com

MTN Group Fintech has entered into a strategic partnership with Ant International, a leading global digital payment, digitisation and financial technology provider, to accelerate the transformation of its mobile money ecosystem.

The partnership, which is expected to launch in Nigeria next quarter, will introduce a super-app platform designed to enhance user experience, deepen digital inclusion and enable a next-generation ecosystem for digital finance, lifestyle and commerce services around MoMo.

By leveraging Ant International’s advanced technology, MTN is evolving MoMo to enable stronger ecosystem integration through a mini app platform, enhanced fraud prevention and richer engagement features for consumers and merchants. The partnership represents a major step in building a more resilient and future-ready digital ecosystem.

“This partnership aligns with MTN Group’s ambition of leading digital solutions for Africa’s progress by leveraging scale, technology and strong global partnerships,” said MTN Group President and CEO Ralph Mupita. “It reflects our commitment to transforming the customer experience at scale by delivering a more seamless, secure and intuitive MoMo platform that advances digital inclusion and expands economic participation.”

Douglas Feagin, President of Ant International, added: “We are proud to support MTN Group Fintech in advancing its transformation journey. By combining MTN’s deep market insight with our advanced technology capabilities, we aim to help create a more inclusive, secure and scalable digital financial services environment that benefits both consumers and merchants in-country.“

MTN Group Fintech CEO Serigne Dioum said: “This partnership marks an important milestone in our ambition to help shape Africa’s digital financial future through our One Big Tech strategy.”

The transformation is expected to significantly enhance the MoMo experience in Nigeria by enabling faster transactions, improved reliability and greater integration across financial and commerce services. Customers will benefit from a more intuitive and responsive application that supports payments, savings and value-added services within a unified digital environment.

Beyond improving everyday financial interactions, the initiative reinforces MTN Group Fintech’s commitment to advancing digital inclusion and economic empowerment in Sub-Saharan Africa, identified by the GSMA as the world’s most active mobile money region.

This transformation strengthens MTN Group Fintech’s position to help shape the future of digital finance by delivering accessible, intelligent and trusted financial services that support inclusive growth across the continent.

Source :  www. sg.finance.yahoo.com

The Ghana Chamber of Telecommunications, in partnership with the Ghana Education Service (GES), has introduced the Signal To Coding Initiative, a rebranded digital skills programme aimed at equipping young learners with future-ready technology and STEM skills.

The initiative, which evolved from the Chamber’s annual Coding Caravan programme, was introduced through an interactive robotics learning workshop for about 100 upper primary and junior high school pupils of Rosharon Montessori School in Tema Community 12.

The workshop, powered by the Ghana Chamber of Telecommunications and Helios Towers Ghana and facilitated by the Mingo Foundation, gave pupils hands-on experience in designing, building, and programming robots while developing critical thinking, creativity, teamwork, and problem-solving skills.

Led by Mr Enoch Abban, a facilitator from the Mingo Foundation, the session focused on practical engagement, allowing students to actively design, build, and activate their own robots rather than learning only through theory.

Ms Sylvia Owusu-Ankomah, Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Chamber of Telecommunications, said the initiative formed part of activities marking the Chamber’s 15th anniversary and reflected its commitment to bridging Ghana’s digital skills gap.

“We believe the first point of engagement is children, helping them understand from signal to coding how telecommunications works and how they can leverage technology to build their coding and robotics capabilities,” she said.

Ms Owusu-Ankomah noted that the Chamber had, over the past five years, used the Coding Caravan programme to introduce thousands of students in underserved and hard-to-reach communities to foundational digital skills, including coding, animation, Internet of Things (IoT), and 3D design.

She said the Signal To Coding Initiative would build on that foundation by expanding opportunities for young people to explore emerging technologies and prepare for future careers in science and technology.

Mrs Dinah Nortey, Executive Director of the Mingo Foundation, said robotics education enabled students to move beyond theory by giving them practical exposure to technology.

“Once they see the robot moving, they are able to build it themselves, programme it, and see it actually do what they intended,” she said.

Mr Kweku Frempong, Chief Executive Officer of Helios Towers Ghana, urged the students to take Information and Communication Technology (ICT) education seriously, noting that technology and artificial intelligence were transforming virtually every sector of the economy.

“There is no future without digitisation,” he said.

Ms Bernice Ofori, Tema Metropolitan Director of Education, said the Ghana Education Service was prioritising STEM education and the establishment of more STEM schools to prepare young people for the demands of a technology-driven world.

She noted that exposing pupils to coding and robotics at an early age would help build a generation capable of driving innovation and national development.

Mr Justice Ackah, Head of Rosharon Montessori School, welcomed the initiative and encouraged the pupils to take advantage of the opportunity.

He said robotics education was not only about learning technology but also about developing the skills needed to shape the future.

Uganda’s accelerating digital transformation, top-tier tech students from Uganda Martyrs University and Mountains of the Moon University delivered a commanding performance at the global finals of the 2025-2026 Huawei ICT Competition held at Huawei’s headquarters in Shenzhen, China from 1st -5th June 2026.

Operating under the global theme “Connection, Glory, Future,” the prestigious event placed Uganda’s brightest minds against the absolute best young tech talent in the world, solidifying the nation’s standing as an emerging powerhouse in the sub-Saharan technology sector.

This year’s Huawei ICT Competition marked the 10th edition of the annual competitions and the largest of its kind since its inception, drawing an unprecedented 220,000 students and educators from more than 2,000 universities across 100 countries.

Following a series of preliminary, national and regional elimination rounds out of the 1600 applicants from various institutions of higher learning across the country, Uganda successfully secured two spots among the 131 elite teams that advanced to the global finals in China.

Representing the Pearl of Africa, Uganda Martyrs University, Nkozi and Mountains of the Moon University, Fort Portal students competed directly in the highly specialized Computing Track and Innovation Track securing the third prize and second prize respectively. The finalists faced an intensive 8-hour live laboratory examination that pushed their capabilities to the limit across Huawei’s cutting-edge technologies.

Beyond standard technical proficiency, the Ugandan contingent drew immense praise for focusing their technological projects on localized, high-impact socio-economic solutions. Leveraging AI modeling and big data analytics via Huawei Cloud frameworks, the teams presented architectures designed to solve critical domestic issues. The Computing team focused on areas of Advanced Cloud Infrastructure configuration, Open-source operating systems like openEuler and Next-generation computing architectures securing the third prize in the competition.

The AgriChain Team from the Innovation track presented an AI agricultural solution. In a major bid to modernize Uganda’s agricultural sector and advance the nation’s Vision 2040 $500 billion GDP target, a groundbreaking technological ecosystem has been unveiled to eliminate systemic market inefficiencies and empower the 68% of the workforce engaged in farming.

While Uganda boasts 80% arable land, local farmers have long been locked out of their own markets due to a lack of price visibility and verifiable output, forcing them to sell to middle-men for a fraction of market value, endure up to 45% post-harvest losses, and borrow at predatory interest rates.
To resolve this, a new integrated platform deploys three advanced modules powered by Huawei technologies via the Transparent Agri-Marketplace to establish transparent bidding and smart-contract-driven trade records, AI Predictive Field Analyst to detect crop disease with over 97% accuracy and forecast yields with 95% confidence offline and the Future Harvest Contracts feature which tokenizes these verified forecasts into tradable smart contracts that serve as bankable collateral, unlocking formal credit. By transforming an informal, vulnerable sector into a formalized, data-driven enterprise, this initiative provides Ugandan farmers with the structural economic resilience, financial inclusion, and price visibility required to thrive.

Uganda’s impressive showing at the global level highlights the compounding success of the local Huawei ICT Academy initiative. Through strategic partnerships with local universities, the academy continues to bridge the gap between academic theory and practical industry requirements.

Huawei Uganda remains deeply committed to nurturing this local talent with the continued support from the Government of Uganda. Special appreciation to the Government of Uganda, Ministry of ICT and National Guidance, Ministry of Education and Sports and the Embassy of The People’s Republic of China in Uganda and academia partners for cultivating digital talent, and providing the foundational infrastructure required to drive Uganda’s National Development Plan forward into a digitally inclusive future.

About the Huawei ICT Competition:
The Huawei ICT Competition is a competitive ICT talent exchange event developed by Huawei for college and university students globally. It aims to promote the healthy development of the ICT talent ecosystem and support the integration of industry and education.
Since its launch in 2015, the competition has been gaining significant momentum, with more countries and students joining each year. Globally, it has been recognized as a key partner flagship program by UNESCO’s Global Skills Academy.

Interested participants of the next edition of the Huawei ICT Competition, upon its launch in August this year can register through the 23 Ugandan partner universities under the respective Huawei ICT Academies or directly via the Huawei Talent

Source : www. watchdoguganda.com

As Ericsson celebrates its 150th anniversary, the Swedish telecom giant remains one of the world’s leading suppliers of 5G network equipment, second only to Huawei globally. Founded in Stockholm in 1876 by Lars Magnus Ericsson, the company has become a cornerstone of Sweden’s technology sector.

Betting on AI and the Future of Connectivity

Ericsson believes the next wave of growth will come from AI-powered connected devices, including smart glasses, robots, industrial machines, and autonomous systems. According to CTO Erik Ekudden, 5G networks could serve as an “intelligent fabric” linking AI agents and enabling highly automated, personalized network services.

The company argues that these capabilities can be achieved with advanced 5G technologies, without waiting for 6G deployment.

5G Success Hasn’t Delivered Expected Returns

Although 5G adoption has grown rapidly, reaching about 3 billion connections worldwide, telecom operators have struggled to generate significant new revenues from the technology. Consumers largely pay similar rates for 5G as they did for 4G, while operators have faced substantial infrastructure costs.

Many anticipated applications—such as self-driving vehicles and remote robotic surgery—have yet to achieve widespread commercial adoption, delaying the business benefits Ericsson and its customers expected.

Market Slowdown Hits Ericsson

The slowdown in telecom spending has affected Ericsson’s financial performance. Annual revenue declined from SEK 271.5 billion ($28.6 billion) in 2022 to SEK 236.7 billion ($25 billion) in 2025 as operators reduced network investments.

To protect profitability, Ericsson cut its workforce from over 105,000 employees in 2022 to fewer than 89,000 by 2025. However, it maintained strong investment in research and development, increasing R&D spending to nearly SEK 49 billion annually to remain competitive in future network technologies.

Huawei Remains a Formidable Rival

Despite U.S. sanctions and restrictions in several Western markets, Huawei continues to be Ericsson’s biggest competitor. Ericsson executives acknowledge Huawei’s strong product portfolio, competitive pricing, and dominance in China’s vast domestic market.

While some countries have banned Huawei from critical telecom infrastructure, others continue to allow its participation, ensuring intense competition in the global telecom equipment market.

Looking Ahead

Ericsson enters its 150th year in a stronger technological position than a decade ago, having refocused on its core networking business and invested heavily in 5G innovation. However, its future depends on whether telecom operators can successfully monetize advanced 5G services and whether AI-driven applications create the demand for next-generation connectivity that Ericsson envisions.

The company sees AI, automation, and future 6G developments as key opportunities, but the challenge remains turning technological advances into sustainable revenue growth for both Ericsson and the telecom industry.

Source : www.lightreading.com

Komla Buami, Director, External Affairs at Telecel Ghana, described the fibre destruction and infrastructure theft as major threats to reliable connectivity throughout the country. 

Telecel Ghana has called for increased public support in tackling the growing problem of fibre cuts and theft of telecommunications infrastructure. According to the company, the trend continues to disrupt services and impose significant costs on the telecommunications industry.  Komla Buami, Director, External Affairs at Telecel Ghana, described the fibre destruction and infrastructure theft as major threats to reliable connectivity throughout the country.

Speaking at a media roundtable discussion in Kumasi, he said while road construction activities remained a leading cause of fibre cuts, deliberate acts of vandalism and theft were increasingly contributing to service disruptions. He noted that theft of fibre chamber covers has also emerged as a significant concern, creating operational difficulties and exposing critical infrastructure to damage.

According to Mr. Buami, industry wide losses attributed to fibre cuts have exceeded billions of dollars over the past four years, adding that averagely the company experiences between three and nine fibre cuts daily.

Source : www. trendsnafrica.com

The National Communication Authority (NCA) recently hosted a high-level delegation led by the Special Envoy of Hakainde Hichilema. The delegation, which also included representatives from Zambia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, was received by Hon. Rizig Dominic Samuel during an official courtesy visit.

The engagement focused on strengthening bilateral relations between the two countries, with particular emphasis on advancing collaboration in the telecommunications sector across Africa. Discussions also highlighted preparations for the upcoming African Telecommunications Union elections, alongside Zambia’s broader strategic vision for improving continental digital connectivity.

According to the NCA, the meeting forms part of ongoing efforts to deepen regional partnerships that support digital transformation initiatives. Key priorities include enhancing cross-border telecommunications infrastructure and developing harmonized regulatory frameworks to improve efficiency and coordination across African markets.

The Authority reaffirmed its commitment to fostering cooperation that drives innovation, strengthens connectivity, and supports the growth of a resilient and integrated African digital ecosystem.

Source : www. techafricanews.com

The Minister of Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George, has called on African lawmakers to take urgent steps to protect children and preserve African  family values against what he described as growing harmful foreign influences being spread through digital platforms and artificial intelligence (AI).
He said the rapid expansion of digital technologies and social media platforms was exposing African children to content and ideologies that often contradicted the continent’s cultural values, family systems and traditional norms.

Addressing participants at the 4th African Inter-Parliamentary Conference on  Family, Sovereignty and Values in Accra last Thursday, Mr George cautioned that Africa was facing an

“unprecedented digital assault” on its family structures, cultural identity and future generations.

Anti-African AI

Mr George, who is the Member of Parliament (MP) for  Ningo-Prampram, revealed that the average African youth spent about seven hours daily on screens, while a significant number of children were exposed to pornography, cyberbullying and harmful online content at increasingly younger ages.

He added that many digital platforms used sophisticated algorithms deliberately designed to shape the behaviour, attitudes and beliefs of young people without parental oversight.

“The algorithms are not trained on African values

There’s a deliberate value injection.

Today, they have gender deconstruction, hyper individualism and anti-family narratives online for our kids.

This is intentional to dilute the Africanness of our homes and the next generation of Africans.

Beauty and social validation, the AI trains African girls to reject natural appearances,” he said. 

Mr George expressed concern that most online content consumed by African children originated from foreign platforms and promoted values that undermined respect for parents, elders and communal living, which have traditionally been central to African societies.

He said AI-powered systems were increasingly becoming the primary source of socialisation for children and young people, replacing family interactions, community engagement and traditional forms of guidance

The minister also criticised what he described as biases in AI systems, arguing that African cultures, languages and identities were often excluded from the data used to train many global AI models.

He said such systems frequently normalised foreign perspectives while failing to adequately reflect African realities and values.

African data

On data governance, Mr George urged African countries to strengthen data sovereignty by ensuring that citizens’ personal information remained on the continent.

He disclosed that the country had adopted measures requiring national data to be hosted locally, stressing that African countries should resist agreements that compromised control over their citizens’ data.

“The estimated value of African data that has been mined externally is $40 billion a year.

That’s the value of our data that’s been generated every year. How much of that comes to Africa as royalties from big tech? Zero per cent. African data must remain African,” he stated.

Way forward

Mr George further called on African parliaments to reclaim their legislative authority from global technology companies by enacting stronger laws to regulate digital platforms and safeguard children.

Among the measures he proposed were the passage of Digital Family Protection Acts, stricter age verification systems for access to adult content, enhanced online child safety regulations and greater accountability for technology  platforms

He also urged African countries to ratify the Malabo Convention and collaborate through the African Union (AU) to establish common standards on digital governance, artificial intelligence and data protection.

Mr George said Africa’s growing population and digital market gave the continent significant leverage to influence global technology policies if countries acted collectively.

Source: www.graphic.com.gh