Industry News

As part of its growth strategy, Mindware, an IT solutions distributor in the Middle East and Africa, opened a new office in Kenya, which will also act as its East African headquarters.

According to the company, this milestone reflects Mindware’s commitment to expanding its footprint in the Middle East and Africa and providing IT solutions to its increasing network of partners and clients.

Spiros Rafailovits has been named as East Africa’s territory manager, heading a team of locally based professionals to drive business growth and strengthen channel partnerships.

Mindware’s regional vice president for the Gulf and East Africa, Nicholas Argyrides, will supervise operations.

The new office, located in Nairobi’s Westlands Business District, provides strategic closeness to vendors, partners, and key stakeholders, according to the company.

Mindware stated that its presence in Kenya will result in faster response times, improved local support, and increased involvement with the East African partner ecosystem.

Argyrides said: “Mindware’s expansion into Kenya is a strategic move driven by the country’s rapid economic growth and its position as a leading technology hub in Africa. With a thriving digital economy and increasing demand for IT infrastructure, cloud solutions, cybersecurity, and AI, our aim is to provide localized support to our channel partners.

“Through concrete global vendor partnerships and by investing in technical training, financial support, and market awareness initiatives, we are committed to accelerating digital transformation in Kenya and beyond. Our mid-term vision is to establish Kenya as our East African hub while expanding into Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, and Ethiopia.”

In the coming weeks, Mindware said it will be hosting an official inauguration event, bringing together key stakeholders, industry leaders, technology vendors, and regional partners.

“We are thrilled to establish our first office in Kenya, a key step in our East African expansion. Kenya’s dynamic tech landscape and strong economy make it the perfect hub for Mindware to grow and strengthen partnerships. We are committed to empowering businesses across Kenya and the region with cutting-edge technology,” said Rafailovits.

Source: Extensia

Globacom accelerates its nationwide network expansion, deploying new sites and upgrades to enhance connectivity and meet Nigeria’s increasing demand for reliable telecom services.

Globacom has intensified its nationwide network expansion to enhance connectivity and improve customer experience across Nigeria, Punch Newspaper has reported.

According to the report, the telecommunications company is committed to strengthening its infrastructure to meet the growing demand for reliable services.

The report stated that the ongoing upgrade, which commenced last year, involves the deployment of new sites and the enhancement of existing ones.

Source: Extensia

On Monday, February 24, Senegal officially launched its digital strategy, titled “New Deal Technologique.” Valued at 1,105 billion FCFA (about $1.7 billion), this plan aims to establish the country as a regional and international digital hub by 2034, thus strengthening its position on the African technology scene.

A roadmap structured around four strategic axes

The strategy is based on four fundamental pillars, the first of which is digital sovereignty. The government seeks to reduce Senegal’s dependence on foreign technologies while promoting the development of local solutions. This also involves strengthening cybersecurity and building data centers, thus ensuring sustainable technological autonomy.

The digitalization of public services is the second crucial axis. The implementation of a digital administration is planned, with the aim of dematerializing 90% of public services by 2034. This initiative will facilitate citizens’ access to faster and more efficient services.

The third axis concerns the development of the digital economy. This initiative includes the acceleration of Internet connectivity, the promotion of entrepreneurship in the technology sector and the integration of artificial intelligence. The digitalization of key sectors such as agriculture, health and education will also be a priority.

Finally, the last axis aims to affirm Senegal’s African leadership in digital technology, by setting up mechanisms to attract foreign investment. The country wants to create national champions and position itself as a major technological center on the African continent.

An action plan structured around 12 priority programs

The implementation of this strategy is based on a Digital Master Plan that includes 12 programs and 50 priority projects. Among the flagship initiatives are the strengthening of the regulatory framework and digital governance, establishing a climate of trust and protecting the country’s critical infrastructure. The deployment of a digital public infrastructure through the implementation of solutions such as electronic identity (e-ID), digital signature (e-Sign) and the interoperability of services is also a priority. The plan also includes the promotion and financing of digital initiatives, particularly for start-ups, the digitalization of the informal sector, the creation of smart cities, etc.

Measurable goals for tangible transformation

By 2034, the strategy sets specific objectives, such as a 95% connectivity rate at low cost. It is also planned to create more than 500 certified technology start-ups and generate 150,000 direct jobs. At the same time, Senegal aims to position itself among the top three African countries in terms of exporting digital services, while it currently ranks 12th. An almost total dematerialization of administrative services and a rate of use of digital services of 80% among the population are also on the agenda. In addition, the training of 100,000 graduates in the digital field, with 90% of certified experts, as well as the hosting of 100% of sensitive data in Senegal, are key objectives of this strategy.

Mixed financing to achieve these ambitions

Of the total budget of 1105 billion FCFA, 950 billion FCFA have already been identified, of which 150 billion come from private financing. The remaining 800 billion FCFA are provided for in the Vision 2050 Transformation Agenda. Thus, 155 billion FCFA remain to be financed to realize all the ambitions of the “New Technology Deal” strategy.

With this roadmap, Senegal aspires to become a reference in digital innovation in Africa, while attracting investors and technological talents from the continent and elsewhere.

Source: Extensia

Cohere Technologies put its universal spectrum multiplier (USM) software to the test on Bell Canada’s brownfield network, a move the vendor claims takes it a step closer to commercial deployment.

The operator is the first to successfully test single user and multiple user MIMO coordinated scheduling functions using open interfaces in the 850Mhz band.

Cohere Technologies asserts USM has the potential to improve 5G capacity by up to 50 per cent by enhancing the spectral efficiency of RAN networks.

The outdoor trial in December and January was conducted using mobile devices connected to Bell’s 850MHz spectrum band (FDD) using its standalone 5G network.

Cohere Technology stated its USM software conducted coordinated scheduling with a third-party base station to pair single user devices to enable MU-MIMO capacity improvement of existing resources where possible.

A representative for Cohere Technology told Mobile World Live (MWL) the test proved that USM works with a large OEM for coordinated scheduling across an existing brownfield scenario.

Last year the vendor tested USM across a greenfield network with Vodafone Group in Spain.

“In the coming months, we will work together to validate scalability in a live commercial network as the final step before commercialisation,” Cohere Technologies CEO Ray Dolan stated.

In October 2024, Dolan told MWL the USM software would be in place with one of the world’s largest RAN players by year-end.

Source: Mobile World Live

Verizon and AT&T successfully demonstrated direct-to-device (D2D) video calls using AST SpaceMobile’s five low Earth orbit BlueBird satellites.

Video calls to common smartphones are the next step after the companies received special temporary authority (STA) from the Federal Communications Commission last month to test the satellite broadband network in the US.

AST SpaceMobile is using Verizon and AT&T’s 850MHz spectrum, which is compatible with standard smartphones, for a non-continuous direct-to-device service in the US.

Collectively, the five birds will provide around an hour combined of connectivity during two passes each day.

AT&T previously made a video call with the satellite player in 2023 in a test that also included Rakuten Group.

AST SpaceMobile and Vodafone Group claimed they conducted the world’s first video call using a smartphone and satellites in an area with no mobile coverage last month.

Vodafone Group, Verizon and AT&T are investors in AST SpaceMobile.

The operators and AST SpaceMobile are in a race with SpaceX and T-Mobile US and Apple to provide D2D services such as text messaging, voice calls and video applications across the US.  

Source: Mobile World Live

Indonesia and Apple reportedly reached an agreement to lift the country’s ban on iPhone 16 sales, potentially ending a five-month standoff as the tech giant commited to a $1 billion local investment.

The deal follows a dispute which began at the end of 2024 after Indonesia refused to grant a permit for the sale of Apple’s latest iPhone model, citing the company’s failure to comply with domestic production rules.

Indonesia’s Ministry of Industry, which is responsible for the ban, is expected to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with Apple this week, with a press briefing set to follow, sources told Bloomberg.

In October 2024, Apple’s initial pledge to invest $1 billion in a local manufacturing plant was met with government pushback as ministers claimed the iPhone maker’s plans to produce AirTag tracking devices would not meet regulations for domestically produced iPhone parts.

However, as part of the latest terms, Apple will not only uphold its promised $1 billion investment to meet manufacturing regulations but also committed to training local talent in software and product design. The move comes after longstanding pressure from the Indonesian government for the company to expand its local R&D initiatives.

AirTegs on the agenda
Through its investment offer, the company still intends to establish an AirTag manufacturing plant on Batam island, accounting for 20 per cent of global AirTag production. Another plant in Bandung will apparently produce other accessories to expand Apple’s presence in the region.

However, the company reportedly has no plans to manufacture iPhones in the country.

The latest development comes after Apple settled a $10 million debt to Indonesia’s government for non-compliance with local rules between 2020 and 2023.

According to Bloomberg, settling the row grants Apple access to Indonesia’s growing tech-savvy population of 278 million after it reported declining sales in China.

Source: Mobile World Live

The Italian government reportedly lined up a deal with Elon Musk for his SpaceX entity to provide a range of communications services for employees and the country’s military, with discussion ongoing over a five-year contract worth €1.5 billion.

Bloomberg reported talks are at an advanced stage, and the project had been signed off by Italy’s intelligence services and defense ministry.

Details about what could be provided by SpaceX are sparse, but the company would likely be tasked with providing a high-level of encryption for phone and internet services used by government employees, sources claimed.

The contract would also extend to communications services for the country’s military and the deployment of direct-to-device (D2D) satellite offerings in emergency situations, such as during terrorist attacks and natural disasters.

Bloomberg stated a deal such as this has been in the works since 2023; however, the plan faced some opposition from politicians due to concerns about how it may impact local operators.

Sources added the prospects of an agreement being reached progressed rapidly after Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni met with Donald Trump on January 4, with Musk notably a strong ally of the US President-elect.

News of the potential deal comes shortly after SpaceX struck a deal with Kyivstar in Ukraine to provide D2D services in the country, potentially beginning in the fourth quarter.

Source: Mobile World Live