Industry News

Helios Towers has completed 133 telecommunications sites under the Universal Communications Service Access Fund (UCSAF) programme, marking a significant milestone in efforts to expand connectivity to rural and underserved communities across Tanzania.

The milestone was commemorated at an event in Dodoma, attended by President Samia Suluhu Hassan and the Minister for Information, Communication and Information Technology, Angela Kairuki.

The newly completed sites form part of a government-led initiative aimed at extending telecommunications infrastructure to areas where connectivity has historically been limited or commercially unviable, enabling more communities to access reliable mobile and data services.

During the event, Helios Towers’ Managing Director for Tanzania, David Dzigba, engaged with stakeholders on the critical role of telecom infrastructure in supporting the country’s digital economy and advancing national connectivity goals.

The company noted that nearly 45 percent of its sites in Tanzania are located in rural areas, reflecting a sustained focus on bridging the digital divide through collaboration with the government and other stakeholders.

Helios Towers said the expansion of infrastructure is expected to support broader access to essential services, including financial services, education, healthcare, and digital government platforms, as Tanzania continues to advance its digital transformation agenda.

Source : www.techreviewafrica.com

Telecommunications company Telecel Ghana has recognised Kathleen Nicole Brown as the best graduating female student in computer engineering at the University of Ghana for the 2024/2025 academic year.

The award was presented during the university’s Vice-Chancellor’s Academic Awards ceremony held at the Great Hall, where Ms Brown emerged as the recipient of the Telecel Ghana Prize after completing a demanding four-year programme in computer engineering.

The annual prize, sponsored by Telecel Ghana for more than a decade, forms part of efforts to promote female participation in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), particularly in fields where women remain underrepresented.

Speaking after receiving the award, Ms Brown expressed excitement about her achievement and reflected on the discipline required to excel academically. “I’m very excited because a lot of work went into this achievement over the last four years. I’m so grateful to God that it all paid off. What worked for me was having a good study plan, a good study group and performing well consistently in my academics,” she said. “I’m also grateful to Telecel for giving me the industry exposure and mentorship in the past year.”

Ms Brown was among beneficiaries of Telecel’s Female Engineering Students Scholarship Programme (FESSP) in 2024, an initiative designed to support final-year female engineering students through tuition assistance, mentorship and professional exposure. Another beneficiary of the programme, Marie-Pearl Yaa Nono Akoto, also received recognition at the ceremony as the best student in computer science.

Telecel Ghana said the FESSP initiative is aimed at addressing barriers that limit female participation in technical fields by providing financial support and connecting students to experienced female engineers for mentorship and career guidance.

The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ghana, Nana Aba Appiah Amfo, noted that the awards scheme has been expanded to celebrate excellence in both academic and co-curricular activities. “The ceremony is to recognise and applaud students who have distinguished themselves in both academic and co-curricular activities in the 2024/2025 academic year. We are delighted to present 189 prizes to 151 deserving recipients, with 82 of them being female,” she said.

Telecel Ghana’s Human Resource Director, Rachael Appenteng, described the award as part of the company’s long-term investment in developing female talent for Ghana’s digital economy. “We believe recognising academic excellence is one practical way of building the pipeline of female talent needed for Ghana’s digital future. This prize reflects our commitment to encouraging young women who are choosing underrepresented fields such as computer engineering to be more visible, equipped and supported to lead in technology, engineering and innovation,” she stated.

Beyond the recognition, Ms Brown expressed hope that her achievement would inspire more young women to pursue careers in engineering and other technical disciplines. “I hope this prize inspires more girls to believe in themselves and pursue engineering or any course they want. They just need to have the mindset that they can do it. With that mindset and determination to learn, you can pursue any programme. So don’t be scared, just start and do it,” she said.

Looking ahead, she indicated plans to deepen her expertise in emerging areas such as machine learning, embedded systems and hardware security, as she prepares for further studies and career development in the technology sector.

Source : www.graphic.com.gh

The Ghana Chamber of Telecommunications has officially launched its 15th Anniversary celebrations with a high-level industry engagement focused on spectrum auction design and pricing strategy, reaffirming the sector’s critical role in driving Ghana’s digital transformation agenda.

The anniversary launch, held yesterday at Labadi Beach Hotel, was held alongside a timely and impactful workshop organized in collaboration with GSMA on Spectrum Auction Design & Pricing Strategy. The event brought together key stakeholders from government, regulatory institutions, financial agencies, telecommunications operators, and the wider digital ecosystem to discuss the future of connectivity and digital infrastructure development in Ghana.

Speaking at the event, stakeholders reflected on the remarkable transformation of Ghana’s telecommunications industry over the past 15 years — from a predominantly voice-driven sector into a major pillar of the national digital economy. The industry now plays a central role in enabling connectivity, mobile money services, enterprise development, innovation, financial inclusion, and broader socio-economic growth.

The discussions highlighted the growing importance of forward-looking spectrum management policies, sustainable investment frameworks, resilient telecommunications infrastructure, and digital inclusion initiatives. Participants also underscored the need for stronger collaboration among government agencies, regulators, operators, and ecosystem partners to support the next phase of Ghana’s digital development.

The event was attended by the Minister for Communications, Digital Technology and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George, alongside leadership from the National Communications Authority, the Cyber Security Authority, the Bank of Ghana, the Ghana Revenue Authority, and Ghana Interbank Payment and Settlement Systems, as well as industry stakeholders and member organizations of the Chamber.

According to the Chamber, the anniversary celebrations will serve as a platform to reflect on the industry’s achievements, strengthen partnerships, and shape conversations that will influence the next decade of telecommunications and digital innovation in Ghana.

As the Chamber begins its anniversary journey, industry leaders say the conversations initiated at the launch event will help define the future of Ghana’s digital economy and national transformation agenda. The next chapter, they noted, has officially begun.

Source: Chamber News Desk

MTN Côte d’Ivoire has held a high-level working session with IHS Towers aimed at reinforcing collaboration and aligning strategic priorities between the two organizations.

The meeting, which was led by MTN Côte d’Ivoire’s CEO, Mitwa Kaemba Ng’ambi, alongside representatives from both companies.

Discussions focused on governance frameworks and opportunities to deepen cooperation, with both parties exploring ways to enhance operational performance and drive sustainable value creation.

The engagement forms part of ongoing efforts to strengthen partnerships within the telecommunications ecosystem, particularly in areas related to infrastructure development and service delivery.

Both organizations reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining a collaborative approach that supports long-term growth and improved connectivity outcomes.

Source : www .techreviewafrica.com

The Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communications has supported the Ministry of Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations with a laptop presentation to facilitate the national rollout of the One Million Coders Programme (OMCP).

The presentation ceremony, held on Friday, April 10, at the Ministry’s Conference Room, forms part of ongoing efforts to equip the programme with the necessary digital tools to ensure effective implementation across the country.

The One Million Coders Programme is a flagship national initiative aimed at building digital skills among Ghana’s youth, enhancing employability, and positioning the country as a competitive player in the global digital economy.

Speaking at the event, the Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to digital transformation and inclusive access to technology.

He emphasised the importance of strategic partnerships and institutional support in achieving the programme’s ambitious target.

The Minister further disclosed that following the programme’s launch nearly a year ago by the President, a dedicated team was tasked to assess the implementation landscape and has since produced a comprehensive report to guide the training phase of the initiative.

He also highlighted the programme’s strong focus on job creation, noting that the training is designed to open up employment opportunities for participants.

To support this, 130 centres have been established nationwide, with each region hosting state-of-the-art facilities.

Additionally, 12 universities have been integrated into the programme through collaboration with the Ministry of Education to enhance training delivery and impact.

Also present at the presentation were the Deputy Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Mohammed Adams Sukparu; the Administrator (CEO) of GIFEC, Tanko Rashid-Computer; the Deputy Administrator (CEO), Nana Akyaa Amoah-Amissah; and the Director of Corporate Affairs, Francisca Adjei.

The laptops presented are expected to support training, coordination, and operational activities under the OMCP as it expands nationwide.

GIFEC’s contribution aligns with its mandate to facilitate universal access to electronic communication and promote digital inclusion, particularly in underserved and rural communities.

The national rollout of the One Million Coders Programme is anticipated to accelerate Ghana’s digitalisation agenda while empowering a new generation of tech-driven innovators and professionals.

Source : www.myjoyonline.com

About 50 women entrepreneurs from across the Ashanti Region have received training on business management, credit risk, and financial sustainability at a capacity-building workshop organised by Telecel Business, as part of its Women in Business portfolio.

Hosted at the GNAT Hall in Amakom, Kumasi, under the theme ‘Mastering Credit Risk for Sustainable Business Growth,” the session addressed a recurring challenge for many small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs): extending credit to customers without affecting cash flow or exposing businesses to avoidable losses.

Organised in collaboration with CBG, participants were taken through practical elements on credit risk fundamentals, customer credit assessment, payment policy design, cash flow monitoring and managing defaults.

Samuel Owusu, Zonal Coordinator for Micro Segments and Rural Outreach in the Women’s Banking Division at Consolidated Bank Ghana, who led the training, said the workshop was designed to equip entrepreneurs with systems that support long-term growth.

“We focused on helping participants understand how to evaluate creditworthiness, manage cash flow, and build sustainable systems that reduce financial risk. These skills are essential for scaling any business successfully,” he said.

Many participants found that the session offered practical solutions to challenges they confront daily. “This workshop has completely changed how I look at credit. I now understand how to assess customer risk and protect my cash flow. It’s going to help me grow my business more confidently,” said Beatrice Anaglo, founder of Awusu Fashion Hub.

Alfred Neizer, Head of SME at Telecel Ghana, said supporting women entrepreneurs with practical business knowledge remains central to the Telecel Women in Business value proposition.

“Women-owned businesses continue to play a critical role in local economic activity. We believe that by focusing on equipping business owners with practical financial skills such as credit management, they build stronger businesses that can grow sustainably,” Mr Neizer said.

The Kumasi workshop forms part of Telecel Ghana’s wider Women’s Month activities throughout March, which combine digital inclusion, enterprise development and leadership conversations to empower women.

As the capacity-building workshop for women-led businesses in Kumasi came to an end with an interactive question-and-answer segment, Abena Adowaa, founder of HairUp Brides, said the new knowledge on clearer credit systems could help her business avoid persistent losses.

“The session on credit risk management was very practical. I have learned how to set clear credit policies and avoid bad debts, which has been a major challenge for my business,” she said.

Source :  www.peacefmonline.com

The rise of AI is putting new pressure on infrastructure as organisations reconsider how they store, manage, protect and use data. Against this backdrop, Huawei’s annual IT Day focused on the growing need for intelligent storage and computing.

The event drew more than 400 customers and partners, with Huawei showcasing its latest AI data infrastructure, all-flash storage and virtualisation. The conversation centred on the growing need for closer collaboration as businesses face cyber threats and the demands of AI.

Kui Zheng, CEO of Huawei Enterprise Business Group in South Africa, said this year’s IT Day is built around a critical question: how do organisations future-proof data storage and unlock the true value of data in the AI era?

The question is especially relevant in South Africa, where digital transformation is already driving infrastructure upgrades. 

Kui described South Africa as both a key player in the global economy and a pioneer of innovation. “From government to transportation, finance, and energy, we’ve seen South African organisations lead the charge in upgrading ICT infrastructure, accelerating digital transformation, and improving lives.”

He outlined four of the main areas Huawei plans to focus on: 

• Data protection to help keep businesses running during cyber threats or infrastructure failures, 
• Data centre virtualisation to improve performance while reducing overhead, 
• AI computing to unlock new insights and efficiency, 
• Smart office tools to support more connected collaboration.

Building AI-ready infrastructure

Huawei showcased OceanStor Dorado as its flagship storage platform for mission-critical workloads. Naveen Kumar, Technical Director of Advanced Storage Solutions Group, said as AI and the token economy grow, so does the amount of data that organisations have to handle. This in turn, puts extra pressure on enterprise infrastructure. 

He said New-Gen OceanStor Dorado is designed to meet those demands by improving performance, supporting SAN, NAS and S3 in one system, and strengthening the security needed for critical enterprise environments.

Clinton George, Solution Architect of Huawei Enterprise Data Centre Solution Department, said Huawei’s answer to modern data centre demands is DCS, which he described as a full stack data centre virtualisation solution.

“More than just a hypervisor, DCS offers easy deployment, unified management, AI, a Big Data platform, and optimised compute-network-storage collaboration — delivering performance, resilience, ransomware protection, backup, and a migration tool that has helped over 1,200 customers in the past two years,” he said.

Huawei also highlighted its Atlas AI computing portfolio, with Allen Ye, Director of Huawei Southern Africa Computing Marketing & Solution Department, focusing on the growing infrastructure demands created by enterprise AI adoption.

He said the rise of AI-native applications and the token economy is driving demand for more computing power. According to Ye, inference demand is expected to grow faster than training over the next five years, catch up this year, and reach 4.5 times last year’s level by 2030.

Huawei showcased scenario-based AI practices currently applied in public services, finance, and electric power industries, and demonstrated how AI can create value based on specific scenarios. AI is used to improve operational efficiency and public satisfaction.

Huawei also showcased Atlas 850E&950 SuperPoD, Next-generation AI computing architecture for larger AI workloads. It can scale to 8,192 NPUs and support trillion-parameter model training, while its interconnection and UnifiedBus technology help ease the bandwidth, latency and bottleneck problems that often come with traditional clusters.

James Kamau Maina, Huawei’s Intelligent Collaboration Solution Architect, presented IdeaHub as the workhorse of the modern meeting room and a key part of the company’s AI Classroom push. Maina said large deployments can be managed through IdeaManager, which handles configuration and diagnostics at scale.

IdeaHub supports wireless projection without requiring devices to be on the same network. Up to 40 devices can be connected at once and nine projecting simultaneously. It also includes eye-protection features.

Real-world application

The programme featured customer and partner success stories, showing how organisations are already using Huawei technologies in real-world environments to modernise operations. 

Aadhir Maharaj, Solution Sales Data Centre Specialist at Altron Digital Business, said the partnership between Altron and Huawei focuses on helping South African businesses build stronger technology infrastructure. The partnership, which now spans 14 years, is supported by 91 Huawei engineers across South Africa and has delivered more than R5 billion in project value.

According to Maharaj, that kind of footprint matters at a time when businesses are under growing pressure to turn AI ambition into real operational value.

Lu Peng, Director of the Huawei South Africa Data Center Solution Sales Department, introduced OceanClub, a global non-profit technical community focused on data storage exchange and collaborative problem-solving. 

The programme closed with the 2026 OceanClub MVP awards, which recognised South African professionals for their contributions to data infrastructure, innovation and knowledge sharing. The local honourees were Aadhir Maharaj, Michael Khutlane, Laure Le Roux and Gareth Smith.

Looking ahead, Huawei will continue building on its work in the data centre space while working closely with customers and partners to support South Africa’s digital transformation.

Source : www. mybroadband.co.za

Ghana is set for a major boost in mobile network quality following a bold new policy shift led by Samuel Nartey George, Minister for Communications, Digital Technology and Innovation.

Instead of collecting fines from telecom companies for poor service, the government is now requiring them to invest directly in infrastructure—ensuring that customers see real improvements where it matters most.

At a recent media engagement during the launch of the One Million Coders Programme, the Minister announced that MTN Ghana and Telecel Ghana have committed to building a combined 1,150 new cell sites in 2026. This includes 800 sites from MTN and 350 from Telecel—marking one of the most ambitious network expansion efforts in the country’s history.

This new direction replaces a system where fines were paid to the regulator, the National Communications Authority, but delivered little direct benefit to everyday users. Now, those same penalties are effectively being transformed into tangible upgrades that will improve call quality, data speeds, and coverage nationwide.

The scale of the commitment is especially striking. MTN Ghana’s 800-site rollout for 2026 is nearly four times its average annual expansion over the past decade—signaling a significant acceleration in investment and service improvement.

Alongside this, the government has raised service quality standards, tightening allowable network failure rates from 3% to just 1%. This ensures that telecom providers not only expand coverage but also maintain higher performance levels.

The result is a clear win for consumers: better connectivity, stronger networks, and faster progress toward a digitally inclusive Ghana. With construction already underway, users can expect noticeable improvements in service quality in the months ahead.

Source : www.newsghana.com.gh

The Chief Executive Officer of Telecel Ghana, Ing. Patricia Obo-Nai, has called for a fundamental rethink of Ghana’s education system, warning that widening gaps between academic training and industry needs risk undermining national development.

Speaking at the University of Education, Winneba (UEW) Public Lecture Series 2026 on Friday, April 10, she described the forum as “a national conversation” that extends beyond academia and demands urgent reflection on how the country prepares young people for the future.

“I thank the leadership of the University for this important national conversation,” she said.

“I refer to it as a national conversation deliberately because this goes beyond an academic gathering. This is the kind of platform that places demand on our country to think about systems preparing our young people and whether we are moving at the same speed as the future approaching them.”

Ing. Obo-Nai praised UEW for its central role in shaping Ghana’s educational foundation, noting that teacher training institutions have a far-reaching impact on society.

“UEW has long carried a unique responsibility in Ghana’s educational journey because training teachers is shaping generations,” she stated. “You shape how our children first learn confidence. You shape how our curiosity is formed. And you shape how young people begin to imagine possibilities.”

She stressed that education must remain relevant in a rapidly changing world shaped by technology, inequality, and shifting economic demands.

According to her, failure to adapt curricula to contemporary realities risks creating a disconnect between learning and employability.

“The word that stands out in the theme is rethinking,” she noted, referring to the lecture topic Empowering Minds: Rethinking Education for Sustainable Development. “It means asking whether systems designed for one era are still fit for another.”

“The skills that industries demand, including mine, are evolving faster than many curricula in technology is changing. If education remains unchanged whilst everything around it changes, we are creating a gap between learning and relevance.”

She warned that the consequences of such a gap are already visible. “Students feel it first, employers feel it next, and eventually the economy feels it most.”

Ing. Obo-Nai also emphasised the need for stronger collaboration between academia and industry, arguing that no single institution can address the challenges of skills development alone.

“Industry must participate by helping shape graduate readiness for work,” she said.

Highlighting Telecel Ghana’s interventions in education and skills development, she outlined several initiatives aimed at bridging the gap between classroom learning and workplace demands.

She mentioned the company’s Next Generation Graduate Programme, which she said is designed “to transition students from university to professional life through practical work experience and structured mentoring.”

She also highlighted the Telecel Female Engineering Scholarship Programme, which has run for nearly a decade.

“We are intentional about investing in the future of women in engineering by supporting them financially in their final year and providing them with valuable work exposure through internships,” she said.

According to her, gender inclusion in technical fields is critical to innovation. “When women remain in engineering, sectors become stronger, solutions broader, and industries more representative of the society they serve.”

Ing. Obo-Nai further referenced the Telecel Digitech Academy, implemented in partnership with the Ghana Education Service and the National STEM Centre, which has trained about 2,000 students across 13 regions in robotics, coding and web design.

She described the initiative as part of Ghana’s necessary “digital shift,” adding that students have developed innovative solutions including automated irrigation systems, bushfire-fighting robots, assistive tools for persons with visual impairments, flood detection systems and wind energy prototypes.

“Today, digital literacy has become a basic requirement for relevance,” she said. “Irrespective of sector, digital confidence is increasingly shaping how far our youth can go.”

Addressing students directly, she urged them to take their studies seriously in a rapidly evolving world. “The quality of life of a country is reflective of its quality of education,” she said. “Whilst we build roads, expand industries, and invest in technology, human capability must grow at the same pace.”

She encouraged a shift in mindset about education beyond formal qualifications.

“Let us not treat education as something you complete. Let’s treat it as something you continue—keep learning, questioning, and building beyond qualification.”

Source : www.myjoyonline.com

Telecommunications network Telecel Ghana has rewarded the latest winner of its long-running Dream Car Promotion, marking the 14th edition with the presentation of a brand-new  Hyundai Creta.

Speaking to the media on Wednesday, April 8, at Kaneshie Market, Acting Head of Products and Services, Carlos Asare-Okoh, described the event as a major milestone in the company’s customer reward efforts.

“Today has been a wonderful day. We are rewarding, for the 14th time, a winner of the Dream Car Promo, which has been running for about seven to eight years now,” he said.

He noted that the initiative is designed to reward loyalty while creating engaging opportunities for customers.

“The Dream Car Promo is something we run twice every year to reward our customers who are loyal to us, who play games with us and who have fun on our network,” he noted.

According to him, the promotion, which began in 2018, has consistently delivered life-changing rewards.

“We’ve already rewarded about six houses and given away several cars, and today we’ve added another car to that list. It’s basically our way of giving back to customers for the time they spend on our network and the relationship we have with them,” he added.

Addressing concerns about transparency, he stressed the company’s commitment to fairness and credibility.

“For us as Telecel, credibility is key. We make sure that the right authorities are involved in everything we do. That is why we partnered with the National Lottery Authority to oversee the process,” he stated.

He further assured customers that the selection process is independently verified.

Autos & Vehicles

“This is not a promo where we reward ourselves or give prizes to family and friends. In fact, they don’t even qualify. The NLA is here to ensure that those who genuinely participate and engage are the ones who are rewarded,” he stressed.

The latest winner, Kofi Ofusu-Ennin, expressed excitement after receiving the keys to his new car. He said he first encountered the promotion on social media and decided to try his luck.

“At first, I didn’t put much effort into it, but after winning some weekly prizes, I decided to take it seriously. Eventually, it paid off,” he said.

Still overwhelmed by the win, he encouraged others who may doubt such promotions to participate.

“I was one of those people who didn’t really believe, but here I am today holding my car keys,” he added.

The Dream Car Promotion remains one of Telecel Ghana’s flagship customer engagement campaigns, rewarding loyalty while creating life-changing opportunities for subscribers.

Source : www. citinewsroom.com