February 2025

Helios Towers CEO Tom Greenwood has highlighted the company’s partnership with Tanzanian utility TANESCO as a model for collaboration between telecom and energy providers in Africa. Speaking at the Mission 300 Africa summit, Greenwood emphasized the mutual benefits of such partnerships in expanding both digital and power infrastructure.

Helios has connected around 800 sites to Tanzania’s national grid over the past five years and has similar projects in Malawi. With 79% of its 14,000 towers grid-connected, Helios is pushing to reduce reliance on diesel generators, investing $100 million in low-carbon solutions by 2030.

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, Helios is leveraging local micro-grids to power sites while selling excess electricity to nearby communities. The company is also trialing wind and solar energy solutions in multiple markets, including Ghana, Oman, and Senegal.

Greenwood called for increased net metering partnerships, allowing surplus power from telecom sites to be fed back into national grids, boosting energy resilience across Africa.

Source: www.telcotitans.com

Vodafone and AST SpaceMobile have conducted what they claim is the world’s first smartphone-to-satellite video call in an area with no mobile coverage. The call was made from a remote mountainous region in Wales by Vodafone engineer Rowan Chesmar to CEO Margherita Della Valle in Newbury, UK.

The call used AST SpaceMobile’s Bluebird satellites and Vodafone’s new space-to-land gateway, which connects satellite signals to its terrestrial network. UK astronaut Tim Peake joined Della Valle for the unveiling of the gateway.

Vodafone states its low Earth orbit satellite service is the only one offering direct 4G and 5G broadband to standard smartphones. It plans to launch commercial direct-to-device services in Europe later this year.

AST SpaceMobile, competing with SpaceX and Lynk Global, has achieved multiple milestones in space-based broadband, including the first 5G satellite call.

Source: Mobile World Live

Apple has partnered with T-Mobile US and SpaceX to enable Starlink’s direct-to-device connectivity on iPhones. The integration was included in the iOS 18.3 update, which launched on January 27.

Bloomberg reports that T-Mobile has activated a limited number of iPhones for beta testing, alongside select Android 15 devices. Previously, Starlink compatibility was only available for certain Samsung smartphones.

Apple’s existing satellite service via Globalstar allows emergency messaging when mobile networks are unavailable. However, unlike Globalstar, Starlink’s system reportedly connects iPhones automatically without requiring users to point their devices at the sky.

SpaceX owner Elon Musk confirmed on X that Starlink supports images, music, and podcasts, with video streaming planned for the future. Currently, Starlink’s direct-to-device services are available only in the US, though SpaceX aims to expand globally.

The FCC granted SpaceX conditional approval to enhance T-Mobile’s cellular network using its satellites in late 2024. Apple and SpaceX had previously discussed potential Starlink integration, with Musk hinting at promising talks as early as 2022.

Source: Mobile World Live

SoftBank is reportedly in discussions to invest up to $25 billion in OpenAI, a portion of which may be used to finance the ChatGPT-owner’s commitment to AI joint venture (JV) Stargate.

According to the Financial Times (FT), the Japanese company is considering an investment worth between $15 billion and $25 billion.

Stargate, a JV backed by US President Donald Trump involving OpenAI, SoftBank and Oracle, aims to build out AI infrastructure across the US through an initial investment of up to $100 billion

SoftBank’s potential investment would be in addition to the $15 billion it has pledged to the JV, added the report.

Meanwhile, OpenAI plans to invest approximately $15 billion in Stargate and SoftBank’s equity investment could reportedly help fund its commitment to the AI infrastructure project.

While talks are said to be in early stages, an investment of more than $15 billion could make SoftBank OpenAI’s largest individual backer, surpassing Microsoft which committed billions to the company at the start of 2023.

DeepSeek threat
The news comes as the fall-out from the emergence of DeepSeek, the China-based start-up that is rivalling OpenAI, continues.

OpenAI reportedly accused DeepSeek of using its proprietary models to train its open-source AI rival earlier this week.

According to FT, the ChatGPT-owner claims to have evidence that DeepSeek utilised its technology without authorisation, flagging concerns about a breach of its intellectual property.

The US also initiated a national security review of the Chinese AI chatbot.

Source: Mobile World Live

Network International (Network), a leading payment solutions provider in the Middle East and Africa, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with GIM-UEMOA, the regional payment scheme which promotes electronic payments across the banking, financial and public administration sectors in West Africa. This collaboration will drive innovation and enhance financial inclusion across the eight member countries of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU).

The partnership will help deliver innovative digital payment solutions under the GIM-Pay framework, leveraging the two organisations’ collective strengths. This initiative aims to benefit the population of the UEMOA region by providing secure, seamless, and accessible payment systems that meet the growing demands of businesses and consumers alike.

In addition to supporting the financial needs of users within UEMOA, the collaboration will enhance the value proposition of GIM-UEMOA’s affiliated member banks, enabling them to better serve their end customers with cutting-edge digital payment solutions. This offering aligns with the region’s commitment to fostering economic growth and financial inclusion.

Partnering with GIM-UEMOA represents a significant milestone for Network International. Together, we aim to harness our combined expertise to empower the UEMOA region with state-of-the-art payment solutions that drive economic inclusion and prosperity.

– Dr. Reda Helal, Managing Director & Co-Head of Processing, Africa, Network International

This collaboration with Network International allows for the pooling of infrastructure and solutions to bring cutting-edge digital payment solutions to the West African banking sector. We look forward to the benefits that will be realised for financial services entities throughout the region.

– Minayegnan Coulibaly, Managing Director, GIM-UEMOA

Under this partnership, Network International and GIM-UEMOA have reaffirmed their shared commitment to innovation and collaboration in West Africa’s financial technology space. This partnership also underscores the importance of alliances in addressing the diverse financial and economic needs of the UEMOA region.

Source: extensia.tech

South African communications regulator ICASA has approved the transfer of operator Cell C’s spectrum and network licences to Blue Label Telecoms, paving the way, except for one more approval, for the technology company to take control of Cell C.

ICASA and Cell C confirmed late last week that the transfers had been okayed. However, news service TechCentral explains that Cell C will continue to hold its licences post-transaction and will continue to provide the licensed services, despite the transfer of control to Blue Label subsidiary The Prepaid Company (TPC).

As TechCentral explains, the name of the spectrum licence holder (Cell C) will not change, only the names of the shareholders. This also means that from an accounting perspective, the spectrum assets owned by Cell C will continue to sit on Cell C’s books and not those of TPC or Blue Label.

Currently, Blue Label has a non-controlling 49.5% stake in Cell C but is moving to take control of the company, which it rescued through a series of recapitalisations aimed at bolstering Cell C’s balance sheet.

The application to ICASA by Cell C was triggered by TPC’s move to increase its stake in the mobile operator from 49.53% go 53.57%, giving TPC control of Cell C. We reported this move back in December 2023.

It appears that Cell C’s position has become less serious since Jorge Mendes took over as CEO. This is good news for Blue Label, whose share price has apparently underperformed in the past because of its investment in the operator.

The takeover can’t be finalised yet, however. Despite a recommendation from South Africa’s Competition Commission to its Competition Tribunal last April that the transaction should be allowed to proceed subject to certain conditions, the tribunal reportedly still hasn’t given its consent.

Source: extensia.tech

GSMA’s report outlines how digitalisation can drive Benin’s economic growth, create jobs, boost tax revenue, and enhance financial inclusion.

The GSMA has launched a groundbreaking report, Driving Digital Transformation of the Economy in Benin: Opportunities, Policy Reforms, and the Role of Mobile, highlighting the pivotal role of digitalisation in unlocking sustainable economic growth, creating jobs, and driving societal progress in Benin. The report’s recommendations align with Benin’s National Development Plan and Government Action Program, providing a clear strategy for fostering economic diversification, increasing productivity, and driving human capital development.

The study outlines how the adoption of digital technologies across public and private sectors can generate XOF 1.2 trillion in GDP by 2028, while creating over 300,000 jobs and boosting tax revenues by XOF 150 billion. Digitalisation is identified as a cornerstone for achieving shared prosperity in Benin, enhancing productivity in agriculture, manufacturing, transport, and trade, while improving access to global value chains (GVCs) and strengthening public service delivery. Emerging technologies such as mobile money, artificial intelligence (AI), and cloud computing are also noted as critical enablers of digital and financial inclusion, supporting human development across the country.

Key Findings from the Report

• Economic Impact: The mobile sector contributed XOF 960 billion to GDP in 2023, and accelerated digitalisation could increase total GDP by 8% by 2028.
• Sector Benefits:
  Agriculture: XOF 197 billion (4.3% of sector GDP) added by 2028, creating 82,000 jobs.
  Manufacturing: XOF 134 billion (5.1% of sector GDP) added by 2028, creating 77,000 jobs.
  Transport: XOF 74 billion (6.3% of sector GDP) added by 2028, creating 25,000 jobs.
  Trade: XOF 39 billion (2.0% of sector GDP) added by 2028, creating 18,000 jobs.
• Digital Inclusion: Policy reforms could drive an increase of 1.2 million mobile internet users by 2028, significantly reducing the usage gap and ensuring broader access to digital services.

This report underscores the transformative potential of Benin’s digital economy to deliver inclusive growth and shared prosperity. By prioritising policy reforms and fostering collaboration across sectors, Benin can unlock new opportunities for businesses and individuals, improve public service delivery, and build a thriving digital ecosystem that benefits everyone. With targeted action, the country is well-placed to drive innovation, create jobs, and secure a more connected and prosperous future.

– Angela Wamola, Head of Sub-Saharan Africa, GSMA

Policy Recommendations for Accelerating Growth

The report calls for targeted reforms to build a sustainable and inclusive digital ecosystem, including:

1. Reforming coverage and quality of service indicators to take account of technological developments in terminals, which, by enabling investment to be redirected towards more relevant services, will better serve the interests of users.
2. Reducing sector-specific taxes and setting appropriate spectrum fees to unlock investment and improve affordability.
3. Removing the mobile money levy to enhance financial inclusion and expand access to low-cost financial services.
4. Modernising telecom licensing frameworks to foster competition, innovation, and network quality improvements.
5. Implementing demand-side policies such as handset subsidies, digital skills training, SME support, and the digitalisation of government services to increase adoption of new technologies.

Delivering Shared Prosperity Through Digitalisation

The study highlights the direct and indirect benefits of digital technologies, including enhanced access to information, improved educational outcomes, and greater transparency and efficiency in public service delivery.

Source: www.telcotitans.com