March 2025

Ghana’s push to connect underserved rural communities to telecommunication networks and accelerate digital literacy received a boost this week as the Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communications (GIFEC) outlined ambitious plans to eliminate connectivity gaps and modernize community tech hubs.

Dr. Rashid Tanko-Computer, the agency’s acting CEO, announced the strategy during a televised interview, framing it as critical to advancing the government’s broader “Resetting Agenda” for economic and technological transformation.
“No community will be left behind in this digital age,” Dr. Tanko-Computer declared on TV3’s Hot Issues program, emphasizing GIFEC’s renewed focus on expanding rural telephony and internet access. “We are zooming into areas with network challenges, ensuring every Ghanaian-whether in a village or city-can access communication tools essential for education, business, and governance.”

The pledge comes amid persistent complaints from rural regions, where patchy mobile coverage and unreliable internet hinder access to digital banking, telehealth services, and e-government platforms. GIFEC, which has installed over 2,000 rural cell sites since its inception, now aims to expedite infrastructure deployment, though Dr. Tanko-Computer did not specify timelines or funding details. Critics argue past initiatives have struggled with maintenance and sustainability, leaving some earlier sites nonfunctional.

In tandem with connectivity efforts, GIFEC plans to revitalize over 300 Community ICT Centers (CICs) nationwide, retrofitting them with modern computers, high-speed internet, and coding labs. The upgrades align with the government’s goal to train one million coders by 2030-a program touted as key to preparing Ghana’s youth for tech-driven job markets. “These centers will become innovation incubators,” Dr. Tanko-Computer said. “We’re moving beyond basic computer literacy to specialized skills like software development and ΑΙ.”

The announcement follows GIFEC’s internal restructuring, which the CEO claims will streamline operations. He promised tangible results by the second quarter of 2025, though observers note the agency faces steep challenges, including securing consistent electricity for rural sites and combating theft of telecom equipment-a recurring issue in remote areas.
While the vision has been welcomed, digital rights advocates urge transparency. “Ambition is commendable, but execution is everything,” said Ama Asante, director of Accra-based NGO TechForAll. “GIFEC must publish clear metrics-like the number of new communities connected monthly-to hold itself accountable.” Others stress the need for public-private partnerships to offset costs, given Ghana’s fiscal constraints.

For Dr. Tanko-Computer, the mission is personal. A former telecom engineer, he rose to prominence by designing Ghana’s first rural broadband project in the early 2010s. Now, as CEO, he faces a taller order: transforming GIFEC from a infrastructure provider into a catalyst for nationwide digital equity. Success, he insists, will hinge on collaboration. “This isn’t just GIFEC’s task-it’s Ghana’s collective responsibility.”
As the clock ticks toward his self-imposed Q2 deadline, all eyes are on whether these promises can transition from rhetoric to reality.

Source: News Ghana

Apple shareholders rejected a proposal to scrap the company’s diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, reinforcing its stance on its policies following mounting pressure.

During a shareholder meeting, the National Center for Public Policy Research, a self-described conservative think tank, brought forward a proposal titled “Request to Cease DEI Efforts”. The bid was swiftly rejected by Apple shareholders with just over 210 million votes in favour and nearly 8.84 billion votes in opposition, according to Reuters.

The Guardian reported that during the meeting, executive director of the Free Enterprise Project at the National Center for Public Policy Research, Stefan Padfield, argued that Apple’s diversity initiatives could leave the company vulnerable to discrimination lawsuits, claiming “forced diversity is bad for business”.

He apparently further slated Apple’s DEI programmes as out of step with shifting legal and political trends, citing the Trump administration as a potential challenger. “The vibe shift is clear: DEI is out and merit is in,” Padfield added.

The latest development comes as US companies including Meta Platforms and Alphabet scale back their DEI efforts in response to a litany of discrimination lawsuits against companies and mounting pressure from the Trump administration.

Apple first defied the trend in January, when the tech giant opposed calls to abandon its diversity policies. In an SEC filing, the company rebuffed the bids as “unnecessary”, arguing its existing compliance programme was robust and the proposed measures would limit its ability to manage its own operations, workforce, and business strategy.

Source: Mobile World Live

Qualcomm created Dragonwing, a brand forming part of its strategy to better serve mobile operators, enterprises and various industrial sectors which is separate from its Snapdragon portfolio.

Ignacio Contreras, VP of product marketing, stated during a briefing Dragonwing would stand shoulder-to-shoulder with its Snapdragon brand covering consumer markets including mobile devices, PCs, vehicles and wearables.

“Given the broad variety of segments that we serve now, it’s time to introduce a new way to articulate and clarify the value proposition that we give to many products, many offerings beyond our Snapdragon brand,” he explained.

He said Dragonwing will encompass the company’s industrial and embedded IoT products, wireless networking, such as Wi-Fi access points, and server infrastructure offerings including products for open RAN.

The Dragonwing portfolio is also intended for systems spanning energy, utilities and retail sectors.

While the brand is separate from the Snapdragon portfolio, Contreras noted elements including its Orion CPUs, Hexagon NPUs and modem RF systems would be shared across both platforms under the Qualcomm name.

The chipmaker plans to unveil a Dragonwing product for the first time at MWC25 Barcelona, scheduled to take place next week.

Source: Mobile World Live

Verizon teamed with Samsung Electronics and Qualcomm to deploy multi-vendor RAN intelligent controller (RIC) functionality across its commercial network, a move it claimed accelerates open RAN innovation.

RICs control applications which manage a range of functions on the network known as rApps, which use RAN data to improve various aspects including coverage, capacity, efficiency and service quality.

The controllers can run dynamic networking features including switching off radios during non-peak times to cut energy costs.

While automation platforms have typically been built by the same large vendors which supply hardware, the RIC enables operators to mix and match network elements from different vendors to deploy them on virtualised, open networks.

The trio claim the multi-vendor RIC deployment is an industry first.

Verizon combined Samsung’s AI-based Energy Saving Manager (AI-ESM) with a Qualcomm Dragonwing-based RAN Automation Suite’s non-real time RIC it acquired from Cellwize to improve energy efficiency in its network. 

The platform automatically turns off mobile or transmission paths at a cell site during periods of low traffic to conserve energy and restarts when levels increase.

Field tests delivered an average energy saving of 15 per cent and up to 35 per cent per sector during low traffic periods without compromising network performance or user experience.

AvidThink founder and principal Roy Chua told Mobile World Live Verizon’s energy reductions are consistent with other AI- and ML-enabled energy saving rApp tests in the past 18 months.

“It’s a step forward for multi-vendor interoperable open RAN but until we get to scale deployments and see how eventual vendor negotiations play out, it is still unclear if multi-vendor open RAN architectures can take significant market share,” he explained.

The system is deployed across Verizon’s commercial 5G NR and 4G LTE networks to alleviate energy consumption.

Adam Koeppe, Verizon SVP of network technology, strategy and planning, said the RIC would “allow for greater flexibility and control over network operations”.

Source: Mobile World Live

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