Industry News

During the just-ended Mobile World Congress 2025, Huawei held the Digital Intelligence Talent Development Forum, attracting more than 100 customers from all over the world.

At the Forum, Huawei launched the Digital Intelligence Talent Development Service Solution 2.0.

It brings in new talent standards, new competence models, and new learning experiences to help customers establish a workforce that can effectively propel digital transformation.

Mr. Jason Liu, president of Huawei Learning & Certification Services, said Huawei would continue to cultivate comprehensive talent in line with the times, enabling individuals and organizations to thrive in the AI era.

He said learning ability was productivity, and with efficient knowledge management, learning platforms, and AI learning copilot, “we can build a team that keeps learning and pushes productivity to new levels.”

He said in 2025, Huawei would launch the “Industry Elites in the ICT Classroom Project” for enterprise customers and the “Leading ICT Talent Cultivation Project” for university students for the empowerment of digital intelligence talent.

The expert behind the “expert model” must be a comprehensive talent. AI technology is driving the deep integration of DICT and OT. The traditional “T-shaped” talent model is shifting towards a more versatile “π-shaped ladder” talent model.

Everyone will have a “6A” learning experience: any time, any where, any device, any knowledge, all online, AI learning copilot.

Mr. Juanvi Martínez, business director of Mercer in Spain, emphasized empowering staff to continuously learn and quickly acquire new skills to adapt to the evolving demands of work in the AI era.

He said generative AI would transform core tasks in most jobs and increase productivity, adding that to foster AI adoption, from the HR perspective, “we should make sure that we share the ‘digital dividend’ with our workforce.”

He said the transformation would lead to emerging skills, requiring continuous up- and reskilling.

Mr Martínez said generative AI would impact workflows, work design and strategic work planning and this would democratic knowledge and creativity, bringing gaps in skills and expertise

Mr. Antonio de Luis Acevedo, director of Spain’s FUNDAE, shared views on national ICT talent development, stressing collaborative efforts.

He said since 2019, FUNDAE had partnered with Huawei, and more than 200,000 practitioners had learned Huawei’s courses, adding that in 2024, FUNDAE cooperated with Huawei in Spain Academy to enhance digital skills.

Madam Rumeysa Kaymakci, director of Turkcell Academy, said digital transformation went beyond technology and emphasized the importance of talent.

She said the Academy had launched the “Technical Leadership Programme” and “Digital Master Programme” to accelerate talent digital-intelligence transformation.

Source: GNA

Rwanda plans to have all households connected to the internet by 2029.

This is one of the primary goals of the government’s second national transformation strategy (NST2 2024-2029), which aims to achieve the Vision 2050 blueprint of sustainable economic growth, prosperity, and a high standard of living for all citizens.

NST2 was introduced in late 2024, and late Monday (yesterday), Paula Ingabire, minister of information and communications technology and innovation, published a roadmap for the strategy, disclosing several previously unknown priorities.

She said, “Infrastructure deployment remains a priority. We want to get to a point where, when it comes to last-mile connectivity, every home in Rwanda at least is well connected and they are able to benefit from the digital economy.”

Ingabire noted that other priorities of the NST2 were addressing cyber security, nurturing talent, and leveraging technology to address challenges of urbanization.

“Cybersecurity is going to be critical. We have to invest fully in upgrading and extending the capabilities that we have as a country when it comes to safeguarding both our infrastructure and information assets.”

Ingabire said the new strategy broadened its horizons on the smart cities concept.

“We are moving away from simply looking at smart cities but calling them smart cities and communities so that we look at all these technologies, green technologies we can deploy to ensure that we are addressing the urbanization challenges that almost every country is dealing with.”

She added, “Talent will remain a priority for us, more from the perspective of making sure Rwanda remains a proof-of-concept country where all these emerging technologies are tested and tried and then scaled to different parts of the continent and beyond Africa.”

Source: Extensia

Remgro has an effective economic interest of 30% in SEACOM. SEACOM is a converged information and communication technology (ICT) services provider serving digital infrastructure and digital services markets in Africa and beyond. Through its Digital Infrastructure business unit, SEACOM operates diverse subsea and terrestrial fiber-optic connectivity networks with global reach, while SEACOM Digital Services provides cloud, cybersecurity, and managed communication services to enterprise clients mainly in the Southern and Eastern regions of Africa.

SEACOM has a December year-end. Its results for the six months to 31 December 2024 have been included in Remgro’s results for the period under review. SEACOM’s contribution to Remgro’s headline earnings for the period under review amounted to R2 million (31 December 2023: R32 million). The decrease in headline earnings mainly relates to once-off cable repair costs incurred as a result of cable breaks experienced just before commencement of the reporting period.

The results for the period reflected a positive trajectory with higher revenue in both the Digital Services and Digital Infrastructure business units and a solid performance after normalizing the results for the impact of once-off cable repair costs.

The business has continued to service demand for enterprise-managed services, including cybersecurity and cloud services, which has resulted in increased revenue for the SEACOM Digital Services business unit.

Source: Extensia

By the end of 2023, Sub-Saharan Africa had 320 million mobile internet subscribers; a 27% penetration rate. This data was provided in an October 2024 report released by GSMA.

Mobile internet access continues to be a major challenge for many people across Africa, with millions of individuals unable to fully benefit from the service despite being within coverage areas.

GSMA’s The State of Mobile Internet Connectivity Report 2024 revealed that Africa has the largest gap in mobile internet usage globally, with 60% of people in areas covered by mobile networks not using the service. This equates to around 710 million people who have network coverage but don’t use mobile internet. Moreover, 160 million people, or 13% of the African population, have no mobile network coverage at all, leaving them without access to the service.

“A range of reasons explain why people are not adopting mobile internet despite living in areas covered by mobile broadband. Key factors include lack of awareness of mobile internet and (once aware) not being able to afford an internet-enabled phone, and lack of literacy and skills,” the report read. Even those who are aware of mobile internet face obstacles such as security concerns, high costs, connectivity issues, and a lack of understanding about the benefits of the service.

The document drew a list of countries with the largest number of people not connected to mobile internet by the end of 2023:

Nigeria

120 million of people out of Nigeria’s 223.8 million inhabitants are do not have access to internet. This represents 53.6% of the population. However, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) revised the figures, stating that as of November 2024, there are 136 million mobile internet subscribers, leaving around 88 million people without access. This number might be slightly overestimated due to the prevalence of multi-SIM use, where a single individual may have multiple SIM cards.

The Nigerian government is working on increasing internet access as part of its digital transformation strategy. The country aims to achieve 70% broadband penetration by 2025, investing in infrastructure such as the deployment of 90,000 km of fiber optics and leveraging satellite providers like Nigcomsat and Starlink to expand coverage.

Ethiopia

100 million people in Ethiopia—79% of the population—lack mobile internet access, according to the GSMA. The government is actively working to improve internet access by modernizing infrastructure and raising awareness of the importance of digital literacy. The Ethiopian government also collaborates with neighboring countries to improve connectivity in remote areas and ensure equitable access to the internet.

Egypt

The GSMA reports that 55 million people in Egypt lack mobile internet access, or about 48.8% of the population. The government is working on expanding access through various initiatives aimed at building a “digital Egypt,” which includes improving ICT infrastructure and fostering digital inclusion.

Tanzania

In Tanzania, 40 million people—59.4% of the population—are not connected to mobile internet. The government is investing in national digital infrastructure, including 636 new telecom sites to enhance access across the country. The goal is to connect 80% of the population by 2025.

DRC

In DRC, the GSMA estimates that 40 million people remain offline, despite a population of 102.3 million, or 39.1% of the total population. As of December 30, 2023, the country had about 30 million mobile internet subscribers, according to the Congolese Regulatory Authority for Post and Telecommunications (ARPTC). The government is pursuing a strategy to develop quality digital infrastructure to support the country’s digital transformation. This includes exploring satellite technology to provide nationwide coverage, with meetings held with satellite operators Monacosat and Thales in recent weeks. On February 6, the government signed a memorandum of understanding worth $1 billion with Indian company General Technologies, which could lead to the expansion of the mobile internet network.

Kenya

In Kenya, 35 million people still lack access to mobile internet, according to the GSMA, in a country with a population of 55.1 million. The Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) reported 53.7 million mobile internet subscribers as of September 30, 2024. President William Ruto has made digital technology central to Kenya’s socioeconomic development. The government plans to lay more than 100,000 kilometers of fiber-optic cables, establish 25,000 public Wi-Fi access points, and create digital villages in all 1,450 districts across the country. In April 2023, the World Bank committed $390 million to fund the first phase of Kenya’s digital economy acceleration project.

Sudan

In Sudan, 35 million people are without mobile internet, in a population of around 48.1 million, as estimated by the GSMA. Internet access in Sudan is heavily impacted by the country’s security situation, with authorities often cutting off services for varying lengths of time, and infrastructure damage due to conflicts disrupting access. However, the World Bank’s “Digital Economy For Africa – Diagnostic Assessment For The Republic of Sudan” report highlights an opportunity for Sudan to begin its digital transformation by focusing on infrastructure development and skill enhancement. The report recommends investing in terrestrial fiber routes and diversifying connections to neighboring countries like Ethiopia, South Sudan, and the Central African Republic, as well as improving rural and border coverage. The government is also urged to establish a neutral data center and a secondary internet exchange point (IXP).

Uganda

In Uganda, 30 million people lack mobile internet access, according to the GSMA, in a country with a population of 48.6 million. The Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) reported that the number of active mobile internet subscribers stood at 19.5 million by the end of December 2024. To boost digital transformation and economic recovery, the Ugandan government is focusing on expanding internet access. In March 2023, it secured 1.8 trillion Ugandan shillings from the World Bank and a $150 million loan from the China Eximbank to support this initiative. In August 2023, the government reduced the cost of public internet access from $70 to $35 per month, with plans to cut it further to $5 within a year.

Source: Ecofin Agency

At MWC Barcelona 2025, George Gao, President of Huawei Cloud Core Network Product Line, announced the launch of the industry’s first AI Core Network, marking a transformative leap from AI-powered to AI-native infrastructure.

The AI Core Network will be an autonomous generative network capable of self-optimization and self-O&M, enabling the whole industry to evolve from connecting everything intelligently to seamlessly interlinking AI-driven agents, terminals, and scenarios.

As AI reshapes industries, intelligent terminals and services demand core networks that transcend traditional connectivity. To address this issue, the core network need deliver a future-proof foundation with integrated capabilities in connectivity, computing, perception, memory, and digital twin simulation. Designed to serve individuals, households, enterprises, and AI agents, it addresses multi-dimensional demands for personalized intelligent services.

Huawei’s AI Core Network rollout will come true in two phases:

• 5G-A Intelligent Core (phase 1): The network integrates AI agents to enhance intelligent network capabilities. Additionally, by introducing computing-network convergence, the network can boost intelligent computing capabilities for terminals while overcoming their computing power and energy efficiency bottlenecks.
• Agentic Core (phase 2): Leveraging the AI-based architecture (AIBA), the network will be an autonomous generative network capable of self-optimization and self-O&M, dynamically adapting to diverse real-time service needs.

Gao emphasized that Huawei’s 5G-A Intelligent Core equips operators with three types of AI agents to claim three intelligence entries and monetize intelligence. In addition, Huawei is building intelligent distributed computing infrastructure featuring low-latency and high-bandwidth, to provide computing and network convergence services to terminals and industries.

 Calling agents process multi-modal inputs (voice, video, gestures) to transform traditional dial pads into intent-driven task managers, facilitating one-stop closed-loop of service tasks and capturing service entry opportunities.

 Personalized experience agents dynamically schedule network resources for differentiated user experiences, redefining user experience, providing operators with an entry to experience monetization.

 Digital expert agents resolve complaints and alarms via natural language interaction and AI inference, streamlining O&M through a unified portal.

To further empower these agents, Huawei also introduces Telco Intelligent Converged Cloud, upgrading traditional infrastructure with unified hardware management. It introduces an AI engine, and builds the FusionMind AI enablement platform, to deliver robust computing resources and high-performance training/inference services, ensuring powerful intelligence.

In his speech, Gao stated, “The AI core network will become a critical telecom infrastructure in the mobile AI era. Huawei will work with telecom operators and industry partners to seize the opportunities of digital and intelligent development, go beyond from introducing AI to the core network to leveraging AI and the core network for innovative services, and accelerate the transition to an intelligent world.”

Source: Kweku Zurek (Graphic online)