Apple pulled the plug on its Advanced Data Protection (ADP) feature in the UK after facing pressure to offer authorities backdoor access to encrypted information the function protected.

Various outlets reported the iPhone maker detailed the demise of the feature to dodge revised legislation, which would have forced it to open access to the end-to-end encryption used for its iCloud service.

BBC News and The Independent each described Apple’s decision as “unprecedented”.

Apple resisted the backdoor requests, arguing it would leave users vulnerable to cyberattacks.

In a statement, Apple explained new users would not have access to ADP and current customers would “eventually need to disable” the security function.

It expressed grave disappointment, pointing to “the continuing rise of data breaches and other threats to customer privacy”, which Apple argues makes end-to-end encryption “more urgent than ever before”.

The company pledged to restore protections for UK users if allowed in future.

“As we have said many times before, we have never built a backdoor or master key to any of our products or services and we never will.”

Company information indicates ADP is an optional setting which ensures “a majority” of users’ iCloud data can “only be decrypted from your trusted devices”.

Apple has butted heads with various policing authorities over its security and protections for some time, most notably in its home market where it clashed with the Federal Bureau of Investigation over assisting in criminal probes by unlocking iPhones.

Source: Mobile World Live

In Benin, SIM cards not registered after March 30, 2025 will be deactivated by telecom operators from April 30. This was decided by the Electronic Communications and Postal Regulatory Authority (ARCEP) during the last extraordinary session of its Council.

“Upon notification of this decision, electronic communications network operators will send a daily SMS notification indicating to the users concerned on their networks the timetable for the end of the process (end date of identification data update operations, date of receipt and date of deactivation of unidentified subscribers)” informs the regulator.

The Beninese authorities have imposed SIM registration to better protect telecom subscribers against fraud, scams and cybercrime in general by precisely identifying each user. This also allows them to better regulate the telecommunications sector, and makes it possible to better secure transactions in a context of booming mobile financial services.

It should be noted that the process requires a strict framework for the protection of personal data to avoid cases of leaks, or even misappropriations as occurred in the Republic of Mauritius, forcing the country to cancel registration operations. Malicious individuals can use false identities to register SIMs, thus reducing the effectiveness of the fight against crime.

For example, the National Digital Investigation Center (CNIN) announced on Thursday, February 13, the dismantling of a network of criminals diverting the personal data of Beninese people as part of the national campaign to update mobile numbers.

As a reminder, Benin is one of the best students in terms of cybersecurity in Africa. According to the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), the country had a score of 91.54 out of 100 in the global cybersecurity index in 2024. In addition, Porto-Novo has ratified the African Union agreements on cybersecurity and the protection of personal data, as well as the Budapest Convention on cybercrime.

Source: extensia.tech

Acyber-attack has targeted Paratus Namibia, compromising its internal operational files related to its systems.

In a statement, the business asserts the incident occurred in the early hours of Thursday and that it has subsequently taken steps to address the threat, which it describes as sophisticated.

The actions include isolating the affected environment, disabling virtual private network access, and safeguarding all impacted systems, including voice (083) services and select cloud-hosted environments, in order to contain the danger and minimise additional service and operational disruption.

Furthermore, Paratus says to have enlisted the assistance of international specialists to restore infrastructure and data using established international procedures, including extra investments and enhanced cybersecurity measures.

Paratus Namibia’s managing director, Andrew Hall, said the company has initiated an investigation to ascertain the exact scope of the attack.

“We are acutely aware of the importance of the data entrusted to us by our customers and sincerely regret any inconvenience caused by this incident. The attack primarily affected internal operational files related to Paratus systems. Our ongoing investigation seeks to determine the full extend of any data compromise, said Hall

Source: extensia.tech

SUBTONOMY, the world’s leading telecoms technical customer support vendor, is featured in a new report released today by the GSMA’s Mobile World Live, the online communications hub for the global mobile industry. Subtonomy sponsored insight into AI adoption in the customer care domain in the newly-released AI Survey 2025, which provides a barometer of uptake of AI as the mobile industry shifts to intelligent operation.

Mobile Operators see huge potential in AI-drive customer care 2025

Mobile World Live surveyed its 180,000 members, which represent mobile network operators, MVNOs, device manufacturers, systems integrators and service providers, to provide an up-to-date picture of how they view AI adoption in the mobile industry.

In the customer care domain, it found members could see huge potential for AI in customer care, primarily to tackle long-standing challenges such as resource constraints, operational costs and the drive to provide better customer care experiences.

When respondents were asked where they thought AI would deliver the most value in the next 18 months, the survey found:

• 54% said it would help them deliver round-the-clock (24/7) support
• 52% thought it would assist in reducing customer care costs
• 48% believe it is integral to boosting customer satisfaction and loyalty.

93% are already using smart chatbots

Nine in ten mobile operators (93%) are already using smart chatbots within their customer care operations, with less than one in ten (7%) yet to adopt these intelligent virtual assistants. However, they are at different stages of maturity in terms of the type of inquiries their chatbots can handle.

• Least advanced performers – 1 in 10 mobile operators (7%) say they are not using smart chatbots at all
• Average performers – 7 in 10 mobile operators (74%) say their chatbots handle up to half their customer inquiries
• Advanced performers – 2 in 10 (19%) say their chatbots are sophisticated enough to handle more than half their customer inquiries. Of these, just 3% have chatbots that are able to handle more than 75% of inquiries.

Predictable barriers are holding back innovation

Many operators report being stuck and not able to move to the next stage – often for entirely predictable reasons. More than half (56%) say their initiatives are being held back by lack of internal resources such as the availability of skilled staff and lack of budget. Budgetary constraints are particularly problem with many operators struggling to articulate a clear business case for deployment. Another major barrier is the lack of accessible data – a problem that’s particularly acute for 32% of respondents. Other operators complain that even where a solution is available, it’s often not suitable for the telecoms environment.

“The Mobile World Live AI Survey 2025 demonstrates the huge potential for mobile operators to achieve their goals of saving money, alleviating pressure on call center agents and providing a better experience for customers by moving towards a higher level of digital self-care supplemented by more sophisticated chatbots,” comments Andreas Jörbeck, CEO, Subtonomy. “This is where Subtonomy comes in. We know that while AI is the engine, data is the fuel. And telecoms data is like no other.”

Jörbeck explains that his company has years of experience working with major telecoms groups to help them squeeze more value out of the data trapped in operational silos to provide better customer care.

“At Subtonomy we’re already fuelling our customers’ initiatives to deliver the full potential of AI. Whether they’re working on AI-enhanced chatbots in self-care channels or intelligent co-pilots in the call center, our data mediation platform and network APIs are the foundational elements required to deliver intelligent customer care today.”

23% say they have difficulty sourcing telecoms-specific AI models and 18% say they have problems sourcing a telecoms-specific third-party solution.

Source: totaltele.com

Starlink will reportedly soon be granted approval by Indian authorities to introduce satellite broadband services, with the company submitting the required material for final clearance.

The Economic Times stated the satellite broadband arm of Elon Musk’s SpaceX agreed to most conditions for securing a licence from the country’s regulator but questioned some security-related requirements, which are under discussion.

The Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre will review Starlink’s application, the newspaper wrote.

The news comes a week after India Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Musk during his visit to the US to see President Donald Trump.

Back in early 2022, Starlink was ordered by the Indian government to refund deposits made by customers as the venture had not received a licence to operate.

SpaceX set up local subsidiary Starlink Satellite Communications in late 2021 to offer broadband service.

Source: Mobile World Live

Algerian mobile phone company Djezzy has launched into the cloud segment. The official announcement was made on Monday, February 17, on the sidelines of the inaugural ceremony of the CTO Forum 2025, which runs until February 19. The company intends to support businesses and institutions in their digital transformation by offering them innovative, reliable and secure solutions.

“The cloud, an essential lever for the competitiveness of companies, is a solution that provides access to flexible, secure IT resources adapted to their needs,” said Djezzy in a press release quoted by Algérie Presse Service (APS).

Djezzy is positioning itself in a growing market in a context of digital transformation where telecom operators want to diversify their activities beyond traditional mobile telephony services. The Global Mobile Phone Association (GSMA) believes that services beyond the core business are becoming increasingly important in the growth strategy of operators in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). The organization cites a 2023 survey which showed that 57% of operators in 2023 cited public cloud among their top three technology priorities for businesses.

According to data portal Statista, the public cloud market in Algeria is expected to generate revenue of $1.12 billion in 2025. Revenue in Algeria is expected to grow at a CAGR of 14.99% over the period 2025-2029, reaching $1.96 billion in 2029. “The Algerian public cloud market is increasingly influenced by government initiatives aimed at accelerating digital transformation and improving local data management capabilities ,” Statista added.

This initiative could allow Djezzy to increase its revenues. The company posted a turnover of 112.17 billion dinars ($831.6 million) in 2024, up 10% compared to 2023. However, it should be remembered that the company must face competition in the regional cloud market, driven in particular by global leaders in IT services such as American companies Oracle and Microsoft or Amazon Web Service.

Source: Agency EcoFin

Vodacom has unveiled Vision 2030 to shareholders and prospective investors — a five-year strategy that sets out the mobile operator’s ambition to deliver double-digit growth in earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation, and amortisation (Ebitda).

The company noted that this represented an upgrade from its existing medium-term target framework of high single-digit Ebitda growth.

In a presentation to investors, Vodacom Group CEO Shameel Joosub and Group CFO Raisibe Morathi explained that the company expects to achieve this result through a combination of measures.

These include a focus on customer growth, capital and cost efficiency, and debt reduction.

Vodacom said it planned to add another 50 million customers across the group in the next five years, growing by 23.8% from 210 million to 260 million subscribers.

It noted that Africa is expected to add around 800 million to the global workforce by 2050 and will be home to the largest and youngest population globally.

Vodacom said it aimed to grow its fintech customers by 35 million — an increase of 41% from its current base of 85 million.

The company said it also expects smartphone penetration to grow from its current level of 63% to over 75% in 2030.

In addition to growing its customer base, Vodacom said it aimed to boost earnings in hard currency by managing costs, maintaining or improving its return on capital employed, and reducing debt.

Vodacom said it would maintain a leverage ceiling of 1.5× net debt to Ebitda, and a capital intensity of 13% to 14.5%.

Additionally, Vodacom said it aims to increase revenue by over 32% from R151 billion to over R200 billion.

It also said it would like to diversify its operations so that South Africa contributes less than 50% to the group’s operating profit. Currently, South Africa contributes 59%.

Vodacom released a trading statement for the quarter ended 31 December 2024 earlier this month, reporting 1.6% revenue growth across the group and a 1.4% decline in service revenue.

Vodacom South Africa recorded revenue growth of 4.7% — up from R22.80 billion the year before to R23.87 billion.

It service revenue was R16.2 billion, up from R15.7 billion for the same period the year before — a 3.2% increase.

In addition, Vodacom South Africa reported that it increased its capital expenditure by 5.4% compared to the year before from R3.03 billion to R3.2 billion.

Joosub said Vodacom South Africa expects to invest between R11 and R11.2 billion this financial year.

“The improved Vodacom South Africa performance was underpinned by a variety of factors, including successful seasonal campaigns, improved consumer environment in the prepaid segment, and a 40.6% increase in data traffic,” said Joosub.

Average data usage per smart device increased by 37% to 5.3GB, while the number of 4G and 5G networks on Vodacom’s network increased by 4.9% to 24.5 million.

Vodacom South Africa recorded a 3.9% increase in mobile contract customer revenue to R6.1 billion, supported by a price increase in the first quarter of the year.

Its average revenue per user from mobile contract customers increased 2.3% to R306, which it also attributed to the price increase.

“We added 61,000 contract customers in the quarter, to reach a contract base of 7.0 million, up 2.0%,” said Vodacom South Africa.

The mobile network operator attributed much of the success in its prepaid segment, which delivered growth of 5.6%, to its seasonal campaigns.

It noted that the “V-UP” summer campaign resulted in 13.7 million customers actively engaging to win rewards and prizes.

“The seasonal campaigns helped capture an improved consumer spend environment with prepaid data revenue of R3.8 billion in the quarter, up 15.5%,” said Vodacom South Africa.

Source: extensia.tech

Operator trio MasOrange, Telefonica and Vodafone Group revealed plans to demonstrate the first use case of the Open Gateway Multi-Telco Innovation Lab at MWC25 Barcelona, in partnership with the i2CAT research centre.

During MWC25 Barcelona, the companies will demonstrate ViRe, a mobile application designed by technology company Laude to ensure a safe environment for individuals protected by restraining orders.

The operators explained a distinguishing feature of the proof-of-concept is the integration of the Open Gateway APIs.

In this case, Laude integrated various APIs provided by the laboratory, including device location verification, quality-on-demand, number verification, KYC and device swap, among others.

The application also employs AI algorithms powered by the APIs which are integrated into telecoms networks, offering “enhanced security and reliability”.

Laude is the first company to explore the potential of the APIs deployed by operators within the lab, the companies stated. The innovation lab launched in October 2024 and offers a “developer-ready environment” allowing companies and developers to explore and use telco capabilities through standardised APIs.

i2CAT serves as a coordinator, optimising the performance of the APIs.

The use case is designed to prioritise critical social needs and runs through the multi-operator mobile application to inform victims of the proximity or risky behaviour of people identified as dangerous in real time, along with alerting law enforcement and other people to offer extra protection.

The demonstration will be held at the GSMA stand in Hall 4 daily during MWC25 Barcelona.

Source: Mobile World Live