Industry News

MTN South Sudan and the National Communications Authority (NCA) have officially launched electronic SIM (eSIM) technology in the local market.

According to the company, it was the first to introduce eSim technology in the country.

The NCA states that as a regulator, it is willing to assist MTN and other mobile operators in innovating and making eSIM-enabled smartphones available.

“Today marks another milestone in South Sudan’s telecommunications journey. As MTN, we are proud to be the first operator in the country to launch eSIM technology. This is not just about innovation; it’s about simplifying connectivity and delivering convenience to our customers,” said Ali Monzer, CEO of MTN South Sudan.

Napoleon Adok Gai, NCA’s director general, believes that eSIM technology improves customer experience while also strengthening security. He also sees customer support and education as top responsibilities. 

Source: itweb.africa

Apple denied committing Siri privacy violations and detailed its user data protection guardrails, days after settling a class lawsuit around the technology for $95 million.

The iPhone maker agreed to the payout last week after a 2019 class action lawsuit, which alleged Apple’s voice-activated virtual assistant Siri recorded private conversations and sold user data to third parties.  

In a statement, Apple clarified that Siri data has never been disclosed to advertisers, used to create marketing profiles, nor sold “to anyone for any purpose”.

The company explained that user requests are processed on-device using neural engines for many Siri interactions, minimising the transmission of data to Apple servers. However, when requests require input from Apple servers, user data is apparently anonymised through random identifiers to prevent its association with individual accounts.

Additionally, the company claimed its Private Cloud Compute technology allows Siri to access larger models for Apple Intelligence requests without storing or exposing user data.

Apple highlighted that audio recordings of Siri interactions are only retained if users opt-in to improve Siri functionality, claiming it as the “most private digital assistant”.

The vendor reiterated, “We believe privacy is a fundamental human right and we will continue our relentless focus on designing our products and services to protect it.”

Siri rival Google Assistant was hit with a similar lawsuit alleging privacy breaches and mishandling of user audio recordings in 2021.

Source: Mobile World Live

The MTN Ghana Foundation brought joy to over 1000 basic school children in three regions through Christmas parties held during the festive season.

The events which took place at the Aburi Methodist School in the Eastern Region, Adzintem D/A Basic School in the Central Region, and Gethsemane Chorkor Basic School in the Greater Accra Region featured an exciting lineup of activities, including musical chairs, dancing competitions, and poem recitals followed by a sumptuous feast of quality meals and refreshments. The excitement reached its peak as winners of the various activities were awarded prizes, while all participants, including tutors, received souvenirs.

The events highlighted the MTN Foundation’s dedication to supporting education and community initiatives as well as providing children with a memorable Christmas celebration and a chance to unwind during the festive season.

During the events, George Frimpong, Education Portfolio Advisor for the MTN Ghana Foundation observed, “It’s thrilling to celebrate Christmas with children in our communities. As a Foundation, we are committed to sharing in the joy of the season with these children.”

The school authorities expressed heartfelt gratitude to MTN Ghana Foundation for bringing the spirit of Christmas to life and wished the Foundation continued success in its community efforts.

Since its establishment in 2007, the MTN Foundation has hosted annual Christmas parties for children in selected communities across Ghana, making a positive impact on the lives of young people.

MTN Ghana Foundation Christmas Party at Gethsemane Chorkor Basic School

Pupils of Gethsemane Chorkor Basic School excited after receiving their refreshment.j

Cynthia Mills, Economic Empowerment Portfolio Advisor leads the team to celebrate Christmas with pupils of Aburi Methodist School.

Robert Kuzoe, Senior Manager for MTN Ghana Foundation leads the team to share refreshemnts at Gethsemane Chorkor Basic School.

Excitement at Aburi Methodist School during MTN Ghana Foundation Christmas Party

Joyous Celebration at Aburi Methodist School during MTN Ghana Foundation Christmas Party

Pupils of Adzintem DA Basic School take turns to receive their refreshment during MTN Ghana Foundation Christmas Party.

George Frimpong, Education Portfolio Advisor presenting the prize to a pupil of Adzintem DA Basic School for winning the musical chairs competition.

Ebenezer Terkpeh, Education Portfolio Advisor presenting a prize to the winner of the dancing competition at Adzintem DA Basic School.

Source: MTN Ghana

After five thrilling months of anticipation in the Telecel More Money promo, the telecommunications giant has awarded its luckiest customer, Ellen Oparebea Akoi with the grand prize of GH₵1 million.

The momentous announcement was made at the lively grand prize presentation event at the bustling Madina Market in Accra, where Ellen received her life-changing grand prize, flanked by her mother, brother and a cheering crowd.

Ellen, a band one nursing student in Accra, said she is still in disbelief about winning the staggering ultimate prize. When Ellen first received the winning call, she thought it was a scam at first. It took the Telecel representatives visiting her nursing school to prove her grand win was real. She said the news filled her with shock, happiness, and gratitude.

“I’m still in a dream. Somebody should please wake me up. I have earned GH₵1 million. I can’t believe my life is about to change and my family’s struggles will come to an end,” Ellen said, just before the grand prize presentation as her mother shook her head in disbelief.

Ellen’s journey to becoming a millionaire began when she opted into the Telecel More Money Promo on the first Monday in December, at a time when she had just GH₵1 of airtime. “I remember receiving so many messages encouraging me to join the promo and I just got the feeling that morning to just try and activate it, but I never imagined I would win anything, not even the daily and weekly cash prizes.”

The Telecel More Money promo, which was initially planned to end in October, was extended to 5th December due to the overwhelming response from customers. Over 1.5 million customers participated, with 150 winners taking home GH₵100 daily, 60 lucky winners receiving GH₵30,000 each, and one grand prize winner claiming the remarkable GH₵1 million. Telecel Ghana rewarded customers a total of GH₵4.5 million in the five-month promo.

Aneth Muga, Acting Director of Consumer Business said the telecommunications giant launched the Telecel More Money Promo in July as part of its commitment to reward loyal and active customers.

“The Telecel More Money promo has been a huge success, and we’re thrilled to have been able to reward over 22,500 customers with the daily, weekly and grand cash prizes. We believe that connecting energies is not just about network connectivity, it’s also about connecting opportunities, connecting ambitions, connecting dreams, and connecting livelihoods to reward, uplift, and inspire Telecel customers.”

Representatives of the National Lottery Authority – Caritas and Vasmol, who had oversight and implementing responsibility were present to share their insights of the five-month promo.

Ellen’s mother, Victoria Tieku Akoi was speechless and in disbelief throughout the grand prize presentation. She said since the passing of her husband, the family has struggled, and this win is a major turnaround for them. “It’s a miracle, and I thank God for this opportunity.”

When asked about her plans for the GH₵1 million, Ellen expressed her intention to invest wisely to secure her nursing career and family’s future. She shared an encouraging message for others who doubted the promo or entered but did not win. “I would tell them to keep participating and never give up. If you see any Telecel promo again, go for it – it’s real, and you never know, next time it could be you”

With the More Money Promo now concluded, Telecel Ghana is promising more exciting opportunities for its customers in the coming months. As the telco continues to grow and innovate, more life-changing moments are on the horizon.

For now, Ellen’s story stands as a beacon of hope and possibility. As the first Telecel millionaire, Ellen’s win is a reminder that with a little faith and a lot of participation, dreams really can come true.

Source: Citi Newsroom

Telecel Ghana Foundation has successfully concluded the first term of its DigiTech Academy for selected pupils at Ho’s St. Cecilia Roman Catholic Junior High School in the Volta Region.

As the pilot term for the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) initiative, DigiTech Academy equipped young pupils with essential and foundational digital skills including web development, Internet of Things (IoT), robotics, and programming with Scratch with emphasis on a hands-on practical approach.

After two months of practical bi-weekly sessions with cutting-edge technology and expert instruction, the programme has seen promising results and is set to expand to more schools across the country.

At the closing ceremony, young learners of the Digitech Academy showcased both their physical and digital projects that just months ago seemed impossible.

They displayed projects, many challenging traditional thinking, including miniature cranes, obstacle-avoiding vehicles, smart home models and intelligent bins.

Emmanuella Adzomah’s dream is to become a lawyer. Through the Digitech Academy, she has discovered an unexpected passion for technology, which has helped improve her ability to create, design, and solve problems. Her project involved the design and development of a website for car rental services.

“These bi-weekly skills training have prepared me for a tech-focused future. I can be a technology-specialised lawyer since I now love digital and tech solutions” she said, with her confident speech attesting to the programme’s soft skills development.

Speaking at the closing ceremony of the pilot run, Rita Agyeiwaa Rockson, Head of Foundation, Sustainability and External Communications at Telecel Ghana said DigiTech Academy has been met with enthusiasm from both students and teachers.

“The Telecel DigiTech Academy is committed to ensuring Ghana has its fair share of digital innovators and it is essential that training starts at a younger age.

This initiative is not only teaching students digital skills but also inspiring them to think critically about how they can use technology to address challenges in their communities”.

The event, attended by key stakeholders from the National STEM Centre, Ghana Education Service (GES) and teachers, also saw several students receive awards for their outstanding performance.

Beyond technical skills, the programme is awakening the students’ engagement levels as teachers observed a profound shift in confidence, creativity and enthusiasm – spillover effects of the interactive DigiTech Academy sessions at the school.

Dr Esther Yeboah-Adzimah, the GES Ho Municipal Director of Education, said the school has observed remarkable improvement in the pupils since the start of the term.

“DigiTech Academy has had a profound impact on our students as we’ve seen a boost in their digital literacy and problem-solving skills. We’re excited to see how they will shape the future of technology in the region and country.”

Young final-year pupil, John Isaac Tei now dreams of becoming a robotics engineer, after his recent exposure to gears and circuits.

“This hands-on experience has given me a good start and I will continue building robots that solve problems,” he said, as he demonstrated his miniature crane controlled remotely via light sensors.

The DigiTech Academy is a significant step towards bridging the digital divide and entrenching STEM-based learning in Ghana.

The corporate responsibility arm of telecommunications giant, Telecel Ghana plans to expand the programme to more schools in the coming years, ensuring that a wider range of young people have the opportunity to benefit from digital skills training in schools.

Source: Telecel Ghana ( My JoyOnline)

Telecommunications giant, Telecel Ghana has rolled out a new phone auction service – Bid2Win. As a first-of-its-kind service in Ghana, Bid2win is transacted via SMS, USSD platforms and Telecel Cash, with the aim of driving the purchase of discounted 4G smartphones on the Telecel network while offering customers an engaging and exciting way to acquire their desired phones.

The Bid2Win service officially kicks off on Wednesday, 11th December 2024 and will run as a regular service on the Telecel network.

In collaboration with Interactive Services Limited (ISL), Bid2Win will introduce an innovative approach to acquiring mobile devices, allowing customers to actively participate in a competitive bidding process to win and purchase their latest 4G smartphones.

“We believe Bid2Win will enhance our customers’ smartphone purchase experience and create a vibrant community of engaged customers who are excited about technology and innovation. This service will also let our customers have control over how much they spend on devices they want to buy,” said David Umoh, Director of Consumer Business at Telecel Ghana.

Customers can easily subscribe to Bid2Win by sending the keyword “1” to the shortcode 1020 or dialing *1020# using airtime to pay for a daily subscription fee of GHS 0.90, followed by an SMS confirmation. Customers can subscribe alternatively through Telecel Cash by dialing the short code *110# and selecting menu items in the following order, ‘4-Make Payments’, ‘3-Fun & Games’, ‘4-Bid2Win’, ‘1-Subscription’ and following the prompts to complete payment.

Once subscribed, participants will receive updates on available devices for auction daily. They can place bids via SMS and will receive confirmation or guidance during the bidding process.

At the end of each auction, the highest bidder will be declared the winner, notified via SMS, and provided with payment and pickup instructions. Non-winning participants will also receive updates regarding the auction results.

Auction winners will make payments for the phones through Telecel Cash by sending keyword ‘Pay’ to the short code 1020 or dial *110#, select ‘4-Make Payments’, ‘3-Fun & Games’, ‘4-Bid2Win’ and ‘2-Make Payments’ and follow the prompts.

“Telecel Ghana’s dedication to customer satisfaction and innovation is evident in the launch of Bid2Win as the auction service is designed to increase customer interaction, drive smartphone adoption, and provide an exceptional device payment experience”, concluded Philip Amoateng, Director of Digital Transformation & Mobile Financial Services.

Source: Citi Newsroom

The MTN Ghana Foundation is on a mission to make the practical study of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) as well as artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics accessible to the remotest parts of the country.

This initiative, according to the MTN Foundation, aims to provide equal opportunities for all.

As part of this commitment, the foundation has refurbished an ICT laboratory at Wiamoase in the Sekyere South Municipality of the Ashanti Region. The project, completed at a cost of GH₵746,425, has been inaugurated to benefit students, teachers and the general public.

Speaking at the facility’s opening, Head – MTN Ghana Foundation, Robert Kuzoe, described the STEM education as one of the foundation’s core initiatives. He noted that this project follows similar efforts at the Mamfe Robotics Centre, Akim Oda and the Dansoman Library.

“Today, we are at Wiamoase to do the same. We have equipped the centre with laptops, desktops and robotics tools so that the community can also benefit from innovation. This is the first of its kind in the Ashanti Region, and we look forward to extending this initiative to other parts of the country,” Mr. Kuzoe said.

He further emphasised the importance of making STEM education appealing to young learners.
“MTN is an engineering company, and we want to inspire the younger generation to explore STEM fields, fostering innovation for national growth and development. We are talking about AI, Robotics and STEM education because these are the key instruments that contribute to a nation’s development. This facility ensures that students here have the same opportunities as their peers in more privileged areas.”

Municipal Education Director, Prince Owusu-Ansah, expressed gratitude to MTN Ghana Foundation for its generous support, highlighting the potential impact of the facility on pupils, teachers and the community at large.

Chairman of Wiamoase citizens in the diaspora, Dr. Daniel Kwame Apau, commended the partnership, noting that it aligns with the group’s vision of bridging digital divides within the community.

“Whether you are a student enhancing your STEM education, a professional upgrading your skills or an aspiring entrepreneur, this centre serves as your launchpad. It will help reduce unemployment and stimulate economic growth,” Dr. Apau stated.

According to Dr. Apau, the newly refurbished ICT laboratory is expected to be a hub of innovation and learning, contributing to the educational and economic advancement of Wiamoase and its surrounding communities.

Source: Elizabeth Punsu ( B & FT Online)