As the key players in the mobile technology ecosystem gathered yesterday at the GSMA Mobile World Congress (MWC25) in Barcelona, Spain in 2025, Africa’s largest telecom operator, MTN Group, announced its intention to transform into a tech-enabled platform business.
The message was delivered by Group President and CEO Ralph Mupita, who joined industry experts Hatem Dowidar from e& and Makoto Takahashi from KDDI Corporation for the keynote “Beyond Connectivity: The Telco to Techco Transformation,” moderated by Lara Dewar, GSMA chief marketing officer.
The discussion centred on how AI, Cloud, and 5G Standalone are transforming the telecom industry, increasing digital and financial inclusion, and enabling new business models in industries such as healthcare, education, agriculture, and mining.
For MTN, as a 30-year pan-African digital operator with 290 million mobile customers and a fiber network exceeding 114,000 km, the telco said it is committed to transforming the continent.
In a statement, it said: “Our three-platform strategy—Connectivity, Fintech, and Digital Infrastructure—positions us to enhance home connectivity, empower small medium-sized businesses, and build Africa’s digital highways.”
It continued: “We showcased ten impactful AI use cases and emphasised our dedication to strategic partnerships and policy reforms to drive digital progress. Our vision is to evolve into a tech-enabled platform business, delivering dignity, hope, and opportunity for all Africans.”
Meanwhile, the GSMA announced the introduction of a new skills training initiative to combat digital poverty and close the digital gap.
GSMA Advance, the mobile industry association’s skills and training branch, will work with the N50 Project to give at least 100 fully financed scholarships to individuals and communities globally, providing access to specialised digital training tools and educational courses.
Through the scholarships, applicants will be able to further their knowledge through GSMA Advance’s curriculum into the latest advancements in mobile technology.
Ghana’s representatives at this year’s Mobile World Congress (MWC25) in Barcelona partnered with GSMA Africa to advance strategies for closing the continent’s digital divide, addressing investment shortfalls, and harmonizing energy access with broadband expansion. The talks, which included government officials and mobile network operators, spotlighted Ghana’s proactive stance in fostering equitable connectivity as a cornerstone of national development.
While Ghana has made strides in mobile network coverage, rural and underserved communities still grapple with limited internet access—a challenge mirrored across Africa. During the summit, stakeholders explored solutions such as cost-effective broadband infrastructure, innovative technologies tailored for low-resource settings, and policy reforms to attract private-sector investments. GSMA Africa stressed the urgency of regulatory adjustments to incentivize infrastructure development, particularly in regions where connectivity gaps hinder economic and social progress.
A parallel roundtable co-hosted by GSMA Africa and the African Telecommunications Union (ATU) tackled reforms for Universal Service Funds (USFs), mechanisms designed to subsidize connectivity projects in marginalized areas. Despite their potential, many African USFs remain underused due to opaque management and misaligned priorities. With research suggesting that bridging Africa’s 60% mobile internet gap could unlock $700 billion in GDP by 2030, participants called for overhauling USF frameworks to prioritize transparency, targeted projects, and measurable outcomes. GSMA Africa announced pilot reforms in select markets to test streamlined approaches, aiming to create replicable models for other nations.
The dialogues at MWC25 reflect a growing consensus: Africa’s digital transformation hinges on collaborative governance and adaptive policies. For Ghana, the summit reinforced its role as a regional advocate for inclusive tech growth. Yet challenges persist, including balancing infrastructure costs with affordability and ensuring energy grids support expanding digital networks. As global attention shifts to Africa’s tech potential, the pressure mounts to turn dialogue into tangible progress—a task requiring not just funding, but political will and public-private synergy.
Observers note that while forums like MWC25 spark momentum, sustained change will depend on local implementation. Ghana’s next steps—translating summit pledges into rural tower installations, revised USF guidelines, or investor-friendly regulations—will test its ability to lead Africa’s charge toward a connected future.
Telecel Ghana is celebrating International Women’s Month with a vibrant lineup of activities under the derivative theme ‘Accelerate HER.’
The month-long celebration is aimed at empowering women, challenging gender biases, and advancing inclusivity.
In line with International Women’s Day 2025 celebration under the global theme – Accelerate Action, the telecommunications giant has outlined several internal and external activities to amplify women’s voices, invest in their future, and challenge gender stereotypes.
In a message to launch International Women’s Week, Chief Executive of Telecel Ghana, Patricia Obo-Nai highlighted the importance of taking bold steps to elevate and empower women, noting that progress toward gender equality remains slow globally.
“At Telecel Ghana, we don’t just talk about change, we drive it. This International Women’s Month, we are taking concrete steps to ensure that women receive increased support and the push they need to succeed. Accelerating HER is everyone’s responsibility.”
The celebration kicks off with Wear Purple Day, where employees will wear purple attire to symbolise solidarity with women’s empowerment.
The #SheElevatesMe campaign will be rolled out to encourage staff to share posts appreciating the inspiring women in their lives.
A wealth building and financial planning webinar will be organised for Ladies in Telecel to provide valuable insights on achieving financial independence and equipping women with economic strategies to secure their futures.
Telecel Ghana will organise the “Accelerate HER Future” Mentorship initiative at the Kanda Cluster of Schools, where female employees will inspire young girls to pursue careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM).
Additionally, the ‘Buy A Math Set for HER’ campaign is crowdfunding donations to provide essential math tools for girls, ensuring they have the resources for academic studies.
The telco will also host a night of an engaging conversation over drinks focused on strategies for women to accelerate their personal and professional growth.
This will be preceded by a ‘Boss Lady Headshot Shoot’, offering female employees the chance to enhance their professional profiles with high-quality headshots.
The climax of the International Women’s Month will be the second edition of the Women 100 Power Connect, a gathering of accomplished and influential women from all sectors of our country to share experiences, inspire one another, exchange ideas and discover areas for collaboration.
“This month is about more than celebration; it’s about concrete action. We are committed to creating opportunities for women to thrive, both within Telecel Ghana and in the communities we serve.
“The ‘Accelerate HER’ theme reflects our belief that empowering women is essential for building a stronger, more inclusive and equitable world,” said Daniel Adanu, acting Human Resources Director of Telecel Ghana.
Telecel Ghana hopes the Accelerate HER campaign for International Women’s Month will empower more women, challenge biases, and create opportunities for growth to drive gender equity.
Employees of Telecel Ghana, through the telecommunications giant’s Employee Volunteering Programme – Red Hearts, have handed over a renovated and equipped Information Computer Technology (ICT) lab to the Anfoega Akukome E.P. Primary School within the Anfoega Traditional Community in the Volta Region.
The refurbishment and furnishing of the ICT lab, spearheaded by employees from the Finance, Digital Transformation and Commercial Operations functions, was partly funded by Telecel Ghana Foundation and internal crowdfunding efforts, demonstrating the power of collective action in driving community development.
The ICT lab, now fitted with 30 modern computers, internet connectivity, and furniture, will serve as a valuable resource and enhance the digital literacy of over 1,700 students in the Anfoega Traditional Area. The facility, under the direct oversight responsibility of a management committee, will be open after school hours for use by young people from the 13 communities under the traditional area.
The handing-over ceremony was attended by the paramount chief, leaders from the communities, local education officials, teachers, parents and pupils in the area.
Speaking at the ceremony on the school premises, Paramount Chief of Anfoega Traditional Area, Togbe Tepre Hodo said he was grateful to the telco for the new ICT lab and charged young people to make maximum use of the digital space.
“I will urge the students to focus on technology since it is what dictates the pace of life these days. I encourage students to take learning ICT skills seriously,” Togbe Hodo said. “Additionally, this digital facility is not only for the school but every student and young person in this community. So, everyone is welcome to make good use of it.”
The Telecel Ghana Foundation, which oversees Red Hearts, was involved in ensuring the completion of the project. Rita Agyeiwaa Rockson, Head of the Foundation, Sustainability and External Relations emphasised the wider impact of the employee volunteering programme at the event.
“Our Red Hearts programme is a true reflection of the impact of collaboration and social responsibility in community building. This project is a shining example of making a tangible, positive impact on the community. This lab will open doors to new opportunities, expand your horizons, and empower you to become active participants in the digital economy in the future.”
The renovated ICT lab will bridge the digital divide and advance digital education in the community, which aligns with Telecel Ghana Foundation’s Connected Learning initiative; to increase access to technology and expand digital literacy to underserved communities across the country.
An ICT teacher at the school, Justice Norley, believes the new ICT lab will make learning easier and faster for the students as well as increase their performance in their final entrance exams for admission to senior high schools. “This lab will help increase their knowledge on technology and positively reflect in their academic performance since they can now have practical sessions and not just theory,” Mr. Norley said.
As the students of Anfoega Akukome E.P. Primary School embark on their digital education journey, the impact of Telecel Ghana’s Red Hearts Programme is already being felt among the population.
For Roberta Afare, the new lab represents an exciting chapter in her learning of ICT. “This new lab will help us know more about ICT through constant practice, help us know how to type and expose us to future careers in IT.”
Human Mobile Devices (HMD) centred its pre-event device launch on a child safety-focused device produced in collaboration with partner Xplora, a handset designed to appeal to both parents and children.
In an interview with Mobile World Live, HMD’s SVP Europe, Americas and Enterprise James Robinson said part of the thinking behind the device was to provide strong parental protection features while also “having something that the kids will accept and actually be inspired to use the devices”.
With the Fusion X1 it seeks to achieve this through elements such as a “gaming outfit” which wraps around the device and a case which includes a flip-up light for improved video and photography.
Robinson noted the company had undertaken focus groups with children and asked parents what they want from their child’s handset. It includes features such as only allowing approved contacts to make a call or message the phone’s user, secure location tracking and content blocks.
Something Nou Alongside the Fusion X1, during the event at FC Barcelona’s Camp Nou HMD unveiled a pair of special edition handsets featuring the football club’s branding.
The HMD Barca 3210, which uses its own moniker rather than the Nokia one, is very similar to the classic phone carrying the same number but in Barcelona’s club colours.
The other football-linked handset is the HMD Barca Fusion, which includes printed signatures of players on the back and various other FC Barcelona-related features.
At the pre-MWC event it also showcased a pair of feature phones under the HMD Music range and a flip phone.
Alongside the handsets, the manufacturer launched Amped Buds, a pair of ear buds which have a case that doubles as a wireless battery charger. HMD did not provide pricing or availability details for its headline MWC25 releases.
Verification tests by SoftBank and partners demonstrated network capacity can be increased without deploying new base stations, a feat the operator indicated meant AI for RAN has the potential to reduce the need for fresh infrastructure investment.
Ryuji Wakikawa, head of the company’s Research Institute of Advanced Technology, explained in a briefing its AI for RAN work clearly showed the impact AI can have on enhancing RAN performance.
He added being able to achieve substantial improvements without requiring changes to communication specifications for AI utilisation “suggests the potential for major evolution of our infrastructure through AI innovation”.
The operator recently completed verification tests on three use cases, covering uplink channel interpolation, sounding reference signals prediction and AI-driven medium access control scheduling, for improving wireless performance.
The initiative, jointly conducted with Nvidia and Fujitsu, enhanced channel estimation accuracy for signals received at base stations, known as uplink channel interpolation, with the operator confirming uplink user throughput improved by about 20 per cent on smartphones.
On the opening day of MWC25, SoftBank issued a raft of press releases related to AI RAN developments.
The operator and Red Hat jointly developed a platform which monitors energy usage and optimises power consumption for virtualised RAN and AI applications operating in AI-RAN data centres. This enables its distributed AI-RAN offering Aitras to dynamically allocate resources to AI applications based on power usage and other factors.
Working with Fujitsu, the operator claimed it completed the implementation of central unit functions on Nvidia’s Grace CPU Superchip platform to accelerate the commercialisation of Aitras.
SoftBank also partnered with Nokia to integrate a new function into its Aitras Orchestrator, which allows AI and virtualised RAN to coexist on a single server, demonstrating benefits such as increased server resource utilisation and the ability to significantly reduce server downtime when switching roles.
Bharti Airtel chair Sunil Mittal (pictured) called on governments and regulators to allow consolidation to give mobile players the incentive to invest heavily in new infrastructure and partner with satellite operators.
Mittal insisted it’s not the time to fight with each other but to work together. “We have a mission to finish the job of covering the last 400 million people,” highlighting satellite service is the solution to filling coverage gaps.
Regarding consolidation, he insisted it is time to embrace each other, share and compete in the marketplace. “Compete on the strength of your brands, your services, but don’t try to compete by building solo capital infrastructure.”
He asked: “How many fibre highways are enough? How many duplicate towers are enough?”
India had 12 operators at its peak. Spectrum was fragmented, small networks were being built, he said. “Everybody was chasing urban, lucrative areas at the cost of rural,” which disparately required coverage.
The country is now down to three, giving operators the necessary scale. “We have 4G and 5G coverage in every corner of the country.”
Mittal also urged authorities to lower taxes and allocate sufficient spectrum at affordable costs.
While average industry revenue growth is around just 2 per cent, he stated year after year operators face demands to buy expensive spectrum, putting $200 billion into capex annually.
The chair said he hopes this message will resonate with industry stakeholders, and “we will start to reset our industry”.
“This is one industry that is bearing the burden of building out the digital infrastructure across the globe. How much is this industry taking the load itself? The return on capital is just an average of 4 per cent.”
Infinera inevitably dominated discussions during Nokia’s press and analyst briefing on the eve of MWC25, with the vendor’s outgoing chief Pekka Lundmark (pictured) and other executives hailing the acquisition of the US player as a significant boost for its position in optical networking.
Nokia completed the acquisition on 28 February, three days before the doors opened on MWC25 and eight months after it lined up the $2.3 billion deal.
Lundmark said Infinera “significantly increases our scale in optical networks and accelerates our innovation with web-scalers”.
Perhaps the key benefit is strengthening Nokia’s position in the US: Lundmark cited Infinera’s manufacturing capabilities in the nation as attractive.
Federico Guillen, president of Network Infrastructure, highlighted the speed with which the Infinera acquisition closed, though was coy about offering too much detail on the likely direction of the combination given the ink on the final deal was barely 40-hours old at the time of the briefing.
However, there was clear enthusiasm on the potential from the Infinera team being brought on board.
Former CEO of the acquired business David Heard, who is now NI chief strategic growth officer at Nokia, and Nokia’s VP and GM of optical networks James Watt each discussed future growth opportunities.
The executives argued providing the power and affordability required to meet operator needs across access networks, routing or optical connectivity can only be achieved by working at the chipset level.
R&D teams which had worked separately over the past decade would now combine to address big markets, the executives explained.
Getting defensive Lundmark said the defence sector is another field Nokia is actively participating in as it unveiled a deal with Lockheed Martin and Verizon to embed its technology into the US defence company’s 5G.MIL Hybrid Base Station.
The Nokia chief said it is winning favour in the military and defence sector due to its position as a trusted partner and technology advances.
“It’s vital to have trusted actors in this space. Defence communications is increasingly about real-time situational awareness”, spanning strategic, operational and tactical situations.
Lundmark said Nokia recently launched a military-grade system which enables 5G connectivity, a significant step forward for “capabilities in capacity and latency, in security”, over products which were previously “on the level of 3G”.
Nokia had a military-grade portable 5G network set-up on show, which president of Mobile Networks Tommi Uitto said contained the RAN and core in a rucksack weighing 8kg.
Uitto used the defence pack as an example of how the various divisions of Nokia continue to collaborate and benefit from each other’s work despite a decentralised approach which formed a foundation of Lundmark’s strategy.
In a panel session, executives emphasised each business unit still forms an essential part of Nokia the company, while facing a barrage of questions over geopolitics and how the vendor might manage these moving forward.
AI RAN The vendor also lined up some news around AI RAN, with executives from T-Mobile US, Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison and SoftBank Corp joining Uitto to discuss an approach the Nokia executive explained will be key as mobile data traffic is tipped to hit 1,888 Exabytes per month by 2033.
T-Mobile president of technology Ulf Ewaldsson (pictured, left) acknowledged AI may not be a new feature for most mobile operators, but explained the technology had significantly boosted the company’s abilities in network slicing, an area it won plenty of fresh business in over the course of 2024.
Ewaldsson said AI-driven automation was reaping benefits in disaster recovery, halving the time taken to reconnect customers.
Indosat CEO Vikram Sinha (pictured, centre) discussed the benefits of being an AI-native operator, in particular its ability to fuel broader Indonesian digital and leadership goals, with SoftBank Corp VP and head of the Research Institute of Advanced Technology Ryuji Wakikawa (pictured, right) noting operators need a means to capitalise on the inferencing capabilities the emerging technology provides.
Slower pace On more than one occasion, Lundmark noted he was not going to set a strategy which his successor Justin Hotard would then have to follow or reverse. Instead, the outgoing head emphasised the plan for a smooth transition by remaining on hand as an adviser for his successor until the year-end.
He said his decision to step down was due to having spent 23 years steering various listed companies, a period spanning 92 quarters and a resulting pace of life which “is addictive” but also “never stops”. The timeframe is “enough for one CEO”.
Lundmark argued he leaves Nokia in better shape than when he arrived, with the vendor having “regained our technology leadership”, after a period in the doldrums during the early days of 5G.
“Now the situation is completely different and it is different across all network domains, and we have also identified new significant growth vectors going forward.”
Honor announced a strategic overhaul with a $10 billion investment geared towards transitioning into an AI-first device ecosystem company, marking a shift from the vendor’s existing focus on smartphone hardware manufacturing.
The strategy is spearheaded by the company’s newly appointed CEO James Li, who outlined a three-step roadmap for the transition highlighting collaboration as a key priority.
The vendor announced partnerships with Google Cloud and Qualcomm to develop AI-driven offerings, including its first intelligent smartphone set to launch later this year. The device will introduce agentic AI capabilities with a GUI-based personal AI agent capable of managing schedules, making reservations, and optimising daily tasks by using contextual awareness and adapting to user behaviour.
According to Li, the investment is “a reflection of our confidence in the potential of AI device technology”, highlighting the company’s “mutual trust” with industry collaborators in pushing AI innovation.
Orange, Telefonica and Vodafone are also amongst the vendor’s partners for the shift.
As part of its AI push, Honor launched a file-sharing system dubbed AI Connect to join its AI-driven ecosystem. Claiming it as the world’s first cross-platform file-sharing system, the vendor touted the technology’s capability to enable file transfers between iOS and Android operating systems.
Other AI innovations introduced include an AI-powered image restoration tool launching on the Magic7 Pro, and an AI deepfake detection feature for video calls to enhance digital security.
In a bid for longevity and sustainability, Honor also confirmed it will provide seven years of Android OS and security updates for its flagship Magic series devices, in what Li touted was a “consumer-centric approach to our future products”.
The company also expanded its hardware lineup with new AI-powered devices including a laptop, tablet, smartwatch and earbuds.
MTN Ghana has reaffirmed its role as a key contributor to the nation’s economy by paying a record GH₵8.6 billion in direct and indirect taxes in 2024.
This represents an increase from the GHS5.9 billion paid in 2023, marking a 45.8 per cent year-on-year growth in tax contributions.
The telecommunications giant’s tax payments per its 2024 annual report accounted for 50.3 per cent of its total revenue, underscoring its commitment to fiscal responsibility and national development.
In addition to taxes, MTN Ghana also paid GH₵468.4 million in fees, levies, and other payments to government agencies.
MTN Ghana’s increased tax contribution is a reflection of its robust financial performance in 2024. The company recorded a 34.5 percent increase in service revenue, reaching GH₵17.9 billion. This growth was driven by strong performances in mobile money (MoMo), data services, and digital revenue. The company’s profit after tax rose by 26.3 per cent to GH₵5.03 billion, further solidifying its financial strength despite macroeconomic challenges such as high inflation and currency depreciation.
MTN Ghana CEO, Stephen Blewett, emphasized the company’s dedication to supporting Ghana’s economic growth through tax compliance and community investments. “Through our Foundation’s initiatives and our consistent commitment to meeting our tax obligations to the government and its agencies, we have continued to support our communities and the Ghanaian economy,” Blewett stated.
Despite economic headwinds, including elevated inflation (23.8 per cent in December 2024) and a 19.2 per cent depreciation of the Ghana cedi against the US dollar, MTN Ghana has remained steadfast in its investment strategy.
The company invested GH₵4.4 billion in capital expenditure (CAPEX) to expand and enhance its network infrastructure.
Looking ahead, MTN Ghana remains committed to sustaining growth and enhancing digital inclusion. The company has outlined a strategic focus on expanding 4G and digital services to meet growing customer demand, enhancing fintech services through MoMo and mobile financial solutions, and investing in cost efficiencies to navigate macroeconomic challenges.
