African telco CEOs aim to accelerate digital inclusion

GSMA

Africa’s digital transformation is more than just connectivity; it’s about creating opportunities for education, healthcare, financial inclusion, and economic growth.

This is according to GSMA Africa, and the Africa Group of Six (G6) mobile network operators, who convened this week at the Mobile World Congress (#MWC25) to review progress, share ideas, and map out the next steps in advancing digital transformation in Africa.

The G6, which was founded in Rwanda in 2023, said the Barcelona meeting was a crucial step forward in the joint endeavour to expedite Africa’s digital transformation.

The group believes that by leveraging strategic partnerships, data-driven insights, and innovative solutions, it can drive meaningful progress in fiscal policy reforms, broadband infrastructure investment, and environmental sustainability, reaffirming its commitment to collaborating with all stakeholders to achieve Africa’s digital and socioeconomic development goals

It added: “Africa’s digital transformation is not just about connectivity—it’s about creating opportunities for education, healthcare, financial inclusion, and economic growth. The G6’s initiatives are critical to ensuring that no one is left behind in the digital revolution.”

At the time of the launch in Rwanda, the G6 urged governments to implement new policies to accelerate the positive and inclusive effects of mobile technology in order to close investment and usage gaps.

The six CEOs represented Airtel Africa Group, Axian Group, Ethio Telecom, MTN Group, Orange Middle East and Africa, and Vodacom Group.

Source: Extensia

Cisco launches solutions to enable telcos to monetise AI services

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(These solutions cumulatively offer telcos the tools to evolve their networks, develop new service offerings, and monetise the delivery of assured services, according to the company.)

US-headquartered telecom gear maker Cisco on Tuesday launched a framework for telecom operators to kickstart the monetisation of artificial intelligence (AI)-driven services.

“Service providers are set to play a critical role in defining how, where, and when data from artificial intelligence (AI) applications moves across networks,” Cisco said, adding that its solutions can enable telcos to handle the increase in data volume and variety, and monetise the services supporting Al traffic.

“The Al revolution is a massive potential tailwind for service providers,” said Jeetu Patel, Executive Vice President (EVP) and Chief Product Officer, Cisco. “Al, and especially the advent of Al agents, will mean an incredible influx of new digital workers who will be working together and communicating constantly. Cisco’s Agile Services Networking is the blueprint for service providers as they look to capitalise on the opportunities of Al by meeting the demand for high-bandwidth, secure, and energy-efficient connectivity.”

Cisco’s ‘Agile Services Networking’ framework comprises the Cisco Silicon One systems and platforms, Cisco coherent pluggable optics, and network automation and assurance features that are “designed to remove complexity with simplified networking that converges network layers and services”, the vendor said.

These solutions cumulatively offer telcos the tools to evolve their networks, develop new service offerings, and monetise the delivery of assured services, according to the company.

The first of Cisco’s Silicon One-powered 8000 series has become available, while additional models are targeted to ship in the spring and summer of 2025. The first of Cisco’s new coherent pluggable optics is also targeted to begin shipping in the spring of 2025, while the network automation and assurance features are available now.

Source: telecom.economictimes.indiatimes