IFC and Airtel Africa have established a strategic partnership to enhance mobile connectivity across sub-Saharan Africa. With a substantial investment of $200 million, the collaboration is focused on modernising Airtel Africa’s network and expanding its infrastructure, particularly in underserved rural areas.
By targeting over 37 million subscribers, this initiative is poised to significantly impact the region’s digital landscape, improving access to essential services and creating opportunities for millions. That partnership is dedicated to tackling the critical connectivity gap in a region where approximately 600 million people still lack access to 4G mobile coverage.
Despite the heavy reliance on mobile phones for business activities, many areas remain underserved, hindering potential economic growth. By enhancing network performance and availability, IFC and Airtel Africa aim to bridge this gap, ensuring that more individuals can enjoy reliable mobile internet access.
Furthermore, the financing is structured as a sustainability-linked loan, incorporating performance metrics that align with Airtel’s sustainability goals. These include increasing smartphone adoption and promoting financial inclusion for women. Recognising the pivotal role of mobile banking in regions with limited financial infrastructure, the partnership seeks to empower women by improving their access to mobile banking solutions.
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has taken crucial steps to enhance service quality in the telecommunications sector by mandating compliance reports from telecom companies, effective 1 October. That directive faces opposition from industry players, who contend that the new regulations will increase operational costs and compliance burdens.
Nonetheless, TRAI’s enforcement of these regulations aims to guarantee that consumers receive reliable and high-quality telecommunications services. Introducing stricter quality standards explicitly targets the performance of fixed, wireless, and broadband services, addressing persistent issues such as frequent call drops and service interruptions.
Furthermore, TRAI has significantly raised financial penalties for non-compliance, implementing a graded penalty system that escalates from ₹1 lakh to ₹10 lakh based on the severity of the violation. This adjustment creates a robust incentive for telecom companies to comply with the new quality norms. Additionally, operators must compensate users through rent rebates and validity extensions for service outages exceeding 24 hours, underscoring TRAI’s commitment to consumer protection.
UK Telecoms Minister Chris Bryant has called on broadband providers to collaborate on infrastructure sharing to curb the proliferation of telegraph poles across the UK. His appeal comes amid growing concerns about the rising number of poles, often criticised as unsightly and unnecessary.
Bryant further stressed the importance of reducing such infrastructure, particularly as the new Labour government focuses on addressing the issue of excessive pole deployment, which has surged concurrently with the country’s rapid fibre network expansion. Speaking at the Connected Britain event, Bryant urged operators to prioritise sharing existing infrastructure rather than installing new telegraph poles to support the expanding fibre broadband rollout.
While poles are a cost-effective and swift solution, he advocated for a more sustainable approach that minimises visual and environmental impact. Bryant also outlined the government’s efforts to streamline infrastructure deployment through regulatory reforms, such as the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act 2022. He emphasised the need to prevent redundant installations, building on the groundwork laid by former Digital Infrastructure Minister Julia Lopez in promoting infrastructure sharing.
The National Security Agency (NSA), in conjunction with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), United States Cyber Command’s Cyber National Mission Force (CNMF), and international allies, has issued a critical cybersecurity advisory. Titled ‘People’s Republic of China-Linked Actors Compromise Routers and IoT Devices for Botnet Operations,’ the advisory reveals the extensive activities of cyber actors affiliated with the People’s Republic of China (PRC).
These actors have breached internet-connected devices worldwide, establishing a massive botnet. To address this threat, the NSA has outlined several key mitigations aimed at helping device vendors, owners, and operators secure their devices and networks. These recommendations include regularly applying patches and updates, turning off unused services and ports, replacing default passwords with strong alternatives, and implementing network segmentation to reduce IoT device risks.
Furthermore, the advisory suggests monitoring network traffic for signs of DDoS attacks, planning device reboots to eliminate non-persistent malware, and upgrading outdated equipment with supported models. Moreover, NSA Cybersecurity Director Dave Luber has emphasised the importance of the advisory, noting that it provides crucial and timely insights into the botnet’s infrastructure, the geographical distribution of the compromised devices, and effective mitigation strategies.
According to the advisory, the botnet encompasses thousands of devices across various sectors, with over 260,000 devices compromised in North America, Europe, Africa, and Southeast Asia as of June 2024. Consequently, this extensive network of affected devices highlights the urgent need for enhanced security measures to protect against such pervasive cyber threats.
Nokia and iSAT Africa are entering a strategic partnership to improve rural connectivity in Liberia. Over the next three years, this collaboration will see the deployment of approximately 200 sites in underserved rural areas.
The initiative aims to close the digital divide by delivering reliable and affordable network access to communities long overlooked by major telecom infrastructure. That effort underscores a firm commitment to enhancing digital inclusion and driving socioeconomic development in Liberia’s remote regions.
Nokia and iSAT Africa will deploy advanced technology to achieve their connectivity goals. They will utilise Nokia’s Rural Connect solution, which features the AirScale radio portfolio, including Massive MIMO radios, remote radio heads, and base stations optimized for lean and energy-efficient performance.
Additionally, the MantaRay Network Management System will be integrated to provide a unified, automated view of the network, improving monitoring and management capabilities. This cutting-edge technology is designed to tackle critical issues such as limited coverage and the digital divide, ensuring that rural areas receive the necessary connectivity.
The United States is pushing Vietnam to avoid using Chinese firm HMN Technologies in its plan to build 10 new undersea cables by 2030, amid concerns over national security and sabotage. Vietnam’s current cables, essential for global internet connectivity, have suffered repeated failures, prompting the government to prioritise new projects.
Washington is lobbying Hanoi to select more experienced and trusted suppliers for the cables, citing concerns about espionage and security threats linked to HMN Technologies, which the US views as associated with Chinese tech giant Huawei. The US has also raised concerns about possible sabotage of Vietnam’s current subsea cables.
Vietnamese authorities have remained open to working with Chinese firms, but United States officials have stressed that choosing HMN Tech could discourage American companies from investing in Vietnam. Meanwhile, Vietnam’s top telecoms company, Viettel, is already planning a cable with Singapore, bypassing disputed waters in the South China Sea.
The US and China are vying for influence in Vietnam as the Southeast Asian nation looks to expand its undersea cable infrastructure. Both countries are heavily invested in Vietnam, with subsea cables becoming a critical element in the broader US-China technology rivalry.
Through their collaborative CAMARA project, GSMA and the Linux Foundation have launched the first official release of a series of open-source network APIs called ‘Meta-Release Fall24’.
The initial release contains 25 APIs across 13 subprojects designed to simplify and standardise access to essential telecom network functions. Among the APIs are stable versions like Location Verification, One-time Password SMS, and Number Verification, which have been thoroughly vetted for quality and consistency.
Additionally, the release introduces new APIs such as Call Forwarding Signal, Carrier Billing Refund, and Connectivity Insights, signalling CAMARA’s commitment to continuous innovation and expansion of its API offerings. Security and interoperability have been prioritised in this release, including a profile based on OAuth 2.0 and OpenID standards.
By ensuring that the APIs are secure and compatible across different systems, CAMARA sets a robust foundation for operators to deploy these solutions confidently in their networks. Furthermore, the CAMARA community is dedicated to providing twice-yearly updates to maintain the relevance and stability of these APIs, ensuring that telecom operators can seamlessly plan and manage the deployment of new capabilities.
GSMA and the Linux Foundation have rallied over 1,100 contributors and nearly 400 organisations, including major telecom players like Deutsche Telekom, Ericsson, and Vodafone, behind CAMARA. Selected as the API specification hub for a new global telecom venture launching in 2025, CAMARA promotes a unified approach to API development.
Taiwan’s government is taking decisive action to combat telecom fraud through new regulations proposed by the Ministry of Digital Affairs. These regulations focus on the stringent management of four-digit telephone numbers beginning with ’19,’ typically allocated to government agencies and charitable organisations.
The primary goal is to safeguard these critical numbers from misuse. To this end, the government plans to impose penalties on telecom operators who breach the Fraud Hazard Prevention Act, including limiting the number of phone numbers they can receive. This measure aims to deter fraudulent activities effectively. Furthermore, organisations in Taiwan will need to obtain government approval before making any changes to the use of these numbers and must return them if their usage changes. To ensure compliance, the Ministry will conduct random inspections to monitor the proper use of these numbers.
Taiwan’s government is also enhancing its anti-fraud efforts by proposing amendments to the Subsidy, Reward, and Assistance Regulations for Promoting Industry Innovation. These changes will allow the Ministry to offer financial support, including subsidies and rewards, to digital industries developing technologies to prevent fraud. By encouraging technological innovation in this field, the government aims to strengthen fraud prevention measures and protect individuals and organisations against telecom-related fraud.
Google has announced it will redesign its plans for a $200 million data centre in Santiago, Chile, after concerns were raised about its environmental impact. The company will start the project from scratch following a ruling by a local environmental court, which partially reversed a 2020 permit and called for a reassessment in light of climate change.
Originally approved in 2020, the project faced backlash from residents and officials due to fears over its effects on Santiago’s drought-stricken aquifer. Data centres require significant amounts of water for cooling, an issue of concern given Chile’s ongoing drought for over a decade.
Google has informed Chile‘s environmental regulator that it will not proceed with its original plans for the Cerrillos neighbourhood. Instead, the tech giant plans to introduce a new proposal that incorporates air-cooling technology to mitigate environmental concerns.
The company is expected to submit a fresh application, addressing local concerns and aiming to reduce the project’s environmental footprint, as it continues to work on its data centre plans in Santiago.
BlackDice and Bin Omran Trading and Telecommunication have launched a strategic partnership to enhance Qatar’s cybersecurity infrastructure significantly. Combining their expertise will deliver state-of-the-art cybersecurity solutions, with BlackDice leveraging its AI-powered security and data intelligence to safeguard critical infrastructure and sensitive information.
Additionally, their collaboration will focus on strengthening the cybersecurity capabilities of major telecom operators in the region, thereby boosting network resilience and protecting extensive personal and financial data. Consequently, this comprehensive approach supports DA2030’s goal of creating a secure and resilient digital environment essential for Qatar’s economic diversification and social development.
By addressing the evolving needs of the digital landscape in Qatar, BlackDice and Bin Omran Trading and Telecommunication contribute to the nation’s ambition of becoming a global leader in technology and connectivity and ensuring robust protection against emerging cyber threats.
