Kenya’s ICT Authority has reportedly launched an ambitious US$2.4 billion project to reduce digital inequality, modernise business processes, and improve the country’s digital landscape. But this isn’t the only digital transformation initiative announced in East Africa in recent weeks, as the Eastern Africa Regional Digital Integration Project may soon be rolled out.

The ICT Authority Strategy Plan 2024-2027, unveiled late last week, provides the framework for transformative projects including nationwide digital literacy programmes, the expansion of secure broadband infrastructure, and the adoption of e-government services. 

The US$2.4 billion plan also focuses on addressing connectivity access gaps and create a more equal digital future for all Kenyans. 

Dr Margaret Ndung’u, Kenya’s minister for information, communications, and the digital economy, states that her ministry is also moving on with its goal to enhance Kenya’s fibre network coverage nationally (100,000 kilometres of fibre optic cable), establish 25,000 public Wi-Fi hotspots, and develop 1,450 Digital Village Smart Hubs across the country. 

This news comes hard in the heels of an announcement last week that the East African Community (EAC) and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) are set to commence implementation of the Eastern Africa Regional Digital Integration Project (EARDIP).

EAC is a regional intergovernmental organisation of eight partner states: Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Uganda and Tanzania. The Intergovernmental Authority on Development is an eight-country trade bloc in Africa.

EARDIP aims to establishing a unified and comprehensive digital network that connects even the most isolated areas, promoting equitable access to digital resources.

In addition, the project seeks to harmonise digital policies and regulations, in order to facilitate smoother cross-border trade and communication, fostering greater regional integration and economic cooperation.

A comprehensive regional cybersecurity framework, including unified cybersecurity policies, sharing threat intelligence, and providing resources for capacity-building in cybersecurity skills, is also planned.

News 

The company initially received backlash back in June before an intervention from the UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) 

Meta has announced that it will begin training its AI models using public content shared by users on Facebook and Instagram in the UK, having paused the training in June due to regulatory clashes. 

The company intends to start this process in the coming months, with customers of their platforms to be informed via in-app notification.  

Meta argues that the use of this training will allow the company’s AI models to better reflect British culture, history, and language. In reality, of course, this is more about accessing the many millions of posts that will help to enhance their product offerings and maintaining a competitive edge against rival models. 

The decision follows discussions with the ICO after Meta paused its AI training in the UK to address regulatory concerns. Meta has since received clarity from the ICO, which confirmed that using public data under the legal basis of “Legitimate Interests” is acceptable. As a result, Meta expects its AI models to launch in the UK sooner than originally planned. 

Stephen Almond, Executive Director Regulatory Risk at the ICO has released the following statement:  

“Meta has since [since June] made changes to its approach, including making it simpler for users to object to the processing and providing them with a longer window to do so. Meta has now taken the decision to resume its plans and we will monitor the situation as Meta moves to inform UK users and commence processing in the coming weeks.” 

“We have been clear that any organisation using its users’ information to train generative AI models needs to be transparent about how people’s data is being used. Organisations should put effective safeguards in place before they start using personal data for model training, including providing a clear and simple route for users to object to the processing. The ICO has not provided regulatory approval for the processing and it is for Meta to ensure and demonstrate ongoing compliance.” 

Meta remains under scrutiny from various regulators over its handling of consumer data, particularly in Europe where the rollout of its Generative AI products remain paused as a result of regulatory inquiry.  

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Also in the news:
CMA questions Vodafone–Three merger after second probe
UK govt to class data centres as critical national infrastructure
Connected Britain 2024: The Award Winners

With the rise of the cloud and the growing influence of AI driving infrastructure decisions around the world, new entrants are emerging to build the next generation of internet infrastructure.  One such new entrant is Lightstorm, which has rapidly built out DCI infrastructure in India and Southeast Asia in just the last few years.  With us today to talk about Lightstorm’s approach to networking for the hyperscale era is CEO Amajit Gupta.  Prior to co-founding Lightstorm, Amajit helped run Microsoft’s cloud networking infrastructure. … [visit site to read more]

Data Infrastructure Trust (DIT) sealed the acquisition of American Tower-owned ATC India for INR210 billion (US$2.5 billion), making it the largest towerco in the nation, surpassing rival Indus Towers.

DIT, the tower arm of Brookfield Asset Management, stated that it had acquired around 76,000 sites from ATC India, expanding its portfolio to a total of approximately 257,000 telecom sites. This places it ahead of Indus Towers, which had a portfolio of 225,910 towers as of June 2024.

The Competition Commission of India approved the deal in August, and the terms and conditions of the buyout were finalised yesterday (September 12). The enterprise value of the acquisition stood at INR181.5 billion.

ATC India, incorporated in 2004, reported a turnover of INR121.6 billion for the full year 2023-24, an increase from INR87.6 billion year-on-year.

This deal marked Brookfield’s third acquisition in the Indian telecoms sector. In 2022, the asset management company acquired 6,300 indoor sites and small cells, and in 2020, it acquired 175,000 towers from Reliance Industrial Investments.

Arpit Agrawal, Brookfield Managing Partner and Head of Infrastructure for India and the Middle East, said: “Our expertise, rooted in our history as an owner and operator of high-quality businesses, is exemplified by our acquisition of ATC India. It complements our existing business and further strengthens our footprint, creating the largest tower portfolio in the country and one of the largest platforms globally.”

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India’s state-owned operator BSNL has reportedly started 5G trials in the country ahead of its imminent launch of 4G. However, mobile market leader Reliance Jio is looking much further ahead – to business cases that could monetise its (already launched) 5G network.

BSNL is said to be working with India’s Centre for Development of Telecommunications (C-DoT) to test 5G technology. C-DoT is also providing the network core for BSNL’s 4G network, a core that can be used for 5G.

BSNL is still pushing to launch 4G services in India, with the technology set to go live next month and hopes that it will boost a market share estimated at a mere 7.4% (86.3 million customers) as of May. According to local news reports, delays in launching 4G rollout have adversely affected BSNL subscriber numbers. The government has reportedly given BSNL a subscriber market share target of 25% to reach by the end of 2025.

Meanwhile India’s race to introduce 5G has already been won by Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel. Both carriers launched their networks in October 2022. Third-placed operator Vodafone Idea (Vi) is still working towards its own launch.

However, Reliance Jio is even further ahead, already loooking on new approaches to monetising 5G. It has been reported by the Indian press that premium smartphone maker OnePlus and Reliance Jio have conducted a successful demonstration of 5G network slicing technology at their 5G innovation lab in India.

Using the recently launched OnePlus Nord 4 Android smartphone with network slicing technology, the R&D teams are said to have demonstrated how different applications can get access to dedicated network slices for enhanced 5G experience.

5G network slicing divides a physical network into several virtual networks, each tailored to specific needs. These virtual networks can have distinct features such as speed, bandwidth, security, and reliability based on user needs. It is one of the business cases considered particularly relevant for 5G and areas like private networks.

Both companies will now work on finalising the details to prepare for commercial deployment in the coming months. How the other two private networks will respond we’ll no doubt find out soon. BSNL meanwhile needs to get 4G up and running.

Five global infrastructure moves on three continents: … [visit site to read more]

Italian company Sparkle, an international telecoms service provider, has signed an agreement with Airtel Business, the B2B arm of Indian service provider Bharti Airtel, for additional capacity on a diversified low-latency route between Asia and Europe.

Under the agreement, Sparkle will provide capacity on the Blue and Raman submarine cable systems which will connect India to Italy. With this additional capacity Airtel will further diversify its global network across multiple international submarine cable systems to serve the growing demand for data services in India and neighbouring countries. 

The two companies will also work together on the development of new business opportunities and projects in the Indian subcontinent, leveraging their respective cable infrastructures.

Described as India’s leading and most trusted provider of ICT services, Airtel Business offers strategically located submarine cables, satellite networks and global networks across 50 countries and five continents. With more than 1,200 global carrier partnerships, the company says it enables its customers to connect across the world including hard-to-reach areas.

In India, Airtel Business offers a wide range of solutions that include secure connectivity, cloud and data centre services, cybersecurity, IoT and cloud-based communications to enterprises, governments, carriers, and small and medium businesses.

Vani Venkatesh, CEO of Global Business at Airtel Business, says: “We are happy to partner with Sparkle as we further consolidate our leadership in global connectivity. This partnership will further diversify our network with large integrated capacities to meet the ever-growing connectivity needs and data demand of our customers.”

News 

The Connected Britain Awards took place last night after a busy first day of the event. Hundreds joined us for an evening of networking and highly anticipated winner announcements. We had a record-breaking number of entries this year, reflecting Britain’s ever-growing and rapidly evolving digital economy.  

Our shortlist this year represented a fantastic array of diverse organisations and individuals, with the traditional big players being joined by many organisations of varying sizes from all corners of Britain.  

The awards recognise the most significant and innovative organisations, solutions and programmes that are shaping Britain’s digital future.  It is a clear reflection of how the whole digital economy is now working towards the same goal of improving lives through connectivity.  

From the latest technological innovations to the most impactful community initiatives, the Connected Britain Awards strives to highlight excellence in every corner of the UK.   

A big thanks to all our award presenters, our generous sponsors and the excellent panel of judges, who spent the last number of months analysing entries for each of the 15 categories.  

Onto the awards… 

B2B Service Provider of the Year 

The winner in this category introduced a broad range of exciting new B2B solutions this year, as well as a new Partner Programme that has already welcomed over 100 registered partners.  

WINNER: PlatformX Communications (PXC) 

The finalists were: 

CovertSwarm 

Evolve B G Limited 

NETS International 

Texaport 

ZAYO – Fibre Backhaul 

Broadband Provider of the Year 

For this category, the judges were looking for a broadband provider that not only delivers excellent service to customers but goes the extra mile in helping them on their digital journey. The winner has done exactly that, helping to transform previously underserved locations in the UK. 

WINNER: Wildanet 

The finalists were:  

Brsk 

Fibrus Broadband 

Lightning Fibre 

Truespeed Communications 

Wessex Internet 

Zzoomm 

Digital Council of the Year 

Local councils have become a vital part of Connected Britain and the winner in this category has shown exceptional leadership. Their entry included a huge number of successful projects, from deploying 5G and fibre infrastructure to using drones to deliver medical equipment. 

WINNER: Coventry City Council 

The finalists were: 

Cornwall Council 

Glasgow City Council 

Kent County Council 

Norfolk County Council 

Digital Skills Award 

The lack of digital skills is becoming a major challenge in the UK, threatening to deepen the digital divide. 

The winning entry in this category brought together volunteers, partners, and council staff to tackle this issue head-on, with some very impressive results. 

WINNER: Wigan Council’s TechMate digital skills initiative 

The finalists were: 

Kent County Council – Digital Kent 

Norfolk County Council—Tech Skills for Life 

Three UK & Three Discovery, Power up the Possibilities 

Trafford Council 

We Are Group & Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames 

Wigan Council’s TechMate digital skills initiative 

Enterprise Solution of the Year 

The winner in this category is helping the telecoms industry deliver on one of the most exciting initiatives in the UK, with huge implications for the market and for customers across the country. 

WINNER: SONALAKE, pivOTS 

The finalists were: 

Calix – Broadband Platform 

Colt – Intent-based Networking Optimisation 

Deepomatic – First Time Right Automation platform 

Digitalnauts & HoloPlan 

Evolve B G Limited 

SuLe – Sule Hub Limited 

Project Rollout Award 

The winner in this category needs no introduction, with its rollout continuing to go from strength to strength, even in the face of a challenging economic environment over the past year. 

WINNER: CityFibre 

The finalists were: 

4 Fibre Limited 

Freedom Fibre Ltd 

NETS International 

Openreach, Fibre Build plan 

“Virgin Media O2 & Deloitte – Smart Planning tool “ 

The Access Innovation Award 

The winner of this category is doing some amazing work across the country, including here in London. In fact, many of you may have used their infrastructure on your way to Connected Britain today… 

WINNER: Boldyn Networks 

The finalists were: 

ACOME Group’s Nanomodule ultra lightweight (ULW) fibre cable 

The AssetHUB Ltd 

Network on Wheels via the The One Word Project – Partnership between Worcestershire County Council, Virtuser and Telet 

Nokia – Corteca 

Openreach (Scotland’s Fair Isle) 

Pangea Connected, global cellular IoT connectivity solutions 

The Barrier Removal Award 

The winner in this category has taken an innovative approach to removing barriers for infrastructure deployment, creating a dedicated unit to spearhead public–private collaboration.  

WINNER: Glasgow City Council Telecoms Unit 

The finalists were: 

4 Fibre Limited 

Dalcour Maclaren – High Level Design review/ Land Rights Assessment 

Freedom Fibre Ltd 

MapAll, MapAll Blockages 

Swansea Bay City Deal Digital Infrastructure Programme and Local Authority Digital Champion Teams at Swansea Council, Carmarthenshire County Council, Pembrokeshire County Council and Neath Port Talbot Council 

The Community Improvement Award 

The idea that quality connectivity should benefit everyone in society is at the heart of this category’s winning entry. The winner showcased a wide range of initiatives to ensure no one is left behind on their digital journey.  

WINNER: Sunderland City Council’s Digital Inclusion Programme supported by Boldyn Networks 

The finalists were: 

BeFibre 

Cefnogi’ community engagement programme 

#CovConnects Coventry City Council 

Commsworld and SmartSTEMs: Inspiring The Next Generation 

Fibrus 

The Full Fibre ISP Innovation Award 

The winning ISP in this category has made great progress in the past year, expanding its customer base significantly thanks to great customer service and close collaboration with communities at all levels. 

WINNER: Brsk 

The finalists were: 

Gigabit IQ from Grayshott Gigabit Limited 

ITS Technology Group 

Ogi Pro 

Wifinity 

Zzoomm 

The Industrial Innovation Award 

High quality connectivity can play a huge role in health and safety in an industrial setting. The winner of this category showcased a wearable solution providing real-time data about workers and their environment, keeping everyone connected and protected.  

WINNER: Blackline Safety 

The finalists were: 

aql 

INNO Instrument 

Magdalene 

The Rising Star Award 

This was a highly competitive category, with many amazing entrants from across the industry. Our winner this year has had a huge impact on their organization, spearheading changes to the company’s operating model and helping to deliver savings of over £50 million. 

WINNER: Sophie Dunstan, Openreach 

The finalists were: 

Alan Cutler, Home Unity 

Jamie Sandles, V4 Cloud 

James Armstrong, National Grid 

Natalie Rowley, Truespeed Communications 

Ramona McGarry, Coventry City Council 

The Sustainability Award 

Sustainability has been a key them here at Connected Britain and the winner in this category is going to great lengths to reduce their carbon footprint and that of their entire supply chain. 

WINNER: Openreach Limited, Carbon Reduction Programme 

The finalists were: 

Cable and Things – Sustainable Draw Rope 

M Group Services’ Telecom Division 

Openreach Limited, Carbon Reduction Programme 

PlatformX Communications (PXC) 

STL – EcoLabelled Methodology in OFC manufacturing 

Technetix, in partnership with Virgin Media O2 

TXO 

Wildanet 

The Wireless Innovation Award 

Our final winner overcame major deployment challenges to deliver quality mobile connectivity to some of the UK’s most remote areas. The results exceeded their partner’s expectations, with the project being expanded as we go into 2025. 

WINNER: Blackspot Networks Ltd 

The finalists were: 

Iris-iot Solutions Ltd 

Mobile Private Network (MPN) by AWTG Ltd. 

The Startup of the Year Award 

WINNER: Connected 

The finalists were: 

Zim Connection

YWE Media

EV Mobiliti

Appella AI

Polaris Safety

Thinking Machine

Qomodo

HalleyX

Lumilinks 

Four items from four vendors, three in Europe and one in the US. … [visit site to read more]