Telecel Group, an Africa-focused provider of digital and communications services, has announced a major investment in its wholly owned subsidiary Telecel Global Services (TGS), a leading telecommunication service provider for operators and enterprise clients globally with a particular focus on Africa.

Telecel Group and Africa Credit Opportunities Fund (ACOF), a sector-agnostic debt fund that invests in a range of credit opportunities in sub-Saharan Africa, have entered into a strategic partnership to invest US$20 million debt in TGS, to improve connectivity, digitalisation and e-commerce in West Africa and across the continent.

TGS provides a number of services, including cloud, firewall solutions, cybersecurity and data centres,  to more than 350 telecom operators through its hubs in New York, London and South Africa.

Details of how the partership will effect its aims have yet to be shared but it is no secret that Telecel Group has ambitions to expand in Africa, to develop digital and mobile offerings, or to buy all or part of operators on the continent, via its subsidiaries TGS, Telecel Mobile and Telecel Play.

The company made headlines last year in Ghana, where it obtained the green light in January 2023 to acquire 70% of Vodafone Ghana. The Telecel Group is now gearing up to fully rebrand Vodafone Ghana to Telecel by the end of February 2024. The rebranding will cover Vodafone Ghana and its three subsidiaries, Vodafone Wholesale, Vodafone Cash and Vodafone Ghana Foundation.

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This Industry Viewpoint was authored by N Shashidhar, VP & Global platform head, EdgeVerve

In the digital age, telecom is more than just a sector—it’s the ultimate digital influencer, pioneering tech revolutions and ensuring we’re always plugged in. But behind the veneer of seamless connections and next-gen services lies a complex labyrinth of operational challenges ranging from intricate contract negotiations to maintaining high customer service standards. … [visit site to read more]

ZTE Corporation has secured a place on the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) ‘A-List’ in recognition of its leadership in corporate transparency and performance on climate change.

Based on data reported through CDP’s 2023 Climate Change questionnaire, ZTE is one of the 346 companies that achieved an ‘A’ out of over 21,000 companies scored. 

CDP is a not-for-profit that runs the world’s environmental disclosure system for companies, cities, states and regions. CDP environmental database and scores are widely used to drive investment and procurement decisions towards a zero carbon, sustainable and resilient economy. CDP ‘A List’ recognizes companies that have played a leading role worldwide in mitigating climate change through formulating robust strategy and taking bold actions. ZTE’s inclusion on the ‘A List’ highlights the company’s commitment and leadership in environmental transparency and sustainable development.

Proactively practising the philosophy of green development, ZTE has been actively engaging in the global transition to a decarbonized economy. The company is committed to moving toward green with digital innovation across four major dimensions: green operation, green supply chain, green digital infrastructure, and green empowerment, facilitating the rapid transition of diverse industries onto the path of green development. Notably, ZTE announced its participation in the ‘Science-Based Targets initiative’ (SBTi) in May 2023, embodying the company’s endeavor to make a substantial contribution to driving global economic growth towards a greener and more sustainable future.

ZTE currently holds more than 650 green innovation patents. In 2023, the company added 22MW of photovoltaic power generation capacity, marking a remarkable 700% YoY growth. Collaborating with over 1000 global top partners, ZTE actively engages in 5G+ innovation and green initiatives. Additionally, the company has established the ‘Green Supply Chain’ through close collaboration with upstream and downstream partners. In 2023, it completed carbon audits on 150 suppliers and was recognized as a national-level green supply chain management enterprise.

In collaboration with Sinotrans and Lufthansa Cargo, ZTE has pioneered the development of an end-to-end carbon neutralization solution within the realm of green logistics in 2023, marking a remarkable achievement in the international logistics ecological chain. By ensuring the complete carbon neutralization green transportation of its finished products, starting from ZTE’s Global 5G Intelligent Manufacturing Base in Nanjing, China, and culminating in their arrival at the warehouse in Madrid, Spain, the company has realized a seamless, environmentally-friendly process. Moreover, this approach guarantees the accurate calculation, verification, and certification of the carbon footprint throughout the entire transportation journey.

Looking ahead, ZTE will remain unwavering in its commitment to upholding the principles of sustainable development. Placing a strong emphasis on green operations as an integral part of its corporate ethos, ZTE aims to integrate environmental responsibility throughout the entire industry chain, actively contributing to high-quality development through its environmental and sustainable initiatives. 

A Singaporean technology group is expanded into the broader managed services sector beyond Singapore via a contract with a leading Malaysian operator.

TeleChoice International Limited, a regional diversified provider and enabler of innovative communications products and services, has won a fourth party logistics (4PL) managed services contract from one of Malaysia’s major operators, U Mobile. This will be carried out by TeleChoice’s wholly owned subsidiary, Planet Telecoms Managed Services.

The contract, estimated at S$500 million  (US$372.2 million) over three years, involves the provision of 4PL managed services, providing a comprehensive suite of solutions for supply chain management.

PTMS’s role includes device procurement, whereby PTMS will act as a buying house and manage the sourcing and inventory of new devices, aligning with market demand. PTMS will also oversee the warehousing, logistics and distribution of devices, including last-mile delivery, ensuring timely delivery across Malaysia. 

In the area of inventory management PTMS will implement real-time inventory systems to allow U Mobile to respond quickly to market needs. 

Finally, PTMS will take on comprehensive management of U Mobile’s extensive distribution network consisting of over 600 retail and channel touchpoints across Malaysia, aiming to provide a consistent and smooth experience for customers, from online ordering to in- store pickups. 

Wong Heang Tuck, CEO of U Mobile, says: “Through this partnership with TeleChoice and PTMS we will be able to enhance and expand the range of devices made available to our customers by leveraging on their expertise and experience as an end-to-end 4PL managed services provider. From initial touchpoints to final service delivery, the integration of technologies and streamlined processes will deliver efficiency and reliability within our supply chain, resulting in a seamless and positive experience for our customers.“

A couple of M&A moves, and some regional infrastructure contracts of note.  One each from the US and the UK. … [visit site to read more]

Malaysian operator Maxis has been reportedly hit by a cyberattack from an international hacking group that claims to have stolen internal data and posted it on the dark web.

On Monday, according to the Soya Cincau website, the R00TK1T ISC Cyber Team posted several screenshots purported to be a backend system belonging to Maxis. The group said it would start releasing Maxis customer data in the following few days.

Later on Monday, Maxis said in a statement that it was investigating the claim.

“While we did not identify anything related to our own systems, we identified a suspected incident involving unauthorised access to one of our third-party vendor systems that resides outside of Maxis’ internal network environment” the telco said. “We are working with them to investigate further and have also informed the relevant authorities.”

Maxis didn’t name the third-party vendor, or say whether the incident was related to the claims made by R00TK1T.

On Tuesday, according to Cyber Express, R00TK1T posted details of the alleged cyberattack on the dark web and on its Telegram channel. The group claimed to have exploited a compromised single sign-on user access to the FortiGate Firewall, which gave it access to sensitive Maxis employee data, including employee IDs, names, business emails, and work locations at Maxis retail stores.

R00TK1T also posted stolen Maxis data such as “MAC addresses, connection details on the Maxis Wi-Fi network, and administrative access to the Maxis Interactive Retail Assistant (MIRA) dashboard”, the Cyber Express report said.

R00TK1T said it would continue to release data until Maxis publicly admits that it was breached. Maxis had not responded to the latest claims as we went to post.

The Maxis cyberattack is part of a broader campaign by R00TK1T, which issued a statement on January 26 announcing its intention to attack Malaysia’s digital infrastructure. Since then, the group has claimed to have successfully hacked Malaysian network solutions and system integrator Aminia and online education website YouTutor.

On January 30, Malaysia’s Natonal Cyber Coordination and Command Centre (NC4) issued an alert warning all Malaysian organisations to implement essential preventive measures in order to safeguard against attacks.

NC4 also said it believes  R00TK1T is « part of a retaliation team against the cyber campaign stemming from the Middle East conflict. Historical data reveals that the threat actor has previously targeted various sectors in multiple countries, including education, transportation, healthcare, telecommunications, and ICT services, by exploiting known vulnerabilities and enlisting the assistance of insider threats and disgruntled employees. »

NC4 also advised the R00TK1T campaign could last for several weeks.