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In late 2024, long-standing Netcracker customer Swisscom decided to leverage Netcracker’s cloud-native OSS and operations solutions to support its strategy of adopting TM Forum’s Open Digital Architecture to achieve decoupling and autonomy of architectural domains.

Swisscom’s use of the Netcracker Digital OSS suite allowed the operator to quickly respond to future technical and market requirements across the business through a decoupled system that increases efficiencies and removes bottlenecks. This includes an accelerated rollout of Swisscom’s new wireline access network platform and the use of Netcracker’s cross-domain service orchestration for the provisioning of connectivity services. Active Resource Inventory supplies real-time information about the network to greatly facilitate planning for new services.

“After many years of successful collaboration with Netcracker in the OSS domain, we are excited to plan for additional network transformation requirements,” said Markus Reber, Head of Networks at Swisscom. “Netcracker’s expertise and our synergies in developing a robust platform for our lines of business will help map our next steps towards a modern digital architecture.”

“The deployment of cloud-based autonomous operational domain management functional blocks brings us closer to achieving a lean and fully modular IT architecture,” said Felix Jaeger, Co-Head of Software Development at Swisscom. “By fostering closer collaboration and adopting an agile approach, we will enhance customer experience and boost operational efficiency through the creation of simpler IT solutions.”

“We greatly value our partnership with Swisscom, including helping it reach the next level in its IT transformation,” said Benedetto Spaziani, GM at Netcracker. “We are delighted to work closely with Swisscom to continue the success we’ve already achieved and are looking forward to many more milestones.”

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Philippines-based operator PLDT has revealed its interest in acquiring private equity firm KKR’s stake in fintech company Maya Innovations.

PLDT chairman and CEO Manuel Pangilinan stated during an earnings briefing that the company wants to increase its stake in Maya and has engaged Goldman Sachs to explore a potential transaction. Maya competes with Globe Telecom’s financial services platform GCash, which is operated by Mynt.

According to DealStreetAsia, KKR holds around 30% of shares in Maya, but it remains unclear whether the investment firm intends to sell its stake.

Pangilinan told reporters: “We know they (KKR) are trying to scan the market for the value of Maya. Maya is just starting to turn the corner, so we’d be keen to increase our stake in whatever might be available.”

PLDT noted that Maya Innovations turned a profit for the first time in December, driven by strong performance from its digital banking arm.

Founded in 2013, Maya offers mobile money and payments under the PayMaya brand, remittances through Smart Padala, and B2B card payments as PayMaya Business.

PLDT and KKR, alongside Tencent and the International Finance Corporation, invested US$215 million in Maya in 2018 and backed its US$120 million funding round in 2020.

PLDT’s enterprise arm has announced plans to introduce “long-range fixed wireless access” technology to underserved areas across the Philippines with challenging terrain.

While specific locations and a deployment timeline have not been disclosed, PLDT pledges to deliver “fibre-like speeds” capable of supporting high-bandwidth applications such as cloud computing and e-commerce. By eliminating the need for physical cables, PLDT Enterprise emphasised that FWA is a more cost-effective solution that can be deployed regardless of geographic limitations.

“At PLDT Enterprise, we recognise that reliable connectivity is a critical enabler of economic growth. Through long-range fixed wireless access, we can ensure that no business—regardless of location—is left behind in the digital transformation journey,” said John Gonzales, First Vice President and Head of Enterprise Consulting Services and Technology Management at PLDT Enterprise.

Five significant buildouts and upgrades to note from metros around the US: … [visit site to read more]

Ethio Telecom launched seven new cloud-based enterprise services on Wednesday – ranging from banking and push-to-talk communications to cattle management – which it says are designed to streamline operations and elevate customer service.

The new cloud-based core banking solution, targeted at micro-finance institutions and savings and credit cooperatives, promises to modernize their operations, expand their reach, drive financial inclusion and enable scalable growth by eliminating the need for costly on-premises infrastructure.

The solution is also integrated with Ethio Telecom’s Telebirr mobile money platform, which it says enables convenient and secure mobile payments for loan disbursements, repayments, and savings contributions.

Ethio Telecom also launched a push-to-talk/video (PTT/PTV) service aimed at sectors such as security, construction, transportation and hospitality that use trunked radio systems for communication. The PTT/PTV service offers a cost-effective cellular-based alternative that uses regular smartphones and also supports multimedia messaging, location-based services and geofencing.

Meanwhile, the real-time digital cattle tracking solution leverages RFID, GPS and mobile technologies to enable farmers and ranchers to monitor their livestock in real time, track their location, and assess their health status. The service is also integrated with Telebirr, and additionally provides a service for streamlining insurance claims.

Other cloud-based services include an education management system to optimise learning environments and administration, an office collaboration and productivity solution, a cloud-based contact centre offering and an integrated ERP solution that consolidates key functions such as finance, HR, supply chain and customer relationship management onto a unified system hosted on Ethio Telecom’s cloud.

Ethio Telecom said it has over 456 enterprise customers and partners using its cloud and data centre services.

News from around the world plus the American southwest: … [visit site to read more]

Telefónica has announced a US$1.2 billion deal to sell its entire stake in its Argentinian unit to Telecom Argentina, though the transaction could be blocked by government intervention over competition concerns.

In a brief statement, Telefónica said the deal is part of its strategy to reduce exposure in Latin America and create value for shareholders. The announcement follows speculation about Telefónica divesting from multiple Latin American markets, including Mexico and Peru.

Telecom Argentina stated that the acquisition will be financed through loans and that it plans to invest in fibre and 5G deployment in the coming years, while also expanding its capabilities in video on demand, IoT, corporate services, fintech, e-commerce, AI, and cloud services.

Telecom Argentina CEO Roberto Nobile said: “With this transaction, Telecom once again demonstrates its commitment to continued investment in Argentina, despite the current macroeconomic conditions, which provide certainty and stability for private and competitive investment.”

Argentina’s telecoms regulator ENACOM and competition authority CNDC have been instructed by President Javier Milei to investigate whether the deal would create a monopoly.

A translated statement from the Office of the President warned that the acquisition could give Telecom Argentina control over 70% of the country’s telecommunications services, effectively creating a monopoly that has benefited from decades of state support.

“If this is the case, the national government will take all necessary measures to prevent it,” the statement added.

Telecom Argentina and Telefónica originally acquired divisions of the state-owned monopoly ENTel in 1990, when Argentina moved to privatise its telecoms sector.

From the legendary Maasai warriors to the annual great migration of wildebeest and zebra, Kenya has no lack of cultural and natural wonders. One thing the country does lack, however, is the application of digital technologies. According to data from the Communications Authority of Kenya, just 58% of Kenyans were connected to the Internet in 2024.

Call from the silent world

« Kuwa Nawe, Kua Nawe. » Thirteen-year-old student Melisa Ngami uses sign language to express this Swahili phrase, which means, « Be with you, grow with you ».

Melisa studies at Machakos School for the Deaf, which is located more than 60 kilometers from downtown Nairobi. Like all teenagers, the students at this school are curious about the world.

« My learners are visual learners. They can hear sometimes. They need to see something to relate with it. Because they use their eyes to learn, and learning has been quite hard, » explains Kenneth Bidan, Teacher, Machakos School for the Deaf.

Schools in Kenya are mainly limited to traditional teaching methods, where teachers write on a blackboard and students take notes. This is not sufficient for enabling curious students to learn new things. Moreover, the unbalanced distribution of educational resources in Kenya exacerbates learning challenges for deaf students.

Technology delivers an answer

Today, teachers and students at Machakos School for the Deaf are witnessing positive changes. This is thanks to Huawei’s TECH4ALL initiative, together with UNESCO and the Government of Kenya, including the Ministry of Education, Kenya Institute of Special Education, Ministry of IC&DE and ICT Authority. Including Machakos School for the Deaf, the project has so far connected 30 schools to the Internet through optical fiber networks, in turn transforming them into inclusive digital schools.

Machakos’ students can now unlock the potential of visual learning and access a wealth of online materials such as images and videos. More intuitive and easily digestible content allows the students enjoy a more relaxing and pleasant learning experience.

« On the Internet, I can learn sign language quickly, and also learn English and Math. I have become more confident,”signs Melisa Ngami, a student at Machakos School for Deaf.

Using the high-speed all-optical network, Kenya Institute of Special Education (KISE) provides live distance learning classes and high-quality online teaching materials for Machakos School for the Deaf, allowing students to interact with KISE’s education experts in real time.

« We offer online and offline training and courses for teachers and students with special educational needs,” says Dr. Zipporah Nudge a lecturer at the Department of Hearing and Communication Difficulties for KISE. “We have live streaming for students learning. We also have online classes for teachers.”

Dr. Nudge believes that the network can save time and resources, and ensure consistent course quality and educational resource distribution across the country.

“We ensure that whatever content is shared reaches the students, live from KISE. And the students will be getting the same materials as those that are in urban centers, even in the remotest parts of this country,” she adds.

Connecting Kenya with optical networks

Digital technologies are critical to the development of modern education. Lamine Mamadou Sow, Chief of Education, UNESCO Regional Office for East Africa, states that one of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals is to provide quality and inclusive education as well as lifelong learning opportunities for all.

Connectivity, capabilities, and content are the three key dimensions for education development.

« We see ICT as an equalizer because ICT has the potential to reach out to disadvantaged children and people on low-incomes wherever they are in rural places. It’s a bridge,” explains Sow.“It’s something that can provide equity and inclusion in education so that all children can have equal access to learning opportunities and quality education resources. I am delighted to see that the DigiSchool project was successfully launched with the support of UNESCO, partners, and Huawei’s TECH4ALL initiative. »

Connectivity is the first step in transforming into digital schools. Huawei’s all-optical access and FTTR-B solutions enable all-optical Wi-Fi connections and high-speed networks for online courses and live classes, empowering students and teachers with digital capabilities. The 30 all-optical digital schools so far connected consist of 4 girls’ schools, 6 schools for deaf children, and 20 standard primary and secondary schools.

The project has benefited more than 12,000 teachers and students in remote areas of Kenya.

Huawei also supported M-PESA Foundation Academy, which serves talented but economically disadvantaged students with demonstrated leadership potential, and has a high-speed fibre network and campus-wide Wi-Fi provided by Safaricom.  According to Paul Ngugi, Head of Technology and Learning Innovation at M-PESA Foundation Academy, the academy integrates digital technologies into teaching to cultivate talent for Kenya’s digital future.

« The high-speed all-optical network co-provided with Huawei turns our vision into reality and drives the development of digital education,”states Ngugi.

Kenya is transforming digitally at a rapid pace. The government has launched the Digital Superhighway Project, which involves constructing a high-speed fiber network spanning 100,000 km that will, among other outcomes, connect all schools in Kenya by 2030.

Thomas Bwaley, Director for Programmes & Standards for the ICT Authority, explains that, « Cooperating with partners such as Huawei, the Kenyan government provides high-speed Internet and Wi-Fi connectivity for educational institutions using all-optical access technologies. This can improve learning experiences and allow students in remote area to have the same opportunities as those in developed regions, bridging the education gap across the country.”  

The Kenya Digital Superhighway Project will connect 100,000 institutions and markets across Kenya. The increasing number of fiber connections in the last mile will drive the digitalization of a diverse range of industries, including e-commerce and healthcare.

“Now we are building 25,000 public Wi-Fi hotspots and 1,450 digital hubs to bridge the digital divide and boost Kenya’s digital economy,” says Bwaley. 

With MetroConnect underway down in Florida, there should be plenty of regional and last mile news to take a look at this week.  Here’s a start: … [visit site to read more]