During MWC 25 Barcelona, Huawei held the Intelligent Operations Summit to bring together global carriers, industry partners, and industry organizations and discuss how carriers can upgrade their operations in the intelligent era, enabling new experiences and of course new growth.

Addressing the summit, Xun Su, President of Huawei Global Technical Service Dept, said: “In the next decade, operators will accelerate the intelligent operations process. By in-depth integration of digital twins and GenAI+Predictive AI, a new operations paradigm of ‘human + AI agent collaboration’ is built, and scenario-based value closure is implemented along the end user journey and carrier value stream.”

User Journey: Provides Rich Digital Intelligence Services and Improves E2E NPS Experience

Carriers are increasingly using AI to enhance their services, creating rich digital intelligence services to enhance their customers’ lives. In Africa, Huawei Mobile Money has benefited from AI integration, with customers now able to expand from mobile payments to other mobile financial services. By the end of FY 2024, Huawei Mobile Money  generated more than US$900 million in mobile finance revenue. At the same time, operators are using digital twins and AI technologies to reshape the end-to-end NPS journey. In the Asia Pacific region, Huawei helps customers implement multi-agent collaboration, streamline processes and data breakpoints between AICC and SmartCare, reduce the user complaint rate by 30%, and improve the service NPS. In China, Operator has worked with Huawei to build a leading N-NPS network. The detractor is reduced by 20% and the NPS is improved by 8%.

Value Stream Journey: Build « 3A » Best Cognitive Network to Monetize Differentiated Experiences

Using its pioneering network experience, Huawei has built a « 3A » experience-based network to ensure real-time service awareness, KPI/KQI achievable, and differentiated experience assurance.

Converged data and AI are used to accurately identify user profiles, helping carriers recommend appropriate packages to users at an opportune time through relevant channels. This represents a shift from only monetizing traffic to monetizing experience.

For value scenarios and services, the spatiotemporal digital twin is used to transform from best-effort to differentiated experience assurance. Huawei helps carriers build optimal delivery drivers  experience networks. In one quarter, 380,000 delivery drivers subscribed the package, and the revenue increases by 6%. Huawei uses the SRCON spatiotemporal digital twin technology to help operators build optimal live broadcast experience networks. The uplink rate experienced increases from 3 Mbit/s to over 5 Mbit/s.

Value stream journey: Upgrade the operations mode from cost center to value center

Richer service scenarios and more complex network architecture place higher requirements on network stability and operations. This means that the operations mode must be upgraded; its focus must shift from ‘people + tools’ to ‘people + AI agents’ to improve efficiency and effectiveness. Huawei has partnered with  a carrier to build the Digital Intelligence Operation Center (DIOC), which combines NOC, SOC, and NPM to reduce traffic loss by 8.4%. Huawei FME (field maintenance engineer) copilot helps onsite maintenance engineers reduce unnecessary site visits and improve the MTTR by 30%.

Xun Su called on operators to seize the opportunities presented by comprehensive intelligence, embracing human-agent collaboration, real-time data awareness, and high-quality CoT (Chain of Thought). Answering questions as a chatbot is no longer enough – operators must use intelligent operations to resolve these questions by completing tasks. However, there must also be collaboration between people and AI agents, real-time data awareness, and a high-quality chain of thought (CoT) corpus. This approach will help to resolve questions and tasks.

The CoT capability of  GenAI+ Predictive AI collaboration combines with the real-time simulation of digital twins to solve scenario-based problems and realize value closed-loop – i.e. creating value for operators. Operations should be service-oriented rather than network-oriented, and resolving issues relating to high-value services should be prioritized.

By implementing intelligent operations, telcos will be able to solve these scenario-based problems and realise closed-loop value, enabling new growth.

TIM Group’s global operator Sparkle and Al-Bawaba for Telecommunications and Informatics, a Libyan ISP provider offering a wide range of ICT solutions, say they have enhanced their commercial partnership to provide international connectivity services to and from Libya.

The agreement is based on a state-of-the-art fully redundant infrastructure, which relies on Al-Bawaba’s Libyan national backbone and on Sparkle’s international capacity for the provision of Ethernet MPLS connectivity services to corporate customers.

As a result, say the partners, Sparkle and Al-Bawaba will provide end-to-end solutions combined with value-added services and customer care, leveraging Sparkle’s portfolio and international presence and Al-Bawaba’s local support.

Barbara Sole, Head of Data Sales for Africa at Sparkle, explains: « By combining our global expertise and extensive submarine cable network with Al Bawaba’s strong local presence and market knowledge, we are committed to delivering enhanced connectivity solutions that will empower businesses across Libya. »

Established in 2012, Al-Bawaba specialises in data connectivity solutions for multinational enterprises, government entities, NGOs, incumbent telecom operators, ISPs, and mobile operators.

As a strategic partner of Sparkle, Al-Bawaba offers a robust and secure international network, leveraging protected international private leased circuit (IPLC), Ethernet-over-SDH (EoS), and multiprotocol label switching (MPLS)-capable submarine and terrestrial fibre infrastructure.

This is the latest big announcement in what appears to be a busy period for Sparkle. During MWC25, Sparkle and Turkcell signed a memorandum of understanding on a subsea cable solution connecting Izmir to Milan.

More recently, Sparkle, Gold Data and Liberty Networks, the partners behind MANTA, a new subsea cable system connecting Mexico and the USA with Central and Latin America, announced that SubCom had been chosen for the design, manufacture, and installation of the MANTA system.

A few items from around the world to keep up with: … [visit site to read more]

Abu Dhabi’s Department of Government Enablement has announced an agreement with Microsoft and Core42, a G42 company specialising in sovereign cloud, AI infrastructure and digital services. G42 is an artificial intelligence development company based in Abu Dhabi.

The agreement, say the partners, will create a unified, high-performance sovereign cloud computing environment capable of processing more than 11 million daily digital interactions between Abu Dhabi government entities, citizens, residents and businesses.

The government’s ambition is to enable the world’s first fully AI-native government by 2027, one committed to three goals in particular: enhancing government services to be more efficient and accessible for citizens and residents; creating greater transparency and security for businesses and investors; and fostering a more resilient and innovative environment for the public sector workforce.

Abu Dhabi aims to automate 100% of its government processes, supported by US$3.54 billion investment in digital infrastructure through the Abu Dhabi Government Digital Strategy 2025-2027.

This strategy will see over 200 AI-driven solutions deployed to improve public service delivery, boost operational productivity, and contribute to environmental sustainability.

In fact the government can already cite innovations such as TAMM 3.0, Abu Dhabi’s one-stop government services app, which has reduced the number of offline customer visits by 90% and made more than 73% of transactions instantaneous.

G42 was in the news recently when G42 and Thailand International Digital Business & Finance Centre (TIDC) announced a strategic partnership aimed at enhancing Thailand’s digital infrastructure, particularly in cloud technology and AI innovation.

We also reported in February that UAE-based telco e& had sold its 40% stake in another UAE company, Khazna Data Centres, to co-owner G42 for US$2.2 billion.

Four regional infrastructure deals from around the US to catch up with. … [visit site to read more]

Four interesting projects to catch up with, two in Europe and two in Latin America. … [visit site to read more]

ZTE Corporation has unveiled a range of new, AI-enabled devices during MWC2025 in Barcelona, under the banner of its « AI for All » product strategy.

They include a new full-screen smartphone and devices catering for the gaming, photography, fashion and music markets, as well as a lineup of AI-enabled fixed-wireless access (FWA) and mobile broadband (MBB) products featuring 5G-Advanced and Wi-Fi 7.

ZTE says it is creating a  “full-scenario intelligent ecosystem” connecting person. vehicle and home, with a goal to ensure that every consumer can benefit from the efficiency, enhanced functionality and “emotional resonance” brought by AI.

In cooperation with its long-established global partners, including Qualcomm, Unisoc and Google, ZTE is committed to integrating world-leading AI capabilities across its smartphone and FWA & MBB product lines, explained Ni Fei, SVP of ZTE Corporation and President of ZTE Mobile Devices.

nubia expanding ZTE’s global market presence

In the AI era, smartphones are evolving into a comprehensive intelligent platform that seamlessly integrates connectivity, interaction, services, and entertainment, explained Fei. AI‘s most significant benefit is to upgrade the user interaction, with intelligent agents replacing traditional apps as the main consumer interface

« By seamlessly connecting multi-modal architectures with advanced AI large-language models (LLMs), we are transforming how users interact with technology across photography, gaming, translation, and AI generated content.” 

Working with Google, ZTE is accelerating AI transformation in overseas markets, where all new products under its nubia brand will integrate Gemini, Google’s AI model, combined with Google Cloud’s scalable, secure, and high-performance infrastructure, says Fei.

ZTE says it has seen overseas smartphone shipments surge by over 60% since 2024, with notable market share gains across Latin America, Southeast Asia, Africa, and Europe. 

nubia is now present in more than 30 countries and regions, and is “accelerating its global expansion with AI-driven devices offerings” fueled by gaming- and photography-centric product portfolios as well as “elevated product tiers, expansive sales channels, an enriched ecosystem, and strengthened localized marketing efforts,” says the company.

ZTE introduces “world-first” AI-powered FWA & MBB products

In the FWA and MBB market, ZTE points to partnerships with more than 130 operators in over 100 countries, and shipments amounting to more than 250 million devices globally, including 7 million 5G FWA & MBB units. The latest report from international consultancy firm, TSR, ranks ZTE as world No.1 in the FWA & MBB market, while ABI Research recognizes ZTE as the overall leader, top innovator, and top implementer in its 5G Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) CPE Vendor Competitive Assessment report.

ZTE’s full-stack AI FWA solution incorporates six core AI-driven features: AI Multi-Scenario Application, AI QoS Management, AI Voice Control, AI Application Recognition, AI Children Protection, and real-time AI Network Optimization, says the company.

First of the three new AI FWA & MBB products unveiled during MWC2025, the ZTE G5 Ultra is a 5G-Advanced device capable of delivering peak speed of up to 19Gbps. It supports tri-band Wi-Fi 7, dual 2.5Gbps network ports, and integrates AI voice control and AI QoS management. By leveraging advanced AI algorithms, the ZTE G5 Ultra dynamically optimizes network performance, ensuring seamless connectivity for online gaming, 4K streaming, and remote work, says ZTE.

Secondly, the ZTE G5 Max Wi-Fi is a  Wi-Fi 7/mmWave FWA device supporting both Sub-6GHz and mmWave carrier aggregation with peak speeds of up to 10Gbps. Featuring a 30dBi ultra-high-gain antenna design, it ensures stable signal reception at up to 6km coverage in outdoor environments, dramatically improving both downlink and uplink speeds, and decreasing power consumption, according to ZTE.

Finally, the ZTE U60 Pro is claimed to be the world’s fastest Wi-Fi 7 5G Mobile device, capable of delivering peak speeds of 3.6Gbps. A 10,000mAh battery supports up to 16 hours of working time, and dual-band Wi-Fi 7, fast charging, and reverse charging capabilities provide convenient power-sharing for other mobile devices.

All three products support ZTE’s GIS (Green, artificial Intelligence, Security) product philosophy, which uses AI-driven technologies to optimize network performance, says the vendor. Key features include Green Energy Efficiency, with AI-driven energy-saving strategies that learn from user behavior to optimize power consumption; AI-Powered Intelligence, with ZTE’s AI Super Antenna, ensuring reliable connectivity even in weak signal areas; and Smart Network Optimization, which dynamically allocates bandwidth to improve efficiency and reduce congestion.

Partnership-driven FWA & MBB leadership

All three FWA & MBB products feature Qualcomm’s Dragonwing FWA Gen 3 platform with the Snapdragon X75 5G Modem-RF System, and promise to set a new benchmark in 5G performance, energy efficiency, spectrum flexibility and connectivity, says ZTE.

“FWA provides a cost-effective and flexible alternative to wired broadband enabling high-speed internet access in underserved parts of the world and remote areas,” said Rahul Patel, Group GM Connectivity, Broadband and Networking at Qualcomm Technologies.

Qualcomm’s collaboration with ZTE has been instrumental in driving innovation and excellence, and in the FWA market, the two companies have  together achieved remarkable milestones including the development of cutting edge AI-based FWA solutions, said Patel.

“This is the power of partnership. ZTE has consistently demonstrated its leadership in the FWA marketplace maintaining a strong position for many years. ZTE’s expansive portfolio backed by Qualcomm’s advanced AI-driven technology solutions showcases the two companies’ dedication to innovation and commitment to excellence in the FWA market.”

The Zambia Tourism Agency (ZTA) and operator Airtel Zambia have signed what the two groups describe as a landmark memorandum of understanding (MoU) to enhance tourism planning and development using anonymised telecommunications data.

The aim of this strategic collaboration is to provide critical insights into visitor movement trends, enabling data-driven decision-making to promote and develop Zambia’s tourism sector.

In order to make this happen, Airtel Zambia will supply aggregated and anonymised data on traffic movement in designated tourism areas. The company emphasises that it will also ensure full compliance with data privacy regulations and maintain strict confidentiality for subscribers.

By analysing these insights, ZTA says it will gain a clearer understanding of visitor trends, peak travel periods, and mobility patterns, ultimately leading to more effective tourism strategies and policies.

ZTA Chief Executive Officer, Mr Matongo Matamwandi, explains: “In the tourism sector, performance is typically measured through international tourist arrivals, domestic tourist visits, tourism receipts, hotel occupancy rates, length of stay and tourist spending. While the Ministry of Tourism is currently working on a Tourism Satellite Account (TSA) to provide a more structured measurement of the sector’s contribution to GDP, ZTA has sought alternative methods to measure domestic tourism performance. This partnership with Airtel will enable us to access domestic tourism data through mobile phone analytics, supplementing existing data sources from heritage sites, museums, and national parks, which do not provide a comprehensive picture of domestic tourism activities.”

Among major attractions in Zambia are the Zambezi River, safari experiences, and, of course, Victoria Falls.

Zayo has won the competition to acquire Crown Castle’s fiber business, fulfilling the rumors that have been spilling out since January. On Friday, the infrastructure provider announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Crown’s fiber assets, customers, etc for $4.25B. Meanwhile, in a parallel but separate deal, EQT will acquire Crown Castle’s small cell business. … [visit site to read more]

With the rise of AI has come vast investments in new data centers around the world.  But still getting less attention is how all that AI infrastructure will be connected to itself and to everything else.  But network operators are definitely gearing up to take on the challenge.  With us today to talk about GTT’s approach is Gary Sidhu, SVP for Product Engineering. … [visit site to read more]