Artificial intelligence (AI) underpins two recent announcements in the Latin American region – one from technology giant Microsoft and the other from Wi-Fi optimisation specialist Galgus.

Microsoft has announced that it will invest US$1.3 billion over the next three years to build up its infrastructure in Mexico for cloud computing and artificial intelligence.

The company says the investment will go towards improving connectivity and boosting the adoption of AI technology by small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs). The initiative aims to reach five million Mexicans and 30,000 SMBs in three years.

According to Reuters, Mexican firms such as breadmaker Bimbo and cement producer Cemex already use Microsoft’s AI tools.

Meanwhile Galgus, a provider of Wi-Fi optimisation solutions, and Sysman, a specialist in data-driven city planning and management, have joined forces to create smart and safe cities in Latin America through AI-powered Wi-Fi technology

Sysman offers and presents information in an understandable way, allowing municipal administrations to gain a broad view of real situations, identify needs and propose potential solutions.

This facilitates informed decision-making on the most relevant aspects of the city, such as public safety, by monitoring occupancy levels and the flow of people, as well as keeping an eye on potential suspicious activity in critical areas.

These data will now be optimised thanks to Galgus’ location and presence analytics technology, which, the company says, offers unmatched precision in device counting and tracking through AI algorithms that can even detect non-connected devices and those that randomise their MAC addresses.

Additionally, with this partnership agreement Galgus says it is making significant strides in improving connectivity in cities, as its AI-powered Wi-Fi technology delivers high performance even in crowded areas. Furthermore, it suggests that it is shaping the convergence of Wi-Fi and 5G networks, providing users with a seamless experience.

Several international bits of news from the middle of this week to catch up with: … [visit site to read more]

Indonesian telco XL Axiata says it has launched a new prepaid SIM card registration process that uses facial recognition technology as a biometric ID verification measure, following a successful trial earlier this month.

In a statement circulated late last week, XL Axiata said that its prepaid customers will be required to scan their face using designated devices during the prepaid card registration process. The biometric data will be automatically cross-checked with government identity databases to verify the customer’s identity.

XL Axiata claims that facial recognition technology enables more precise identity verification, which will streamline the prepaid registration process. The technology also complies with industry Know Your Customer (KYC) protocols to ensure data accuracy and reduce the risk of fraud or identity theft.

The telco also said the biometric technology will help it comply with the Indonesian government’s regulations on prepaid number registration that claim to “enhance security and prevent the misuse of telecommunication services.”

XL Axiata staged a public trial of the biometric prepaid card registration process at XL Center Gandaria City in Jakarta, on September 12. The trial was supervised by the Ministry of Communication and Informatics of the Republic of Indonesia (Kominfo).

« We believe this innovation will bring convenience, enhance security, improve speed, and minimize the risk of data forgery or duplicate identities, » said Yessie D. Yosetya, director and chief enterprise business and corporate affairs officer at XL Axiata.

Use of facial recognition technology has been ramping up in Indonesia, particularly among government agencies and companies, with much of it applied to immigration checkpoints.

On Monday, Vision-Box said it had implemented over 150 biometric touchpoints using facial recognition at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Jakarta and I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali.

In July, Indonesia Immigration implemented an automated border control system using facial recognition for the international seaport at Batam Centre.

Last month, state railway company KAI said it will introduce a new CCTV system with face recognition technology to identify and blacklist passengers involved in criminal activities.

Also last month, according to the Jakarta Post, the state-owned Health Care and Social Security Agency (BPJS Kesehatan) said it will use facial recognition to identify its policyholders with the aim of combating fraud in the National Health Insurance (JKN) system.

According to Statista, Indonesia’s facial recognition market is projected to reach US$68.16 million this year and grow at a CAGR of 9.3% to US$116.60 million by 2030.

A contactless boarding pass system is set to reduce waiting times and create a better travel experience for passengers at India’s airports, according to air transport technology giant SITA.

SITA is installing its Smart Path technology across nine Indian airports in a partnership with Airports Authority of India (AAI). Part of the wider DigiYatra initiative, the collaboration introduces SITA’s contactless boarding pass system to reduce waiting times, creating a seamless travel experience for passengers, and improves airport efficiency for every traveller.

DigiYatra is an industry-led initiative that uses facial recognition technology to make terminal entry and security clearance at an airport a seamless, hassle-free, and paperless process. DigiYatra is a decentralised mobile-based ID storage platform where air travellers can save their IDs and travel documents.

AAI will use SITA’s products and solutions, including SITA Smart Path, Passenger Flow Management (PFM) solution and Face Pods. These technologies offer biometric solutions at most touchpoints across the airport, meaning a contact-free travel experience across nine Indian airports.

SITA says its biometric technology will transform the way travellers navigate through Indian airports. Sumesh Patel, President, APAC, SITA says: « It is vital in this connected era that travel across the globe is as seamless as possible, and we are ready to help India continue to innovate in their digitalisation efforts with SITA technology as the DigiYatra initiative spreads across India. »

In 2023, over 20 million users experienced DigiYatra, and with its upcoming availability at 28 Indian airports, DigiYatra aims to cover approximately 90% of India’s domestic flying population. The Ministry of Civil Aviation-led DigiYatra Foundation plans to align with the International Air Transport Association (IATA)’s One ID initiative for global interoperability, further improving the seamless travel experience.

In July 2023, SITA announced a deal with AAI to provide technology to 43 of India’s biggest airports. The deal will see improvements to over 2,700 passenger touchpoints, signifying one of the largest deployments for passenger processing.

SITA has been working with the Indian government since 1952 and is a supporter of the Make In India initiative.

SITA, or Société Internationale de Télécommunications Aéronautiques, was founded in 1949 by eleven airlines in order to bring about shared infrastructure cost efficiency by combining their communications networks.

Keep up-to-date with all the latest news, articles, event and product updates posted on Developing Telecoms.
Subscribe to our FREE weekly email newsletters for the latest telecom info in developing and emerging markets globally.

This Industry Viewpoint was authored by Dario Betti, CEO of the Mobile Ecosystem Forum

The UK government wants to crackdown on “snatch thefts” of smartphones; an estimated 78,000 Brits had their phones stolen on the streets in the year up to March 2024 – a rise of over 150% compared to the previous 12 months. The government wants a technology solution, but technology by itself might not be able to address the root cause. … [visit site to read more]

Safaricom and Mastercard announced on Thursday that they have signed a partnership to accelerate adoption of payment acceptance and cross-border remittance services in Kenya.

Under the terms of the partnership, Safaricom will embed Mastercard’s omnichannel acceptance solutions for the 636,000 merchants using Safaricom’s mobile money service M-Pesa.

Safaricom said that combining M-Pesa’s extensive merchant network and Mastercard’s global payment infrastructure will scale digital payments across Kenya by making more seamless, secure, and scalable payment solutions available to merchants. That in turn would also enable them to serve customers across global markets.

The partnership will also boost remittance services, streamlining cross-border transactions efficiently, said Safaricom’s chief financial services officer Esther Waititu.

“This collaboration with Mastercard unlocks new opportunities for M-Pesa merchants,” Waititu said in a statement. “By combining our expertise with Mastercard’s global acceptance network, we are enabling businesses to provide more efficient and frictionless payment solutions to their customers, both in Kenya and beyond.”

According to analyst firm GlobalData, Kenya’s mobile wallet payments market has grown at a rate of 12.7% CAGR between 2020 and 2024, driven by a rise in consumer spending and a high consumer preference for mobile-based payments. GlobalData is forecasting 5.7% growth in 2024 to reach KES8.4 trillion (US$60.1 billion).

The firm credits  mobile wallet growth in Kenya to several factors, from the popularity of M-Pesa to the rising popularity of QR code-based payments, which itself has been helped along by the introduction of the Kenya Quick Response Code (KE-QR Code) Standard last year.

As of July 2024, M-Pesa had over 51 million customers.

Keep up-to-date with all the latest news, articles, event and product updates posted on Developing Telecoms.
Subscribe to our FREE weekly email newsletters for the latest telecom info in developing and emerging markets globally.