Smartphone shipments in Africa saw growth of 7.6% to a total of 19.6 million units in Q2, snapping seven quarters of continuous year-on-year decline.

Leading the growth was South Africa and Egypt with strong performances in the quarter.

IDC research analyst Taher Abdel-Hameed noted recovery in Egypt was due to the government easing on mobile phone imports.

« The Egyptian government is encouraging local production through various incentives, and this has led to the launch of five mobile phone factories in the country,” said Abdel-Hameed.

More brands are planning to start local manufacturing in the short term, and the initiatives aided in spurring recovery and accelerating momentum in Egypt.

Meanwhile, growth in South Africa was due to an increase in shipments of entry-level devices from Samsung and other local brands to meet the demand for affordable devices from budget-constrained consumers.

Nigeria is also among one of the largest markets in Africa but saw a decline despite seeing growth in Q1, which IDC attributed to a sluggish economy, high inflation rates, and poor exchange rates.

Transsion which owns the Tecno, Itel and Infinix brands, accounted for the largest share of smartphone shipments in Africa in Q2. Africa is the Chinese manufacturer’s highest contribution region pushing its entry into the top five largest shipping vendors for the first time. Samsung was the second-highest shipping vendor in Africa, followed by Xiaomi.

« Looking ahead, the African smartphone market is expected to recover further in 2024; however, it is worth noting that shipments will still not surpass the level of strong performance seen in 2021, » said IDC senior research manager Ramazan Yavuz.  

« The hardships and challenges posed by the global economic outlook continue to affect the region, preventing a faster recovery. In the long term, an influx of affordable models across all brands and faster turnover from feature phones to smartphones will drive growth in the market. »

Yesterday Google unveiled yet another subsea cable project. The new cable will be named Nuvem, which is apparently Portuguese for ‘cloud’, and will connect Portugal with South Carolina. Along the way it will stop in Bermuda, which has not gotten a whole lot of subsea fiber love over the years. … [visit site to read more]

News

The ship is set to replace a vessel that has been in service since 1983 

Orange Marine, the subsidiary of French telco group Orange that specialises in submarine cable operations, is launching a new ship dedicated to the maintenance and repair of critical subsea cables.  

The ship, named the ‘Sophie Germain’, is 100 metres in length and includes a 450 kW ROV (remotely operated vehicle) that is used to cut, inspect, and bury the fibre optic cable that is stored on board. 

Orange claim that their new “state-of-the-art” ship will bring a “new era of sustainability in the subsea cable and broader network industry”, using less fuel than previous models I and emitting 20% less carbon dioxide and82% less nitrogen oxide. 

“It is with great pride that we inaugurate today the Sophie Germain, a new generation cable ship,” said Christel Heydemann, CEO of Orange, in a press release. 

“Through this launch, the Orange group reaffirms its central role in the laying and maintenance of submarine cables, a little-known industry and yet an essential base for the development of connectivity around the world. At the cutting-edge of technology and thanks to a reduced environmental footprint, the Sophie Germain contributes to the Group’s sustainable innovation approach to respond to the major challenges of our time.” 

Orange is a major player in the subsea cable industry, with its ships having installed 257,000 km of submarine fibre optic cables and made over 800 repairs, as of the end of 2023. 

The launch of new cable ships in the subsea industry is a rarity. There are only around 60 cable ships in the world designed for the deployment and maintenance of subsea cables. 

There were only five new vessels launched since 2004, and 19 of the ships currently in use are over 30 years old. New ships can often cost over $100 million to develop, with many operators choosing to repurpose older vessels to save costs. 

Before the deployment of the ‘Sophie Germain’, Orange Marine’s last new ship was the Pierre de Fermat in 2014.

Want to keep up to date with the latest developments in the world of telecoms? Subscriber to receive Total Telecom’s daily newsletter here  

Also in the news:
Vodafone’s Andrea Dona: The UK has fallen behind on 5G, but not lost the race
Zegona in talks to buy Vodafone Spain
Connected Britain 2023: the award winners  

Keep up-to-date with all the latest news, articles, event and product updates posted on Developing Telecoms.
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News

The auction saw all available spectrum in the 900 MHz, 2.1 GHz, and 2.6 GHz bands purchased by the nation’s operators

The Swedish Post and Telecom Authority (PTS) has announced the results of its latest spectrum auction, with all three of the country’s major operators not only participating, but purchasing all available spectrum.

The auction has been in the works for a long time, with PTS explaining that the allocations should help bolster the nation’s wireless services for years to come, particularly 5G.

“The assignment aims at an efficient and secure use of frequencies that contributes to the continued digitalisation of Sweden,” said PTS in a statement.

“PTS shall assign national block licenses in the 900 MHz, 2.1 GHz, and 2.6 GHz bands. The licenses shall be assigned well in advance before the current licenses expire. The purpose of the assignment is to enable continued digitalization and technology development, to contribute to the mobility objective of the Government´s broadband strategy by deploying new masts along roads and railways and in other areas.”

The auction itself was concluded in a single day last week, raising a total of SEK 4.23 billion ($380 million) for the Swedish government.

More specifically, Telia purchased 2×15 MHz in the 900 MHz band, 2×20 MHz in the 2.1 GHz band, and 2×30 MHz in the 2.6 GHz band, paying SEK 1.55 billion ($140 million).

Hi3G (owned by CK Hutchison) 2×10 MHz in the 900 MHz band, 2×20 MHz in the 2.1 GHz band, and 2×10 MHz (FDD) plus 1×10 MHz (TDD) in the 2.6 GHz band. In total, the company paid SEK 1.21 billion ($110 million).

Finally, Net4Mobility (the joint venture between Tele2 and Telenor Sweden) took home 2×10 MHz in the 900 MHz band, 2×20 MHz in the 2.1 GHz band, and 2×30 MHz in the 2.6 GHz band, spending SEK 1.47 billion ($130 million).

The 900 MHz licences will be valid from the start of 2026 until the end of December 2048, while the 2.1 GHz and 2.6 GHz licences will begin at the same time and run a little longer, to the end of December 2050.

Want to keep up to date with the latest developments in the world of telecoms? Subscriber to receive Total Telecom’s daily newsletter here 

Also in the news:
Vodafone’s Andrea Dona: The UK has fallen behind on 5G, but not lost the race
Zegona in talks to buy Vodafone Spain
Connected Britain 2023: the award winners 

The European data center market has had an interesting few years, buffeted by geopolitical changes in the energy markets and driven by ever-expanding demand from new technologies.  With us today to talk about it all isn the CEO of maincubes, Oliver Menzel.  From his perch in Frankfurt, Germany, home to one of the largest data center concentrations in the world, he has a unique viewpoint on the market, the drivers of demand, and the future direction of European data centers.  … [visit site to read more]

Viewpoint Article

by Andrea Dona, Chief Network Officer, Vodafone UK

Although the UK got off to a fast start in the 5G era, we have lost our way a bit. However, the race is far from over and there is still plenty to be hopeful for.

While the “race to 5G” is not as simple as winners and losers, there will be those who win more than others. Developing the right environment for business to thrive not only increases the economic potential of those businesses that already exist, but it attracts international investment to create new jobs and new opportunities.

This increased economic prosperity will also have a hugely positive impact on our society and on us as citizens. Generally speaking, the better performing a countries economy, the better its public services function and the happier its people are.

In a world which is increasingly becoming dominated by technology, having the right digital infrastructure is critical to achieve this objective.

That means 5G, and to be more specific, 5G Standalone, deployed at scale across the length and breadth of the UK.

Sitting in the chasing peloton

Vodafone launched 5G Non-standalone services in 2019, becoming one of the first companies in the world to do so. As a result, the UK took a leadership position in the 5G race.

But much has changed in the last four years. The UK has incrementally moved forward, but not at the same pace as other nations. Looking at the statistics from Open Signal, the UK currently sits in 21^st for median 5G download speeds compared to other European nations, and 20^th for 5G coverage.

During the summer, we announced the launch of the UK’s first 5G Standalone network. While this is another promising step forward, we must be realistic. Until 5G Standalone, the technologically superior and fully upgraded 5G network, is installed at scale, we will not fully realise the full economic benefits of this new digital era.

Currently, the UK is an “also ran” in the 5G race. There will be benefits from the work we are doing, but let’s not settle for mediocrity.

What is the 5G opportunity?

The 5G opportunity is relatively simple when you condense it down to the simplest message – improving what we have today.

We have all experienced the benefits of digital technologies, from online banking through to simply being connected to our loved ones. And even during the toughest of times, the COVID-19 pandemic, technology enabled business and society to function in ways it would have never been able to in previous generations.

5G will build on that foundation and go far beyond it.

For starters, better digital infrastructure means greater efficiencies. Through real-time access to data and embedding AI, we can improve on what we have today. That could mean less energy intensive factory operations, or an NHS that monitors patients remotely in real-time so we can treat symptoms not diseases.

And then we have the ideas that are impossible today. 5G will bring to life ideas that would normally be at home in Sci-Fi movies. Driverless vehicles, robots to deliver packages, hologram video calls or learning through augmented reality.

5G Standalone could be worth £150 billion to the UK by 2030. This is new revenue growth for existing businesses that embrace the new digital era and the creation of new companies and jobs.

Realising the full potential of 5G

At Vodafone, we believe there are still many miles left in the race and significant opportunity to drive both economic and societal benefit. We just have to create the right environment.

Firstly, the proposed merger between Vodafone UK and Three UK would create a more competitive marketplace. Both Vodafone UK and Three UK are subscale operators, meaning we do not have enough customers to drive return-on-investment for the money we are spending on network deployment. This is unsustainable.

By merging Vodafone UK and Three UK together into a single entity, you create an organisation that can compete with BT/EE and VMO2. Both of these companies have greater scale, and as it stands, we believe the UK is effectively a two-player marketplace. We do not believe this is the best way to deliver value for consumers, businesses or the UK as a whole.

Secondly, we have to create the right policy environment for digital to succeed. The UK Government reformed the broadband market and now fibre installation is growing across the UK. The same should be done for the mobile market.

With reforms to spectrum policy, introducing public sector 5G procurement incentives, addressing the challenging with planning permission for new infrastructure and introducing an investment-first approach to regulation, we can get the UK back on track.

Building momentum in the final furlongs

The UK Government and Ofcom have already begun shifting the dial in the right direction with the Wireless Infrastructure Strategy and the Net Neutrality Consultation, but we need to move faster, and we need to create the right environment to succeed. This means creating three, scaled telecoms players that can effectively compete against each other.

5G is a race for economic opportunity and societal benefit across the UK. We’ve fallen off the pace, but we can quickly gather momentum with the right strategic approach.

Andrea (pictured, centre) spoke about this topic at length on the opening keynote panel of Connected Britain 2023, which took place ealier this week. Use the hashtag #ConnectedBritain to catch up with all the action online! 

News 

This morning, Zegona disclosed the discussion with Vodafone to the London Stock Exchange 

British investment telecom company Zegona has confirmed today that it is in talks with Vodafone regarding the potential acquisition of its Spanish business.  

“(Zegona) confirms that it is in discussions with Vodafone Group in connection with the potential acquisition, and with banks in relation to its financing,” the company said.

The deal is subject to agreements on funding and due diligence. 

“Therefore, there is no certainty that the potential acquisition will proceed, nor as to the final terms of any such potential acquisition,” the firm continued.

Spanish newspaper Expansion reported that Zegona was interested in Vodafone’s Spanish business, which has been the subject of takeover interest for some time. 

The value of the potential deal has not been disclosed by either company. Although, according to Expansion, Zegona is searching for financing to buy a maximum 50% stake in the company, which could value the whole company at over €5 billion. 

Zegona’ strategy, as detailed on their website, is to invest in businesses in the European TMT [technology, media and telecom] sector with the objective to improve their performance to deliver attractive shareholder returns with a ‘Buy-Fix-Sell’ Strategy’. 

The nature of the Spanish telecoms market is highly competitive, which Vodafone has is known to lament. Competition is fierce with Movistar, Orange, and MásMóvil in an ongoing price war.  

Because of this, Vodafone had long hoped that market consolidation would provide a solution to these issues, with rumours of a potential merger with MásMóvil finally withdrawn after the latter merged with Orange last year. 

In last quarter’s earnings call, Vodafone CEO Margarita Della Valle said that “structural change” was very much necessary in the Spanish market, in the context of market conditions. She said the company was “considering a range of options” but it was too early to comment. 

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Also in the news: 
Connected Britain 2023: the award winners
VMO2 conducts Connected Farm trial in Barnsley
Project Gigabit contracts awarded by CityFibre 

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The Future Railway Mobile Communication System (FRMCS), an advanced communications standard meant to replace the currently used GSM-R system, may soon be on its way to Poland.

Transportation solutions company Alstom, telecoms giant Ericsson, NetWorkS!, the largest provider of radio access network solutions in Poland, and the Polish Railway Institute, which conducts scientific and R&D activities for railway transport, have signed a letter of intent regarding the implementation and testing of FRMCS in Poland.

The main goal of FRMCS is to increase the capacity of existing railway networks and optimise their costs of operation. It has been designed by the International Union of Railways, in cooperation with key representatives of the railway sector, and, it is claimed, represents an important step towards the full digitalisation of rail transport.

As part of the newly announced cooperation, the signatories of the letter of intent will engage in joint research and development projects, verify requirements and solutions in actual railway conditions, and create and develop training models and certifications for the FRMCS system.

Specifically, Alstom will provide a modern control subsystem for vehicles; Ericsson will provide a radio telecommunications network for the FRMCS pilot implementation; and NetWorkS! will provide competences in telecommunications solutions for the railway sector, as well as the construction and maintenance of the FRMCS test network. The Polish Railway Institute will provide the necessary research infrastructure where the FRMCS system will be tested.