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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 Richard Brandon, VP of Strategy at RtBrick
The 2024 Trump vs. Harris election presents numerous polarizing issues that teeter headlines daily, including how federal spending should be allocated. Funding within the telecom and broadband space has been an issue of contention for years, most recently playing out in political moves like Trump’s rip-and-replace program, which aimed to eliminate outdated systems, and Biden’s BEAD program, meant to aid the digital divide. … [visit site to read more]
The government of Ghana said that it has implemented free roaming with Benin and Togo, enabling residents of all three West African countries to use their mobile services without having to pay international roaming charges.
According to a statement from Ghana’s National Communications Authority (NCA) on Wednesday, mobile users from Ghana, Togo and Benin can send voice calls and text messages – either locally or internationally – at local rates for 30 consecutive days when they travel within all three countries. Incoming calls and SMSs will be free of charge.
Internet access is also charged at local data bundle rates, although users outside of their home country won’t be able to purchase new data plans.
In a speech at a press event in Accra, Deputy Minister for Communications and Digitalisation Charles Acheampong said the initiative would encourage more travel and create a more unified and interconnected region.
“This initiative will allow our citizens to stay connected seamlessly, without the burden of high roaming charges or the inconvenience of multiple SIMs,” he said.
Michel Yaovi Galley, director general of Togo’s Regulatory Authority for Electronic Communications (ARCEP Togo), said that mobile operators from Ghana, Togo and Benin were all committed to the success of the project.
The agreements are part of the Free Roaming Initiative launched by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
While the initiative was signed in 2016, ECOWAS member states have struggled to implement it, not least because of ongoing political and economic instability in the region, as well as the COVID pandemic. It was only in June 2023 that the first free roaming agreement was launched between Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire.
Apart from Ghana, Togo, Benin and Côte d’Ivoire, other ECOWAS members include Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, The Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal and Sierra Leone.
Meanwhile, Acheampong urged the NCA to set clear metrics to gauge the success of the roaming initiative.
“Only by measuring our progress can we ensure that we are delivering on the promises made to our citizens and achieving the intended outcomes,” he said.
Today, Nokia have announced the launch of the first 5G standalone (SA) network in Costa Rica in partnership with Radiografica Costarricense (RACSA).
RACSA, the mobile unit of Costa Rica’s state-owned utilities/telecoms group ICE, says they have already rolled out the new technology in of 30 sites in major cities, including San Jose, Cartago, and Limon, with 170 additional sites due later this year.
In total, 500 sites are planned for deployment in both urban and rural areas as part of the project.
“The utilization of Nokia technology represents a pivotal step in Costa Rica’s digital transformation which RACSA has been playing a key role in for the last 103 years. By deploying the first 5G network in the country, we are not only improving connectivity for businesses and government entities but also enhancing the quality of life for our citizens,” said Mauricio Barrantes, General Manager of RACSA. “The high-speed, reliable network will support innovative applications that contribute to the country’s overall economic and social development.”
Costa Rica journey towards rolling out 5G has been a bumpy one. Plans for initial 5G spectrum auctions have been repeatedly delayed by clashes between the telcos and state regulatory authority Sutel. The issues raised have been myriad, with operators complaining about everything from spectrum pricing to infrastructure sharing obligations and competition concerns.
The country’s latest attempt at the tender process was officially initiated at the start of August this year but was cancelled later the same month due to renewed complaints from the telcos.
Without this spectrum auction, 5G activity in Costa Rica has been very limited, with most of the operators only able to offer small-scale private trials.
RACSA, however, is something of an outlier among the Costa Rican telcos, owning 100MHz of 3.5GHz spectrum, which is ideal for 5G services. As a result, RACSA was able to launch 5G fixed wireless access (FWA) services back in April this year.
It is also presumably this spectrum that is being used to support RACSA’s new 5G standalone network with Nokia.
Keep up to date with the latest international telecoms news by subscribing to the Total Telecom daily newsletter
Also in the news:
“We’re the best kept secret in data centre and cloud,” says Nokia at Connected Britain Submarine cable damage in the Red Sea ‘severely underestimated’
Vodafone and Google deepen relationship with 10-year AI partnership
Operators Brisanet, Ligga/Sercomtel and TIM have been declared the winners of Brazil’s first reverse mobile auction, held by the Ministry of Communications, the regulator Anatel and Seja Digital, the group involved in effecting the transition to digital TV broadcasting in Brazil, which, in turn, has opened up 4G spectrum.
The winners of the first 100% digital auction to choose operators to install and operate telephony and mobile internet antennas in 59 unserved remote locations were announced earlier this week.
Brisanet, Ligga/Sercomtel and TIM will operate in the states of Bahia, Minas Gerais, Mato Grosso do Sul, Pará, Paraíba, Maranhão, Pernambuco, Rondônia, Tocantins and Ceará. They will have 90 days, which may be extendable, to install and operate the infrastructure.
The auction was held in the reverse format, in which the participants who gave the lowest bids for each location won. The event had a ceiling of BRL108.8 million (about US$19.5 million) and was concluded with a 41% discount. The difference will be allocated to other stages of the project, with at least one more round of reverse auction planned. Cloud2u and Claro were also bidders.
The investment will be BRL64 million (about US$11.46 million), a saving of 41% compared to the auction reference value.
Telephone operators were able to choose one or more locations from the list and make a single bid for each one, below the limit stipulated in the notice. The company that adopted the lowest subsidy amount won.
According to Carlos Baigorri, president of Anatel, the first edition of the auction was considered a success. It will be a pilot for others to be carried out in order to use the remaining balance of BRL250 million (US$44.76 million) in available resources.
Four projects of regional and metro scope to talk about today: … [visit site to read more]
Technology innovation giant Nokia and Furukawa Electric LatAm, a communications infrastructure solutions manufacturer, have announced plans to expanded their partnership, which was established in 2022, to immediately bring high-performance solutions in data centre automation to Brazil.
The two companies say they will also continue to offer advanced passive optical network (POL) technologies to the Latin American business market.
Security and automation designed for the artificial intelligence (AI) era are the focus of this new phase of the partnership, which is designed for data centres of all sizes in Brazil.
Solutions immediately available for the Brazilian market bring together Nokia’s modern data centre automation platform and Nokia DDoS attack detection and mitigation software.
Furukawa will now offer Nokia’s Data Centre Fabric solution, which includes high-performance data centre switching platforms, running Nokia SR Linux, which is described as a uniquely open, extensible and resilient network operating system.
The Data Centre Fabric solution is managed by Nokia Event-Driven Automation (EDA), a modern data centre network automation platform that, Nokia says, combines speed with reliability and simplicity and provides guardrails that detect errors caused by automation.
Roberto Kihara, General Sales Manager for Furukawa Electric LatAm, describes the POL market as “very hot” in Latin America and notes that the companies have a lot to achieve together in the region’s data centre market. “Brazil is a promising market and exemplary in terms of investment volume and demand for automation solutions,” he adds.
Juan Pablo Anadon, Head of Enterprise, Webscale and Partners Sales for Latin America, Network Infrastructure at Nokia, describes the new EDA platform as “developed for the AI era” and says it simplifies data centre management and can cut down operational efforts by up to 40%. He continues: “Part of our Data Centre Fabric solution, EDA is now available in Brazil just two weeks following its global launch, allowing us to work towards our goal with Furukawa to support and advance data centre networks in Latin America.”
Vodafone has launched a new cybersecurity platform called Vodafone CybSafe, designed to help small, medium, and enterprise businesses reduce the risk of the cyberattacks that stem from human error.
Developed in collaboration with human risk management experts at CybSafe, the platform aims to enhance the cybersecurity awareness and promote secure behavior within companies.
Vodafone CybSafe combines AI, data analysis, and behavioral science to evaluate and enhance employees’ cybersecurity practices. It uses SebDB, reportedly the world’s largest cybersecurity behaviour database, to provide evidence-based personalised ’nudges’ to employees, helping them to avoid cybersecurity errors and adhere to best practices.
The platform also includes training modules designed to empower employees to identify and manage potential cyber threats, such as phishing and ransomware attacks.
According to Vodafone, 43% of cyberattacks target these SMEs, with 60% of those incidents leading to business closures within six months.
“In these businesses, people juggle multiple roles and responsibilities and, as a result, cybersecurity can become an afterthought. Yet, these are the organisations most at risk if a cyber incident occurs and the ones most likely to face serious challenges as a result,” said Oz Alashe MBE, CEO and Founder of CybSafe in a press release.
“We often talk about the human factor in cyberattacks, but we can’t expect people to defend against these threats without proper guidance. CybSafe’s partnership with Vodafone will provide this support, and we are confident it will have a significant impact on the cyber resilience of small and medium-sized businesses,” he continued.
Vodafone CybSafe is available for purchase through the Vodafone Business Marketplace.
Keep up to date with the latest international telecoms news by subscribing to the Total Telecom daily newsletter
Also in the news:
“We’re the best kept secret in data centre and cloud,” says Nokia at Connected Britain Submarine cable damage in the Red Sea ‘severely underestimated’
Vodafone and Google deepen relationship with 10-year AI partnership
Four bits of teamwork from around the world putting next generation infrastructure to work: … [visit site to read more]
