Smart Africa and Kitsoft aim to advance public sector digital transformation

The Smart Africa Secretariat, an alliance tasked with driving Africa’s digital agenda, and Kitsoft, an international govtech company with Ukrainian roots, have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on public sector digital transformation.

The cooperation will focus on three key areas – digital public infrastructure (DPI), e-governance, and artificial intelligence. Kitsoft and Smart Africa say they plan to exchange practical experience in digital government, hold joint expert and educational sessions, and develop cooperation on building digital public services using low-code technologies.

As part of its cooperation with Smart Africa, Kitsoft will share its experience in using low-code technology to build digital public services. Liquio, Kitsoft’s low-code platform operates at the national level in Ukraine and is battle-tested under the conditions of the war in that country, including large-scale DDoS attacks. The low-code platform, which involves less manual coding, enables governments to rapidly build and scale digital public services.

Kitsoft says the open-source Liquio Community Edition enables governments to deploy the platform on their own infrastructure, adapt it to their needs, and independently develop digital public services. This approach can be particularly relevant for countries building their own digital infrastructure while seeking to maintain digital sovereignty.

Launched in 2013, Smart Africa is an alliance of 42 African countries, international organisations, and global private sector players tasked with driving Africa’s digital agenda. Its vision is to create a Single Digital Market in Africa by 2030.

Oleksandr Iefremov, CEO of Kitsoft, which works with governments and international partners across Europe and Africa, explains: “African countries today face the major task of digital transformation, and for us this partnership is first and foremost about sharing practical experience. Ukraine has come a long way in digitalising public services and continues to develop them even amid the full-scale war and constant cyberattacks. This experience has shown how important it is for governments to have the technology and capacity to independently build, scale, and develop their digital services. This is the experience and the approaches we are ready to share through our cooperation with Smart Africa.”

Lacina Koné, Director General and CEO, Smart Africa, adds: “Africa’s digital transformation must be built on ownership, capacity and solutions that respond to our own realities. This partnership with Kitsoft is an opportunity to turn global experience into practical value for our member states, strengthening their ability to build and scale trusted digital public services while maintaining digital sovereignty. Through cooperation on digital public infrastructure, e-governance and AI, we want to accelerate a transformation that is not only digital, but truly African-led and sustainable.”

Smart Africa and Kitsoft aim to advance public sector digital transformation

The Smart Africa Secretariat, an alliance tasked with driving Africa’s digital agenda, and Kitsoft, an international govtech company with Ukrainian roots, have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on public sector digital transformation.

The cooperation will focus on three key areas – digital public infrastructure (DPI), e-governance, and artificial intelligence. Kitsoft and Smart Africa say they plan to exchange practical experience in digital government, hold joint expert and educational sessions, and develop cooperation on building digital public services using low-code technologies.

As part of its cooperation with Smart Africa, Kitsoft will share its experience in using low-code technology to build digital public services. Liquio, Kitsoft’s low-code platform operates at the national level in Ukraine and is battle-tested under the conditions of the war in that country, including large-scale DDoS attacks. The low-code platform, which involves less manual coding, enables governments to rapidly build and scale digital public services.

Kitsoft says the open-source Liquio Community Edition enables governments to deploy the platform on their own infrastructure, adapt it to their needs, and independently develop digital public services. This approach can be particularly relevant for countries building their own digital infrastructure while seeking to maintain digital sovereignty.

Launched in 2013, Smart Africa is an alliance of 42 African countries, international organisations, and global private sector players tasked with driving Africa’s digital agenda. Its vision is to create a Single Digital Market in Africa by 2030.

Oleksandr Iefremov, CEO of Kitsoft, which works with governments and international partners across Europe and Africa, explains: “African countries today face the major task of digital transformation, and for us this partnership is first and foremost about sharing practical experience. Ukraine has come a long way in digitalising public services and continues to develop them even amid the full-scale war and constant cyberattacks. This experience has shown how important it is for governments to have the technology and capacity to independently build, scale, and develop their digital services. This is the experience and the approaches we are ready to share through our cooperation with Smart Africa.”

Lacina Koné, Director General and CEO, Smart Africa, adds: “Africa’s digital transformation must be built on ownership, capacity and solutions that respond to our own realities. This partnership with Kitsoft is an opportunity to turn global experience into practical value for our member states, strengthening their ability to build and scale trusted digital public services while maintaining digital sovereignty. Through cooperation on digital public infrastructure, e-governance and AI, we want to accelerate a transformation that is not only digital, but truly African-led and sustainable.”

16
Sep, 2026

EXA Infrastructure to build new transatlantic cable EXA Meridian

Press Release

First transatlantic cable built by a single operator in a decade expands EXA Infrastructure’s transatlantic core as demand for fibre-pair capacity accelerates

EXA Infrastructure, one of the largest dedicated digital infrastructure platforms throughout Europe, today announced the launch of EXA Meridian, a new 6,552 km transatlantic subsea cable between New Jersey, U.S., and Brean, UK. Scheduled to be ready for service in 2029, EXA Meridian will become the ninth transatlantic cable in EXA Infrastructure’s portfolio, adding significant new capacity and route diversity between North America and Europe, two of the world’s largest digital markets. It will also be the first transatlantic cable built by a single operator in a decade.

Demand for transatlantic infrastructure is growing as AI, cloud, and distributed data centre architectures generate more traffic between North America and Europe. At the same time, the largest capacity buyers are increasingly procuring spectrum and complete fibre pairs rather than individual wavelengths. EXA Meridian is purpose-built for this market shift. Designed with 24 fibre pairs, EXA Meridian delivers over 500 Tbps of scalable, long-term capacity for Hyperscalers, Neoclouds, financial institutions, government and research organisations.

The project has now reached Contract in Force (CIF) with subsea telecommunications specialist Xtera, marking a significant milestone in its development. The agreement follows extensive planning and early engagement with the supply chain, drawing on EXA Infrastructure’s team experience in delivering complex subsea systems. Xtera will act as a key supplier to the project, which is being led and delivered by EXA Infrastructure, a leader in delivery of wholesale transatlantic capacity.

Unlike a standalone subsea cable, EXA Meridian will connect directly into EXA Infrastructure’s existing owned network. A new cable landing station in Brean will connect the system through diverse terrestrial routes to Slough and EXA Infrastructure’s pan-European backbone. This integration into the wider platform will give customers an enhanced network mesh with multiple options for moving large volumes of data between North America and European regions, with greater choice over routes, resilience, and geographic diversity.

“Demand across the Atlantic is changing quickly. The largest customers are increasingly planning in spectrum and fibre pairs, and the capacity they will need towards the end of the decade has to be built now,” said Jim Fagan, CEO at EXA Infrastructure. “With a Ready For Service (RFS) date set for 2029, EXA Meridian will be the only cable with sufficient capacity to satisfy these large-scale demands.

“We have consistently committed to investing to meet strong demand. That means understanding where the market is going, securing the capital to act early and having the experience to execute when the opportunity arrives.

By integrating EXA Meridian directly into infrastructure that we own and operate across Europe, we can give customers greater route choice, resilience and accountability. It demonstrates the discipline behind our investment strategy and our confidence in continuing to build as commercial demand requires.”

EXA Meridian is already supported by significant anchor customer commitments, including leading Neocloud and Hyperscale players, providing strong commercial backing for the investment alongside tier-one suppliers secured to support project delivery. The system is targeted to be ready for service in Q4 2029.

How is the global submarine cable sector changing? Join industry leaders in discussion at Submarine Networks EMEA 2027, the world’s largest subsea conference

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15
Sep, 2026

Cambium Networks enters administration

News

According to reports, the UK wireless network business has become insolvent after months of financial struggle

Cambium Networks, Ltd., the wholly owned UK subsidiary of Cambium Networks Corporation, has filed a Notice of Intent to appoint administrators, according to reports from ISPreview.

By appointing administrators, the company is legally protected from creditors seeking repayment of debts.

As part of the process, the administrators will seek sales of assets and business lines, with remaining entities in the group to be wound up through local processes.

Incorporated in 2011, UK-based Cambium Networks offers fixed wireless access (FWA), Wi-Fi, switching, and cloud management services to enterprises and ISPs. At its peak, the company’s products were used by over 10,000 network operators worldwide.

In the UK, the company was perhaps best known as a supplier of FWA-focussed altnet Airband, which was itself sold this month to rival altnet Voneus after an administration process.

Cambium’s financial struggles have been clear for some time, with the company’s stock price collapsing over the past four years from its peak in April 2021. Management attributed this slide to a softening of demand, stronger competition, and supply chain issues.

The company’s issues came to a head in March this year, when Cambium was delisted from the Nasdaq stock exchange after delayed reporting and SEC filing compliance issues.

Even more recently, Cambium cut 260 jobs worldwide, representing around 54% of its workforce.

With the UK business now in administration, Cambium’s future will depend on whether buyers can be found for its remaining assets and operations, leaving the company’s customers, partners and employees facing considerable uncertainty.

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15
Sep, 2026

Cybastion to support Senegal’s digital transformation plans

Cybastion, a US company that delivers digital and infrastructure solutions in Africa, reportedly plans to mobilise about US$300 million for several projects supporting Senegal’s digital transformation.

The funding will support initiatives in cybersecurity and the fight against cybercrime, as well as data centre development, technology transfers and national skills development.

The programme will also involve Senegalese startups in the implementation of the projects in order to help the country strengthen the capabilities of young local companies and retain a larger share of the value generated by digital investments within Senegal’s economy.

A main aim, according to President Bassirou Diomaye Diakhar Faye, is to deliver tangible economic and social benefits, including, as he puts it, “faster and more accessible public administrations, personal data better protected against fraud and cybercrime, skilled jobs for a trained and ambitious youth, and a digital business ecosystem capable of innovating and attracting new investment”.

As the Ecofin news agency points out, Senegal’s national New Deal Technologique strategy aims to accelerate the digitisation of the economy and public services and establish the country as a leading technology hub by 2034. However, this acceleration has also brought with it some cybersecurity issues.

In fact, this year saw the launch of a cybercrime reporting platform that allows users to report and track cybercrime incidents more easily. In addition, the country’s Telecommunications and Postal Regulatory Authority (ARTP) is expanding cooperation with international institutions and partners. The regulator aims to adapt Senegal’s regulatory framework to technological developments, particularly in cybersecurity and artificial intelligence.

Cybastion has had a busy few weeks in west Africa. Earlier this month it announced a major investment in Cameroon.

14
Sep, 2026

World Communication Awards shortlist announced!

World Communication Awards shortlist

For almost 30 years, the World Communication Awards (WCAs) has celebrated excellence throughout the global telecoms industry. From innovative technological breakthroughs to passionate community support, the WCAs shines a light on the organisations and individuals building our digital future.

The WCAs 2026 shortlist below represents a selection of some of the telecoms sector’s most exciting developments this year. Congratulations to all shortlisted companies.

The winners of the WCAs will be revealed at the World Communication Awards Ceremony on the 25 November at the Grand Connaught Rooms, London.

Book your place to attend the black-tie gala dinner and join the finalists here

5G Award

Airtel and Ericsson, Cloud-Native 5G SA Charging & Policy Platform

Deutsche Telekom and Mavenir, Energy efficient 5G Core

Jio Platforms Ltd., JPLs TelOS AI Suite and JioAirFiber

KT, Evolution of public safety communications through 5G SA

Spark and Ericsson, 5G+ in New Zealand

 

AI Innovation Award

AIS Thailand and Huawei, AIdriven-intelligent operations solution

Amdocs

AsiaInfo Technologies, AISWare Ontology Platform

China Mobile & Huawei, ICNMaster

Jio Platforms Ltd., JioBrain

Mobileum VoiceShield

Netcracker Technology

Rakuten Symphony, Rakuten AI for Telecom

Telenor AI Factory powered by Red Hat OpenShift AI

VOX Solutions, CLARA AI

 

Best Digital Transformation Programme

Airtel and Ericsson, Cloud-Native 5G SA Charging & Policy Platform

China Mobile (Shandong) & Huawei, Agentic BSS

KT, KT W-SDN

Netcracker Technology

Rakuten Symphony, Rakuten Site Management 2.0

Singtel, Nestlé partnership

Vodafone Portugal and Celfocus, OneX

 

Best Network Evolution Initiative

Airtel and Ericsson, Fastest Nationwide Multi-Technology RAN Software Upgrade Program

China Mobile and Huawei, Intelligence OTDR and FME mate

Deutsche Telekom, Horizontal TelCo

Netcracker Technology, Reinventing Network Operations for the Fiber Era

TURKCELL, Next-Generation Super C+L Backbone

vHive, vHive’s TowerAI for MNOs

ZTE and China Mobile, GigaMIMO

 

Best Operator in a Growth Market

Cellfie Mobile

PLDT and Smart

Turknet

Viettel Burundi (Lumitel), Powering Burundi’s Digital Rise in a Growth Market

 

Best Wholesale Operator

Sponsored by MDS Global

Colt

e&

RETN

Telin

Virgin Media Business Wholesale

 

Beyond Connectivity Award

China Mobile (Henan) and Huawei, The network productization solution

Moldcell, Moldcell Money and Moldcell VISA Card

O2 Telefónica Germany & Whalebone

PT. Telkomsel, Sight Sense by Telkomsel Enterprise

Singtel, Multi-domestic connectivity

Skylo

 

Cloud Award

China Mobile & Huawei, TICC (Telco Intelligent Converged Cloud)

Orange Business and Red Hat

Rakuten Symphony, Rakuten Cloud

Virgin Media O2, Telco Cloud Innovation

Wind River, Wind River Cloud Platform

 

Connected Communities Award

DigitalC, Canopy

HFCL, Solar-Powered Public Wi-Fi Solution for Nigeria

TAIWAN MOBILE CO., LTD., 5G Smart Firefighting Rescue Assistance System

Telkomsel and Ericsson, Long-haul Microwave and Far Edge Core Solution – Nias

Viettel Solutions, Viettel Intelligent Transportation System

 

Customer Experience Award

Airties and Turknet

Moldcell

Sparkle

Telefónica, Telefónica Customer Portal (EYE)

TM Research & Development and Group Network Technology, AI-Powered Intelligent Fulfilment Platform

True and Ericsson, AI Based Customer Experience Analysis and Insights

 

Cyber Security Award

Aeris IoT Watchtower™

Jio Platforms Ltd., JPL’s Cybersecurity Suite

SK Telecom Co., Ltd., Q-HSM: Quantum Hardware Security Module

Whalebone Aura

 

Enterprise Service of the Year

Aquablue

Comviva, NGAGE for enterprises

Freshwave and Ericsson, 5G on Omni

Singtel 5G+ Mobile Workspace

 

Future Award

Cohere Technologies, Pulsone Multi-G for Mission Critical ISAC

KT, Building the Foundation for AI-Native 6G Networks with AI-RAN

Singtel, Singtel Hybrid Quantum-safe Network

SK Telecom, AI Routing

 

Infrastructure Award

Chunghwa Telecom Co., Ltd., International All-Photonics Network (APN) Infrastructure

Intellian Technologies

Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), Wi Fi@Higher Education Institutions (Wi Fi@HEIs) National Initiative

MOX Networks

Orange Wholesale

Singtel Digital InfraCo

stc Bahrain, 2Africa Pearls Submarine Cable

Sterlite Technologies Ltd., STL Neuralis

 

People, Culture & Digital Skills Award

Freemove Alliance

Moldcell

PT. Telkomsel, Polaris

TurkNet, Transformation programme

 

Platform Award

Amdocs, Amdocs BRAND/ON

Circles.co, Circles

Jio Platforms Ltd., TelOS AI Suite Platform

Rakuten Symphony, Rakuten Intelligent Operations

Singtel Digital InfraCo, Paragon

Vox Solutions

 

Satellite Telecoms Award

Mavenir, Full-Stack NTN Platform

Orange Wholesale

Space42, Thuraya

StarEdge, StarEdge Horizon

Telefónica Satellite Global Services

 

Social Contribution Award

DigitalC

Ericsson and Vodafone Idea, Robotsav Project

Moldcell, Moldcell Foundation

Palestine Telecommunications Company – Jawwal

PLDT and Smart, #KONEKTEDFORLIVELIHOODS

Smart Communications and Ericsson, Connect to Learn

Viettel Burundi (Lumitel), Lumitel Digital for Life

Viettel Group, School Internet Programme

VodafoneThree, Discovery: Setting a New Standard for Digital Inclusion

Zong 5G

 

Submarine Networks Award

Indigo Telecom Group

Singtel, Powering the Singapore-Johor-Batam AI and Data Centre Corridor

Sparkle

Telin

 

Sustainability Award

Airtel and Ericsson, Automated Software-Driven Carbon Reduction Program

Cohere Technologies, ECHO

Deutsche Telekom, Full Stack Energy Efficiency on Telco Cloud

SK Telecom and Intel Corporation, AI-Driven VRAN Resource Pooling

stc & Huawei, Intelligent Green Cloud Energy Saving Solution

 

The Data Award

AsiaInfo and China Telecom, Cloud Network Ontology Platform

Blue Planet, Blue Planet Intelligent Automation Portfolio

MTN, Data & AI transformation in CVM

PT. Telkomsel, Intelligent Data Quality & Operations Excellence (DQE) Framework

RADCOM, Neura AI Agent Suite

14
Sep, 2026

Samsung and Verizon test ISAC capabilities in Dallas

Press Release

Showcasing the industry’s first AI-powered ISAC trial on vRAN, the companies proved how sensing networks enable real-time intelligence for large-scale events

Samsung Electronics and Verizon have successfully completed an Integrated Sensing and Communication (ISAC) trial at a major international soccer fan event in Dallas, Texas, enabling real-time sensing-driven intelligence across a virtualized network. This landmark milestone represents one of the industry’s first practical implementations of a key technology for 6G, signaling how operators are leveraging software-driven network architectures to create infrastructure that actively perceives, understands, and responds to their environment — moving beyond connectivity.

The groundbreaking field trial reinforces the value of the strategic partnership between Samsung and Verizon. Operating one of the world’s largest commercial virtualized networks, Verizon has led the charge in deploying a software-driven, AI-powered virtualized RAN (vRAN). This laid the foundation for a 6G-ready platform necessary to bring experimental use cases from concept to real-world validation — highlighting the flexibility of Samsung’s adaptable vRAN, which enables operators to introduce new capabilities like ISAC from day one by leveraging the commercial network they already run.

In the ISAC trial, Samsung integrated commercial AI-powered vRAN and vCore with an ISAC application, deploying them on its Network in a Server (NIS) — an end-to-end software-driven edge-AI platform that consolidates all network functions and accelerated compute into a single server. This allowed the ISAC trial to leverage connectivity from a 5G network without the need for any additional equipment.

Acting as a sensing receiver, a CBRS radio unit using 40 MHz of spectrum mounted on a Verizon Cell-On-Wheels (COW) captured channel variations in transmissions from a commercial 5G device. Samsung’s NIS then analyzed this real-time data, utilizing the accelerated compute to extract actionable insights that are visualized as a crowd density heatmap that changes in near-real time to reflect people’s movements.

Operating live at the event, the ISAC system used wireless signals as a sensing basis to automatically identify crowded areas within the venue, proving how sensing capabilities can enhance event management and the visitor experience across multiple stakeholder groups:

  • Attendees: Locate less congested food facilities and services, improving access and reducing wait times.
  • Event Organizers: Gain real-time visibility into crowd distribution and facility usage, enabling rapid resource deployment and operational optimization.
  • Security and Government Organizations: Detect emerging risks like overcrowding conditions, enabling early intervention to facilitate crowd control and prevent other public safety incidents.

The achievement reflects the synergy between Samsung’s commercial technologies and its advanced research in accelerating the path to 6G. The company’s efforts include its commercially proven vRAN software on the edge-AI platform NIS, and Samsung Research America’s (SRA) cutting-edge AI-driven ISAC solution.

“Verizon’s strategy has always been focused on building an intelligent, AI-native network that translates into meaningful real-world value for our customers,” said Yago Tenorio, Chief Technology Officer and Senior Vice President of Technology Development at Verizon. “Our early investments in flexible, software-driven vRAN architecture are paying off today, giving us the agility to engineer and trial groundbreaking 6G concepts like ISAC over our existing infrastructure. This field trial with Samsung proves that the network of the future will do far more than just transfer data — it will actively perceive and interact with its environment to transform venue management and public safety.”

“This successful ISAC trial underscores how Verizon’s decision to adopt a software-driven, AI-powered vRAN early on laid a solid foundation, positioning the company at the forefront of the 6G journey,” said Ji-Yun Seol, Executive Vice President and Head of Product Strategy, Networks Business at Samsung Electronics. “With this approach, forward-thinking operators like Verizon are unlocking untapped potential, spearheading the shift toward a new era where unprecedented services, devices, and use cases converge on next-generation networks.”

“This ISAC trial marks a significant leap forward in integrating AI-driven sensing capabilities into network infrastructure, showcasing the transformative potential of 6G technologies,” said Charlie Zhang, Executive Vice President at Samsung Research America. “By combining Verizon’s innovative approach with Samsung’s advanced vRAN solutions, we’ve demonstrated the practical application of ISAC in a real-world scenario to enhance safety, efficiency, and user experience. This collaboration reinforces our commitment to pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in next-generation wireless networks.”

As a founding member of the Verizon 6G Innovation Forum, Samsung is exploring new use cases to advance innovation, research initiatives, and the overall charter of the consortium. The company continues to work alongside visionary partners to deliver transformative technologies and drive the transition to 6G.

Samsung Networks has pioneered the successful delivery of 5G end-to-end solutions, including chipsets, radios, and cores. Through ongoing research and development, Samsung is driving the industry to advance 5G networks and paving the way for 6G and beyond with its market-leading product portfolio, from purpose-built RAN, vRAN, Open RAN, AI RAN, and cloud-native core to private network solutions and AI-powered automation tools (CognitiV NOS). The company currently provides innovative network solutions to mobile operators that deliver boundless connectivity to hundreds of millions of users worldwide.

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