Features

Vendors

AI: Front and centre at GITEX Global 2024

At GITEX Global 2024 in Dubai, artificial intelligence (AI) was the most talked-about topic, with companies from across industries showcased how AI and machine learning are reshaping business operations and consumer experiences.

Operators

GSA: A snapshot of Africa’s telecoms landscape

For the longest time, Africa has been the continent chronically playing catch-up, unable to compete with larger economic powerhouses in more developed markets.

Q&A / Interviews

Setting the standard: TSB’s Bilel Jamoussi

As the ITU prepares to hold the World Telecommunications Standardization Assembly (WTSA) in India – the first time the event has ever taken place in Asia – we spoke to Bilel Jamoussi, Deputy-Director of the Telecommunication Standardization Bureau (TSB), to discuss how the experiences of...

Satellite Networks

Can direct-to-device technology enhance connectivity in emerging markets?

Satellite communications are a longstanding technology that have remained inaccessible due to their higher costs – and arguably limited capabilities - compared to terrestrial networks. However, recent advances in the technology have seen direct-to-device (D2D) satellite connectivity gaining...

Devices & Platforms

How do we improve smartphone affordability in Africa?

Despite the surge in demand for smartphones last year in Africa, feature phones continue to hold their ground and account for a substantial 52% of market share on the continent.

Operators

The convoluted journey of Malaysia’s 5G plan

Recognising the potential boost for the economy, Malaysia broke the mould by opting to push mobile network operators to deploy 5G through a single network strategy.

Wireless Networks

The Slow Adoption of Standalone 5G

As global demand for data continues to surge, the need for more robust and efficient connectivity solutions becomes paramount. Enter 5G standalone – a transformative technology poised to revolutionise not just download and upload speeds but unlock an array of innovative use cases. This next-gen...

Wireless Networks

Will enhanced automation help Open RAN find an audience?

Open RAN has long been billed as an appealing option for vendors in emerging markets but numerous factors have stalled adoption. The cost of ownership is relatively high, and a core part of the appeal – the freedom to choose equipment from different suppliers – is somewhat undermined as many...

Energy & Sustainability

Collective action is needed to cut Scope 3 emissions in telecoms

As a major consumer of energy, the telecoms sector has long been pursuing initiatives to reduce its impact on the climate. Most operators have implemented measures to reduce their Scope 1 and Scope 2 (direct and indirect) emissions, but Scope 3 is often overlooked.

Regulation

Connectivity black out: an unfortunate ‘common tactic’

Internet shutdowns are described as a “common tactic” used by government to supress dissent, according to the World Economic Forum. This is increasingly an unacceptable reality given that connectivity is now so ingrained in the majority of economies that any such disruption can have a massive...

Humanitarian Comms

Interview: TSF's Sébastien Gillet

With extreme weather events increasingly common as a result of climate change, coordinating disaster response is an unfortunately ubiquitous challenge for relief organisations. Communications are of course essential for this, and organisations such as Télécoms Sans Frontières ensure that...

Energy & Sustainability

Making AI energy efficient

The conversation around the impact of AI is all-encompassing, but one aspect that is coming under increasing scrutiny is the vast amount of energy required by data centres as AI adoption continues apace.

Data Centres & Networks

How can AI benefit Africa?

AI is being touted as the most transformative technology since personal computers and the internet. The technology also shows promise to transform lives on the African continent which has struggled with multiple challenges that developed markets have made a distant memory.

Operators

Vodafone CTO details gen AI plan

Vodafone Group CTO Scott Petty (third, from right) laid out how AI has the potential to fundamentally change the economic landscape of the internet, but developing markets will be slow to see this change, due to challenges such as low smartphone uptake and lack of fundamental infrastructure to...

Enterprise Ecosystems

From telco to tech co: how rebranding helps operators diversify

In an industry as future-focused as telecoms, service providers need to ensure that their branding conveys the right messaging to prospective subscribers.

Optical & Fixed Networks

What was the biggest takeaway from DTW 2024?

No prizes for guessing that AI stole everyone’s attention at Digital Transformation World in Copenhagen this year. In every keynote and session, the two letter acronym left the lips of every single person that took a stage.

Operators

Asian operators look to AI for growth

The chief executives of Axiata Group, Jio Platforms and Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison expressed great confidence in AI and digitalisation for delivery of growth for emerging market operators and economies.

Regulation

TM Forum chief sees light for industry

TM Forum CEO Nik Willets was buoyed by a resurgence in the telecoms industry saying it is climbing out of its “code red moment” by leveraging key technologies such as AI, despite admitting returns from AI being disappointing across the board.

Wireless Networks

What to expect from DTW 2024 Copenhagen

Last year at Digital Transformation World (DTW) Copenhagen, TM Forum President and CEO Nik Willetts (pictured) said the telecoms industry was at a “crisis point”.

Wireless Networks

Private networks are the key driver for 5G growth

The ability of 5G to enable wide-scale industrial applications has long been billed as a major differentiator for the standard compared to 4G.

Vendors

Interview: Nokia MEA SVP Mikko Lavanti

Nokia Mobile Networks SVP of Middle East and Africa, Mikko Lavanti, sat down with Developing Telecoms to discuss a range of topics affecting markets under his remit. Here the executive explored markets he believed will be opportunities for growth, his ambitions and what operators need to keep...

Operators

What now for operators in Nigeria?

Volatile foreign exchange rates across Africa are currently hamstringing operators, with notable names such as MTN and Airtel revealing how badly their coffers were hit in recent financial results.

Satellite Networks

Constellation consolidation: why GSO providers are merging to take on Starlink

SES’ recent purchase of Intelsat is the latest example of major consolidation within the geostationary orbit (GSO) satellite sector, following on from mergers between Eutelsat and OneWeb as well as Viasat and Inmarsat.

Optical & Fixed Networks

Damage to submarine cables: claims and remedies

Transmitting about 99% of the world’s telecommunications, submarine cables have emerged as critical infrastructure necessary for systems to function. In recent months, there have been two “extraordinary” outages that have brought submarine cable damage and protection issues to the fore.

Vendors

AI: An arms race in the making

Huawei Analyst Summit (HAS) 2024 may have been a closed event for media this year but Developing Telecoms was still in Shenzhen to soak in new developments from Huawei and scope out the vendor’s almost mythical Ox Horn Campus, a fairy-tale project from Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei.

Optical & Fixed Networks

Laying the groundwork: how Africa handled its subsea cable crisis

Within the space of a month, Africa experienced two extraordinary cable disruptionsthat led to internet outages in at least 11 countries...

Operators

Sub-Saharan Africa operators call for government alliance

Africa is reaching a tipping point as take up of connectivity services has surged year-on-year and it is not slowing down anytime soon. Its population is huge at 1.1 billion and young, a perfect combination for a surge in data usage and opportunities for operators. But now is the...

Operators

Now Corp chairman eyes tower lease opportunity and mobile launch

Now Corporation sees its rivals selling off tower assets to independent tower companies as an opportunity for its enterprise broadband provider unit Now Telecom to expand its coverage through leasing deals, and eventually launch its consumer mobile business in two years.

Operators

Orange MEA boss leaves door open for Ethio Telecom deal

Orange Middle East and Africa CEO Jerome Henique (pictured) has left the door open for an eventual entry into the Ethiopian market, despite recently dropping...

Operators

Vodacom CTO talks up hydrogen power and 4G cloud phone

Vodacom Group CTO (pictured) Dejan Kastelic said the operator is exploring a range of strategies to tackle rising opex costs and reduce its carbon footprint through innovative new technologies, including harnessing the power of hydrogen to power base stations.

Trends & Forecasts

MWC24: Key takes from our editorial team

With MWC24 now over, it’s time to look at the key trends that emerged from the show – and check whether they aligned with our...

Trends & Forecasts

MWC24: Five tech trends we expect to see in emerging markets

Mobile World Congress 2024 takes place next week, and Developing Telecoms will be at the show in Barcelona to report on the major trends that will shape the sector in emerging markets across the next year.

Regulation

Is the Nepalese government being too heavy-handed?

The spread of connectivity has transformed the economies of multiple developing markets enabling citizens from Asia, Africa and Latin America to tap into a myriad of information and services.

Energy & Sustainability

Cost savings – not social pressure - are driving telcos towards green energy

The telecoms sector has an indisputable impact on the environment. Operating a reliable network requires vast amounts of power, the manufacture of network equipment and personal devices produces significant carbon emissions, and the swift obsolescence of these devices generates a constant...

Trends & Forecasts

AI promises huge benefits in 2024, but needs to be better understood

Interest in artificial intelligence (AI) as a potential game-changer for the telecoms industry will continue to build through 2024, and in turn drive experimentation and innovation across many areas of telcos’ businesses and those of their customers.

Trends & Forecasts

Satellite 5G and enhanced WiFi show promise for 2024, but AI will dominate the discussion

As year-end approaches, analyst and consultancy firms, industry players and assorted commentators are once again posting their predictions for telecoms in 2024. However diverse their research interests or business focus, almost all of these forecasts share a common theme this time around -...

Optical & Fixed Networks

Universal broadband access - is it achievable still?

Since the early 2010s, connectivity has become central to the lives of people living in developed markets. It was very apparent that the internet was fast becoming life-changing technology, as it enables levers to streamline productivity and deliver entertainment in ways that were deemed...

Mobile Finance

Mobile money’s future is rooted in trust

Last week, we examined the impact of mobile money in Africa, exploring the runaway success of M-Pesa in Kenya by framing this against the broader backdrop of the...

Mobile Finance

Has mobile money had its day in Africa?

Mobile money is one of the great success stories in Africa – or at least, this is the popular narrative around the technology. In this two-part series of Features, we will examine mobile money’s impact in Africa, and the extent to which it really has revolutionised financial inclusion in the...

Service Management

Is artificial intelligence worth it for developing markets?

Artificial intelligence has ascended to the top of minds in the telecoms sector over the past year due to its potential to transform the industry.

TM Forum president and CEO Nik Willetts opened Digital Transformation World 2023 with a stark message for the telecoms industry, claiming it is at a “crisis point” where it faces being left behind by the “very revolution we’ve created”.

Operators

Key takeaways from Digital Transformation World 2023

TM Forum president and CEO Nik Willetts (pictured) opened Digital Transformation World 2023 with a stark message for the telecoms industry, claiming it is at a “crisis point” where it faces being left behind by the “very revolution we’ve created”.

Energy & Sustainability

E-waste: Emerging markets must lead by example

In the final instalment of our recent series focusing on e-waste in emerging markets, we reached out to a major Asian operator to learn more about how they plan to achieve a major sustainability pledge - Thailand’s True Corp, which has announced that it aims to achieve zero e-waste to landfill...

Energy & Sustainability

E-waste: Changing perceptions lead to changing policies

In the first instalment of this series, we explored the scale of the issue of e-waste and some of the steps being taken to reduce it. As attitudes towards sustainability shift, policymakers take note – whether at company or government level – and in this article we’ll explore the factors...

Energy & Sustainability

E-waste: How big is the problem?

In this new series of features, Developing Telecoms will explore the under-reported issue of electronic waste. We will explore possible solutions for addressing the issue as well as examining a case study with a leading Asian operator, but to begin, this article aims to examine the scale of the...

Operators

Why are Asia Pacific operators sunsetting 2G, 3G networks?

Shutting down 2G and 3G is ramping up across the globe as operators make way for more capacity for 4G and 5G networks. It is the inevitable cycle of progress, out with the old, and in with the new as the old saying goes.

Operators

Interview: Helios Towers CEO Tom Greenwood

Helios Towers is one the biggest towercos in Africa, and since its IPO four years ago the firm has dramatically expanded its footprint and portfolio. It has also strongly pushed a sustainability agenda while continuing to drive increased coverage across some of the most challenging markets in...

Vendors

How did 5G improve a mine in South Africa?

Despite the heavy emphasis on sustainability in 2023, it does not change the fact that global economies are growing beasts, with insatiable demand for energy as they grow.

Energy & Sustainability

How does connectivity enhance a dam in Ghana?

Those of us in the telecoms industry have sat through the same keynote speeches, listening to the same messages year after year on how enhanced connectivity will be the core to a brighter future for mankind.

Devices & Platforms

Is slowing growth giving smartphones a second life in India?

Smartphone sales in India are down to their lowest level since 2019, despite the pandemic underlining the importance of connectivity in society. However, while the overall volume of shipments may have dropped, the devices in demand are increasingly more expensive high-end models.

Operators

Now Telecom chairman demands even playing field

The Philippines telecoms market is one that constantly hits the headlines and this heat stems from the historic duopoly of Globe Telecom and PLDT’s Smart Communications in the archipelagic nation.

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