Tag: 4G

Airtel Uganda boosts Internet connectivity with new 4G sites in Lira

Airtel Uganda announced the launch of new 4G network sites in Lira City and surrounding areas on Friday, aiming to improve digital access across the country.

The initiative is part of the telecom company’s ongoing efforts to enhance internet speeds, call quality, and overall connectivity for communication, education, and business purposes.

Key stakeholders, including executives from Airtel Uganda, government representatives, and local leaders, gathered during the inaugural event in Lira City.

Read also: Airtel Money, Spiro Uganda partner to launch AI-powered electric motorcycle loans

Unlocking new opportunities via enhanced connectivity

David Birungi, MCIPR, Airtel’s PR and Corporate Communications Manager, spoke at the occasion and underlined that the campaign’s main theme is digital acceleration—unlocking new opportunities through improved connectivity.

“With this upgraded network, even a small-scale trader selling simsim can easily check market prices or make transactions online. It also enables virtual learning, allowing students from King’s College Buddo to seamlessly connect with schools here in Lira,” said Birungi.

He added that Airtel has already increased access to digital education by connecting four schools in the Lango region.

Airtel’s commitment to digital transformation

Wongani Muthiya, Sales Director for Growth Markets at Airtel Uganda, reaffirmed the company’s dedication to inclusiveness and digital transformation.

“We are here to strengthen Lira’s position in Uganda’s digital transformation journey. As part of this, we are proud to announce five new network sites in Lira City: Lira Kirombe, Ireda, Lira Railways Quarters, Akwoyo, and Lira Boya. This marks a significant step in our efforts to improve network capacity and accelerate digital access,” he stated.

Muthiya also disclosed Airtel Uganda’s plans to improve customer experiences by investing in new masts and technologies.

“Our farmers in Lira and across Uganda will now have better access to agricultural information, improving their productivity and livelihoods,” he added.

Airtel’s partnership with UNICEF to provide schools with internet connectivity

In order to guarantee that students in the Lango region have equal access to education, Airtel Uganda has partnered with UNICEF to link a number of schools to the internet and offer free monthly connectivity.

“We want to ensure that all children, regardless of location, have access to the same educational resources as their counterparts in major cities,” Muthiya explained.

Rebecca Alwedo, the Deputy Mayor of Lira City, praised Airtel’s investment and said the city’s 2020 city status transition was part of a plan to make it an industrial, competitive and green centre.

“As part of this vision, we aimed to elevate Lira into a smart city, ensuring that industries operate efficiently. Today, we are pleased to partner with Airtel to enhance communication infrastructure in the city. ” Alwedo stated.

Read also: Airtel Uganda to sell remaining shares to satisfy regulatory criteria

Airtel Uganda empowers Lira with digital public library

Through its support of the Lira Public Library Digital Community, Airtel Uganda, in collaboration with ATC Uganda, is significantly influencing digital literacy in Lira.

This program is a component of Airtel’s continuous effort to use technology and education to empower communities.

Monthly training sessions, including Cyber Security and Basic Computer Skills, are available through the Lira Public Library Digital Community.

These courses will give a wide range of students—including women, senior citizens, and O and A-level students—the necessary fundamental digital skills.

The Airtel team recently visited Rebecca Awayo, head of the library, and Oscar Okwanga, the IT administrator, observing firsthand how the program was changing lives.

The visit evidenced Airtel Uganda’s commitment to closing the digital divide and raising a generation of tech-savvy individuals.

Airtel Uganda keeps investing in digital inclusion through programs like these, guaranteeing that people of all ages and backgrounds can take advantage of high-quality education and possibilities driven by technology.

March 15, 2025
Ethio Telecom remits ETB 23.74 billion in taxes to the Ethiopian government within six months

In the first half of 2024, Ethio Telecom paid taxes totalling ETB 23.74 billion to the government and repaid a foreign loan of ETB 1.8 billion (about $15 million), according to its 2024/2025 Semi-Annual Business Performance Report released on February 12.

Read also: Ethio Telecom launches 5G technology in Jimma City

Completion of 202 mobile stations

In the first half of the fiscal year, 202 new mobile stations were completed and put into service in an attempt to grow its customer base.

Additionally, during these six months, 4.6 million more network capacity was created through mobile network expansion, bringing the overall network capacity up from 86.1 million to 90.7 million.

This has led to 10 more cities gaining access to 5G services and an additional 67 cities gaining access to 4G services.

A total of 171 domestic and foreign products and services were also presented; 62 of these were brand-new, and 109 were redesigned to help the society transition to the digital economy.

Read also: Ethio telecom unveils electric vehicle charging station in Ethiopia

Ethio Telecom’s target revenue of ETB 61.9 billion

The company achieved 90.7% of the target revenue of ETB 61.9 billion through the expansion of its products and services and various infrastructure expansions made to improve the quality and accessibility of mobile networks.

Reaching 63.8% of the target, it also generated $64.4 million in overseas service revenues.

“Our financial statement for the year ended in June 30, 2024 has been examined by external auditors and received unqualified auditors opinion indicating that the report is clean with no discrepancies,” the company claims.

February 19, 2025
AfDB grants AXIAN Telecom $160 million loan to expand 4G, 5G networks

AXIAN Telecom has been granted a $160 million senior corporate loan by the African Development Bank (AfDB) to help them increase financial inclusion and digital access in nine African nations, with a special focus on the expansion of 4G and 5G technology.

According to the announcement by AXIAN Telecom on Thursday, It will also spur digital innovation in its business practices, allowing it to go global.

With an emphasis on the rollout of 4G and 5G networks, the loan will expedite the modernisation and growth of AXIAN Telecom’s network infrastructure.

As a pioneer in Africa’s digital revolution, AXIAN Telecom, with its headquarters located in Mauritius, provides services to 42.9 million mobile customers, 11.4 million data users, and 15.2 million users of mobile financial services.

Read also: 2 million Nigerians to gain electricity as AfDB invests $500M in Nigeria

Aim to address gender inequality in financial services access

The financing is primarily focused on addressing gender differences in financial services access.

AXIAN’s Mvola platform will be used to empower 22,000 women entrepreneurs in Madagascar, with over $10 million allocated for this purpose.

Furthermore, a $2.5 million grant will improve 34,000 women-owned enterprises in Madagascar, Tanzania, and Senegal’s access to finance and financial literacy, allowing them to expand and enter the formal sector.

“This investment reflects the African Development Bank’s commitment to driving Africa’s digital transformation and fostering inclusive growth. By supporting AXIAN Telecom’s growth plan, we are bridging the digital divide, creating opportunities for millions across the continent, and fostering innovation,” said Solomon Quaynor, Vice President for Private Sector, Infrastructure and Industrialization, African Development Bank.

Quaynor noted the African Development Bank’s support as part of cooperation to accelerate progress, increase financial inclusion—particularly for women—and drive sustainable development.

“Together, we are building the infrastructure and ecosystems that will enable Africa to thrive in the digital age,” Quaynor adds.

Read also: Ethio Telecom, AfDB dialogue on possible partnership to boost Ethiopia’s digital economy

Role of partnership in enhancing sustainable development

Hassan Jaber, CEO of AXIAN Telecom, noted that the African Development Bank funding emphasises the continent’s enormous digital potential as well as the vital role that cooperation plays in promoting sustainable development.

“We are honoured to partner with an organisation that shares our vision of advancing Africa’s digital economy. The funding from the African Development Bank not only underscores the immense digital potential of the continent but also highlights the critical role of collaboration in driving sustainable development,” said Hassan Jaber, CEO of AXIAN Telecom.

Jaber underlined that the African Development Bank’s assistance will strengthen the business’s current projects, which include promoting creative ways to close the digital divide and increasing access to reasonably priced internet while fitting in perfectly with their mobile businesses’ recent makeover under the Yas brand.

He stated, “Yas represents our commitment to empowering a young, dynamic, and digitally connected population, embracing every opportunity with a resounding ‘YES.’ Together, this collaboration will help drive meaningful change across Africa’s digital landscape, furthering our shared mission of digital and financial inclusion.”

The partnership is in line with the African Development Bank’s “Hi-5” development initiatives, specifically “Integrate Africa” and “Industrialise Africa,” which promote cross-border digital services, improve connectivity, and aid in financial inclusion.

January 31, 2025
Kenya sees surge in 4G, 5G adoption among data users

According to the quarterly Sector Statistics report published on Friday by the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) for the July–September 2024 period, there was a minor decrease in 3G broadband subscribers and data usage, but a rise in the adoption of 4G and 5G technologies.

“The country is poised for significant advancements in both 4G and 5G uptake which is driven by the continued investments and increased consumer demand for high-speed connectivity,” reads part of the report.

By the quarter’s end, there were a record 53.7 million mobile data subscribers, of which 58.1 per cent were 4G.

Read also: Kenya’s incoming international calls increase by 57%

Rise in 4G, 5G adoption due to online education, streaming, remote work, others

Because of the increasing need for high-speed Internet for tasks like streaming, online education, remote work, and e-commerce, 4G and 5G technology usage has been steadily increasing.

The number of active mobile (SIM) subscriptions increased from 68.9 million in the previous quarter to 70.0 million by the end of September 2024, a 1.6 per cent increase that translates into a 135.8 per cent penetration rate.

Mobile money service subscriptions climbed from 39.8 million to 40.6 million during the reference period, representing a 78.9 per cent penetration rate.

Read also: Safaricom’s M-PESA officially launches Ziidi Money Market Fund in Kenya

131.5% penetration rate of mobile phone devices

A total of 68.1 million mobile phone devices were connected to mobile networks, which translates to a 131.5 percent penetration rate. Of these devices, 37.4 million are smartphones, which have a 72.6 percent penetration rate, while 30.7 million are feature phones, which have a 59.6 percent penetration rate.

The telecoms sector had considerable growth in the first quarter of financial year 2024/2025, with an increase in internet subscriptions, mobile SIM, smartphone use, and mobile money, demonstrating sustained industry responsiveness to customer needs.

January 28, 2025
Vodafone, Amazon’s Project Kuiper to offer 4G, 5G services in Africa, Europe

Both Vodafone and Vodacom have plans to employ Project Kuiper’s high-bandwidth, low-latency satellite network to provide the benefits of 4G/5G connectivity to regions that may otherwise be difficult or prohibitively expensive to service via traditional fibre or microwave methods.

These regions may have previously been excluded from receiving these benefits due to their inaccessibility. Through the implementation of Project Kuiper, geographically scattered cellular antennas will be reconnected to their respective firms’ central telecom networks. Because of this, Vodafone and Vodacom will be able to provide 4G and 5G services in additional areas without incurring the time and expense of building out fibre-based or fixed wireless links back to the core networks of their respective networks.

As part of the partnership, Amazon intends to form a partnership with Vodafone in order to bring the high-speed broadband services offered by Project Kuiper to areas of the world that are now unserved or underserved. The companies are also investigating the possibility of developing new enterprise-specific offerings in order to deliver full global connectivity solutions to businesses. Some examples of these offerings include a backup service in case of unforeseen events and the extension of connectivity to remote facilities.

Read also: MTN, Vodafone, and Other Telecom Companies Now Offer Free Calls and SMS to Ukraine

Remarks from Vodafone

The Chief Executive Officer of Vodafone Group, Margherita Della Valle, made the following statement: “Vodafone’s work with Project Kuiper will provide mobile connectivity to many of the estimated 40% of the global population without internet access, supporting remote communities, their schools and businesses, the emergency services, and disaster relief. These connections will be complemented further through our own work on direct-to-smartphone satellite services.”

“Amazon is building Project Kuiper to provide fast, affordable broadband to tens of millions of customers in unserved and underserved communities, and our flexible network means we can connect places that have traditionally been difficult to reach,” said Dave Limp, Amazon’s senior vice president for devices and services.

“Teaming with a leading international service provider like Vodafone allows us to make a bigger impact faster in closing the digital divide in Europe and Africa. Together we’ll explore how we can help our customers get the most value from expanded connectivity, particularly in areas like residential broadband, agriculture, education, healthcare, transportation, and financial services.”

“At Vodacom, our purpose is to connect for a better future, and we work every day to bring more people in Africa online,” remarked Shameel Joosub, CEO of Vodacom Group. “Collaborating with Project Kuiper gives us an exciting new path to scale our efforts, using Amazon’s satellite constellation to quickly reach more customers across the African continent.”

Nokia announces milestone in collaboration with Vodafone

The next action steps

As soon as Amazon’s production satellites go online, Vodafone, Vodacom, and Project Kuiper will begin rolling out their respective services across Africa and Europe. Before beginning to deploy production satellites in 2024, Amazon is getting ready to put two prototypes of their satellites through their paces over the next few months.

By the end of 2024, according to Amazon’s projections, the company will begin beta testing Project Kuiper services with a subset of consumers, and Vodafone and Vodacom intend to join in that testing as a result of this agreement.

September 8, 2023
Ericsson and stc Create Cognitive Software Solution

A digital enabler in the area, stc has deployed an Ericsson AI-based Cognitive Software solution to enhance customer experience and network performance. For better network optimization, the cognitive software makes use of automation, big data scalability, speed, accuracy, and consistency. It does proactive analysis of the 4G and 5G Radio Access Network (RAN).

Mohammed Albadrani, Vice President of Operations, stc Group said, “stc Group is committed to providing customers with seamless experiences and network performance. stc has adopted the latest technologies from Ericsson to ensure proactive support and elevate customer experiences, even at times of high-traffic surges on the network.”

The AI-based Cognitive Software solution also aids in lowering carbon dioxide emissions from operational tasks, for instance, by using remote automatic spectrum analysis and virtual drive testing. Additionally, to improve the 5G experience for its users, stc Group has implemented 5G AI root-cause analysis capabilities.

Read also: MTN Nigeria launches commercial 5G in partnership with Ericsson

Håkan Cervell, Vice President and Head of Customer Unit stc, Saudi Arabia and Egypt at Ericsson Middle East and Africa said, “Cognitive technologies blend big data with the unique network domain expertise to deliver unprecedented speed, scale and accuracy in emerging intent-based network operations. stc Group’s continued trust in our technology enables us to provide the best and latest solutions, complementing stc Group’s dedication to a seamless and enhanced network.”

The Ericsson Performance Optimizers portfolio can be utilised by the stc Group for precise optimization analysis and suggestion thanks to this implementation that is future-proof. For a better subscriber experience, while lowering operating costs, Ericsson Performance Optimizers use digital twin technology and cutting-edge AI techniques like deep reinforcement learning and expert recommender systems to proactively provide mobile network optimization recommendations and address specific network performance issues.

Earlier Updates on Ericsson

Earlier in October 2022, Ericsson and Vodafone teamed to support the telecom company’s network infrastructure growth across many domains in Oman.

With this most recent development in their ongoing collaboration, Ericsson and Vodafone will support each other in implementing zero-touch operations and anomaly detection capabilities to facilitate data-driven decisions in the network. Ericsson will provide AI-based cognitive software solutions for network optimization.

Ericsson Expert Analytics (EEA) and cognitive software solutions for network optimization are among the solutions that have been implemented. These solutions provide near real-time, multivendor, and cross-domain analytics and optimization by utilising a big data platform with much-improved scalability and performance.

Stelios Savvides, technology director of Vodafone in Oman stated: “As we continue our digitalisation journey, leveraging AI in network operations is critical to our business agility, customer satisfaction, and in simplifying decision-making processes. Featuring advanced AI and automation capabilities, Ericsson’s solutions support our digital operator ecosystem utilise data analytics to sustain growth, provide insights into network usage and drive improvements to ensure an enriching experience for our customers.”

By linking measurements and events from the network ecosystem, the solutions assist Vodafone in evaluating customer experiences, retaining and upselling subscribers, and prioritising network investments. Additionally, EEA makes it easier for Vodafone to get crucial insights to improve 5G rollout and user acceptance.

Ericsson Launches a Global Utilities Innovation Center

Mobily Increases Its Managed Services Collaboration With Ericsson in Saudi Arabia

As of late 2020, Mobily increased its managed services collaboration with Ericsson in Saudi Arabia

Ericsson Operations Engine will make customer-centric operations, optimization, and improved network and IT capabilities possible.

The agreement includes network and IT automation and AI-powered data-driven managed services.

Cloud Voice over LTE (VoLTE) and the Ericsson Charging System are included in the agreement.

Mobily, The managed services agreement between Saudi Arabia and Ericsson, has been extended for a further five years. In addition to Ericsson Charging System, PS Core, and Intelligent Network, the agreement also includes fully managed end-to-end operations and optimization services using Ericsson Operations Engine in Saudi Arabia’s Western region (IN).

A solution that provides voice and communication services across various sorts of devices and accesses is included in the new extension along with Cloud VoLTE.

In order to improve customer experiences and guarantee a greater return on network assets, Ericsson also offers network optimization services. It does this by fusing its cutting-edge cognitive software with its network knowledge. Ericsson Operations Engine also be installed as part of the agreement, helping Mobily improve subscriber experiences and operational network efficiency.

By shifting from a network-centric operation focus to a user-experience-centric operation focus anchored by Ericsson Operations Engine, Ericsson will help the service provider build sustainable differences.

October 31, 2022
Telecom Egypt to expand network using €150M Loan from European Investment Bank

Telecom Egypt has secured a credit line with the European Investment Bank. The EIB is the lending arm of the European Union. The medium-term loan of €150 million is aimed at expanding Telecom Egypt’s 4G broadband network.

The EU aims to support the Egyptian government’s efforts to secure resilient and affordable access to universal connectivity for the benefit of Egyptian citizens across the whole country. Telecom Egypt is set to improve its mobile network coverage by deploying around 2,000 new mobile sites and installing additional capacity layers to its existing portfolio of mobile towers. The medium-term loan of € 150 million is the European Investment Bank’s largest mobile network loan in Africa. This initiative will provide Egypt with accessible and affordable digital services.

Speaking on the signed agreement, the Director of the ‘European Union Neighbourhood Countries’ arm, of the European Investment Bank, Flavia Palanza said, “This project will help accelerate large scale investment in mobile networks and ensure affordable access to digital services in Egypt. The EIB identifies digital transformation as a catalyzer for innovation, employment and sustainable economic growth. We are pleased to partner with Telecom Egypt, a dynamic group engaged in its ambitious network expansion program, to offer a modern and broader access to connectivity throughout Egypt.”

Read Khazna, Egyptian Fintech App Raises $38M in Funding
Also speaking about the loan agreement, Adel Hamed, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Telecom Egypt stated that “We are very pleased to secure this new credit line with EIB after extensive deliberations, including the presentation of our functional plan to improve our mobile network’s scale, an objective that comes in line with the bank’s priorities for developmental projects. Telecom Egypt will capitalize on its multiple financial resources, newly awarded spectrum and rich portfolio of valuable products, among other factors, to continue serving its growing customer base and strengthen its competitive position in the Egyptian telecom market.”

The Deputy Head of Delegation of the European Union Delegation to Egypt, Tobias Krause, has said “Digital Transformation is a key pillar of this ambitious new phase of joint cooperation with Egypt. The EU aims to support the Egyptian government’s efforts to secure resilient and affordable access to universal connectivity for the benefit of Egyptian citizens across the whole country. This project shows the commitment of our partners in the EIB, the EU’s lending hand, to support crucial inclusive digital infrastructure planning in Egypt. We will continue to work hand in hand with our Member States and European Financial Institutions as Team Europe to support Egypt’s human-centric digital transition and to foster a sustainable, connected and inclusive economy and society.”

Telecom Egypt, is Egypt’s primary telephone company. It started in 1854 with the first telegraph line in Egypt. In 1998, it replaced the former Arab Republic of Egypt National Telecommunication Organization.

April 1, 2022