Technology news and insights in the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa
Technology News and insights in the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa
Telecel Faso has begun deploying 300 telecom sites across Burkina Faso under a government project to connect 750 underserved areas. The initiative aims to reduce the digital divide, expand rural and urban coverage, and strengthen Telecel’s market position amid national digital transformation efforts.
Ericsson has signed a multi-year microwave contract with Jazz to modernise the operator’s backbone network in Pakistan. Using Ericsson’s Mini-Link solutions, the deployment will boost capacity, improve reliability, and support 4G expansion while preparing the network for a future transition to 5G nationwide.
e& UAE is partnering with Amdocs to integrate generative AI across its telecom operations using Amdocs’ amAIz platform, supported by NVIDIA’s AI technology. The project brings telco-specific AI agents, enhanced security controls, and scalable GenAI models to improve customer care, network operations, and retail efficiency. e& UAE becomes one of the first global operators to deploy GenAI at scale, aiming for faster service resolution, smarter recommendations, and stronger operational performance. Amdocs and NVIDIA describe the partnership as a major milestone in telecom AI transformation.
Vodafone Qatar has deployed a fully remote onboarding system with biometric verification, Instant SIM activation, and mobile wallet registration, reducing fraud and enabling user verification in under one minute.
Pakistan is preparing for a major digital transformation driven by 5G readiness, AI-enabled cloud services, expanded fibre networks, and CPEC-backed connectivity. New submarine cables, blockchain verification, cybersecurity upgrades, and digital corridors position the country for Smart Cities and advanced digital services.
Ncell CEO Michael Foley has urged Nepal to focus on improving 4G quality before rolling out 5G. Despite high 4G device penetration, users face issues with speed, coverage, and latency. Foley said operators struggle under heavy fees and declining revenues, making 5G investment challenging without policy reform.
Huawei and MTN Nigeria have completed the first commercial deployment of Huawei’s RuralCow mobile base station, designed for rapid rollout in rural regions. The solution drastically reduces power use, installation complexity, and deployment costs while extending coverage to remote communities. It shortens rural network ROI to around three years.
Vodafone Qatar has launched a unified biometric eKYC platform powered by Innovatrics to enable fully remote onboarding for SIMs, eSIMs, wallets, and service changes. The system improves security with liveness detection, reduces reliance on physical stores, and reflects a broader global shift toward biometric-based digital identity and SIM registration.
IBM and stc Group have deepened their partnership to strengthen Saudi Arabia’s readiness for the post-quantum cybersecurity era. By adopting IBM’s quantum-safe cybersecurity solutions, stc is reinforcing its encryption, data protection, and cryptographic systems against future quantum-based threats. The collaboration has produced a new quantum-safe security framework aligned with NIST standards to proactively detect vulnerabilities. This initiative enhances national cybersecurity resilience, supports Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 objectives, and positions stc as a regional leader in future-ready, secure telecommunications infrastructure.
Algeria has officially launched 5G services and initiated a six-year national rollout plan starting with eight pilot provinces. Licenses were awarded to Mobilis, Djezzy, and Ooredoo at a combined cost of nearly $492 million. The new network is expected to support AI, IoT, cloud services, and smart infrastructure across key sectors such as healthcare, industry, and education. However, high infrastructure costs and the affordability of 5G devices remain major challenges that could affect the speed and inclusivity of nationwide adoption, particularly in rural regions.