Ethiopia: 2 years after the liberalization of telecoms, prices have fallen by 70%

Mobile service costs in Ethiopia are now in line with the recommendations of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), falling below 2% of monthly gross national income (GNI) per capita. In 2017, they still represented nearly 12% of GNI. This transformation is the result of the liberalization of the telecoms market, initiated in October 2022 with the launch of Safaricom’s commercial activities. According to the Global Mobile Phone Association (GSMA), the price of telecoms services has decreased by 70% in the country. Today, Ethiopia offers some of the most affordable telecoms rates in the East African sub-region.

Read more ....

Wi-Fi Goes Long Range on New WiLo Approach

Wi-Fi Goes Long Range on New WiLo Approach

The new technique could underpin agricultural sensor networks and smart cities. Researchers have developed a hybrid technology that would combine Wi-Fi with the Long Range (LoRa) networking protocol, yielding a new long-distance wireless concept called WiLo. The research team has designed their proposed WiLo tech to be used on existing Wi-Fi and LoRa hardware. Researchers have developed a hybrid technology that would combine Wi-Fi with the Long Range (LoRa) networking protocol, yielding a new long-distance wireless concept called WiLo. The research team has designed their proposed WiLo tech to be used on existing Wi-Fi and LoRa hardware.

The advance may find applications in Internet of Things (IoT) technologies–such as networks of long-range sensors used in agriculture or smart cities.

For more info ....

Feature: Is it time to make the leap to 5G-Advanced?

A panel of telecoms experts examined the state of 5G-Advanced (5G-A) and why it is important during Mobile World Live’s latest topic panel, with the executives highlighting new capabilities enabling operators to capitalise on fresh use cases to drive revenue.

The panellists backed 5G-A upgrades to fuel new levels of network automation to reduce costs and improve reliability, and help drive the evolution to 6G in the coming years. For more click here

Apple unveils new iPad Pro with ‘outrageously powerful’ AI-powered chip

Apple is hoping its latest iPad lineup will breathe new life into its sluggish tablet market. In a pre-recorded live streamed event from its Cupertino, California headquarters, the company introduced the latest versions of its iPad Pro and iPad Air tablets, and an all-new Apple Pencil Pro. Read more ....

Telefonica nears full ownership of German unit

Telefonica increased its stake in its German subsidiary to 93.1 per cent during a public tender offer to shareholders, spending around €1.5 billion in cash.

The operator stated it raised its stake from approximately 71.8 per cent held when it announced the public acquisition in November 2023, acquiring 630 million shares equating to more than 21 per cent. The offer is expected to be settled on 26 January 2024.

Read more here.

Apple Vision Pro set for US launch in February

Apple announced its $3,499 Vision Pro headset would start shipping across the US on 2 February, marking its much-anticipated entry into the AR/VR market, with advance orders to start on 19 January.

The headset comes with 256GB of storage and delivers more pixels than a 4K TV for each eye. It allows users to switch between AR and VR using a dial located on the side. post only in the specified topic.

Read more here.

Parallel Wireless pushes Africa open RAN progress

RAN vendor Parallel Wireless lauded a milestone of installing equipment in 1,500 sites across various African markets through partnerships with authorities and operators in a number of countries. In a statement, the vendor highlighted deployments in Tanzania, Republic of Guinea, Ghana, South Sudan, Uganda, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Malawi and Nigeria. Read more here.