Telecom
5G Forecast to Create Almost 23m Jobs within 15 years

With 5G-enabled job growth forecast to be 22.8 million globally over the next 15 years, the fifth-generation technology standard for broadband cellular networks is one of the major trends that will shape the ICT industry in 2021.
This is according to submarine cable and high-speed fibre-optic cable operator Seacom.
New kinds of connectivity such as 5G and WiFi 6, the future of cloud and edge computing, the rise of intelligent technology, privacy and cyber crime, and other developments in technology are fundamentally changing the ways we live and do business – and they are among the major trends SA should be paying attention to as we move into the new year, says the company.
Although 2020 was a difficult year, it has accelerated digital adaptation and transformation. If business leaders begin the new year thinking about how to take advantage of new technologies and introduce smart strategies, they will be better prepared to grasp the opportunities that better connectivity, cloud computing and artificial intelligence (AI) will provide, notesSeacom.
5G, WiFi 6 push the envelope
According to Steve Briggs, chief commercial officer at Seacom, 5G-enabled job growth has been forecast by Qualcomm to be greater than previously expected – up from 22.3 million to 22.8 million over the next 15 years. With 5G services expected to launch worldwide in 2021, the global economic potential for the fifth-generation technology is expected to create $13.1 trillion worth of revenue by 2035.
“The introduction and rollout of 5G is expected to transform any industry that relies on connectivity – and not just mobile connectivity. Telecoms giants are deploying and developing 5G phones and networks at a steady pace and 5G is becoming a highly contested subject in the US-China trade war. Predictions are that the amount of digital data created globally will be 163 zettabytes by 2025 – which shows the pace of digitalisation is accelerating,” notes Briggs.
“The challenge for South African networks, however, will be accessing the 5G spectrum to provide emerging digital services, and then finding ways to decrease costs.”
Last week, the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa asked telcos to pay for the emergency spectrum issued during the COVID-19 disaster regulations.
The number of live 5G networks has increased significantly since the beginning of 2019, with more than 50 operators expected to offer 5G services in about 30 countries by the end of 2021.
As the perfect partner for 5G, WiFi 6 also started rolling out in 2020 and will gain more traction in 2021.
“As the number of devices on WiFi networks is expected to grow, so will the volume and quality of data that needs to be transferred. We can expect WiFi 6 to handle more information up to three times faster than its predecessor, with smarter capabilities,” notesBriggs.
Future of cloud and edge computing
Improved connectivity is good news, as more organisations are expected to embrace remote work. For companies that have not started investing in cloud infrastructure, there is no better time than now, asserts Briggs.
The cloud is being pushed to its limits, with cloud traffic expected to process 95% of all data centre traffic in 2021 compared to 88% in 2016, and grow by 41% within the next two years.
Cloud technology enables improved and secure communication, remote collaboration, and streamlines various business processes with effortless scalability, while edge computing brings information processes closer to where they’re needed, explains Briggs.
Rather than having information travel halfway across the globe, more cloud hosting services will put their physical servers closer to customers, improving connectivity speeds, customer experience, as well as security and privacy through edge computing.
For African countries that rely on European servers for most cloud services, this will be especially significant.
“The decentralisation of information could also democratise education in developing countries and allow more people to live as digital nomads. With the aid of cloud computing, hardware will be less of a concern in the future – replaced by a new generation of software. In the gaming industry, Google Stadia is a great example of this, as people will be able to run high-end games in full quality on something as simple as a tablet,” says Briggs.
Rise of intelligent technology
Briggs believes AI, automation and machine learning are indisputably laying the foundations of a digital future.
While many people may think AI will take jobs away from people, it is more likely to become a tool that people will use to complement their work, or allow them to focus their skills on tasks that are less menial and repetitive. AI is not going away, so businesses should be looking at ways to harness its power in 2021.
“Language model AIs have improved immensely over the last few years, and a shift is happening in the way we may interact with this tech in the near future. The revolutionary language model generative pre-trained transformer 3 looks promising, with many potential applications, including the creation of an AI workplace assistant that can be used to navigate business processes in natural conversation,”Briggs points out.
AI-optimised manufacturing has led to greater efficiency in outputs and product quality, while also reducing waste. AI is also transforming healthcare as it is becoming an increasingly reliable tool for doctors and healthcare professionals to make informed decisions.
Privacy and cyber crime
As digital transformation continues, so will the commodification of personal data, and increasingly people and companies will have to choose between the conveniences that digital platforms and services offer and keeping their data private.
“Many companies have been fined heavily for leaking user data, such as Equifax, as well as lacking transparency regarding advert personalisation, such as Google.
“While these fines are often a slap on the wrist for tech giants, privacy concerns will continue to be a priority into 2021 for individuals and businesses. Because the world lacks global privacy standards, consumer data has become ‘free game’ and AI has made collecting and using people’s personal information easier than ever,” Briggs notes.
The onus is also on businesses to take the necessary steps to protect themselves and their customer data against cyber crime. If organisations want to avoid seeing themselves in a brand-damaging headline,Briggs advises them to make 2021 the year they take digital security seriously.
Telecom
Paradigm Initiative Warns of AI-Driven Hate Speech, Urges Global Tech Reform

As the world commemorates the International Day for Countering Hate Speech, Paradigm Initiative (PIN) is calling on big tech companies to intensify their efforts in combating online hate speech and ensuring respect for fundamental human rights.
PIN’s 2024 Londa report highlights the widespread prevalence of hate speech online. In Angola, for instance, at least 25 content removal requests were made in connection with hate speech, harassment, and political misinformation. Globally, the consequences of unchecked hate speech have been severe—ranging from incitement to violence and heightened ethnic tensions to the targeting of vulnerable communities, including minorities, women, and foreigners.
Nigeria witnessed a tragic example in 2018 when a Facebook post showing a massacre in Plateau State was viewed more than 11,000 times, triggering ethnic conflict and resulting in fatalities. In South Africa, inadequate content moderation has worsened the problem, while in Ethiopia in 2021, a false Facebook post led to the killing of a man wrongly implicated in a scandal. India saw a surge in hate speech during its elections.
PIN notes that actors behind hate speech are becoming increasingly sophisticated, often leveraging technologies like artificial intelligence to boost visibility. Meanwhile, existing moderation systems—especially for non-English content—struggle to keep up.
Bridgette Ndlovu, PIN’s Partnerships and Engagements Officer, said, “Hate speech online is a direct attack on the dignity and safety of individuals.” She urged technology companies to adopt transparent and effective moderation strategies and to prioritize human rights in their operations.
The spread of hate speech raises complex challenges for lawmakers. Governments are trying to regulate harmful content such as misinformation and harassment while protecting freedom of speech. However, PIN warns that hate speech laws should not be misused to arbitrarily detain human rights defenders or stifle dissenting voices.
To address these concerns, PIN recommends that tech companies invest more in moderating non-English content to reflect local nuances, improve transparency around government takedown requests, promote digital literacy—particularly in underserved regions—and conduct regular human rights due diligence, aligned with the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.
Telecom
Moniepoint Deepens Commitment to Africa’s Future Through Education and Innovation

Moniepoint Inc, one of Africa’s leading financial institutions partnered with the Mega Impact Foundation to support the 5th edition of the NextGen Connect Interschool Oratory Competition in Asaba, Delta state. This collaboration showcases Moniepoint’s unwavering commitment to youth empowerment and human capital development across the African continent.
The competition, which was held commemoratively to celebrate this year’s International Day of the Boy Child, brought together SS2 students from across Delta State to address the critical theme: “The Role of Financial Inclusion and Technology in Shaping a Brighter Future for Young People in Africa.” Moniepont has received critical acclaim over its core mission of advancing financial inclusion through innovative digital financial technology solutions and payment services..
The oratory competition showcased exceptional talent among Nigeria’s youth, with Otovo Praise of Crystalloid International School emerging as the champion. His outstanding performance earned him a full-year scholarship through the Tosin Eniolorunda STEM Foundation, reflecting Moniepoint’s philosophy of investing in educational excellence. Second-place winner Audi Innocent of St Patrick’s College received ₦300,000, while third-place winner, Asher David of Glorious Kids Academy was awarded ₦200,000.
“At Moniepoint, we believe that driving sustainable innovation begins with future-proofing and expanding the talent pool by empowering the next generation with the tools that they need to succeed especially basic literacy skills which remain fundamental pillars in socio-economic development,” said Tosin Eniolorunda, CEO Moniepoint Inc. “These young voices represent the future of African leadership, and their insights into financial inclusion and technology demonstrate the remarkable potential that exists within our communities. Through our various educational and developmental initiatives such as the CAD/CAM lab we donated to OAU last year or the Moniepoint DreamDevs programme, we are betting big on an investment in Africa’s future.”
The initiative extends beyond monetary rewards, creating meaningful platforms for young people to express their ideas on a global stage. Through its support of the NextGen Connect Conference and Tech-In-School conversations, Moniepoint is fostering an environment where youth can develop critical thinking skills, build confidence, and engage with pressing societal issues.
In her remarks, Founder, Mega Impact Foundation, Florence Ogonegbu said that “we reaffirm our commitment to building an Africa where every young person has simplified access to sustainable education, capacity building, and empowerment. By leveraging technology and local initiatives, we are creating platforms that enable our youth to thrive and transform their communities.
“Together with partners like Moniepoint, we are not just shaping futures—we are driving a movement for social development that will resonate globally. Every boy, every young person, deserves the opportunity to unlock their full potential and drive lasting impact across our continent.”
The competition received additional support from the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, Delta State, highlighting the collaborative approach required to nurture young talent effectively.
Telecom
Zoho Unveils Zia Hubs to Harness AI Insights from Unstructured Business Data

Zoho, a global technology company, today launched Zia Hubs, a solution within Zoho WorkDrive that brings new forms of unstructured business data into the company’s broad portfolio of applications and AI services. Using Zia Hubs, organisations can now present any type of business content to Zoho’s powerful capabilities and services—including agentic AI, comprehensive analysis, and accurate, unified search—regardless of file format or structure.
“According to IDC, 80 percent of business data is unstructured,” said Kehinde Ogundare, Country Head, Zoho Nigeria. “Most unstructured data is text-based, meaning pertinent information lives within email conversations, social media posts, word processor documents, or audio and video transcripts. With Zia Hubs built into the full product suite, Zoho can provide customers with a deeper integration than any comparable software platform and nearly limitless potential uses for their data.”
Deeper Intelligence Accessing More Customer Data
Launching as part of Zoho WorkDrive, Zia Hubs brings content intelligence to the company’s unified content management and collaboration platform. Designed with a high level of user control over what content AI is allowed to access, Zia Hubs enables users to organise project or task-specific content into dedicated hubs within WorkDrive. Each hub serves as a focused space where Zia, Zoho’s flagship AI, can understand and act on the content stored within. This includes a wide range of formats such as PDFs, documents, videos, and audio files.
Zia Hubs automatically organises uploaded content by grouping related information—such as section headings, supporting text, and visuals—to preserve context. For video and audio files, Zia generates transcripts and links key moments to relevant topics, making it easier to pinpoint exactly where something was said.
With Zia Hubs, users can surface the most relevant answers when asked a question, even across different content formats. Each response includes clear citations that link back to the original content, whether it is a document, spreadsheet, image, or a specific moment in an audio or video file.
Organisations can also create custom workflows with Zoho Flow, automating document storage processes for particular projects or specific teams. This ensures that Zia always has access to the latest necessary documents automatically.
Furthermore, content from third-party software—such as Docusign PDFs, RingCentral call logs, Zoom video files—are all readable by Zia, and can be automatically placed into a hub by building a workflow with Zoho Flow.
From Intelligent Content to Intelligent Action with Zia
Zia Hubs is a foundational element of Zoho’s long-term AI strategy. It lays the groundwork for a future where intelligent agents can act contextually on content across the company’s entire product suite. With full ownership of its technology stack spanning more than 55 products, Zoho is uniquely positioned to help organisations unlock deeper value from their business content compared to competitors.
Potential use cases for Zia Hubs include: a legal team’s content hub hosting a case’s relevant files: court files, correspondence, and research, allowing a lawyer to have Zia provide summaries with citations without having to manually scan lengthy files to gain insights; a company’s support center placing call logs into a hub, then querying Zia to identify trends, like, “Have we received an increase in calls regarding specific issues?”
Future updates to Zia Hubs will enable it to identify structured information within unstructured files and trigger specialised agents tailored to specific business needs. This will further establish Zia Hubs as the central content intelligence layer that activates AI-native workflows across the full Zoho ecosystem.
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