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Telecom

Huawei Introduces Key Architecture Index to Drive 5G Acceleration

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Huawei has held an online IP Gala conference with its industry partners to introduce the Key Architecture Index (KAI) and share its applications.

Huawei Introduces Key Architecture Index to Drive 5G Acceleration

This was part of the recent AfricaCom event with the theme “Leading intelligent IP networks, accelerating intelligent connectivity.”

In the carrier environment, the IP network enables fixed-mobile convergence, network evolution and the shift towards multi-services and the cloud era.

At the moment, a challenge facing most IP (internet protocol) networks is unnecessary complexity, due to a lack of IP architecture standardisation.

Most networks were built without adequate foresight, and next-generation networks, be they 3G, 4G or 5G, were built on top of existing networks.

This created network complexities around lack of visibility, management and control.

“We have to forever simplify our networks while moving to intelligent self-driving autonomous networks,” said Samuel Chen, director of Huawei Southern Africa Marketing and Solution Sales Department at the conference.

KAI architecture specifically addresses complexity challenges, enabling future-ready networks with easy integration, visibility, management and control, by measuring five dimensions of the transport network.

The KAI model indexes are Congestion Free, Scalability, Simplification, Always-on and Intelligence. Each dimension is evaluated across the optical, IP and the manager/controller/analyzer layer.

“The KAI model helps measure the results at an acceptable level across all of our offering portfolio so that we can realise a cloud-native based approach to monitoring the architecture,” said Hugh Ujhazy, Vice President, IOT and Telecom at IDC.

Zoltan Miklos, general manager of Network Planning at MTN South Africa delivered a presentation at the conference, outlining the Best Experience Congestion-Free IP Transmission Network, which would be the direct result of following an architectural model. He emphasised that it was critical to build networks with customer experience in mind.

“User experience is not only related to the wireless network, but to all aspects that form part of the service chain – from the customer to the core of the network,” he said.

Miklos said MTN was working hard to improve network architecture and was achieving excellent packet-lose rates of less than 10-4 across its entire network. The continuous P3 best-in-test achievements MTN has obtained were testimony to this, he said.

A white paper titled Transport Network Architecture Index in 5G and Cloud Era published by industrial intelligence company IDC this year has encouraged many operators across the world to move their network towards the KAI index model, looking to future-proof their network architecture.

Tony Hu, Huawei vice president of Data Communication Product Line said that a step-by-step approach was the right way for customers to embrace this evolution onto the KAI architectural model.

“We need to think not just as box layers. We need to think about the system layers, the architecture layers,” said Hu. “We need to rethink how services will be running on future IP networks and how to evolve our current networks for the future.”

He said IP networks could evolve by evaluating the current network against the five KAI dimensions. The KAI score obtained could then help the carrier to define the target network and the necessary corrective steps to be taken to get there.

The KAI model measures a network’s five dimension as follows: Congestion Free: Fiberization Ratio, 10G/25G to Site, Convergence Ratio, Network Slicing.

Simplified: SRv6/EVPN, Precise Clock Sync (G.8275.1).

Scalable: IP Capacity, Fixed + Mobile + Enterprise Network Convergence, Control & User Plane Separation (BNG).

Always On: Topology – Ring & Mesh, Network & Service Decoupling, Protection – IP FRR/TI-LFA, IP + Optical Synergy.

Intelligent: Auto Provisioning, Visualization on GIS & Logical Topology, Trouble Recovery(mins level), Predictive & Proactive Maintenance , Full Stack AI.

Ujhazy said inadequate levels of coverage or performance led customers to change providers. By contrast, network excellence led to improved customer experience, which would then enhance the provider’s success in the market.

“In recent years, the transport network has become the deciding factor in the quality of customer experience,” he added.


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Telecom

Telcos Threaten to Disconnect Banks over Misinformation on New USSD Charges

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Telecommunication companies have threatened to withdraw their Unstructured Supplementary Services Data (USSD), services from banks over what they called misinformation.

Telcos Threaten to Disconnect Banks over Misinformation on New USSD Charges

MTN Nigeria, Airtel, Globacom and 9Mobile- the  telcos disclosed that the banks’ notice to their customers on the new billing system and airtime deductions for USSD services was misleading.

Also, Association of Licensed Telecom Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) also denied that the directive was from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).

USSD is done via shortcodes on mobile phones and allows bank customers to make transactions in places with limited or no internet service.

Recall that banks earlier this week claimed that NCC has directed them to begin charging them from their airtime rather than from customers’ accounts.

The notice from the banks read in part: “In line with the directive of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), please be informed that effective June 3, 2025, charges for USSD banking services will no longer be deducted from your bank account.

“Going forward, these charges will be deducted directly from your mobile airtime balance in accordance with the NCC’s End-User Billing (EUB) model.

“Under this new billing structure, each USSD session will attract a charge of ?6.98 per 120 seconds, which will be billed by your mobile network operator.

“You will receive a consent prompt at the start of each session, and airtime will only be deducted upon your confirmation and availability of the bank to fulfil this service.

“If you do not wish to continue using USSD banking under this new model, you may choose to discontinue use of the USSD channel.”

Reacting, ALTON, umbrella body of telecom operators in Nigeria, said the banks’ notice is a gross misinformation deliberately hatched to suit their selfish interests.

Hence they threatened to withdraw network support to the banks’ USSD services.

Engr Gbenga Adebayo, chairman of ALTON  told Vanguard: ” I don’t understand why the banks are twisting agreements and distorting information just to favour their selfish interests. In the first place, the information wasn’t a directive from the NCC but a joint regulatory agreement between the NCC and the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN witnessed by the telcos and the banks. The agreement was that if the banks finally cleared all USSD debts owed to the telcos by June 2, 2025, they are free to migrate to the end-user billing method, so long as the model of migration is transparent and agreed upon by the telcos.

“The reason for that clause was because the telcos insisted that the process of migration is such that will not allow a customer to be billed twice; in other words, that a subscriber would not have his airtime deducted and also have his or her money deducted for same services from his or her bank account.

” As we speak, some of the banks have cleared their debts, but the majority are yet to do so. So, even if all the modalities of migrating to end-user billing have been perfectly carried out, the implementation cannot even begin because the banks are yet to clear the USSD debt owed to the telcos.

“Our position now is that if that is the way the banks want to treat the agreement, we may withdraw support for their USSD services. It is not a must-have. They can do without it. But, they should clear the debts as agreed,” he added.

 


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MTN Nigeria Plans N900Bn in Service Upgrade

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MTN Nigeria has announced plans to embark on a massive capital expenditure (CAPEX) drive in 2025, committing nearly N900 billion to significantly enhance network service quality across Nigeria.

MTN Nigeria Plans N900Bn in Service Upgrade

Dr. Karl Toriola, CEO, MTN Nigeria,

The substantial investment, more than double the combined CAPEX of approximately N440 billion spent in 2023 and 2024, underscored MTN’s aggressive strategy to address persistent service quality issues and meet growing customer and regulatory expectations.

Dr. Karl Toriola, CEO, MTN Nigeria, detailed this unprecedented financial commitment during a recent interview on Arise TV, emphasizing that improving service quality is the company’s paramount message for the year.

He highlighted a clear understanding and expectation from both the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and security agencies for improved network quality.

A primary focus of this increased CAPEX will be on putting additional capacity in a city like Lagos, particularly in Abuja, where you have a lot of buildings coming up, you need additional sites because there are coverage issues.

Beyond these critical urban centers, the investment aims to bolster network resilience and ensure power stability for its infrastructure nationwide.

This includes proactively addressing site outages by ensuring timely payment for operational necessities such as diesel for generators, a persistent challenge in the Nigerian operating environment.

Toriola outlined a comprehensive upgrade process, which involves placing orders formally, opening letters of credit, and then the equipment gets shipped in and installed.

He added that MTN will be acquiring new sites and laying fiber to the base station to create better stability” where necessary.

While the immediate CAPEX is geared towards improving existing service quality and capacity, this investment aligns with MTN’s broader goals of enhancing financial inclusion in underserved rural areas, suggesting a long-term vision for network expansion and service improvement that extends beyond metropolitan areas.

Subscribers can anticipate tangible improvements in service quality, with a significant improvement in quality of service expected by the end of the second quarter or early in the third quarter of 2025, according to Toriola.

“This year is all going to be about capital expenditure on an aggressive basis to fix quality of service issues (and) meet both the regulators’ and the public’s expectations,” he affirmed, reiterating MTN’s steadfast focus on customer experience through substantial capital investment.

 


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Telecom Regulators in Africa Chart New Course for a Data-driven Future

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Telecom regulators and industry leaders from across the Middle East and Africa gathered in Cairo last week to chart a data-driven future for the region.

In a region where digital transformation is accelerating at unprecedented speed, connectivity intelligence firm, Ookla and Egypt’s National Telecom Regulatory Authority (NTRA) joined forces to organise the Telecommunications Regulatory Summit

Themed ‘Harnessing Data and Technology for Superior QoS’, the summit focused on how data, particularly crowdsourced insights, can transform regulatory strategies across the region.

The summit attracted stakeholders from over 30 countries, including delegates from the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and World Broadband Association (WBBA), who engaged in high-level discussions on optimising network performance and accelerating digital inclusion.

Karim Yaici, lead industry analyst for the Middle East and Africa at Ookla, said the event set the tone for the growing value of data-driven decision-making.

“Access to and the use of crowdsourced data contribute to making more informed decisions, fostering transparency and ensuring that citizens in the MEA region benefit from high-quality, accessible and affordable connectivity,” he said.

The experts underlined that crowdsourced data is becoming a critical complement to traditional regulatory methods.

They agreed that it helps identify service gaps, prioritise infrastructure investments, and drive innovation.

With broadband speeds now closely tied to GDP growth and productivity, accurate performance data is seen as key to socio-economic advancement.

Dr. Hossam Abdel-Mawla, vice-president of technical affairs and quality of service at NTRA, stressed that the summit was pivotal in fostering regional collaboration.

“By actively sharing best practices and exploring innovative data-driven strategies, we are shaping a future where telecom regulations ensure digital inclusion and economic growth across the region,” he said.

In a key session, Ahmed Nabawy, director of client services at Ookla, presented findings on 5G performance in Egypt and Tunisia.

He demonstrated how Ookla’s unified data platform, powered by AI, enables operators to analyse 5G-capable device density and prioritise high-impact rollout areas.

The summit also explored the shift from conventional network quality metrics to more user-centric Quality of Experience models. These advanced analytics tools promise to enhance transparency, improve accountability, and ultimately deliver better connectivity experiences for all.

 


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