Telecom
The Next Chapter of Our Gemini Era
By Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google and Alphabet
For years, we’ve been investing deeply in AI as the single best way to improve Search and all of our products. We’re excited by the progress, for example with our Search Generative Experience, or SGE, which you can try in Google Labs.
AI is also now central to two businesses that have grown rapidly in recent years: our Cloud and Workspace services and our popular subscription service Google One, which is just about to cross 100 million subscribers.
A new state of the art
In December, we took a significant step on our journey to make AI more helpful for everyone with the start of the Gemini era, setting a new state of the art across a wide range of text, image, audio, and video benchmarks. However, Gemini is evolving to be more than just the models. It supports an entire ecosystem — from the products that billions of people use every day, to the APIs and platforms helping developers and businesses innovate.
The largest model Ultra 1.0 is the first to outperform human experts on MMLU (massive multitask language understanding), which uses a combination of 57 subjects — including math, physics, history, law, medicine and ethics — to test knowledge and problem-solving abilities.
Today we’re taking our next step and bringing Ultra to our products and the world.
Introducing Gemini Advanced
Bard has been the best way for people to directly experience our most capable models. To reflect the advanced tech at its core, Bard will now simply be called Gemini. It’s available in 40 languages on the web and is coming to a new Gemini app on Android and on the Google app on iOS.
The version with Ultra will be called Gemini Advanced, a new experience far more capable at reasoning, following instructions, coding, and creative collaboration. For example, it can be a personal tutor, tailored to your learning style. Or it can be a creative partner, helping you plan a content strategy or build a business plan. You can read more in this post.
Anyone can start using Gemini Advanced by subscribing to the new Google One AI Premium plan, which offers the best of Google’s AI features in a single place. This premium plan builds off the popular Google One service offering expanded storage and exclusive product features.
Bringing Gemini’s capabilities to more products
Gemini models are also coming to products that people and businesses use every day, including Workspace and Google Cloud:
Workspace: Already, more than 1 million people are using features like Help me write to enhance their productivity and creativity through Duet AI. Duet AI will become Gemini for Workspace, and soon consumers with the Google One AI Premium plan can use Gemini in Gmail, Docs, Sheets, Slides and Meet.
Google Cloud: For Cloud customers, Duet AI will also become Gemini in the coming weeks. Gemini will help companies boost productivity, developers code faster, and organisations to protect themselves from cyber attacks, along with countless other benefits.
More to come
Developers have been fundamental to every major technology shift and will play an equally important role in the Gemini ecosystem. Hundreds of thousands of developers and businesses have already been building with Gemini models. While today is about Gemini Advanced and its new capabilities, next week we’ll share more details on what’s coming for developers and Cloud customers.
These latest updates reflect how we’re approaching innovation boldly, and advancing and deploying this technology responsibly. And we’re already well underway training the next iteration of our Gemini models — so stay tuned for more!
Telecom
FG Gives Banks, Telcos Six-Month Deadline to Resolve N250Bn USSD Debt
Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) have ordered Deposit Money Banks and Mobile Network Operators to settle the long-standing N250bn USSD debt dispute before January 2, 2025.
The CBN and NCC also directed banks to pay the pre-Application Programming Interfaces (API) debt before July 2, 2025.
They also ordered that post-API debts be settled before December 31, 2024.
The directive was issued in a joint cirular titled, “2nd Joint Circular of the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Nigerian Communications Commission on the Resolution of the USSD Debt Issue Between Deposit Money Banks and Mobile Network Operators.”
The circular dated December 20, 2024, was signed by Oladimeji Taiwo, acting director of the Payments System Management Department, CBN, and Chizua Whyte, head of Legal and Regulatory Services, NCC.
The regulators said, “In view of the foregoing, the CBN and the NCC hereby direct DMBs and MNOs as follows: 1. That 60 per cent of all pre-API invoices must be paid as full and final settlement.
“Payment plans (lump sum or installments) must be agreed upon between a concerned DMB and MNO by January 2, 2025. Installments must be based on equal monthly payments, with full payment due by July 2, 2025.
“DMBs must pay 85 per cent of all outstanding invoices issued after the implementation of APIs (i.e., February 2022) by December 31, 2024.
“Similarly, 85 per cent of future invoices must be liquidated within one month of service.”
According to the regulators, the transition to end-user billing will be activated only for DMBs and MNOs that comply with the payment conditions cobtained in the circular.
CBN and the NCC said they would provide further guidance on public enlightenment initiatives related to the transition.
The regulators also directed MNOs to implement the “10-seconds rule” for USSD invoicing.
This implies that any session lasting less than ten seconds will not be billable.
The regulators added, “Failure to comply with the terms outlined in this directive will attract necessary sanctions, ensuring that both DMBs and MNOs uphold their obligations.”
Telecom
NCC Launches Initiative to Combat Fraud, Spam Messaging
Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has unveiled a draft regulatory framework aimed at addressing fraud, spam, and other challenges in the Application-to-Person messaging sector.
The telecom regulator made this announcement in a statement.
The proposed framework, which was introduced during a virtual Stakeholders’ Forum, is said to be a key step towards enhancing the sector’s integrity and ensuring a fair, transparent environment for all parties involved.
The draft framework, presented by Aminu Maida, executive vice chairman, NCC, who was represented by Chizua Whyte, NCC’s acting head of legal and regulatory services, seeks to regulate the A2P messaging space.
The A2P messaging, used for notifications such as bank alerts, promotional campaigns, and government updates, has become a vital communication tool in Nigeria.
However, the sector faces significant challenges, including consumer protection concerns, fraud, and data privacy issues, as well as an unequal distribution of value within the ecosystem.
“The international A2P messaging space in Nigeria faces gaps that have led to issues such as fraud, spam, and data privacy concerns. These challenges threaten the sustainable growth of this communication tool,” the NCC said.
The proposed framework aims to address these challenges by protecting consumers, promoting fair competition, and holding service providers accountable.
“This forum marks a pivotal step towards addressing these challenges. We are here to engage with all stakeholders—operators, aggregators, businesses, service providers, and consumers—to refine the framework and ensure it meets the needs of the entire ecosystem.”
The NCC stressed the importance of inclusivity and collaboration in creating an effective regulatory environment.
Telecom
Airtel Africa to Return $100m to Shareholders via Share Buyback
Airtel Africa, a provider of telecommunications and mobile money services, has announced the commencement of a second share buyback programme that will return up to $100m to shareholders.
The share buyback reflects the Board’s confidence in the Company’s continued growth potential, the strength of its balance sheet, and the consistent cash accretion at the holding company level.
Furthermore, the buyback remains in line with the Company’s existing capital allocation policy.
According to the company, the programme will be executed in accordance with applicable securities laws and regulations.
The share buy-back programme is expected to be phased over two tranches, with the first tranche commencing today and anticipated to end on or before 24 April 2025.
The first tranche will amount to a maximum of $50m.
The Company has entered into an agreement with Barclays Capital Securities Limited (Barclays) to conduct the first tranche of the buy-back and carry out on-market purchases of its ordinary shares with the Company subsequently purchasing its ordinary shares from Barclays.
Under this agreement, Barclays will act as riskless principal and will make decisions independently of the Company.
The sole purpose of the buy-back programme is to reduce the capital of the Company.
It noted that as such, all shares purchased under the buy-back programme will be cancelled.
In a statement signed by Simon O’Hara, group company secretary, the company noted that the share repurchase process will adhere to pre-set parameters agreed upon with Barclays Capital Securities Limited (Barclays), the executing partner for the first tranche of the buyback programme.
This partnership ensures that purchases are conducted transparently and in compliance with all regulatory requirements.
The buyback will be executed under the authority granted by shareholders during the Annual General Meeting held on July 3, 2024, which permits the repurchase of up to 374,141,187 ordinary shares.
Following the completion of a prior buyback programme, the remaining authority allows for the acquisition of up to 328,842,995 shares.
Additionally, Airtel Africa confirmed its commitment to adhering to the Financial Conduct Authority’s UK Listing Rules 9.6 and the provisions of the Market Abuse Regulation (EU) No. 596/2014, as incorporated into UK domestic law.
The company also clarified that share purchases may occur during closed periods, consistent with these regulations and the agreed parameters.
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