Telecom
There Was Nothing Bombastic About MWC 2014 Says Ovum
Overall, there was nothing bombastic about Mobile World Congress 2014, according to Ovum’s analysts.
Ovum provides clients with independent and objective analysis that enables them to make better business and technology decisions.
Its research draws upon over 400,000 interviews a year with business and technology, telecoms and sourcing decision-makers, giving Ovum and the clients unparalleled insight not only into business requirements but also the technology that organisation must support. Ovum is an Informa business.
Based on its analyses of the MWC 2014 and on Industry, Communications, Broadband & Consumer services, Ovum admitted that there was a lot of talk about the content and services that runs on the broadband infrastructure.
However, it said that the Facebook/WhatsApp deal was a reminder of the gradual displacement of telcos from the content market, but there was still a lot of emphasis on service development aimed at propping up telcos’ top lines.
The strength of OTT players in messaging and now voice, challenges not only operators’ revenues, but also their role in the messaging and VoIP ecosystems.
Operators must either partner with OTT players to create more valuable, monetizable products for their customers, or they must be quick to launch their own services that leverage operator strengths such as billing, customer information, and the customer relationship to offer product bundles that help to increase loyalty and reduce churn.
According to Ovum, “the industry praised itself for connecting the world, noting that it contributed $336bn to public funds and supported 10.5 million jobs in 2013. The main call to action was for the industry to invest $1.7tn by 2020 to extend broadband connectivity globally. In the face of pricing and regulatory pressures facing telcos, this is going to be a tall order.
“As the delegates departed there was a sense of quiet satisfaction that the future of the industry is more assured than it seemed in 2013. Concerns still remain and many things could still go wrong, but as the CEO of Tele2 said to the CEO of WhatsApp when the latter announced plans to add voice to WhatsApp: “bring it on.”
Summary of the key themes from events and how Ovum sees this impacting the telecoms industry, also follows that unsurprisingly, Big Data was a key theme, but telcos were sanguine about balancing its use for new revenue opportunities or to improve customer experience with concerns about privacy.
“Orange said it is focusing only on how to use Big Data to improve services for its customers, while Deutsche Telekom called for greater clarity – especially in Europe – on the modalities for using or sharing customer data. Service providers now know (or perhaps they have always known) that to monetize their customers’ data they will need to earn those customers’ ‘Big Trust,’ a trust based on more explicit foundations than have so far existed”.
On network infrastructure, a key topic at MWC 2014 event was centralized RAN (C-RAN). This, Ovum said that, vendors demonstrated advancements in this technology despite the fact that its current market opportunities are limited to fiber-rich markets such as China and South Korea.
“Longer term – five years or more from now – the need for more capacity on the mobile network will push operators to make the fiber investments needed to expand the opportunity for C-RAN.
“5G, as expected, was also a popular topic, but what it will ultimately be remains very much an open question. Vendors are in some agreement that 5G won’t be available until 2020. Right now they are all just showing concepts around the technology, including combining multiple radio streams and higher orders of MIMO to increase throughput. But any notions about 5G are fairly immature at this point.
Ovum also analyses several other topics discussed at the events during MWC 2014, expressing disappointments in key areas.
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Airtel Nigeria, telecom service provider, has announced that its AI-powered Spam Alert Service issued over 9.6 million spam alerts between March 13 and May 20, 2025.
As part of its ongoing commitment to protecting customers from unwanted and potentially fraudulent communications, Airtel designed the AI Spam Alert service to analyze traffic patterns and detect anomalies.
In the period since launch the AI pinpointed a total of 9,667,008 SMS as potential spam messages in the two months after its launch.
Of these, the system identified 528,080 on-net (Airtel-to-Airtel) and 9,138,928 off-net (from other networks) numbers as suspected spam messages, demonstrating the scale of the threat and Airtel’s advanced processing capability.
Airtel Nigeria is a subsidiary of Airtel Africa.
Commenting on this development, Dinesh Balsingh, CEO, Airtel Nigeria, restated Airtel`s commitment to protecting its customers.
“This milestone demonstrates the strength of our AI-driven infrastructure in combating the growing menace of spam and scam calls. At Airtel Nigeria, we are focused on connecting Nigerians and ensuring their safety and confidence while using our network.
“We understand that trust is the cornerstone of digital communication. That’s why we’ve invested heavily in intelligent systems that not only detect potential threats but also learn and evolve with data. As threats become more sophisticated, so will our solutions. As a company, we remain focused on leading the industry in innovation and customer satisfaction, ensuring that every Nigerian can enjoy a safer and smarter digital experience,” Mr. Balsingh said.
The Spam Alert Service is part of Airtel Nigeria’s broader strategy to integrate artificial intelligence into its core offerings to deliver smarter and safer experiences for its customers across the country.
Recall that the Spam Alert Service was launched on March 13, 2025. A groundbreaking and free solution from Airtel, it notifies users in real-time of suspected spam SMS messages by analyzing over 250 parameters.
The Airtel AI Spam Alert Service is available to all Airtel subscribers on smartphones and feature phones.
Vitel Wireless Limited, pioneer mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) in Nigeria has made another history by announcing the successful completion of interconnectivity with all major Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) in Nigeria.
Kenneth Nwabueze, Chairman and CEO of Vitel Wireless
Recall that Vitel Wireless, became the first Mobile Virtual Network Operator to receive a dedicated number series (0712) from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).
This breakthrough enables Vitel Wireless subscribers to make and receive calls with users on MTN Nigeria, Airtel Nigeria, Globacom (Glo), and 9mobile Nigeria.
It also marks the first time an MVNO in the country has successfully interconnected with all the major MNOs, setting a new precedent for Nigeria’s telecom sector.
Following the NCC’s licensing of 46 MVNOs, Vitel Wireless continues to lead the way in establishing a dynamic MVNO sector in Nigeria—Africa’s largest market and most populous nation.
The company has already achieved several historic firsts: the first MVNO issued a numbering plan and national and international routing codes, the first to launch a location awareness network in Africa, and the first to unveil a strategic nationwide rollout plan.
“We are gathering momentum for our big launch,” said Kenneth Emeka Nwabueze, chairman and CEO of Vitel Wireless.
“We are proud to be showing what’s possible for MVNOs, while also creating a path for others to follow. By leveraging our years of experience in Nigeria’s telecom industry, we are opening up new possibilities where there used to be none.”
Interconnectivity was achieved through a combination of direct fiber connections with some MNOs and indirect routing via third-party providers.
This milestone was the result of a collaborative effort involving engineers from Vitel Wireless, Wireless Technology Labs (WTL), and Interconnect Clearinghouse Nigeria (ICN), working closely with engineers from MTN, Airtel, Glo, and 9mobile.
“We wish to thank the regulatory agency, the Nigerian Communications Commission, for their timely interventions and guidance, which were instrumental in achieving this interconnectivity and bringing the formal launch of the Vitel Wireless nationwide network one step closer to reality,” said Nwabueze.
The company entered a nationwide pilot phase in May 2025, with plans for a full rollout in July 2025, aiming to deliver next-generation mobile services to millions across Nigeria.
Layer3 Limited, One of Nigeria’s foremost ICT solutions providers, has once again solidified its place as a trailblazer in Africa’s technology landscape, emerging as the Enterprise Solutions Provider of the Year and Leadership Award in Cloud Services at the prestigious African Beacon of ICT Leadership and Awards held on May 24, 2025, at the Four Points by Sheraton, Lagos.
This year’s event brought together leading tech innovators, policymakers, and thought leaders to recognize organizations making extraordinary contributions to Africa’s digital transformation.
Among the many luminaries in attendance, Layer3 stood out for its 19+ years of consistent innovation, technical excellence, and client-centered service delivery.
Speaking at the event, the organizers praised Layer3’s pioneering work in delivering robust enterprise solutions across sectors, as well as its bold leadership in advancing cloud infrastructure and services across Nigeria and beyond.
“These awards are more than recognitions, they are a reminder of the fulfilment to our mission to deliver peace of mind to our customers,” said David Ita, the Head of Strategy and Business Development of Layer3.
“They speak to the impact we’ve made and the promise we hold for the future of the cloud and enterprise technology business in Africa. We dedicate this honor to our clients, partners, and the hardworking Layer3 team who continue to redefine excellence every day.”
Since its founding, Layer3 has championed a future-forward approach to ICT services offering cutting-edge solutions in enterprise networking, cybersecurity, broadband, cloud computing, managed services, and IT advisory. The company’s Layer3Cloud platform and managed service offerings continue to power the digital ambitions of Nigeria’s leading businesses.
These accolades underscore Layer3’s unwavering commitment to driving transformation and supporting digital economies through smart, secure, and scalable technology.
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