Digital transformation and disruption is driven by IoT (Internet of Things), increasing cloud IP traffic, artificial intelligence (AI), software-centricity, and pervasive security, according to Josh Goodell, VP, Intelligent Edge, AT&T, speaking at MEF 2017 in Orlando, Florida. Goodell has led the initiative to redefine and deploy AT&T’s first SDN capabilities to enable fully automated service delivery to drive down costs.
2017 marks the 20th anniversary of AfricaCom, one of Africa's largest technology, media and telecommunications events. This year the event kicked off in Cape Town, South Africa on November 8, at the Cape Town Convention Centre (CTICC). During the keynote sessions, delegates discussed digital transformation and traded ideas about how technology can boost development in Africa.
The Smart Dubai Government Establishment (SDG), Smart Dubai's technical arm, organized a workshop to provide training for Dubai Government institutions around best practices in artificial intelligence (AI) in order to catalyze smart transformation in the emirate.
Africa's diversity encompasses more than its landscape, it includes the political, economic, social, technological and environmental outlook, with each country and region having its own set of unique challenges and advantages.
It's no secret that telecom operators have struggled against the popularity of over-the-top (OTT) applications like WhatsApp and Skype, who have challenged traditional voice and SMS revenue streams. Some operators have called for regulators to subject OTTs to legacy telecommunications regulations in order to even the playing field. But such suggestions are misguided, according to the ITU.
Mobile data will be the main driver of growth in the African telecoms market, with the number of mobile broadband connections on the continent set to more than double over the coming five years, and rise from 419 million at the end of 2017, to 1.07 billion at the end of 2022, according to analysis and consultancy firm Ovum.
Smartphones are evolving far beyond traditional calling and texting. According to Counterpoint Research, one in three smartphones in 2020 will be embedded with machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities at the chipset level. Evidence of this trend can already been seen in Huawei's recently unveiled Mate 10 Series smartphones that are fitted with an AI chipset.
South African wireless solutions provider Comsol has caught many off guard within the telecommunications sector in the country by formally announcing plans to deploy South Africa's first 5G wireless network using bandwidth it has access to in high-frequency spectrum.
ITU Telecom World is a global platform for governments, corporates and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to accelerate ICT innovation for economic growth and social good. ITU Telecom World 2017 took place in Busan, South Korea, from 25 to 28 September. Next year the event is set to take place in Africa for the first time.
The European Union has pledged its support behind the rural electrification of Tanzania by signing a program worth €50m to support the ambitious project aimed at providing local residents with access to modern energy.
