Author: Contributor
by Vino Govender While estimates for global investment into 5G over the next few years vary, one thing is certain: the funds needed to make 5G a reality is easily the largest global capital outlay in telecommunications history. A PwC report on the 5G opportunity estimates that the expenditure for the roll-out of 5G infrastructures, such as network densification, equipment upgrades, and additional spectrum, will exceed US$57 billion by 2022. The services that will be based on 5G are enhanced mobile broadband and fixed wireless services, with massive machine-to-machine communications and ultra-reliable low-latency applications set to follow. What remains to…
by Rachel Adams The Fourth Industrial Revolution is, ostensibly, upon us. The term was coined in 2016 by Klaus Schwab, the founder and executive chairman of the World Economic Forum. Broadly, it refers to the collapsing of boundaries between the physical, digital and biological spheres. More specifically, it’s about the digitalisation of all kinds of systems and processes. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is at the forefront of this reality. This involves systems that, as the European Commission puts it, “display intelligent behaviour by analysing their environment and taking actions … to achieve specific goals”. AI is used today in everything from…
Technology can be used to unify and industrialise African economies, says Trade and Industry Minister Ebrahim Patel. “Data is to the 21st century what oil and steel was to the 20th century. Africa must become more than a consumer market for digital services produced elsewhere. We must become innovators and producers too, exporting services and building capabilities,” said Patel. The Minister said this at a dialogue session of the African Growth and Opportunities Act (AGOA) Forum held in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, on Tuesday. Patel, who was co-chairing a session of AGOA with United States Deputy Trade Representative, Ambassador CJ Mahoney,…
Southern Africa Telecommunication Networks and Applications Conference (SATNAC), takes place on 1 – 4 September 2019 at Fairmont Zimbali Resort in Ballito, Durban. The country’s premier ICT conference will examine the changing requirements of the telecommunication sector and the country’s infrastructure needs to meet these changing requirements. According to conference chairman, Alphonzo Samuels, CEO of Openserve, South Africa’s leading wholesale infrastructure connectivity provider, South Africa has seen unprecedented growth in data usage with most South Africans accessing this data through some form of a mobile device. “We must ensure that telecommunication companies have the networks, mechanisms and systems to deal…
FNB is expanding the roll-out of contactless ‘Tap & PIN’ functionality to 600 more ATMs across South Africa in the next 12 months. This is in addition to over 100 FNB ATMs which have been equipped with the functionality since 2018. The ‘Tap and PIN’ functionality allows FNB customers with contactless-enabled debit and credit cards to perform convenient and secure ATM transactions without the card leaving their hand. At launch, FNB was the first bank in South Africa to announce the availability of contactless-enabled ATMs. Currently, Gauteng, Kwa-Zulu Natal and the Western Cape have the largest device footprint of FNB…
by Santosh Vijaykumar Search for “climate change” on YouTube and before long you’ll likely find a video that denies it exists. In fact, when it comes to shaping the online conversation around climate change, a new study suggests that deniers and conspiracy theorists might hold an edge over those believing in science. Researchers found evidence that most YouTube videos relating to climate change oppose the scientific consensus that it’s primarily caused by human activities. The study highlights the key role of social media use in the spread of scientific misinformation. And it suggests scientists and those who support them need…
South Africa can become a leading world economy in the 21st century if it leverages transformative technologies like 5G, Cloud and AI to boost its productivity and innovation capabilities, says Huawei VP for Wireless Networks Marketing & Solutions Dr Mohammed Madkour. Madkour was speaking at the first annual Huawei ICT Editors Xchange hosted at Founders Factory Africa, which saw tech media mingle with ICT experts and industry analysts, sharing thoughts on South Africa’s move towards digitisation and how step changes like 5G connectivity will benefit society. In Madkour’s keynote presentation, he emphasised that during the roll-out of 5G – the…
By Anita Layton and Mehrshad Sadria Imagine that your son Tommy is about to turn two. He is a shy and sweet little boy, but his behaviours can be unpredictable. He throws the worst temper tantrums, sometimes crying and screaming inconsolably for an hour. The smallest changes in routines can throw him off. Is this a bad case of the so-called “terrible twos”? Should you give Tommy some time to grow out of this phase? Or, are these signs of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) — the neurodevelopmental disorder that affects around two per cent of the population, the equivalent of…
Blue Label Ventures, the venture capital and private equity arm of JSE-listed Blue Label Telecoms, has invested in Cape Town-based technology startup Mobii Systems. As part of the deal, Blue Label will take up 26% of Mobii, giving the company’s team of highly skilled developers of sports data applications the funding needed for new and ongoing product development, as well as access to a wider customer base and increased market share. Mobii built the timing platform on which Blue Label Telecom’s popular timed fitness events company MyRun operates. Activity data is collected from various wearable Mobii transponders and synchronised to…
MTN would like to warn its customers about two parody social media accounts, namely MTN AWOOF Giveaway and MTN Free Dashout, that purport to be official MTN accounts. These are NOT MTN’s official accounts, nor have they been endorsed by MTN or any of its third-party service providers. These accounts are run by scammers who use them to defraud unsuspecting members of the public. We wish to strongly urge our customers not to fall prey to these accounts as they are not official and legitimate MTN accounts. Customers who wish to interact with us on social media can do so…