Telecom
Orange Unleashes All-Inclusive Digital Offer to Millions In Africa, Middle East
Orange puts the mobile internet within reach of millions more people, otherwise not previously addressed, with the launch of a new breakthrough digital offer across its significant African and Middle Eastern footprint.
The Orange Klif digital offer starts from under US$40 (€35), inclusive of a smartphone, data, voice and text bundle, setting a new benchmark in price that will act as a major catalyst for smartphone and data adoption across the region.
The 3G Firefox OS smartphone is exclusive to Orange and will be available from Q2 in thirteen of Orange’s markets in the region, including, but not limited to, Egypt, Senegal, Tunisia, Cameroon, Botswana, Madagascar, Mali, The Ivory Coast, Jordan, Niger, Kenya, Mauritius and Vanuatu.
The launch of the offer follows a successful history in delivering and marketing smartphones in the region with Orange witnessing a doubling of smartphone sales in 2014, representing a 35 percent slice of total handset sales.
Since launching its first smartphone in the region in 2013, Orange has sold more than a million smartphones to date, attributable to Orange’s strategy to launch the right device at the right price to the right customer.
With the Orange Klif digital offer, Orange is addressing a new market segment for the first time that to date, has found access to the mobile internet unaffordable.
Orange has also experienced a burgeoning demand for data that has seen a 44% year-on-year rise in mobile data revenues in the last quarter of 2014.
“Although the smartphone revolution is well under way across the African continent, there remains a proportion of the population that so far has been underserved, not just because of the cost of handsets, but because of concerns about data costs. By scooping up all the costs into one, incredibly priced digital offer, we hope that critical access to the mobile internet and all the opportunities that that opens up, will be within reach of many more people,” commented Yves Maitre, executive vice president of Connected Objects and Partnerships, Orange.
The launch signals a new type of offer in the market that is typically characterised by pay-as-you-go, offering predictability of data costs through an all-inclusive tariff at a price that sets a new benchmark.
Customers seeking to upgrade from 2G feature phones to 3G smartphones can enjoy the benefits of multimedia and online usage with no hidden surprises.
Depending on the market, a typical data bundle will be up to 500mb per month for six months, with the opportunity to top-up when reaching the end of the bundle.
However, across the participating markets customers may have access to shorter or longer data plans and also enjoy voice and text allocations, inclusive in the bundle.
The smartphone will also provide access to a range of compelling content, including established Orange services such as Star Africa, the entertainment portal, Orange Football Club as well as partner services like Dailymotion, the video sharing service.
All-important local content, for example, the popular sports portal, Ndamli, in Senegal and Anghami, a music catalogue service providing access to millions of Arabic and international songs will be readily available.
Additionally, customers will have access to the burgeoning Firefox Marketplace, providing access to thousands of apps.
The Orange Klif promises an enviable introductory smartphone experience featuring the latest Firefox OS, ample screen size with its 3.5” HVGA screen and 2 mega pixel camera. With its 1300mAh battery offering 810 hours of standby, the smartphone also provides a reliable companion when on the move.
“Smartphone prices are falling fast but there are still large segments in Africa who find existing smartphone models too expensive. Mobile data adoption also has enormous room to grow, especially in markets across Africa, where to date most smartphones have been bought without a bundled data plan. There is a major opportunity for innovation to fill both of these market gaps,” said Ian Fogg, senior director Mobile & Telecoms at IHS Technology.
Sophos, a leading provider of innovative cybersecurity solutions, shared practical advice to help internet users safeguard their credentials and maintain continuous protection online.
Sophos
According to the upcoming Sophos Active Adversary Report, compromised credentials were the leading cause of attacks (42.06%) in 2025.
This is a strong trend that continues to dominate the scene, with cyber attackers demonstrating ever-increasing ingenuity and relying on new tools to compromise the security and privacy of internet users.
John Shier, Field CISO Threat Intelligence at Sophos, said: “The way attackers are using automation and generative AI to massively increase the speed and volume of their attacks suggests that attacks will become faster and more sophisticated. The best approach to protecting our identities and digital data is to take a proactive stance on defense.”
“Criminals are increasingly targeting people rather than devices, and this trend is expected to continue and even accelerate. Once again, AI is being used as a weapon to create highly detailed phishing lures to entice people to disclose passwords or financial information through well-designed emails, text messages, and WhatsApp messages.”
1. Keep your devices up to date: the most important and simplest measure you can take to protect yourself in the long term.
Cybercriminals are constantly on the lookout for computers that don’t have all the latest security patches, making them easy targets for compromise. This includes computers, laptops, smartphones, tablets, and home Internet/Wi-Fi routers. In most cases, you just need to click “Check for Updates” or “Update Now” and allow the device to restart.
2. Use a password management tool, whether it is built into an operating system or a third-party tool.
Password uniqueness and complexity are then managed automatically, greatly facilitating account isolation and protection.
3. Enhance protection with phishing resistant (MFA).
Many websites offer the option of using an “authentication app,” a smartphone app that displays a unique code for a short period of time, which must be entered after the password, making it much more secure than simply using a password.
Better still, there is a new solution called “passkeys,” which generally uses biometric authentication on your smartphone (face scan, fingerprint) to log in without any password. This is the best choice when available.
John Shier concludes: “Criminals will never stop trying to steal from us, so we must remain vigilant. We know that they are constantly improving and becoming more skilled at deceiving us, so it’s up to us to move forward and improve our protections to stay safe.”
For more information, please visit: https://www.sophos.com
European Union has launched a formal challenge against Meta Platforms over a new policy restricting third-party artificial intelligence tools on WhatsApp.
Meta
Regulators accuse the U.S. tech giant of abusing its dominant position in the messaging market to favor its own AI assistant.
On January 15, Meta implemented changes to the WhatsApp Business API, allowing only its proprietary Meta AI to operate while blocking rival chatbots.
The European Commission quickly responded with a statement of objections and announced plans for interim measures to prevent “serious and irreparable harm” to competitors during the ongoing investigation.
EU antitrust chief Teresa Ribera stressed the need to safeguard competition in the booming AI sector. “We cannot allow dominant tech companies to illegally leverage their dominance for an unfair advantage,” she said.
Interim steps could force Meta to restore access for third-party AI tools on WhatsApp pending the probe’s outcome.
Meta defended the policy, insisting the WhatsApp Business API serves business-to-customer needs, not general AI distribution.
A spokesperson highlighted alternatives like app stores, devices, and websites for other AI options, rejecting claims that the API is essential for chatbots.
This dispute echoes actions elsewhere: Italy restricted Meta similarly last December, while Brazil recently lifted a comparable court order.
As AI integrates deeper into daily apps, the EU’s moves signal heightened scrutiny on tech gatekeepers.
Webb Fontaine has launched Webb Fontaine Zerø, a groundbreaking AI-powered Customs platform, at the 2026 WCO Technology Conference in Abu Dhabi, drawing over 1,500 delegates from 100+ countries.
Webb Fontaine
CEO Alioune Ciss unveiled the LLM-based concept during the keynote, calling it a “complete reset” from legacy systems – embedding AI across operations for real-time regulatory adaptation, risk management, and trade facilitation under the theme “Customs Agility in a Complex World.”
CTO Ara Shamirzayan led panels on AI risk analytics, while GM Anicet Houngbo moderated border digitalization talks showcasing emerging market successes.
The firm’s stand hosted Zerø demos, interactive sessions, and a sponsored gala dinner, reinforcing WCO ties via SAFE Framework and PSCG contributions.
Webb Fontaine eyes global partnerships to deploy agile, future-proof Customs tech amid rising trade demands.
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