Telecom
Africa Leads Global Mobile Subscription
Global mobile subscriptions have reached a milestone as the count recently topped five billion global subscribers, with a growth rate of two million additions daily.
The Africa and Asia-Pacific regions together accounted for 80% of global subscription net additions in the first half of 2010. This is according to telecoms tech provider Ericsson.
The successful growth rate, says the company, is attributed to emerging markets like Nigeria, Zimbabwe, China and India.
Particularly in Africa, there are currently 450 million mobile subscriptions, compared to figures in 2000, when there were about 16 million subscriptions – less than the amount of users in Ghana alone today.
The figures also show mobile broadband subscriptions are growing at a similar pace, says Ericsson. It points to another milestone reached in December last year, in which the amount of data traffic carried over mobile networks exceeded the amount of traffic generated from voice calls.
To this end, mobile broadband subscriptions are expected to reach over 3.4 billion by 2015, states the company. Over 100 million of these will come from sub-Saharan Africa.
The cellphone and other mobile devices play a significant role for people living in rural areas across Africa, who are likely to have a cellphone, rather than a PC or laptop.
“Mobile broadband is uniquely positioned to stimulate economic growth and welfare in areas that lack adequate fixed-line broadband infrastructures – assisting to close the digital divide in Africa,” states Aingharan Kanagaratnam, head of engagement for mobile broadband at Ericsson sub-Saharan Africa.
Studies show that soon 80% of people in the world accessing the Internet will do so using their mobile device and this is already the case in Africa. With more broadband comes more opportunity, not only for SA, but the African continent, and those living and operating here, he continues.
“With broadband, the telecommunications industry has an opportunity to create a world in which all people can have affordable access to basic services that can improve livelihood, enable access to healthcare and education, provide information and entertainment, and more – a world in which everyone can take part in a borderless and global information society,” notes Kanagaratnam.
Broadband access helps promote equal opportunities for everyone, he opines. Once people have a broadband connection, their geographic location becomes less of a barrier to social and economic inclusion.
Kanagaratnam argues that mobile broadband makes it easier for people to live and work everywhere, and especially in rural areas – supporting local development, avoiding unnecessary migration and improving national socio-geographic structures.
There are challenges, but Africa can look forward to mobile broadband changing the way it communicates, operates and infiltrates, he states.
“As devices become more available, costs continue to be driven down by regulation and competition, broadband connectivity is increased and services more widespread, Africans can finally benefit from ‘always available’ connectivity,” concludes Kanagaratnam.
Telecom
SHELT Named in Prestigious 2025 MSSP 250 List for Cybersecurity Excellence

SHELT, a leading cybersecurity-as-a-service provider, has earned inclusion in the 2025 MSSP 250, the annual ranking of the world’s top 250 Managed Security Service Providers (MSSPs) by MSSP Alert, a CyberRisk Alliance publication.

SHELT
The list evaluates firms on business performance, service breadth, and industry impact, spotlighting those excelling in growth, operational excellence, and advanced managed security amid rising cyber threats. Selection criteria include annual recurring revenue, profitability, workforce expansion, business growth, and the depth of managed security offerings.
SHELT’s recognition underscores its investments in scalable security operations, threat intelligence, and tailored managed services across multiple regions, enabling clients to navigate complex risk landscapes effectively.
“Being recognised in the MSSP 250 is a meaningful milestone for our team,” stated Youssef Abillama, CEO of SHELT. “It validates our focus on building practical, resilient security services that help organisations manage risk and respond effectively to today’s evolving cyber threats.”
The company hailed the honour as testament to its teams’ dedication and expertise worldwide, reaffirming commitment to enhancing capabilities and delivering trusted cybersecurity solutions.
Telecom
Meta Names Ex-Trump Adviser Dina Powell McCormick as President

Meta Platforms, owner of Facebook, has appointed Dina Powell McCormick, a former adviser to President Donald Trump, as its new president and vice chairman, bolstering its leadership amid aggressive AI and infrastructure expansion.

Dina Powell McCormick
The announcement, made on Monday, positions Powell McCormick – who recently stepped down from Meta’s board after eight months – to guide overall strategy, including multi-billion-dollar investments in data centres and global partnerships.
A Goldman Sachs veteran with 16 years in senior roles and prior stints as deputy national security adviser under Trump and in the Bush administration, she brings deep finance and international ties to the role.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg hailed her as “uniquely qualified” for the company’s next growth phase, while President Trump praised the move on Truth Social as a “fantastic choice”.
The hire signals Meta’s efforts to strengthen White House relations, following recent dinners with Trump and U.S. investment pledges worth hundreds of billions
Telecom
X Suspends Twitter Account for Rules Violation

X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, has suspended the @Twitter account, replacing its profile with a standard notice citing violation of platform rules.

Musk
The action, which occurred on Sunday, January 11, left users encountering the handle greeted by a bold “Account Suspended” message on a black screen, with no details provided on the specific rules broken or the duration of the suspension.
The development has sparked widespread confusion and nostalgia among users, given that Elon Musk rebranded Twitter to X in July 2023, approximately six months after acquiring the platform for $44 billion in late 2022.
The @Twitter handle had remained dormant since before Musk’s takeover, serving as a legacy remnant of the platform’s original branding, and its suspension appears to mark the final erasure of the Twitter name amid X’s ongoing efforts to combat spam, impersonation, and rule violations.
X’s official statement on the suspended page simply reads: “X suspends accounts that violate our rules,” without offering an appeal process or further explanation, unlike standard user suspensions.
Public reactions on social media ranged from humorous laments of “RIP Twitter” to speculation that the move resulted from automated moderation or a deliberate cleanup of legacy trademarks.
xAI’s Grok AI described it as a purposeful retirement of outdated elements rather than a genuine infraction, while neither Elon Musk nor X spokespeople issued any comment as of Monday morning.
This incident underscores the evolving identity of the platform under Musk’s ownership, which also saw a domain shift to x.com in 2024, further distancing it from its Twitter roots.
Industry observers note that while the suspension aligns with X’s stricter enforcement policies, the lack of transparency has fueled debates on consistency in applying rules to high-profile legacy accounts.
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