Telecom
African Standardization Experts Agree on Uniform Mobile Roaming Cost

African standardization experts have agreed to develop a technical standard (ITU-T Recommendation) establishing a uniform costing model for mobile roaming in the African region.
The decision to target a reduction in African mobile roaming rates came of a meeting of the SG3 Regional Group for Africa (SG3RG-AFR) held in Brazzaville, 20-21 February 2014, at the invitation of the Regulatory Agency for Post and Electronic Communications (ARPCE) of the Republic of the Congo. The meeting followed the Regional Economic and Financial Forum of Telecommunications/ICTs for Africa organized by ITU’s Development Sector (ITU-D).
SG3RG-AFR represents the interests of the African region in the standardization work of ITU-T Study Group 3 (Economic and policy issues).
Alongside the commitment to tackle mobile roaming, the group’s Brazzaville meeting also led to the agreement to revise Recommendation ITU-T D.600 R “Cost methodology for the regional tariff group for Africa applicable to the international automatic telephone service”.
SG3RG-AFR’s working group on alternative calling procedures such as ‘call-back’ and ‘hubbing’ initiated a study into the topic, beginning with the development of a detailed questionnaire as one of the study’s building blocks.
A similar questionnaire is under development on the impact of the Internet on SMS and voice traffic.
The impact of over-the-top (OTT) players in the Web economy on the revenues and business models of incumbent network operators was another central topic of discussion and was agreed to be investigated by SGRG-AFR’s working group on the economic impact of the Internet.
The group is also prioritizing regional collaboration as it develops contributions to SG3 on the use of commercial agreements in international telecommunications services. A working group was established on this topic, in line with the spirit of the revised International Telecommunication Regulations.
In addition, members of SG3RG-AFR discussed the potential role of the group in studying the economic impact of radio spectrum pricing.
The need for universal standards on spectrum valuation and pricing was proposed as an item for discussion within SG3, recognizing that the technical aspects of spectrum management are the remit of ITU’s Radiocommunication Sector (ITU-R). SG3RG-AFR thus charged a new working group with investigating a potential role for SG3 in spectrum pricing that would be consistent with national sovereignty and the priorities of the African region in this regard. The mandate of the Working Group on international internet connectivity was also renewed.
The next meeting of SG3RG-AFR is provisionally scheduled for February 2015 in Sao Tome and Principe, with Tanzania offering to host the meeting in the event of any requirement for an alternate venue.
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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