Telecom
Ericsson, Etisalat, Intel Celebrate Winners of 5G University Competition
Etisalat and Intel, together with Ericsson congratulated students from the American University of Sharjah for demonstrating innovative 5G use cases as part of the recently concluded university competition.
The information and communication technology (ICT) giants joined forces in February this year to launch the university competition, targeting engineering students from renowned UAE universities, under the theme of ‘Driving the Future of 5G Innovation’.
Over 20 teams from the American University of Sharjah, Khalifa University and New York University Abu Dhabi competed to best demonstrate 5G use cases. Five of the 21 teams were shortlisted and invited to present their innovative ideas in front of a prestigious jury of industry executives: Khalifa Al Shamsi, Etisalat Group Chief Strategy & Corporate Governance Officer, Petter Järtby, Head of Etisalat Global Customer Unit at Ericsson, and Taha Khalifa, Sales Director, EMEA Territory at Intel evaluated the shortlisted projects.
Abdullah Ahmed, Jayroop Ramesh, and Saad Aldeen from the American University of Sharjah won first place after presenting their ground-breaking idea of Decentralized Peer to Peer Mobile Devices Cloud computing using 5G technology.
Runner up position went to students Baleegh Ahmad and Doovaraha Maheswarasarma from NYU Abu Dhabi who proposed a solution based on 5G, augmented reality and robotics to optimize and automate operations in the cargo industry.
Finally, Bashar Al Jabery, Marawan El Bardicy and Mustafa Al Jassim from the American University of Sharjah came in third place with their “Wear Hear” use case around using smart glasses, 5G and Edge computing to help individuals with hearing disabilities better communicate and integrate in the society.
The winners were chosen based on certain parameters including their creativity and innovation, their business case potential, their 5G applicability and the benefit and positive impact on the UAE society.
The winning teams will all receive valuable prizes including internship opportunity in Etisalat or Ericsson as well as a one of its kind enrollment opportunity to a tailor made three-month coaching program from Ericsson Garage, which will be kicked off by a full week trip to Ericsson Stockholm.
Saeed Alzarouni, Senior Vice President, Mobile Network, Etisalat, commented on the students’ entries at the awards ceremony: “We believe innovation is the future of human investment which is why our vision as a company is in line with the national agenda that emphasizes its importance across sectors where innovation, research, science and technology will form the pillars of a highly productive and competitive economy. Etisalat has made continuous efforts in enabling digital technologies that empower customers and the ecosystem with technologies that can lead the way to a digital future.
“Etisalat is proud to be driving this competition that gave us an opportunity to guide and mentor these young minds and innovative ideas. With 5G technologies and services taking precedence, this is a great platform to see 5G use cases that will become a reality tomorrow.”
Petter Järtby, Head of Etisalat Global Customer Unit at Ericsson said: “1st May 2017, exactly one year ago, we joined hands with Etisalat and we did the first 5G trial with full mobility in the region. Today, we are building on that leadership and are engaging academia in our quest for the 5G use cases that will make a tangible difference to life in the UAE. The journey will not stop here, we will look into feasibility to take the best ideas forward into the realization and testing phases. It is a journey and we are fully committed to the technology advancement of UAE and how it can contribute to the UAE Vision 2021 and at the end Happiness for its people.”
Telecom
Telcos Record N27Bn Loss from Damaged Fibre Cables
Repairs and revenue losses from damaged cables are estimated to have cost Nigeria’s telecom industry almost N27bn ($23m) in 2023, according to documents obtained by Bloomberg.
MTN Nigeria, the biggest wireless operator in Africa’s most-populous nation, and Airtel Africa Plc bore the brunt of the costs, the documents show.
MTN suffered more than 6,000 cuts on its fiber cable last year, the documents show.
On Feb. 28, a cut in its network in three different locations by a road construction firm, an oil serving company, and someone burning rubbish in a manhole meant customers faced more than five hours of data and voice outages.
The operator relocated 2,500 kilometers (1,553 miles) of vulnerable fiber cables between 2022 and 2023, at a cost of more than N11bn —enough to build 870 kilometers of new fiber lines in areas without coverage.
Broadband fibre optic cables form the backbone of modern communication infrastructure, enabling the high-speed data transmission that underpins a wide range of personal, business, and societal activities.
On several occasions, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the industry regulator, has acknowledged this challenge and expressed willingness to work on measures to address it.
These measures include stricter regulations to deter vandalism and improved collaboration between telcos and government agencies responsible for construction activities.
According to the NCC, the telecom sector will make up more than a fifth of the country’s gross domestic product by the end of 2027, up from 13.5 per cent in the third quarter of last year.
Telecom
NCAIR Relaunch: Pantami, Tijani Fight for Credit
Isa Pantami, former minister of Communications and Digital Economy, has voiced his discontent over the relaunch of the National Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (NCAIR) by Bosun Tijani, his successor.
Tijani announced the revitalization of NCAIR, highlighting enhancements in its capacity and partnerships with global tech firm Cisco.
However, Pantami took to social media to assert that NCAIR was already established during his tenure in November 2020, dubbing it “the first of its kind in Africa” and emphasizing its effectiveness in training numerous Nigerians.
Tijani responded by detailing the new initiatives accompanying the relaunch, including increased computing infrastructure, dedicated research labs, and remote connectivity for AI hubs across the country. He also unveiled outcomes from the Ministry’s National AI Workshop, such as the country’s first Multilingual Large Language Model and partnerships aimed at accelerating AI development projects of national significance.
The exchange between Pantami and Tijani underscores ongoing efforts to advance AI research and application in Nigeria while navigating questions of continuity and leadership transition within the Ministry.
Telecom
ABoICT Lecture 2024 to Focus on Artificial Intelligence (AI) In A Digital Economy
This year’s Africa’s Beacon of ICT Merit and Leadership lecture will focus on the role of artificial intelligence in a digital economy with the theme: “Artificial Intelligence (AI): The Good, The Complex and The Anticipated”.
The lecture which will herald Africa’s Beacon of ICT Merit and Leadership Awards hold on May 25, 2024 at Four Points by Sheraton.
The sixteenth edition of the award ceremony according Ken Nwogbo, editor-in-chief of Nigeria CommunicationsWeek the organizers of the event, “is a special edition to recognize and celebrate organizations and individuals in the ICT industry that have been distinguished in delivery innovative services in the sector.
“Most of these organizations and individuals have consistently being voted by our readers as leaders in their areas of operations and we have decided to reward them in this especial edition”.
He added that, AI is considered to have the potential to instigate a fourth industrial revolution,1 and is dramatically changing people’s patterns of interaction and economic activities.
“The traditional factors of production and physical capital and labour may no longer promote substantial economic growth. It is generally believed that AI will be one of the most important factors determining future economic growth.
“However, unlike traditional machines, which replaced the use of human and animal labor for simple manual work and heavy or dangerous activities, AI-related inputs may change the type of human work in a comprehensive way.
“In contrast to previous industrial revolutions, AI does not simply involve the invention of a new machine or technology. Instead, AI has similarities to the accumulation of human capital, as it can learn and accumulate knowledge by itself,” he said.
The Africa’s Beacon of ICT Merit and Leadership Distinguished Lecture is designed to explore efforts to put Nigeria on the global Information and Communications Technologies map.
The lecture series however is reserved for distinguished achievers in the ICT sector.
Past lecturers included Dr. Ernest Ndukwe, then executive vice chairman, Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC); Engr. Yomi Bolarinwa, former Director-General of National Broadcasting Commission (NBC); Dr. Jean Luc Fort, CEO at OR System France and a specialist in Counterparty Risk; and Professor Chris Nwagboso, Chairman, Knowledge Factory International, United Kingdom.
Others are: Uche Orji, managing director/chief executive officer, Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA); Biodu Omoniyi, Managing Director/CEO, VDT Communications; Ayotunde Coker, Managing Director, Rack Centre Limited; Peter Adedayo Arogundade, managing director and chief executive officer, Sidmach Technologies Nigeria Limited; Dr. Adewale Obadare, chief visionary officer, Digital Encode and John Obaro, CEO and founder of Systemspecs; Prof. Isa Pantanmi, minister of Communications and Digital Economy; among others.
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