Telecom
GSMA MWC Kigali Opens its doors to Mobile Operators, Policymakers
MWC Kigali 2023 on Tuesday returned to the Kigali Convention Centre in Rwanda, with Paul Kagame, the President of the Republic of Rwanda participating in the event’s celebratory opening ceremony.
L-r: Dr Jean Kaseya, Director General, Africa CDC; Frehiwot Tamiru, CEO, Ethio Telecom; Ralph Mupita, Group President and Chief Executive Officer, MTN Group; Paula Ingabire, Minister of ICT and Innovation, Rwanda; Mats Granyrd, Director General, GSMA; Paul Kagame, President, Republic of Rwanda; Doreen Bogdan- Martin, Secretary-General, International Telecommunication Union (ITU); Segun Ogunsanya, CEO, Airtel Africa Group; Dr Amani Abou-Zeid, Commissioner in charge of Infrastructure, Energy and ICT, African Union Commission (AUC); Jerome Henrique, CEO, Orange Middle East and Africa, and Lacina Koné, Director General/CEO, Smart Africa
The event brings together policymakers and global business leaders for three days of discussion on innovations in mobile technology and Africa’s rapidly evolving connectivity ecosystem.
The GSMA welcomes an exceptional roster of keynote speakers to MWC Kigali this year, representing leading names in government, global business, emerging technologies and more.
This includes ATU, Ethiopia Telecom, Huawei, MTN Group, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), Orange Middle East and Africa, the Rwandan Ministry of ICT & Innovation, the SAMENA Telecommunications Council, Smart Africa, Take Back the Mic and ZTE Corporation.
“Today, Africa has the fastest-growing mobile penetration rate globally. But we still have a long way to go. Yet, we already have the means to address the problems we are dealing with today. We must continue to prioritize digital skills and literacy. Globally, we are also seeing strong momentum to support Africa’s digital transformation. If there is one lesson from the pandemic, it is that in times of crisis, we have to look for the common denominator. Only then, can we see the light at the end of the tunnel, and build the future we all deserve,” said Paul Kagame, the President of Rwanda.
Mats Granryd, Director General of the GSMA said, “The mobile industry has seen remarkable growth across Sub-Saharan Africa and now reaches almost 490 million unique subscribers – but only one-in-four people in the region subscribe to the mobile internet.
MWC Kigali provides a forum for policymakers and leaders in connectivity to come together and discuss ways of accelerating the digital transformation of Africa, closing the usage gap and, ultimately, ensuring everybody in the region benefits.”
What’s on at MWC Kigali
With over 60 exhibitors and sponsors, MWC Kigali features a number of activations aimed at shining a light on key issues surrounding the policy agenda as well as showcasing the talent disrupting the regional mobile ecosystem.
The GSMA’s Mobile for Development team will once again play a prominent role, convening mobile operator members, tech innovators, the development community and governments to discuss the role of digital technology in reducing inequality.
Its Development Theatre, located in room AD12 of the convention centre, will host insightful keynotes and panels on topics including digital inclusion, the socio-economic benefits of mobile money, and the keys to building a smarter future for African cities.
In addition, the GSMA Africa Policy Leaders Forum will invite stakeholders from ministries, regulatory bodies and the broader mobile ecosystem for an agenda focused on accelerating Africa.
Reflecting topics explored throughout the event, the forum will deal with key issues such as the investment gap, bridging the digital divide and handset affordability.
The issue of affordable handsets will be discussed in The AfricaWeWant Needs Affordable Smartphones: Accelerating Adoption and Scale on day 1 from 13:45 – 16:40.
The Better Future Stage, located in Foyer 1C and open to every event attendee, will bring together start-ups, investors and entrepreneurs and showcase leading lights from the African telecoms ecosystem and adjacent industries through on-stage debates, pitches and fireside chats.
On day 2 of the event, Orange will use the stage to announce the winners of its annual Orange Social Venture Prize during a ceremony between 12:45-2:45pm.
This year’s MWC Kigali is co-located with two other events – the Africa HealthTech Summit and Smart Africa; the Africa HealthTech Summit will showcase the power of digital innovation in Africa’s healthcare sector through an agenda of panel sessions taking place over three days; while Smart Africa will host a committee co-chaired by ITU and African Union Commission, convening public sector organisations and private sector players focused on accelerating the socio-economic development of the continent.
Mobile Economy Report Sub-Saharan Africa
The GSMA marked the opening of MWC Kigali 2023 with the publication of its annual Mobile Economy Sub-Saharan Africa Report, which revealed a considerable mobile internet usage gap of 59% in Sub-Saharan Africa.
The usage gap refers to individuals who are not using mobile internet despite living in an area covered by mobile broadband networks.
While the report acknowledged over 285 million people in the region – representing 25% of the population – were using mobile internet, the significant usage gap highlights the impact of the barriers to adoption, including the lack of affordability and low levels of digital skills.
Mobile internet penetration levels varied across Sub-Saharan Africa, with Mauritius, South Africa and the Seychelles all reporting adoption rates of over 50%.
Meanwhile, Benin, Chad and the Democratic Republic of Congo represented the countries with the fewest mobile internet users, with penetration levels below 15%.
Airtel Nigeria, telecom service provider, has announced that its AI-powered Spam Alert Service issued over 9.6 million spam alerts between March 13 and May 20, 2025.
As part of its ongoing commitment to protecting customers from unwanted and potentially fraudulent communications, Airtel designed the AI Spam Alert service to analyze traffic patterns and detect anomalies.
In the period since launch the AI pinpointed a total of 9,667,008 SMS as potential spam messages in the two months after its launch.
Of these, the system identified 528,080 on-net (Airtel-to-Airtel) and 9,138,928 off-net (from other networks) numbers as suspected spam messages, demonstrating the scale of the threat and Airtel’s advanced processing capability.
Airtel Nigeria is a subsidiary of Airtel Africa.
Commenting on this development, Dinesh Balsingh, CEO, Airtel Nigeria, restated Airtel`s commitment to protecting its customers.
“This milestone demonstrates the strength of our AI-driven infrastructure in combating the growing menace of spam and scam calls. At Airtel Nigeria, we are focused on connecting Nigerians and ensuring their safety and confidence while using our network.
“We understand that trust is the cornerstone of digital communication. That’s why we’ve invested heavily in intelligent systems that not only detect potential threats but also learn and evolve with data. As threats become more sophisticated, so will our solutions. As a company, we remain focused on leading the industry in innovation and customer satisfaction, ensuring that every Nigerian can enjoy a safer and smarter digital experience,” Mr. Balsingh said.
The Spam Alert Service is part of Airtel Nigeria’s broader strategy to integrate artificial intelligence into its core offerings to deliver smarter and safer experiences for its customers across the country.
Recall that the Spam Alert Service was launched on March 13, 2025. A groundbreaking and free solution from Airtel, it notifies users in real-time of suspected spam SMS messages by analyzing over 250 parameters.
The Airtel AI Spam Alert Service is available to all Airtel subscribers on smartphones and feature phones.
Vitel Wireless Limited, pioneer mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) in Nigeria has made another history by announcing the successful completion of interconnectivity with all major Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) in Nigeria.
Kenneth Nwabueze, Chairman and CEO of Vitel Wireless
Recall that Vitel Wireless, became the first Mobile Virtual Network Operator to receive a dedicated number series (0712) from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).
This breakthrough enables Vitel Wireless subscribers to make and receive calls with users on MTN Nigeria, Airtel Nigeria, Globacom (Glo), and 9mobile Nigeria.
It also marks the first time an MVNO in the country has successfully interconnected with all the major MNOs, setting a new precedent for Nigeria’s telecom sector.
Following the NCC’s licensing of 46 MVNOs, Vitel Wireless continues to lead the way in establishing a dynamic MVNO sector in Nigeria—Africa’s largest market and most populous nation.
The company has already achieved several historic firsts: the first MVNO issued a numbering plan and national and international routing codes, the first to launch a location awareness network in Africa, and the first to unveil a strategic nationwide rollout plan.
“We are gathering momentum for our big launch,” said Kenneth Emeka Nwabueze, chairman and CEO of Vitel Wireless.
“We are proud to be showing what’s possible for MVNOs, while also creating a path for others to follow. By leveraging our years of experience in Nigeria’s telecom industry, we are opening up new possibilities where there used to be none.”
Interconnectivity was achieved through a combination of direct fiber connections with some MNOs and indirect routing via third-party providers.
This milestone was the result of a collaborative effort involving engineers from Vitel Wireless, Wireless Technology Labs (WTL), and Interconnect Clearinghouse Nigeria (ICN), working closely with engineers from MTN, Airtel, Glo, and 9mobile.
“We wish to thank the regulatory agency, the Nigerian Communications Commission, for their timely interventions and guidance, which were instrumental in achieving this interconnectivity and bringing the formal launch of the Vitel Wireless nationwide network one step closer to reality,” said Nwabueze.
The company entered a nationwide pilot phase in May 2025, with plans for a full rollout in July 2025, aiming to deliver next-generation mobile services to millions across Nigeria.
Layer3 Limited, One of Nigeria’s foremost ICT solutions providers, has once again solidified its place as a trailblazer in Africa’s technology landscape, emerging as the Enterprise Solutions Provider of the Year and Leadership Award in Cloud Services at the prestigious African Beacon of ICT Leadership and Awards held on May 24, 2025, at the Four Points by Sheraton, Lagos.
This year’s event brought together leading tech innovators, policymakers, and thought leaders to recognize organizations making extraordinary contributions to Africa’s digital transformation.
Among the many luminaries in attendance, Layer3 stood out for its 19+ years of consistent innovation, technical excellence, and client-centered service delivery.
Speaking at the event, the organizers praised Layer3’s pioneering work in delivering robust enterprise solutions across sectors, as well as its bold leadership in advancing cloud infrastructure and services across Nigeria and beyond.
“These awards are more than recognitions, they are a reminder of the fulfilment to our mission to deliver peace of mind to our customers,” said David Ita, the Head of Strategy and Business Development of Layer3.
“They speak to the impact we’ve made and the promise we hold for the future of the cloud and enterprise technology business in Africa. We dedicate this honor to our clients, partners, and the hardworking Layer3 team who continue to redefine excellence every day.”
Since its founding, Layer3 has championed a future-forward approach to ICT services offering cutting-edge solutions in enterprise networking, cybersecurity, broadband, cloud computing, managed services, and IT advisory. The company’s Layer3Cloud platform and managed service offerings continue to power the digital ambitions of Nigeria’s leading businesses.
These accolades underscore Layer3’s unwavering commitment to driving transformation and supporting digital economies through smart, secure, and scalable technology.
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