Telecom
How Unstructured Data Can Help Companies Thrive in the AI Era
By Linda Saunders, Director Solutions Engineering Africa
Every organisation is racing to unlock the power of AI to improve its sales and service experiences. But great AI requires data.
Linda Saunders
Traditionally, companies have handled data that is found in structured formats, with rows and columns, including customer engagement data gathered through CRM applications. Every business also has a huge amount of information trapped in “unstructured” data, in formats such as documents, images, audio and video recordings. This unstructured data could be highly valuable, providing businesses with AI insights that are more accurate and comprehensive because they are grounded in customer information.
Many organisations want a holistic customer view, but have lacked the technical ability to see, access, integrate, and make use of their unstructured data in any trusted way. With the power of large language models (LLMs) and generative AI, they can now do just that.
To win in the AI era, successful organisations will need to build integrated, federated, intelligent, and actionable solutions across every customer touchpoint while also reducing complexity.
This starts with the capability to effectively tap into unstructured content, gather knowledge, index the data efficiently, and pull insights from every department.
Helping AI to better know and serve customers
When a customer needs help with a recent purchase, typically they start the conversation with the company’s chatbot. For the experience to be both relevant and positive, the entire exchange needs to be grounded in that customer’s data, such as their recent product purchase, warranty information, and any past conversations they’ve had. The chatbot should also be tapping into company data, such as the latest learnings from other customers who have bought similar products and internal knowledge base articles.
Some of this information might reside in transactional databases — structured information — while the rest might be in unstructured files, such as warranty contracts or knowledge base articles. Both types of data need to be accessed, and the right data needs to be utilised. If not, the exchange with the chatbot will be at best frustrating and at worst inaccurate.
Obtaining the best and most accurate AI responses requires augmenting LLMs with proprietary, real-time, structured and unstructured data from within a company’s own applications, warehouses, and data lakes.
An effective way of making those models more accurate is with an AI framework called Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG). RAG typically enables companies to use their structured and unstructured proprietary data to make generative AI more contextual, timely, trusted, and relevant.
Ensuring relevancy, whatever the scenario
Combining all your customer data, structured and unstructured, into a combined 360-degree view will ensure customers have the most relevant information for any enterprise scenario.
Financial institutions, for example, can use it to provide real-time information on market or financial data to their employees, who can take that information and blend it with a customer’s own unique banking needs to give them actionable advice based on their situation.
Many companies are exploring the use of RAG technology to improve internal processes and provide accurate and up-to-date information to advisors and other employees. Offering contextual assistance, ensuring personalised support, and continuously learning will improve efficiency decision-making across their organisation.
For organisations preparing their data for AI, first, they have to know where all of their data is and understand its quality – and whether it is good enough for their generative AI models. Second, they have to ensure their data is fresh, relevant, and retrievable, so they can combine structured and unstructured data for the best outputs. And thirdly, they have to activate that data across their applications and build the right pipelines so RAG can pull that data when prompted and provide the answers they need.
Starting February 2027, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), has mandated mobile network operators and other communications service providers to notify it within four hours of detecting any cyberattack.
This is aimed at strengthening the protection of telecom infrastructure and subscriber data.
The directive is contained in the Cyber Resilience Framework for the Nigerian Communications Sector (CRF-NCS) released by the NCC last month.
According to the NCC, the rule will take effect in February 2027, giving operators a year to put in place the necessary monitoring and reporting systems.
Under the framework, telecommunications companies must alert the regulator within four hours of detecting a cyber incident and continue to provide updates every four hours until the situation is contained.
Operators are also required to submit a confirmation report within 24 hours through a dedicated reporting portal.
The commission said the framework is designed to strengthen cybersecurity oversight in a sector that handles vast volumes of sensitive consumer and national infrastructure data.
Cyber threats targeting telecom networks can lead to service disruptions, data breaches affecting subscriber information, malware infections and other attacks capable of crippling communications systems, according to the regulator.
By introducing faster reporting timelines, the commission said it hopes to improve sector-wide situational awareness and ensure quicker response to threats before they escalate into major outages or data compromises.
The framework also requires telecommunications companies to establish dedicated Security Operations Centres (SOC) to monitor networks continuously for suspicious activity and cyber threats.
These centres are expected to detect and report malicious activities promptly while coordinating responses internally.
In addition, each operator must designate a cybersecurity lead responsible for working with the commission’s Computer Security Incident Response Team (CSIRT) to share intelligence and coordinate responses to incidents affecting the communications ecosystem.
The NCC said the new framework forms part of broader efforts to strengthen resilience across Nigeria’s communications infrastructure and promote a unified cybersecurity posture in the sector.
The measures come amid growing global and domestic concern over data breaches and cyber intrusions targeting companies that manage large volumes of digital information.
Telecommunications companies, which serve as gateways for internet traffic, mobile banking, messaging and other digital services, are increasingly seen as critical infrastructure vulnerable to cyber threats.
Nigeria’s telecom regulator has in recent years tightened rules around data protection and network security as the country’s digital economy expands.
A United States federal court in the Southern District of New York has comprehensively dismissed all claims against Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange by registered users, in a high-profile lawsuit under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA).
Binance
The 62-page decision represents a decisive legal victory, rejecting allegations from 535 plaintiffs who claimed the platform provided material support linked to 64 terrorist attacks.
The court meticulously examined and dismissed every central allegation, ruling that plaintiffs failed to establish Binance assisted terrorists, associated itself with the attacks, participated in or sought to advance them, or engaged in any conspiracy with terrorist organisations.
This full dismissal underscores the absence of evidence supporting the claims, affirming Binance’s long-standing position that the suit was meritless.
Binance General Counsel Eleanor Hughes described the outcome as “a complete vindication of all false allegations.” She emphasised: “The court has unambiguously rejected the false and damaging narrative that Binance assisted terrorists.
“We have always maintained these claims were without merit, and today’s ruling confirms that. We will continue to defend ourselves aggressively against any litigation or reporting that misrepresents who we are and how we operate.”
While the ruling grants plaintiffs 60 days to file an amended complaint in light of a recent appellate decision, Binance expressed strong confidence that no revisions can remedy the “fundamental deficiencies” identified by the court. The exchange views this as a thorough examination and rejection of the underlying assertions.
Binance reaffirmed its commitment to industry-leading compliance infrastructure, proactive regulatory engagement, and robust legal governance worldwide.
The company stressed that its operations do not support, facilitate, or enable terrorism in any form, and it plans to maintain constructive dialogue with regulators while pursuing vigorous defences against misleading narratives.
This development bolsters Binance’s position amid ongoing global scrutiny of crypto platforms, highlighting its operational integrity in a sector often targeted by unsubstantiated claims.
TikTok has announced an additional $200,000 investment in AI media literacy initiatives across Sub-Saharan Africa during its third annual Safer Internet Summit in Nairobi, underscoring the platform’s push for safer online spaces amid rising digital challenges.
TikTok
The two-day event, themed #SaferTogether: ‘Innovation and Safety’, gathered government officials, regulators, safety partners, and industry leaders from the region. It builds on prior summits in Ghana (2024) and Cape Town (2025), focusing on collaborative solutions for online protection.
TikTok’s Head of Government Relations and Public Policy for Sub-Saharan Africa, Tokunbo Ibrahim, stated: “Our mission is clear: to share learnings, tackle challenges, and advance actionable solutions that protect citizens online. By uniting policymakers, innovators, and creators, we ensure all-inclusive conversations for a resilient digital landscape.”
Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for ICT, Hon. William Kabogo, who opened the summit, added: “This reflects our commitment to collaboration, sector growth, and a safe digital space. We must advance digital innovation, responsible AI governance, and strong regional partnerships.”
Boosting AI Literacy with Local Partners
A summit highlight was TikTok’s expanded $2 million AI Literacy Fund, launched globally in November 2025. The new $200,000 in ad credits targets local organisations to combat misinformation and empower users.
In Sub-Saharan Africa, initial grantees include:
Mtoto News (Kenya): Producing content to help youth engage responsibly with AI.
Africa Check (Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya): Enhancing fact-checking against AI-generated deepfakes.
CJID/DUBAWA (West Africa): Amplifying truth via independent fact-checking to fight information disorder.
Valiant Richey, TikTok’s Global Head of Partnerships, Elections & Market Integrity, said: “We partner with trusted locals because their expertise makes AI literacy impactful, empowering communities as viewers or creators.”
Transparency and Moderation Advances
Delegates explored TikTok’s AI-driven safety measures, including mandatory labelling of AI-generated content (AIGC), advanced detection, and partnerships like the Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity (C2PA) for watermarking.
With over 100 million daily uploads, AI aids proactive moderation: Q3 2025 data shows 14 million videos removed in Sub-Saharan Africa, 96.7% via automated tech, complementing human oversight.
The summit ended with pledges for ongoing digital safety efforts across the region.
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