Telecom
Interconnect Exchange Carriers Switch to WTL
World Telecom Labs (WTL) on Tuesday announced that its specialist high capacity voice switching equipment will be deployed by five of Nigeria’s interconnecting exchange carriers.
Licensed by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the carriers – Breeze Micro, Solid, Exchange, Niconnx and ICN – were established to increase competition and transparency in the Nigerian telecom marketplace.
The four leading mobile operators in Nigeria are now all required to divert 10% of their inter-carrier voice and SMS traffic to one of these operators.
The five licensees are initially acting as wholesale interconnect carriers for TDM voice traffic and are using WTL’s switches to transfer traffic between the four existing mobile networks.
WTL has also helped each carrier with its billing processes. It has developed a sophisticated billing system for Breeze Micro tailored for its specific needs and also provides a traffic capture system which enables the other four carriers to produce detailed accounts and bills.
Jiahd Jaafar, CTO of Breeze Micro, said “This is a high throughput business which handles hundreds of millions of calls every day. We need switches in our PoP (Point of Presence) which are market-proven, totally reliable and can scale as our business grows. The WTL team are experts in voice and we value their knowledge, experience and flexible approach. We know that our WTL system will be easy and cost-effective to scale as our business grows and that’s extremely important to us”.
WTL’s voice switches have been specifically designed to replace the huge, expensive, maintenance-heavy switches which have traditionally been used to transfer high volume voice traffic between networks.
For Breeze Micro, Solid, Exchange, Niconnx and ICN, WTL’s suite of switches have a number of advantages over traditional switches including they are VoIP ready – WTL specialises in VoIP switches and so the switches installed in Nigeria can be easily switched from traditional TDM to VoIP once the existing mobile operators are ready to use VoIP as a means of interconnecting.
“Highly reliable even under very heavy traffic loads, WTL’s switches are also simple and easy to run so they don’t need a dedicated, full-time engineer (unlike traditional switching equipment).
” Service and support – WTL offers constant support and consultancy to all five operators.
“Small footprint –WTL’s switches are physically small occupying 0.5 racks compared to the multiple racks needed by traditional voice switching vendors. Smaller racks means less power and reduced OPEX.
“WTL’s switches are also easy to scale. The five Nigerian licensees all plan to set up multiple POPs throughout Nigeria to enable local switching and so want to ensure that their CAPEX is kept low,” he said.
Leigh Smith, managing director of WTL, said “I sincerely hope that the fact that five out of the six carriers in Nigeria have chosen to use WTL shows that we are leading the market in terms of innovative, cost-effective voice switching. Once their businesses are fully established we will be able to help with optimisation of voice traffic to increase capacity and reduce costs especially as the other major suppliers are not offering a viable VoIP solution”.
WTL’s VOIP and TDM voice optimisation services and equipment are being used by a number of operators throughout Africa and the Middle East. WTL also featured at the 4th edition of NigeriaCom conference in Lagos.
At the recently concluded NextNow Business Forum in Victoria Island, MTN Nigeria electrified the business community with a live demonstration of its forthcoming Communication Platform as a Service (CPaaS), a solution engineered to redefine how Nigerian enterprises connect with their customers.
Unlike traditional communication systems, MTN’s CPaaS is built for the realities of a mobile-first market. The platform unifies SMS, voice, WhatsApp, email, and more into a single, intuitive interface. This approach is especially significant in Nigeria, with over 107 million internet users, 45.4% of the total population, according to Data Report. This figure underscores the necessity for businesses to meet customers where they are.
During the demo, attendees witnessed how CPaaS enables two-way, real-time conversations between brands and customers. The platform’s support for rich media, instant analytics, and seamless integration with business workflows drew particular attention. These features are designed to empower businesses with data-driven insights and the agility to personalise every interaction, whether it’s a service notification, marketing campaign, or customer support exchange.
Akinbulejo Onabolu, Head of Enterprise Segment at MTN Nigeria, articulated the vision: “CPaaS gives enterprises the flexibility to interact with their customers on their preferred platforms; whether it’s chat, voice, or messaging, in a way that feels personal and immediate. We’re looking forward to the value this will unlock for businesses across industries once it launches.”
The fireside chat added depth to the conversation, with Omowunmi Olatunbosun, Head of SME Segment at MTN Nigeria, and Stephen Agbi of Bayobab, highlighting how digital engagement bridges the gap between businesses and audiences.
They emphasised that today’s consumers demand immediacy, relevance, and ease, qualities that CPaaS is built to deliver.
The stakes for digital transformation in Nigeria are high. In a report by Punch, the country’s enterprise tech market is projected to reach $22 billion by 2027, reflecting a surge in demand for scalable, cloud-based solutions that drive efficiency and customer loyalty.
The CPAAS Acceleration Alliance have estimated that globally, the CPaaS market is expected to grow from $14.7 billion in 2025 to $72.4 billion by 2035, at a compound annual growth rate of 18.4%, a testament to the platform’s transformative potential.
The event’s closing keynote from META’s Korhan Yunak reinforced the strategic value of digital channels like WhatsApp, which are now indispensable for business communication and engagement at scale.
As MTN Nigeria prepares for the Q3 2025 launch, the anticipation is unmistakable. With its promise of flexibility, intelligence, and seamless integration, MTN’s CPaaS platform is set to become the backbone of next-generation business-customer engagement in Nigeria, enabling enterprises to not just communicate but to connect, adapt, and grow in a digital-first era.
MTN Uganda is seeking input from stakeholders on a plan to structurally separate its mobile money service, MoMo, from its core telecoms business.
According to the company, the proposed change will be discussed at the upcoming extraordinary general meeting on July 2.
If approved, the telco’s fintech business will be run by a new company controlled by MTN Group Fintech Holdings B.V. and a trust benefiting minority shareholders following a merger.
Additionally, the restructuring also aligns with MTN Group’s ambition 2025 strategy which aims to unlock value, attract new investors, and strengthen regulatory compliance by creating standalone fintech entities in Uganda, Ghana, and Nigeria.
The company’s fintech division has over 13 million customers, with an 18.4% revenue increase in the first quarter of 2025, driven by 19.0% growth in mobile money services, 19.8% growth in transaction volumes, and a 31.4% increase in transaction value.
Reports say the decision is part of the telco’s compliance with the National Payment Systems Act 2020, which mandates mobile money businesses to operate as standalone entities, and to align with MTN Group’s regional fintech strategy.
MTN Uganda, which is led by CEO Sylvia Mulinge, highlighted that the implementation of the proposed transaction will be subjected to a number of conditions and regulatory procedures.
“The implementation of the proposed transaction shall be subject to a number of conditions, including the company and MTN MoMo receiving all required regulatory approvals and no-objections and complying with any regulatory conditions,” said MTN Uganda in notice.
Netflix has announced plans to invest more than €1 billion in Spanish film and television productions over the next four years, reinforcing its commitment to Spain as a key creative hub in Europe.
The announcement was made by co-chief executive Ted Sarandos at an event held at Netflix’s production studios near Madrid, celebrating the company’s 10-year presence in the country.
Sarandos emphasized that the investment would contribute significantly to Spain’s economy, create jobs, and enable the streaming platform to produce more local content. He was joined by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez in unveiling the initiative.
Netflix first established its international production studios in Madrid in 2019, following the success of the Spanish-language hit series Money Heist.
Since then, its 22,000-square-meter facility has become one of Netflix’s major production centers within the European Union.
The company currently supports over 20,000 jobs in Spain, highlighting the nation’s growing influence in global entertainment.
The investment reflects Netflix’s ongoing strategy to expand its presence in European markets through original content and local talent.
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