Telecom
Satellites and the Armed Forces

By Andrew Aroh
Space (Professionals) are providing the military their lifeline. they use it. They take it for granted, but if they ever lost it, people will die.

- Satellites and the Armed Force:
- Army: winning with satellite:
- Army uses satellite: for command and control, combat service support, asset tracking and real-time communications
- Satellite-enabled services in Demand:
- Volp
- Mobile Telephony
- Network Management
- For the Army, satellite imaging products provide a common operating feature, enabling its soldiers to see the battlefield before being deployed and also offering attack assessment of a battle after an assault has been completed.
- Navy: Fathered via Satellite:
- Without reservation, the combined power of space systems and the information that flows to the war fighter through networks ashore and at sea is today recognized as a critical component of the Navy.
- Satellite-enabled Services in Demand:
- Voice and Video Services
- Internet Accessibility
- Value-added Satellite Imagery Products
- Development of robust-space-based communication networks continue providing enhanced and networked messaging, imagery, transfer, file retrieval and command and control capabilities.
- Air Force: A proven Satellite technology leader:
- Ultimately, the Air force must be able to eliminate the restriction posed by current bandwidth and interoperability issues in order to provide communication access to warfighters globally.
- Satellite-enabled Service in Demand:
- Encrypted Voice, Video and Data streams
- Commercial Imagery Products
- Internet Protocols and Connectivity
- Enhanced Satellite Communication services are paramount to any warfighter engaged in a mission.
- Marines: Using Satellite to Communicate and Attack:
- Digital and Voice Communication technology enables tactical commanders to command and control actions on the battlefield. Given that need, the military is going to need increased satellite bandwidth to enable its move to network-centric warfare.
- Satellite-enabled Services in Demand:
- Enhanced Satellite Imagery Products
- Encryption Technology
- Mobile Telephony
- Satellite Technology has become one of the military’s top priorities. The use of Commercial Satellite phones by coalition forces operating in the middle East throughout the past years demonstrated the critical role this technology offers to win a modern war.
- Coast Guard: Securing the Nation with Satellite:
- Satellite technology allows the Coast Guard to establish clear and secure voice communications with its units-especially when they are underway-increasing command and control capabilities.
- Satellite-enabled Services in Demand:
- Secure communications
- GPS Navigation Applications
- Internet accessibility
- The coast Guard is migrating all enterprise applications to web-based technology, which will require high-speed data communications access, both underway and in seaport.
Andrew Aroh is President of SSPI Nigeria
Telecom
MTN Nigeria Non-Executive Director Mazen Mroue Quits to Focus on Group Role

Mazen Mroue, a non-executive director at MTN Nigeria Communications Plc, has resigned effective February 27, 2026, to prioritise other responsibilities within the MTN Group, the company announced in a Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) filing.

MTN Nigeria
The notice, signed by company secretary Uto Ukpanah, stated: “This is to enable Mr. Mroue to focus on other priorities within MTN Group Limited. The Board wishes to express its appreciation to Mr. Mroue for his immense service to MTN Nigeria and wishes him success in his future endeavours.”
Mroue joined MTN Nigeria’s board on June 1, 2022, bringing over 28 years of telecom experience. A veteran MTN executive, he previously served as CEO of MTN Uganda and MTN Liberia, non-executive director at MTN Cyprus, and held leadership roles at MTN Ghana.
Since February 2022, he has been MTN Group’s Chief Technology and Information Officer, overseeing technology strategy and governance. Earlier, as MTN Nigeria’s COO from August 2018 to January 2022, he also sat on the MTN Nigeria Foundation board.
The exit follows MTN Nigeria’s stellar 2025 results, posting a ₦1.70 trillion profit before tax—reversing a ₦550.3 billion loss in 2024 driven by forex woes—marking one of the telco’s strongest rebounds.
Telecom
Google Adds Yorùbá, Hausa to AI Search, Boosting Access for Millions of Nigerians

Google has rolled out support for Yorùbá and Hausa languages in its AI-powered Search features—AI Overviews and AI Mode—enabling millions of Nigerians to get quick answers, summaries, and conversational web exploration in their mother tongues.

The update forms part of Google’s push to cover 13 African languages, including Afrikaans, Akan, Amharic, Kinyarwanda, Afaan Oromoo, Somali, Sesotho, Kiswahili, Setswana, Wolof, and isiZulu, selected based on high search activity across the continent.
Now, a Kano student can ask complex questions in Hausa, while an Ibadan trader seeks business tips in Yorùbá—both receiving culturally nuanced AI responses via text or voice on Android, iOS, or web.
Taiwo Kola-Ogunlade, Google’s West Africa Communications Manager, said: “Building truly global Search requires nuanced local understanding. With Gemini-powered AI, we’ve made advanced capabilities relevant in Yorùbá and Hausa, so Nigerians converse naturally with Search in their mother tongues.”
To use: Open the Google app, tap AI Mode, and query in Hausa or Yorùbá for personalised guidance—breaking language barriers and making technology reflect Nigeria’s diverse identity.
Telecom
MultiChoice Shuts Down Showmax After 11 Years Amid Streaming Wars

MultiChoice is closing its continental streaming platform Showmax after 11 years, notifying subscribers Thursday of the board’s decision to discontinue the service in the near future to refocus on sustainable digital offerings.

MultiChoice
The email assured no immediate disruption: “You can continue streaming as usual, and no action is required from you at this time.” Showmax, launched in South Africa in 2015 and expanded across Africa, offered movies, series, documentaries, and sports to rival Netflix and others amid rising online entertainment demand.
The shutdown follows Canal+’s approved takeover of MultiChoice last year, with the French giant offering ZAR 125 per share for remaining stakes.
The deal mandates HDP ownership boosts, local content investment, and splitting MultiChoice’s SA broadcasting arm into an independent entity to meet regulations.
MultiChoice prioritised subscribers during the transition, promising advance notice on timelines.
Showmax’s exit signals consolidation pressures in Africa’s cut-throat streaming market, where global players dominate despite local content strengths.
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