Telecom
There Was Nothing Bombastic About MWC 2014 Says Ovum
Overall, there was nothing bombastic about Mobile World Congress 2014, according to Ovum’s analysts.
Ovum provides clients with independent and objective analysis that enables them to make better business and technology decisions.
Its research draws upon over 400,000 interviews a year with business and technology, telecoms and sourcing decision-makers, giving Ovum and the clients unparalleled insight not only into business requirements but also the technology that organisation must support. Ovum is an Informa business.
Based on its analyses of the MWC 2014 and on Industry, Communications, Broadband & Consumer services, Ovum admitted that there was a lot of talk about the content and services that runs on the broadband infrastructure.
However, it said that the Facebook/WhatsApp deal was a reminder of the gradual displacement of telcos from the content market, but there was still a lot of emphasis on service development aimed at propping up telcos’ top lines.
The strength of OTT players in messaging and now voice, challenges not only operators’ revenues, but also their role in the messaging and VoIP ecosystems.
Operators must either partner with OTT players to create more valuable, monetizable products for their customers, or they must be quick to launch their own services that leverage operator strengths such as billing, customer information, and the customer relationship to offer product bundles that help to increase loyalty and reduce churn.
According to Ovum, “the industry praised itself for connecting the world, noting that it contributed $336bn to public funds and supported 10.5 million jobs in 2013. The main call to action was for the industry to invest $1.7tn by 2020 to extend broadband connectivity globally. In the face of pricing and regulatory pressures facing telcos, this is going to be a tall order.
“As the delegates departed there was a sense of quiet satisfaction that the future of the industry is more assured than it seemed in 2013. Concerns still remain and many things could still go wrong, but as the CEO of Tele2 said to the CEO of WhatsApp when the latter announced plans to add voice to WhatsApp: “bring it on.”
Summary of the key themes from events and how Ovum sees this impacting the telecoms industry, also follows that unsurprisingly, Big Data was a key theme, but telcos were sanguine about balancing its use for new revenue opportunities or to improve customer experience with concerns about privacy.
“Orange said it is focusing only on how to use Big Data to improve services for its customers, while Deutsche Telekom called for greater clarity – especially in Europe – on the modalities for using or sharing customer data. Service providers now know (or perhaps they have always known) that to monetize their customers’ data they will need to earn those customers’ ‘Big Trust,’ a trust based on more explicit foundations than have so far existed”.
On network infrastructure, a key topic at MWC 2014 event was centralized RAN (C-RAN). This, Ovum said that, vendors demonstrated advancements in this technology despite the fact that its current market opportunities are limited to fiber-rich markets such as China and South Korea.
“Longer term – five years or more from now – the need for more capacity on the mobile network will push operators to make the fiber investments needed to expand the opportunity for C-RAN.
“5G, as expected, was also a popular topic, but what it will ultimately be remains very much an open question. Vendors are in some agreement that 5G won’t be available until 2020. Right now they are all just showing concepts around the technology, including combining multiple radio streams and higher orders of MIMO to increase throughput. But any notions about 5G are fairly immature at this point.
Ovum also analyses several other topics discussed at the events during MWC 2014, expressing disappointments in key areas.
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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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