Telecom
University of Queensland Wins Ericsson Innovation Awards 2020
Team WakeShare from The University of Queensland, Australia, announced as the winners of the 2020 Ericsson Innovation Awards with novel fuel-efficient shipping solution. Entries from University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, and Stanford University, US, take second- and third place respectively.
Information and communications technology (ICT) solutions, such as the Internet, wireless networks, cell phones, and other communication mediums, have a potential to reduce the global greenhouse gas emissions by up to 15 percent by 2030.
Ahead of a critical decade of sustainability action, the 2020 Ericsson Innovation Awards challenged a new generation of innovators to find solutions to the current climate change crisis with a focus on .
In spite of difficult collaboration conditions created by ongoing pandemic restrictions, this year’s competition produced more than 500 ground-breaking innovations from across the globe which were judged on three main criteria of feasibility, viability and desirability.
A Grand Finale event, which was broadcast live to spectators from around the world, saw all three finalists pitch their innovations to an esteemed board of judges, as well as the delivery of keynote speeches from Nobel Laureate professor Didier Queloz and other esteemed guests.
Team WakeShare from the University of Queensland, Australia, were selected winners of this year’s award and recipients of the EUR 25,000 prize fund, with their solution of software systems to overcome hurdles to platooning in the freight shipping, which enable suppliers to coordinate routes, optimize travel positioning, and reduce overall greenhouse gas emissions in the shipping industry – one of the largest emitters of greenhouse gases.
The other finalists comprise team Elzian Agro from the University of Kelaniya using machine learning technology to build a pest prediction platform to support farmers in adapting to climate change: And the O2C Marketplace team from Stanford University with a solution which uses satellites and AI technology to verify carbon sequestration as a carbon offsetting mechanism.
Börje Ekholm, President and CEO of the Ericsson Group, says “We believe young people are the key drivers of innovation. The 2020 Ericsson Innovation Awards focuses on one of our time’s most pressing issues, climate change. This year, by turning to universities around the world, we wanted to enable young people to help come up with ideas as to how technology and the ICT industry can help combat this major challenge which our generation is facing.”
Heather Johnson, Head of Sustainability & Corporate Responsibility, Ericsson, says: “As we enter the decade of action for the Sustainable Development Goals, the subject of climate action has never been more relevant.
The 2020 Ericsson Innovation Awards challenged some of the best and brightest students who share our passion for innovation to demonstrate how technology can support climate action. While this year has been like no other, this event shows that Ericsson’s commitment to climate action, as well as cultivating innovation and working in partnership with an ecosystem to drive positive change, remains constant.”
Association of Telecommunication Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) on Monday commended the Federal Ministry of Communication, Innovation, and Digital Economy (FMCIDE) for spearheading a new initiative known as ‘Project Bridge’.
Tony Emoekpere, president, ATCON, stated in an interview with NAN in Lagos that the initiative aimed to create a robust and resilient telecommunications backbone across Nigeria.
Emoekpere stated that the project was an ambitious public-private partnership designed to connect all 36 states and Abuja, as well as LGAs, via fiber optic cables.
According to him, the initiative is not meant to replace existing infrastructure but to complement it, creating a more resilient network.
“Right now, most of the networks that we have are linear in nature. ’Just imagine, if there’s only one road from Lagos to Ibadan; if anything happens to that road, you would not get to Ibadan.
‘’This project will create alternative routes,” he said.
The ATCON boss stated that the project was modeled after the successful PPP framework in the energy sector, with the government contributing a certain percentage to the Special Purpose Vehicle and the private sector providing the remaining funding.
He stated that the project’s goal was to establish alternative, redundant connections, thereby ensuring that services remained uninterrupted even if one part of the network was compromised.
The president expressed the full support of telcos, noting that the project would enable members to deliver services more effectively in locations where infrastructure was currently a significant challenge.
“With this project, we will have multiple options,” he said.
Project BRIDGE involves building a nationwide fiber optic network to expand digital infrastructure and connectivity, rather than a physical bridge, as part of Nigeria’s National Broadband Plan.
The project is a public-private partnership ($2 billion cost) using an SPV to deploy 90,000km of fiber-optic cable to enhance education, healthcare, and the digital economy.
MTN Nigeria has successfully completed a scheduled network maintenance operation that affected 101 sites across 15 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Adamawa, Borno, and Kano States.
The restoration marks a significant step in the company’s ongoing efforts to enhance service reliability in the Northeast region, amidst multiple fibre cuts and vandalism.
The maintenance, which took place on Sunday, August 24, involved the cutover of traffic to a newly installed fiber span along the AFCOT–Bawo Village route in Adamawa State.
This upgrade was necessary to replace a previously damaged section of the network infrastructure. All service maintenance was done within timeframe and restorations before 1 PM on Sunday August 24th.
We can confirm that all impacted sites have been fully restored, and services are now operating normally. We appreciate our subscribers’ patience and sincerely apologize for any inconvenience caused during the downtime.
The affected services included 2G, 3G, 4G, and enterprise connectivity, with temporary disruptions experienced in LGAs such as Girei, Song, Mubi North, Hong, and Michika in Adamawa; Askira/Uba and Shani in Borno; and Nasarawa in Kano.
The work was scheduled during daylight hours to ensure the safety of field engineers, given the linear and unprotected nature of the route.
This restoration is part of MTN’s broader strategy to strengthen its infrastructure in underserved regions and ensure consistent service delivery across Nigeria, amidst constant fibre cuts and vandalism.
TikTok has launched its music insights platform, TikTok for Artists, in Nigeria to support artist growth and fan engagement across the country’s vibrant music industry.
The platform, which debuted globally earlier this year, provides artists, labels, and management teams with access to daily-updated dashboards and analytics tools to track music performance, audience demographics, and fan interactions.
Toyin Mustapha, Head of Music Partnerships for the UK, Ireland, and Sub-Saharan Africa at TikTok, said the initiative was part of the company’s commitment to empowering African creators.
“With the launch of TikTok for Artists in Nigeria, we’re giving artists and their teams access to insights that can help them engage their fans in more meaningful ways and grow their careers globally,” Mustapha said.
The platform offers detailed song performance metrics, including views, posts, and creator engagements per track. It also provides granular post-level data such as likes, comments, shares, and completion rates, alongside demographic breakdowns by gender, age, and language.
In addition to analytics, TikTok for Artists includes educational resources and step-by-step guides to help artists build sustainable careers.
A key feature of the platform is the Pre-Release tool, which allows artists to launch campaigns for upcoming albums and enables fans to pre-save tracks on streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Music.
British artist Jordan Adetunji described the platform as a “game changer,” noting its value in helping artists and their teams plan effective campaigns.
TikTok said the rollout reaffirms its investment in Africa’s creative economy and aims to foster deeper connections between artists and fans across the continent.
The platform is now available to all certified TikTok Artist Accounts, with access also extendable to managers and label teams.
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