Category: 2018 Daily Highlights Day 1

During the meeting, the three Working Groups of the Initiative presented the results of the work in the areas of advocacy, access and affordability, and partnerships.  The results form the basis of the 2018 report of the m-Powering Development Initiative Advisory Board, which will be launched tomorrow.

During the meeting  H.E. Mr Ibrahima Guimba Saidou, Minister Special Advisor to the President of the Republic of Niger, presented Niger 2.0 – the country’s digital transformation plan with a special focus on the Smart Village. The Minister highlighted the synergies between Niger 2.0 and the work of the m-Powering Development Initiative.

From 5G-powered soccer, video streaming or driverless cars to cost-effective rural connectivity and more, ITU Telecom World 2018 highlighted the innovative technologies and solutions being deployed across the region. Top names on the showfloor included MTN, Liquid Telecom, Telkom and Vodacom.

Delegates were invited to demo their soccer skills, pitching themselves against MTN’s 4G and- as an ultimate challenge, 5G –powered goalies to score goals. Other areas to explore included HD video streaming and VR Education, all powered by 5G, plus the opportunity to look into the future of autonomous vehicles with a 5G driverless car showcase.

Also on show were ultra-rural mobile communications, base stations providing solar connectivity over a 60km radius. This innovative technology has been deployed in locations in South Africa and Nigeria with further rollout planned for 2019. Delegates could discover MTN’s IoT based innovations, covering areas as diverse as mine management- using IoT sensors to monitor conditions inside mines, with the opportunity to take a VR look inside the mine –  IoT brooms and secure health applications.

Integrated communications provider Telkom invited visitors to a welcoming stand, built out over two levels, to explore their work, including more on its redesigned wholesale division, Openserve, infrastructure provider to most corporates, businesses and government.

The future is exciting. Ready? visitors to Vodacom’s stand were asked, before stepping into an immersive VR exhibit space to embark upon a journey through an underwater world and into a smart city and hospital, with the opportunity to explore solutions in the areas of citizen engagement, the connected farmer and SmartGov.

Also on show was independent data, voice and IP provider Liquid Telecom, where delegates could explore the reach of the company’s extensive open access single-fibre network.

Does 5G offer Africa a critical opportunity to fast-track development – and if so, how viable is 5G deployment across the continent?

The response of Abdoulkarim Soumaila, Secretary General, Africa Telecommunications Union, in his keynote address was simply: why not? Nothing should be reserved for one section of society or one country, anyone can implement technology and enjoy its benefits – and development has no limits.

There are many differences in connectivity between and within African cultures, and there is a great fear that 5G will increase the gap between the more advanced and the less developed. But for Soumaila, the key is to make the industry take the time to provide what African end users want – and at affordable prices.

“The question is how to use these technologies in application for development. We have to show the end of the application, not the technology of whatever generation it may be,” he said. For governments and policy makers, the point of 5G networks is not so much the technology itself, but its application in terms of innovative concrete use cases – be this tackling malaria, reducing the cost of transport or increasing commercial opportunities for local fishermen.

The panel of experts from government, regulators and different industry sectors agreed that there was no reason 5G should not flourish in Africa, given the right applications and business models.

The consensus was clear: partnerships are essential to the success of 5G, and not just public private funding mechanisms. It’s also critical to look at intersectoral alliances, acknowledging the complimentary role of different technologies in different scenarios; and smart partnerships in local contexts, such as infrastructure sharing between operators or even different utilities, or tax incentives for private buildings to open up space for small cell stations.

What’s important, the panel stressed, is to move beyond current models. “If we continue to use policies created for original technologies on wireline,” said Donna Bethea Murpy, “if we use them in the future in all technologies, then it will be hard to reach 5G.” Collaboration between different technologies, looking at the actual needs of each individual country and a holistic approach are the critical to avoid deepening the digital divide, she continued.

For Ravi Suchak, VP; Public Affairs – EMEA, American Tower Corporation, 5G is more than just another generation of mobile technology. It will drive the fourth industrial revolution and have a profound, at times as yet unknown, impact on us all. The new capacities of 5G –including access to big data sets, capacity, reliability, latency and speed – “will fundamentally transform societies and industries.”

Countering the argument that 5G deployment is premature in Africa given the continent’s arguably more pressing needs for access to water, healthcare, electricity and education, amongst others, Suchak pointed out that such needs are the very reason why we need connectivity – and 5G in particular – in Africa “to provide a platform for basic human needs, uplifting economies and spurring innovation.” And across the African continent, “the lack of legacy infrastructure, large youth demographic and social and economic aspects create the environment for radical innovative solutions ripe for 5G.”

Suchak conceded that the change would not be easy, or overnight, calling for significant research and development, resources and investment. In Africa, where the paucity of core infrastructure shaves 2% off average capital growth rates, decades of minimal investment in networks make 5G deployment challenging in an environment where power outages can be regular. The key, according to Suchak, is to apply best practice to establish a good corporate environment in which to create ground fertile for innovation. This should involve, he said, measures such as “being open to smart partnerships and new investment in infrastructure in a collaborative approach”; implementing a flexible regulatory regime to encourage innovation and experimentation; demanding more as a government from infrastructure providers, looking for those willing to go beyond the easy pickings of the relatively wealthy urban areas; and leapfrogging policy decisions and tech to draw on pioneering innovations. After all, “the right enabling policy framework is critical for 5G as well as aligning cross sector on core aspects of standard tech.”

Marc Vancoppenolle, Global Head of Nokia Government Relations, Nokia Solutions and Networks, stressed the importance of defining the right use cases for 5G, given that the combination of increased bandwidth, reduced latency and speed will bring a multitude of new applications to market rather than just one killer app. He was positive on 5G in Africa, reminding the audience that “for emerging markets it is important to understand that with 5G, the total cost of ownership of the network is far lower than with previous technologies, so it makes sense for many operators to move there”  – and then benefit from the new apps that will be available.

It is vital to make sure there is a “5G-ready policy framework” including areas such as spectrum, rules for faster networks, simplification of small cells and business models which allow monetization through the free flow of data or differentiation of traffic. The networks enabling smart agriculture, smart cities, smart education and health will be far cheaper in terms of cost per byte and efficiency.

Mr Peter Zimri, Councillor, Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) pointed out that it was important for governments, policy makers and regulatory, to take the lead and not leave it to industry, not to “sit back and wait for 5G to be on board, but use evidence-based policy making and regulatory frameworks” including harmonization of band plans, deployment of core networks and equipment, rights of way and land, type approvals and standards.

5G is for everyone, not just for developing countries – it is happening now, it promises huge benefits, and if you don’t take part, you will be left behind. After all, as session moderator Mario Maniewicz, Deputy Director, Radiocommunication Bureau, ITU, reminded the panel, “The real objective is bridging the digital divide.”

Speakers

Ms. Donna Bethea Murphy, Senior Vice President of Global Regulatory Policy and Development, Inmarsat Plc.
Mr. Abdoulkarim Soumaila, Secretary-General, African Telecommunications Union
Mr. Ravi Suchak, VP, Public Affairs – EMEA, American Tower Corporation
Mr. Marc Vancoppenolle, Global Head of Nokia Government Relations, Nokia Solutions & Networks Belgium NV
Mr. Peter Zimri, Councillor, Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA)

New technology certainly has the potential to make our lives easier, but also brings with it greater risks and challenges, moderator Siki Mgabadeli of e-news channel Africa told delegates at the Forum Summit on Beyond Connectivity. “We need to manage the challenge and ensure there are no risks in future.” It was these risks and opportunities that were the focus of the high-level panel, which spanned government and industry, giving viewpoints from across the world.

For South Africa’s Communications Minister H.E. Nomvula Paula Mokonyane , these “risks” can be grouped into two areas; firstly the uncontrolled movement of vast quantities of information flowing, which can easily get distorted or used for exploitative purposes such as cyberbullying. The second is a lack of “skills to produce, to contribute towards a quality content, and the passing on of skills for the generation to come.” Cooperation and partnership with different stakeholders is crucial to mitigating these risks, from the police or educational establishments locally and nationally up to international Forums such as ITU Telecom World

Providing an industry perspective, Telkom SA’s Chief Investment Officer, Deon Fredericks didn’t doubt the need to embrace new technology but for him key question is how. “We need to get a South African answer to the question, to see what solution best fits local needs, then start to address the needs of regulators, the industry and governments, striking a balance with a need to make money to reinvest.” He explained.

Within the European Union, however, a key factor-perhaps a risk as well as an opportunity- is personal data, particularly in the light of recent GDPR changes, which underline the importance that Europe gives to personal data, particularly in an era where social media dominates. “It is very important that GDPR brings the right to protect personal data at a very high level.” Explained Konstantinos Masselos, President of the Hellenic Telecommunications & Post Commission (EETT). It needs to be “within the fundamental rights as European citizens.” How can regulation balance the need for flexibility to help innovation flourish, with protecting citizens on the other? Asked Mgabadeli. Finding a good balance between regulation and innovation is tricky explained Masselos, and more could be done in innovation terms for personal data protection than simply following GDPR rules. Regulation needs to help enable innovation.

How can we put the right things- devices, technologies- into the hands of our consumers, to make sure they can reap the benefits of technology, asked Mgabadeli.  A good enabling environment is needed, according to Huawei’s Jianjun (Joe Deng) Zhou, Vice President of Carrier Business BG (Emerging Market VP) to enable investment plus cooperation with partners is crucial. “To move beyond connectivity we must have innovation. Information, solutions and applications all form one team, especially in emerging markets,” he explained. Although African regional markets are expert leapfroggers in tech terms, the technology used must suit local markets. “The best technology is a suitable technology” explained Zhou.

So what does technology promise for the future, and should we be concerned? Technology isn’t innately good or bad, explained Jacques Bughin, Director and Senior Partner at MGI, Co-author of ITU’s research on Economic Impact of AI, McKinsey & Company, it just depends how we use it. Beyond connectivity we need “killer applications,” and we don’t yet know what these will be. Plus, even with the promise of all that technology can bring, there will still be an underlying inequality between haves and have nots. “The nature is that some companies, countries will be faster, more innovative than the rest.” Said Bughin. Quizzed on the subject of AI, and its potential to take over jobs, he explained that although this could mean that some repetitive tasks will be robotized, we need  to ensure how the productivity we gain can be redistributed and used well. It boils down to how we are an ecosystem of skills, regulation and innovation, and in transition terms, how do we rebuild a new ecosystem in the light of technology advances

Video will be the key driver for the next generation, according to Andile Ngcaba, Founder, Convergence Partners, which is why today’s infrastructure is being built. Nevertheless, key questions to be addressed included “How as a continent we advance development to address SDGS, and tackle what is critical to us, moving beyond connectivity.” A key debate for him today is also centred around the ethics of algorithms, and how these can be designed in a particular way to be, for example racist or sexist.

Key challenges of moving beyond connectivity

Summarising their key challenges of moving beyond connectivity Ngcaba spoke of the need for prepare for a “new collar job” – the job of the future- and that children needed to learn maths and coding to help prepare.

In what he termed might be a “political” statement- and which earned him a round of applause- Bughin pointed out that creativity is traditionally thought of as the ability of women, more than men, but it will be creativity that will be needed for the job of the future, so will women lead in these type of jobs in future?

Reminding delegates of the billion households that remain unconnected, Huawei’s Zhou cited the need for good innovations and a well-educated, talented workforce as key cornerstones to help achieve this. In terms of educational advancement, Huawei has a programme for collaboration with local universities and the setting up of innovation centres.

One way of moving to the future in regulatory terms will be the concept of “collaborative regulation” according to Masselos. As we move beyond connectivity it will become harder to solve key challenges “if only regulators” are involved. A multi stakeholder approach will be increasingly needed.

A clear policy is needed, according to Fredericks in terms of rural/urban cost balancing. This may necessitate turning current models- where rural subscribers could pay more than urban ones- on their heads. Echoing Ngcaba, he also voiced the need to look to creation and awareness of jobs of the future.

Wrapping up the session, Minister Mokonyane called for a “Human face on connectivity” with a focus on 3 key areas, which should be at forefront of technology in future; women and young people, as well as the development of a “global citizen,” with international understanding of the challenges to be faced in future.

Speakers:

H.E. Nomvula Paula Mokonyane, Communications Minister, South Africa
Deon Fredericks, Chief Investment Officer, Telkom SA
Konstantinos Masselos, President of the Hellenic Telecommunications & Post Commission (EETT)
Andile Ngcaba, Founder, Convergence Partners
Jacques Bughin, Director and Senior Partner at MGI, Co-author of ITU’s research on Economic Impact of AI, McKinsey & Company
Jianjun ( Joe Deng ) Zhou, Vice President of Carrier Business BG, (Emerging Market VP), Huawei

Welcome Botswana, Mali and Eswatini to ITU Telecom World 2018! Joining the global tech event for governments, corporates and SMEs for the first time, these countries shared their SME innovations, strategies, policies and opportunities with the international audience at the event.

With a mobile penetration rate of 153%, Botswana has one of the highest mobile penetration rates in Africa.  The country ranks No.5 in Sub-Saharan Africa (according to ITU’s 2017 ICT Development Index). Visitors to the pavilion were able to explore the work of regulator BOCA, and discover more key ICT information for Botswana. Botswana Innovation Hub is the national innovation agency for Botswana, supporting and promoting innovation, tech entrepreneurship and ecosystem development. BoFiNet is a wholesale provider of national and international telecommunication infrastructure, custodian of a local network of almost 9,000km of optic fibre that covers a vast landscape of the country. Intellegere Holdings provides solutions in areas such as data management, information security, innovation research, information assurance, security engineering, and IT training, as well as the BW Lingos – an innovative app to help understand other indigenous languages. Developing profitable ICT solutions relevant to the African market is the focus of Brastorne Enterprises- motto Connecting the Unconnected-, and its portfolio includes services such as mobile money, mhealth and mobile agriculture (mAgri), all of which help serve the needs of youth, women and underserved populations.

Mali showcased some of its cutting edge SMEs, the activities of regulator AMRTP and the Ministry of digital economy and communication, as it prepares and implements the national policy in the fields of information technology, postal, information and communications.

Delegates were able to discover the diverse opportunities within the Kingdom of Eswatini’s Royal Science and Technology Park. Established in 2012, the Park combines innovation park, national data centre, business incubator and biotechnology park- a multi-purpose platform for R&D in bio-related technologies, production marketing and trading. With its diverse activities the park is also a great way to tap into a body of ICT professionals, who are keen to meet and exchange knowledge with potential partners from around the world.

“We need to have innovative ideas in new technologies, but also ways in which to invest our limited resources,” noted ITU Secretary-General Houlin Zhao in his keynote address to the first plenary forum session at ITU Telecom World 2018, ably moderated by Damon Embling of Euronews.  “Inclusiveness is very important – we must not leave anyone behind.”

Taking up the challenge in his opening remarks, Mr Cesar Alierta Izuel, Executive Chairman, ProFuturo Foundation, highlighted the importance of one single element: digital literacy. In the digital era, where the potential growth of the world economy in the period from 1995 to 2030 is four times greater than during the industrial revolution in the nineteenth century, digital technologies are affecting every aspect of life and opening up tremendous opportunities. “Innovation is key.” he said, “In today’s digital world, the capacity for innovation is spectacular. The key to progress has always been education, and now more than ever we need to change the whole system, make it digital.”

Reminding us that some 65% of today’s schoolchildren around the world will work in professions within the digital landscape which do not yet exist today, he stressed how critical it is to equip children with digital skills in preparation. Algorithms are the key to analysing big data on a scale unprecedented in human history, and will enable us to solve problems in all areas of human activity, from health to logistics to sanitation, transport and employment.

He stressed that educating the children of the world as digital citizens did not have to be expensive – and that digital education is particularly important for women, providing new opportunities to move beyond discrimination. “We need women. And we need collaboration,” he said.

This was a theme echoed by H. E. Dr. Siyabonga Cyprian Cwele, Minister of Telecommunications and Postal Services, South Africa.. “It is tough to connect the unconnected if we are working alone – but we are not alone,” he said, emphasising the need for partnerships between government and global companies to find innovative ways of deploying connectivity.

Finding local use cases relevant to local contexts is crucial, developing compelling local content in local languages. Innovation and development go hand in hand, and are not limited by geography; creativity is not the reserve of Silicon Valley or any other single part of the world, noted Alierta.

Dr Amani Abou Zeid, commissioner for infrastructure and energy, African Union, highlighted the link between physical communications infrastructure and energy as a major issue throughout the African continent. Quoting the President of South Africa’s Opening Ceremony speech on Africa as the next big thing, she noted the rush to invest in the huge potential of the continent, welcoming not just foreign partners but the African private sector.

“Africa is a vast space with concentrations of population differing strongly from one region to the other, so cables and fibre optics can be difficult,” she said, calling for a hybrid approach to connectivity through drones, balloons, satellite and a mix of technologies to link those in rural areas. She also highlighted the need for tariffs and pricing in rural areas to be addressed urgently in order to close the gap in both internet penetration and usage.

We are leapfrogging to the future, and there is no going back, but harmonization across the continent is critical: “We cannot ask investors to come and have different regulation and policies over 55 counties, so in order to create economy of scale and attractive packages we have to have harmony in policies and regulations,” she stated.

Harmonization has an equally important role to play in cybersecurity, data protection and providing secure online spaces for our children, she added

Ms Elisabeth Medou Badang, CEO, SVP African & Indian Ocean, spokesperson for Middle East and Africa, Orange pointed out that the private sector also has a critical role to play in supporting start-ups and entrepreneurs, the driving force behind the digital ecosystem. It is the SMEs and local developers who are, after all, largely responsible for the local content and applications that will increase digital take-up in Africa and beyond.

“African problems need African solutions,” concurred Mr Rob Shuter, Group President and CEO, MTN Group, noting that rolling out national data networks in Europe, where countries are small, populations dense and basic national infrastructure is in place, is very much easier than in Africa, with its diverse markets and challenging geographies.

He pointed out that solar-powered base stations might well be nice-to-have sustainable options in Europe, but here in Africa they are critical: “We will not get large scale development in developing markets unless we take charge of our own destiny,” he said, mixing selected elements of what works elsewhere with Africa-specific, innovative new elements.

Regional and international collaboration and harmonization, digital education, and local applications, the panel agreed, are critical to connecting everyone. And it should start with governments, urged Minister Cwele, from training young people to be at the forefront of innovation, to increasing innovation budgets, and using the huge amount of data in government hands to drive data analytics and monetization. “Data for the digital economy is always local, and if we start with local companies to exploit the data, we will be able to move as a nation and continent together to exploit the digital economy so that people can benefit from it.”

Innovative e-health solutions resetting the relationship between doctor and patient and empowering the individual with information and access as never before. Applications, products and services providing local solutions to key local issues – but with the power to go global. Plus the chance to be shocked, pleasantly or otherwise, by the results of measuring your metabolic age in just two minutes on the showfloor. E-healthcare has arrived at ITU Telecom World 2018!

Health is a universal issue, a fact reflected in the international origins of the SMEs and solutions on show, linked by the common theme of using technology to improve healthcare delivery on the ground. South Africa’s WatIF has a range of applications addressing central healthcare challenges in Sub-Saharan Africa, aimed at cascading specialist medical knowledge, traditionally the domain of distant doctors, to the level of community health workers. Products include a health portal for the under-fives, a portfolio of tools supporting clinical decisions, and portable personal interactive electronic health record apps.

Based in Egypt, Pulse is a unique remote monitoring system and smart analysis module, providing care in ambulances, rural areas and at home, as well as enabling second opinions from across the nation or internationally. Remote diagnosis is also the central feature of Mali’s s Doctix, a medical appointment platform connecting doctors and patients and bringing healthcare to the edge of the network; and of South Korea’s iKoob Clinic, a digital patient education platform freely available to help doctors in places where medical infrastructure is lacking or inaccessible due to distance or cost.

Further e-health highlights include iMoSyS, a Malawian trailblazer in IoT solutions focusing on improving community TB care interventions; Ihurio, a game-changing web and app from Burundi offering baseline information, mentorship and knowledge-sharing on sexual health for young people; Austics, who have developed South Africa’s first quality innovative stethoscope adapted for African health care works, and Talamus, a US-based delivery platform offering the future of healthcare in the palm of your hand.

Abby is a self-service health kiosk providing twelve key measurements in two minutes, with the vision of setting up free vital health checks at convenient locations worldwide. And for anyone still unconvinced of the benefits of using digital technology innovatively in health and medicine, two young practicing doctors from South Africa’s public sector were on hand at Young MD to explain their mission to transform healthcare nationally.

​ITU Telecom World 2018 officially opened for business today in Durban, South Africa with a dynamic Opening Ceremony in the presence of (in order of speaking): H.E. Nomvula Paula Mokonyane, Minister of Communications, South Africa; Acting Premier of KwaZulu Natal, Sihle Zikalala; H.E. Abdulaziz Bin Salem Al Ruwais, Governor, Communications and Information Technology Commission (CITC), Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; Rob Shuter, Group President and CEO, MTN; ITU Secretary General, Houlin Zhao; H.E Siyabonga Cyprian Cwele, Minister of Telecommunications and Postal Services, South Africa; and South Africa President Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa, who delivered the keynote address.

Welcoming delegates to the province of KwaZulu-Natal, Zikalala spoke about the importance of new technologies saying, “The digital age is shaping every facet of our life. It affects how we live, how we relate to each other and how the world functions as global village.”

Hosting the event will result in a number of legacy projects, he told delegates, creating a platform to coordinate policy development and strengthen the continent’s digital entrepreneurship ecosystem.

Thanking the government of South Africa for hosting the event, Al Ruwais told delegates the event provides a global platform from which to push forward innovation in information and communication technology (ICT), “linking small and medium enterprises to governments and the private sector to achieve greater benefits for the peoples of the world.” He also outlined plans for Saudi Arabia’s multi-billion dollar Neom Smart City project.

Shuter highlighted the importance of affordability and partnerships to connect the unconnected saying, “We cannot tackle the challenge of bridging the digital divide without addressing barriers around coverage, affordability and access of handsets and services, and education of our users. This endeavour is too complex to be addressed solely by governments or just the operators or civil society. This needs to be a shared goal. We must all work together for connectivity.”

“ITU Telecom World 2018 is a platform for everyone to forge new ICT partnerships,” Zhao reminded delegates, urging them to “work together to ensure a smart and inclusive digital future for all – in Africa and in the rest of the world.”

“ITU Telecom World provides a guide and in some ways a compass to the future,” Ramaphosa told a packed auditorium. “The deliberations that take place here concern the economy and society of tomorrow that we are building today. What you are talking about here has a bearing on the future of our economies as well as the wellbeing of society and humanity.”

He also highlighted the three ‘pillars’ that would drive technological advancements: women, small and medium size enterprises (SMEs) and youth. The Fourth Industrial Revolution must be supported by these key pillars, or “it will fail” he stressed.

The event was then officially declared open.

The directors of the three ITU sectors launched the “Setting the Scene for 5G: Opportunities & Challenges” report at the start of the session on Leapfrogging to 5G?

This report highlights 16 key issues and responses for policy-makers to consider as they formulate strategies to stimulate investment in 5G networks. Together they represent a powerful means of developing an overall approach across major aspects of migration and, where appropriate, embarking on a carefully facilitated, accelerated transition to 5G. It is further designed to help policy-makers, regulators and operators work together effectively, both to benefit from the many opportunities that this new technology represents and to meet the challenges it entails.

The report is available at https://www.itu.int/en/ITU-D/Documents/ITU_5G_REPORT-2018.pdf