Latest news with #GSMA
Zawya
13 hours ago
- Business
- Zawya
Digital dynamism in the finance sector, moving at the right speed and the right economics
In today's rapidly evolving digital age, customers are increasingly dynamic – their demands shifting and driving exponential change in how products and services are used. Our challenge as financial service institutions, both traditional and new age, is effectively grappling with the need to consistently update and refresh digital platforms, products and services, while maintaining gold standard digital customer experiences – all at the right economics. The benchmark for user expectations isn't limited to peers in banking or fintech – it extends to leading global digital platforms like Meta, Crypto providers, and other intuitive, high-performing technologies, such as Streamers, music, and video. Constant disruption has become the hallmark of digital transformation in banking, widening not only access and inclusion but also reach. And according to the latest African Digital Banking Transformation Report, the potential for growth in digital banking services in Africa only stands to grow even further. The African technology landscape is continually evolving, and the ongoing digital revolution that incorporates the majority of the continent's 1.5 billion people their specific needs is fully underway. Consumers are increasingly digitally savvy and mobile-led across the continent, with 763 million registered mobile money accounts operating in Africa, according to 2022 data from the Global System for Mobile Communications Association (GSMA). Absa's own digital adoption rates among customers reflect that, with digital activity rates reaching 80% in some of our leading markets. Today's African consumers demand speed, convenience, and user-friendly digital experiences, whether they're interacting with their bank, an insurance platform, or a tech company. This has raised the bar significantly for financial institutions striving to deliver gold-standard digital interactions, while managing costs and operational efficiency. The Dual Imperative: Experience and Economics One of the central challenges for banks and financial service providers is balancing exceptional digital customer experiences with sustainable economics. Delivering a top-tier digital experience requires significant investment in technology, but it also demands a focus on cost-efficiency to ensure profitability. Many institutions, including Absa, are undertaking a comprehensive digital channel overhaul – a complete ground-up rebuild designed to incorporate cutting-edge digital capabilities, and improved economics by accelerating time-to-market digital products. As the African digital landscape continues to evolve, maintaining relevance isn't just about competing with other banks – it's about standing shoulder to shoulder with the best digital businesses globally. To achieve this, financial services providers must embrace innovation at the intersection of experience and efficiency. This need to innovate is embodied in the rise of Neobanks, where a continuous digital focus has seen challenger banks continue to seize popularity among consumers. The recent Brand Finance Journal Study, The Banking 500 2025, showed that digital-first institutions were consistently moving up the ranks. While African banking brands saw 22% growth in the past year, none made the Top 100, but those focusing on digital solutions and inclusive finance were punching well above their weight on the Banking 500 index. Super Apps: The Future of Customer-Centric Ecosystems But what is the nexus between digital innovation and inclusive finance? Platforms that are both accessible and offer entirely different takes on existing services or are providing new offerings entirely. In recent years, we've witnessed ongoing discourse around the 'Super App', apps that integrate all banking and service functions (like insurance, investments, and digital storefronts) onto a single platform, which many claim are revolutionising the banking sector. They provide the versatility customers need, but when developed correctly, offer highly personalised experiences that are tailored to a specific user. Unlike traditional banking apps, which focus solely on financial transactions, super apps cater to broader lifestyle needs. They enable users to access services such as booking flights, purchasing groceries, or arranging entertainment, all within a single interface. However, if they are not user-friendly, or are prone to service disruptions, they can completely destroy trust with their associated brand – which is why investing in such platforms must be done with the utmost care, and the right developer partners. But when these apps are done right, such as the Safaricom's M-PESA digital payment platform, which allows other businesses to embed their own apps inside it, they can utterly dominate in a given market. Developing New Digital Ecosystems in Financial Services Absa's own work with Safaricom originated from our goal of delivering exceptional customer experiences. In Kenya, we've pioneered embedded finance solutions to enable customers to seamlessly access Absa financial products, such as credit, directly through their Safaricom interface. By integrating our offerings into an ecosystem that customers already trust and use daily, we create a frictionless user experience, embodying the principles of embedded finance. In Mauritius, we have also established a robust open banking framework that facilitates integration with third-party platforms. This digital marketplace empowers external platforms to offer their products to our customers, while simultaneously enabling us to expose financial services to broader audiences. The result is a dynamic ecosystem – a digital marketplace tailored to the needs of modern consumers, blending both financial and non-financial services. Beyond ourselves, we recognise that for all financial services providers, enhancing traditional channels – such as mobile apps, web platforms, and USSD services – will remain essential, but the next frontier lies in meeting customers where they are. Today's challenge is persuading users entrenched in familiar ecosystems, such as social media, to engage with new digital platforms. Asking customers to navigate governance, security, and compliance hurdles within traditional ecosystems often results in friction and drop-offs. For the 80 million unbanked adults in sub-Saharan Africa, those craving inclusion in economies and trading ecosystems, it is essential that we reduce these barriers. If we continue to use digital innovation to make account creation, payments, and investments easier, we can reduce poverty, empower our entrepreneurs, and close the economic gaps across the continent.
Forbes
a day ago
- Business
- Forbes
Not Just Online, In Control: Why Women's Digital Agency Matters
By Lauren Hendricks, President & CEO, Trickle Up In the race to close the digital divide, the conversation has long been centered around access: who has a device, and who can get online? But as we step deeper into the digital age, it's time we asked a more urgent and transformative question: who controls their digital experience? An economic inclusion coach teaches a woman in rural India how to use a smartphone for her business. While digital inclusion refers to access (using a device, using the internet, and connecting to a network), digital agency takes it one step further. Digital agency is about control, choice, and empowerment: the ability to decide how, when, and why digital tools are used. But for millions of women around the world, digital agency remains elusive. The Digital Divide Runs Deep Globally, 2.6 billion people remain offline, with women disproportionately affected. Women are 23% less likely than men to use the internet, and in regions like South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, the gap is even wider—32% and 29%, respectively, according to GSMA's Mobile Gender Gap Report 2025. This isn't just a question of technology; it's a question of power. Pushpanjali Baccha teaches her neighbor how to use an app to help her business thrive. In low- and middle-income countries, 63% of women use mobile internet compared to 74% of men, leaving 235 million fewer women connected than men. Smartphone ownership mirrors this disparity: 61% of women own smartphones versus 71% of men, a gap that translates to 230 million women without smartphones. These statistics represent more than numbers; they reflect lost opportunities. Why Digital Access Alone Isn't Enough Even when women own devices, they may lack true autonomy. Many access the internet only on devices controlled by someone else: a husband, a father, or a shopkeeper. In Pakistan, 35% of female mobile internet users don't possess their own internet-enabled phones, compared to just 6% of men. This dependence curtails privacy, limits use, and reinforces existing gender norms. Two participants of an economic inclusion program use digital apps to build their businesses. In my work with women in Uganda, I realized that agency for them also meant being able to use digital tools for purposes they chose. I saw too many digital training programs that taught women to perform specific tasks (like sending mobile payments) that served someone else's goals. And I kept asking myself: are we equipping them to do what they want? To seek out new markets? To read up on their rights? Again and again, I watched women use their phones to seek information on sexual and reproductive health—resources that were rarely available offline or accessed safely and privately. Real digital agency means giving women the ability to explore what matters to them. The women in these communities are isolated, often staying within the bounds of their villages and disconnected from global conversations. With such limited access to outside information, a phone and internet access means access to an entirely new world. The Cost of Exclusion When women are excluded from digital spaces, the ripple effects are enormous. They miss out on critical information to improve their health, education, and livelihoods. They're cut off from community groups, online markets, and learning opportunities. And perhaps most damaging, they are denied the tools to shape their own future. Business owners in rural India use Google Pay to receive payments for goods and services. As research by Philip Roessler and others has shown, access to mobile phones can reduce poverty and increase women's bargaining power within households, shifting long-entrenched gender dynamics. But that's only if women truly control the tool. From Digital Inclusion to Digital Agency To close the digital gender divide, we must stop thinking of access as the finish line, and instead strive for agency. We must invest not just in hardware and data packages, but in skills, confidence, and social change. That means challenging the norms that view a girl with a phone as promiscuous, or punishing a woman for using a device her husband doesn't approve of. It is essential to ensure privacy, safety, and access to information that can change lives. Digital agency is the key to unlocking the full potential of the world's women. It's how we transform connectivity into an active catalyst for equality, giving every woman the power to decide her digital path and the freedom to walk it.
Android Authority
3 days ago
- Android Authority
Pixels lack this key calling feature in many markets, but there is a possible solution
Ryan Haines / Android Authority TL;DR The GSMA has told Android Authority it could work with Google to broadly enable VoLTE around the world. Google Pixel phones lack VoLTE support in most markets where Pixels aren't sold. This news comes months after Samsung and the GSMA announced a plan to enable VoLTE by default on Galaxy phones. Samsung and the GSMA announced a plan earlier this year to broadly enable VoLTE tech by default on Galaxy phones in many markets. This is a big deal as 3G networks are shutting down in many markets, and conventional phone calls rely on 3G or insecure 2G connections. So VoLTE will allow people to keep making calls when these networks are shuttered. This announcement is pretty interesting because Google Pixel phones lack VoLTE in most countries around the world. In fact, Google generally restricts VoLTE on Pixels to markets where the phones are sold. That means Pixel owners in unsupported markets will either have to rely on insecure 2G networks or go without phone calls when 3G networks eventually shut down in their country. This could also be a major inconvenience if you're traveling from the US or Europe to these unsupported markets. It would also be a pain if you're importing your Pixel to an unsupported locale. Could Pixels be next for wide VoLTE support? That got me wondering whether another smartphone brand, like Google, could follow Samsung and team up with the GSMA to broadly enable VoLTE. 'Yes, our GSMA Industry Services team can provide these services to all device manufacturers,' GSMA representative Dan Thomas told Android Authority in response to an emailed query. So, in theory, could Google, in particular, enable VoLTE in unsupported countries by working with the GSMA? And would the Pixel maker still need to work with carriers in these unsupported markets? I put these follow-up questions to Thomas: That's correct. We run (the) Network Settings Exchange , so that mobile network operators can upload their settings for VoLTE and so on. This means that device manufacturers can then come to one place to access the settings and provision on devices… rather than having to have conversations and do this with hundreds of mobile operators around the world. The GSMA representative said this would allow Google to have an 'open device' that allows VoLTE on any network. Thomas added that the Pixel maker could enable VoLTE and other associated settings via the Network Settings Exchange, a GSMA-recommended profile, or the OEM's own default settings. For what it's worth, Samsung and the GSMA said earlier this year that Galaxy phones would get VoLTE by defaulting to the GSMA Profile #4 or #6 if a carrier didn't upload its settings to the Network Settings Exchange. We asked Google about the possibility of teaming up with the GSMA to broadly enable VoLTE on Pixels. The company confirmed receipt of the query but hasn't issued a response at the time of publication. Either way, widespread VoLTE support would be a huge deal for Pixel owners who are traveling, and for people who imported their Pixels. Got a tip? Talk to us! Email our staff at Email our staff at news@ . You can stay anonymous or get credit for the info, it's your choice.
Mid East Info
5 days ago
- Business
- Mid East Info
Huawei and Partners Win Industry Awards at MWC Shanghai 2025 - Middle East Business News and Information
Awards recognize breakthroughs in AI Core Network and New Calling technology, showcasing the industry's rapid evolution toward intelligent connectivity Shanghai, China, June , 2025 – Huawei and its industry partners secured five prestigious awards at MWC Shanghai 2025 in recognition of their AI-powered telecommunications innovation. The accolades encompass breakthroughs in AI Core Network and New Calling technology, showcasing the industry's rapid evolution toward intelligent connectivity. MWC Shanghai 2025, held from June 18 to June 20 in Shanghai, China, brought together industry leaders to discuss the future of connectivity. Under the theme, 'Accelerating the Intelligent World,' Huawei showcased its latest innovations in 5G-A monetization, AI-to-X applications, and intelligent network operations. China Mobile and Huawei Receive Best AI Innovation in Asia Award China Mobile and Huawei received GSMA's Best AI Innovation in Asia Award for their AI Core Network solution. The award recognizes their work in integrating AI capabilities into core network infrastructure. The convergence of 5G-A and AI technology is creating new opportunities for connecting people, homes, and industries. This drives the need for core networks to expand connectivity capabilities and serve individuals, families, enterprises, and AI agents. China Mobile and Huawei have taken the lead in introducing AI to the core network, accommodating intelligent applications with intelligent networks. The AI Core Network develops in two phases: Phase 1: Building a 5G-A intelligent core network with AI agents, significantly improving the network's intelligent capabilities and enabling intelligent services, experiences, and operations & maintenance (O&M). This phase also introduces computing-network convergence to address computing power and energy challenges faced by user devices. Phase 2: Reconstructing the core network as AI native, evolving into an Agentic Core that can be self-generating, self-optimizing, and self-maintaining, dynamically adapting to diverse, real-time personalized service requirements. For network intelligence, the Intelligent Personalized Experience (IPE) solution is commercially deployed across multiple provinces in China, enabling service awareness, user awareness, and network awareness, helping operators shift from traffic-based to experience-based monetization. O&M intelligence has been integrated into operators' production systems, with the China Mobile Zhejiang branch pioneering the commercial use of AI agents for fault management and complaint handling. George Gao, President of Huawei Cloud Core Network Product Line, said, 'Integrating AI into the core network is an important development in mobile technology. The AI Core Network will support innovative services and facilitate the transition from connecting devices to connecting AI agents. Huawei will work with China Mobile and industry partners to develop new services and create business value.' Four Awards at New Calling x AI Challenge Huawei and its partners also received four awards at the New Calling x AI Challenge, organized by the GSMA Foundry and GTI during the GTI Summit. The competition focused on innovative applications combining New Calling services with AI technology, attracting nearly 100 submissions from 16 universities and 58 enterprises. The winning projects include: First Place: China Mobile Jiangsu with Huawei's '5G New Calling x AI In-Nanjing' project, alongside stc and Huawei's 'Exploring the New Paradigm of stc Bank's Intelligent Customer Service by Deep Integration of New Calling and AI' project Second Place: China Mobile Henan partnered with Huawei for their 'Service AI x Network AI Empowering the New Calling DC-based Customer Service' project Third Place: Huawei's 'A2A Intelligent Agent Interconnection Revolutionizing Communication Experience' project New Calling services, including Visualized Voice Calling, Idol Calling, Fun Calling, Real-Time Translation, and Simultaneous Interpretation, are currently deployed across China, Europe, the Middle East, Asia Pacific, and Latin America. These services support operators in expanding beyond traditional voice services to include content-based offerings. Ma Peng, President of CS&IMS Domain, Huawei Cloud Core Network Product Line, said, 'The integration of New Calling and AI will enable service innovation, transforming the dial pad into an entry for AI-powered services and helping operators develop new business opportunities. The success of New Calling requires continued collaboration across the industry. Huawei will continue working with operators and industry partners to drive innovation in the voice industry.' The commercial deployment of 5G-Advanced continues to expand in 2025. Huawei works with global carriers, industry experts, and opinion leaders to explore AI applications in telecommunications services, infrastructure, and operations.
Al Bawaba
6 days ago
- Business
- Al Bawaba
Huawei and Industry Partners Reach Consensus on Mobile AI Foundation Networks, Driving 5G-A Experience Monetization
At the Mobile AI Summit hosted by Huawei, during Mobile World Congress (MWC) Shanghai 2025, operators, AI ecosystem partners, scholars, and industry partners came together to discuss mobile AI industry trends, and reached two key consensuses on future mobile AI development: enhancing 5G-A uplink experience is critical to mobile AI development; and network-service synergy is essential to mobile AI experience monetization. Those involved also witnessed the inauguration of the GSMA Foundry project: Mobile Network for Thriving AI, signifying that operators are entering experience monetization and are beginning experience-centered network construction for mobile AI Ecosystem Synergy for a Thriving Mobile AI IndustrySpeaking at the summit, Wen Ku, President of China Communications Standards Association (CCSA), highlighted: "The integration of 5G-A and AI is one of the key directions for communications network evolution. Efforts should focus on setting standards, building smart network integration, and fostering collaborative development through ecosystems to pioneer the future of mobile AI."During the summit, industry pioneers from Rokid, MiniMax, and Unitree Robotics discussed how AI service providers can take the lead in terms of differentiated competition, and quickly seize new market opportunities. AI agents are expanding their experiences from touchscreen interactions to multimodal interactions, including voice, video, and spatial computing. Furthermore, AI is achieving higher audio-visual bit rates and model accuracy, and utilizing 5G-A networks to reduce latency during interactions for more efficient service provisioning. This is vital for providing seamless new services, such as those involving real-time interactions and high-quality AI video calling, which require an uplink speed of at least 20 Mbps.A number of speakers, including Zhi-Quan Luo, a Foreign Member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and Fellow of IEEE, operator representatives, and representatives from Ookla, also shared their AI practices in network optimization, as well as their strategic planning for comprehensively embracing AI technologies. AI is reshaping both mobile networks and the wider mobile industry. This helps operators achieve digital transformation of their networks, O&M, and provides differentiated services for various industries, thereby supporting their transition from traffic monetization to business monetization. At the summit, the participants reached the consensus that uplink, latency, and stability are the most crucial factors in measuring network capabilities for mobile Powers the Evolution of Foundation Network Monetization from Mobile Broadband (MBB) to Mobile AIAs a leading 5G-A technology provider, Huawei has shared its GigaBand solution portfolio. Through the implementation of air interface resource (AIR) pooling and optimization solver (Optsolver) for AIR orchestration, GigaBand enables smooth 5G-A network evolution to support new AI services. This is helping operators build elastic networks that feature SLA assurance and are adapted to diversified and differentiated services like live streaming, mobile AI assistants, and cloud gaming. For example, the deployment of GigaBand in Hong Kong has enabled multi-band 4G/5G sharing for different service provisioning intents, achieving an up to 2.28-fold increase in 5G throughputs while maintaining stable 4G user experience. This has been a huge boon for operators as they look to build efficient, smart, and low-carbon 5G SA networks. With 5G-A continuing to be upgraded with GigaBand and other innovative technologies, alongside collaborative ecosystem innovation across industries, mobile AI is developing into a new engine propelling the revenue growth of the mobile industry and bringing people a new digital life featuring ubiquitous intelligent services.
