MTN Group and Huawei have formalized a strategic partnership by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at MWC Barcelona, Spain.
The agreement establishes a Joint Innovation Technology Lab, located at MTN Group’s headquarters in South Africa, with the aim of enhancing collaboration in technological innovation.
This lab will function as a neutral platform for fostering cooperation within Africa’s digital ecosystem, expediting the development and adoption of innovative digital solutions across the continent.
The partnership focuses on key areas such as 5G and beyond, Artificial Intelligence, Big Data analytics, cloud computing, and digital financial services.
Both companies are committed to addressing Africa’s unique challenges, including rural network coverage, energy efficiency, and affordability, and accelerating the time-to-market of MTN’s products and services.
The collaboration emphasizes active participation from MTN’s operational teams to ensure solutions directly address real-world challenges, fostering digital transformation and sustainable development in Africa.
MTN’s Group Chief Technology and Information Officer, Mazen Mroué, expressed optimism about the partnership, emphasizing its significance in nurturing Africa’s digital ecosystem.
Huawei’s Corporate Senior Vice President, Li Peng, underscored their commitment to innovating with MTN, aiming to provide tailored products and solutions for Africa’s distinctive market needs.
The partnership exemplifies MTN and Huawei’s shared dedication to shaping Africa’s digital landscape, fostering innovation, digital inclusion, and economic growth.
Huawei will showcase its latest products and solutions at MWC Barcelona 2024, continuing its collaboration with operators worldwide for exciting innovations in networks, cloud, and intelligence, driving 5G business and facilitating intelligent digital transformation.
The International Renewable Energy Agency estimates that Africa’s renewable energy capacity could reach 310GW by 2030, catapulting the continent into the top tier of green energy production.
The Bui Power Authority (BPA) hydro-solar hybrid power plant in Ghana is leading the way in Sub-Saharan Africa, with essential communication and operational management services provided across Huawei’s eLTE Broadband Network.
Energy Minister Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh says ICT systems providing intelligent energy management are critical for ensuring efficient power generation, power plant operations and power distribution.
They enable renewable energy to be integrated into the grid for the reliable, stable access and supply needed in order to achieve the country’s goal of universal electricity access by 2025.
Dr Prempeh made the statement when the Bui Power Authority put into operation a broadband private network built by Huawei.
“As Ghana is striding towards achieving universal electricity access by 2025, it is important for us to unleash the transformational power of ICT in optimising the operations at power plants, increasing the efficiency of renewable energy use, and ensuring a stable and cost-effective electricity supply to many more households nationwide,” said the minister.
Bui Authority and Huawei have built an eLTE broadband private network that penetrates the substantial concrete barriers and infrastructure at Bui Power Plant, in Ghana.
This is the first time that Huawei has deployed eLTE-based solution in the hydroelectric industry.
The network, which carries voice, video, and data services, enables instant communication between the control room and maintenance staff moving around the plant.
It covers, without extensive cabling and installation, both indoor and outdoor working areas, including roadways inside the dam, generator rooms, and employee living areas within the Bui vicinity.
More digital applications to come
With features like “push-to-talk” and group calls for both voice and video, the private network makes routine maintenance and handling of emergencies easier and more efficient at the power plant.
“Now staff can communicate via video call to fix maintenance challenges in record time”, said a Huawei engineer.
“Building modern networks also provide capacity for growth, enabling the intelligent digital transformation of the site in the future.”
Hydro-solar hybrid system
Clean energy is becoming increasingly important in Ghana’s national energy mix, as Ghana’s National Energy Plan aims to achieve a 10% penetration of renewable energy by 2030.
The role of the Bui Generating Station as an important provider of hydroelectric power in the country has been further strengthened and complemented with a new installation of solar power generation capability.
In October 2019, construction commenced on the first phase of the 250MW project with the development of a Solar PV Facility.
Additionally, the Bui Power Authority (BPA) has commissioned a 5MW Floating Solar Plant which is the first in the Sub-Saharan region and supplies power through the Bui Switchyard to the National Interconnected Transmission System (NITS).
Powering development in Northern Ghana
The Bui Generating Station produces 404MW of hydropower.
An additional 50MW of power is generated from the solar installations on site, with the total renewable power output contributing around 6-7% of the total power generated in-country. This is expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 47,000 tons per year.
The country is keen to take advantage of the reservoir created by the Bui Generating Station to promote fishing in the reservoir and the irrigation of over 30,000 hectares of land for crops, including maize, cashew, and sugar cane.
The BPA is collaborating with strategic private investors for the running of a local cashew processing plant and sugar mill within the Bui vicinity.
This intervention is aimed at developing agriculture in Ghana, boosting employment, and thus improving the lives of local people.
Tech company Seagate has been fined $300 million (£241 million) by US officials for allegedly breaking export laws by sending hard drives to China’s Huawei.
After export restrictions were put in place in 2020, Seagate Technology delivered Huawei equipment valued more than $1.1 billion, according to the Department of Commerce.
The fine is the most recent action taken by the US government to halt the export of advanced technology to China.
According to US sources, China’s military may use this equipment.
According to the Commerce Department, Seagate shipped 7.4 million SSDs to Huawei for nearly a year following the rule’s imposition by the previous administration of President Donald Trump.
It continued to do so “even after Huawei was placed on the Entity List for conduct inimical to our national security,” Matthew Axelrod of the department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) said.
“This settlement is a clarion call about the need for companies to comply rigorously with BIS export rules, as our enforcement team works to ensure both our national security and a level playing field,” Mr Axelrod added.
Huawei’s other two main hard drive suppliers had stopped exports to the Chinese firm in accordance with the new rule, the department said.
The penalty will be paid in instalments of $15m every three months for the next five years, Seagate said.
It comes as the US continues its drive to curb sales of technology, such as advanced computer chips, to China.
As part of its efforts to reduce sales of American goods to Huawei due to worries about national security and foreign policy, the US placed Huawei on a list of companies with trade restrictions in 2019.
The technology, according to Washington, might be used by the Chinese military to assist abuses of human rights or pose other threats to US national security.
The charges have been consistently refuted by the Chinese government.
Many Western nations have recently taken action against Chinese technology businesses due to security concerns.
Equipment installation on networks in the US, Australia, Japan, India, and Canada has been prohibited for firms that specialize in 5G technology, such as Huawei, ZTE, and Hytera.
Meanwhile, the UK government has ordered equipment installed by Huawei to be removed from 5G networks by 2027.
Earlier this week, Chinese surveillance technology giant Hikvision denied that it was illegally disguising its products sold to the US government to enable Chinese espionage.
The United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC)has announced it is banning telecommunications and video surveillance equipment from prominent Chinese brands, including Huawei and ZTE, citing an “unacceptable risk to national security”.
The five-member FCC said on Friday it had voted unanimously to adopt new rules that will block the importation or sale of the targeted products.
“Our unanimous decision represents the first time in the FCC’s history that we have voted to prohibit the authorization of communications and electronic equipment based on national security considerations,” FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr said in a statement on Friday.
He added that the move had “broad, bipartisan backing” among the US congressional leadership.
US security officials have warned that equipment from Chinese brands such as Huawei could be used to interfere with fifth-generation (5G) wireless networks and collect sensitive information.
The ban is the latest move in a years-long push “to keep US networks secure” by identifying and prohibiting devices deemed to be security threats, the FCC said.
Friday’s initiative also includes a ban on Hytera Communications, the Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology Company, and the Dahua Technology Company.
Huawei declined to provide comment to the Reuters news agency. ZTE, Dahua, Hikvision, and Hytera did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Huawei and the Chinese government have long denied allegations of espionage and denounced US sanctions against Chinese technologies.
But in 2019, then-US President Donald Trump signed into law the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act, which established criteria to identify communications services Washington deemed could pose a risk to national security.
The services that were designated threats under that law were then subject to the Secure Equipment Act of 2021, signed by President Joe Biden.
That act created the groundwork for Friday’s announcement. It directed the FCC to “adopt rules clarifying that it will no longer review or issue new equipment licenses” to those companies.
At the time, Florida Senator Marco Rubio hailed Biden’s decision.
“The Chinese Communist Party will stop at nothing to exploit our laws and undermine our national security,” he said in a statement. “This legislation fixes a dangerous loophole in our law, curtailing their efforts to worm their way into our telecommunications networks.”
One of the largest manufacturers of telecommunications equipment in the world, Huawei has had an embattled relationship with the US and its allies, facing some of the heaviest sanctions ever placed on a single company in the US.
Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou was arrested and detained for nearly three years in Canada following allegations by the US Justice Department that she attempted to violate sanctions by trying to conduct business dealings with Iran.
She was indicted on bank and wire fraud charges and faced US extradition proceedings in a Canadian court, sparking a diplomatic crisis between Canada, the US, and China. Meng was released and returned to China in 2021.
Earlier this year, Canada joined the US in banning Huawei from 5G wireless networks.
Another FCC commissioner, Geoffrey Starks, described Friday’s ban as a preventive measure that would pay dividends in the future.
“By stopping equipment identified as a threat to the United States from entering our markets, we significantly decrease the risk that it can be used against us,” Starks said in a statement. “We also lower the possibility that we’ll need to rip and replace that equipment in the future. Ultimately, if it can’t get authorized, it can’t be deployed.”
A collaborative 5G laboratory has been established by Orange in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, as part of efforts to train regional companies and related industries.
It serves as a precursor to the country’s planned 5G rollout early the following year.
The lab includes interactive service and support options from partners of Orange, such as suppliers Huawei, Nokia, and ZTE.
Orange Ivory Coast CEO, Mamadou Bamba, stated that the laboratory reflects the company’s “historic commitment to digital inclusion”, with the presence of on-site industry specialists providing guidance for companies looking to use the facility, in turn deepening the “value in the local ecosystem”.
A 5G demonstration area has been established to seek out future innovations enabled by the technology.
The Ivory Coast site adds to Orange’s growing 5G laboratory portfolio, taking its total to 15 in the EMEA region.
Huawei has announced the rollout of its official game service and distribution platform HUAWEI GameCenter in 33 countries and regions worldwide.
GameCenter is a platform designed to bring mobile gaming communities together through high-quality content and rewards, Huawei users in Asia Pacific, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, Africa and other regions can now enjoy richer gaming experience by downloading and using HUAWEI GameCenter via AppGallery.
Game Center creates a one-stop game service platform and unique experience for users, providing game players with richer experience through two core services: content service and user welfare. With Game Center, users can get access to the pre-order games, new games and popular games.
Also, users can take advantage of exclusive online game packages and offers when playing the games, through which users can grow their profile, unlock further discounts and enjoy incredible benefits. Top perks include:
Game Center is the platform for the global launch of featured games, which are exclusive on Huawei’s platform. These include Starship Legion-AMG, BORN AS EPIC, Farm Legend, Survival Road, Ellr Land and more.Users can also find other new games such as Dynasty Legends: True Hero Rises from Chaos, Goddess MUA and more.
Games consumers can enjoy on Game Center include: Idle Heroes, The Origin of Chaos, Brain Out, AFK Arena, Rise of Kingdoms: Lost Crusade, Lords Mobile, Asphalt 9: Legends Epic Car Action Racing Game, Saint Seiya Awakening: Knights of Zodiac, Perfect world and more.
Users will find several welfare packages exclusive to HUAWEI Game Center. For example, when playing Last Day Rules: Survival and Starship Legion-AMG, users can get exclusive package benefits such as gold coins and time-limited props, having a more enjoyable game time. In addition, there are surprise benefits which users can discover as they explore this new gaming hub.
For developers creating with Huawei, the rollout of Game Center provides an opportunity to reach wider consumer audience of 700 million+ Huawei users on a global scale.
The 1.6 million HMS (Huawei Mobile Services) developers are already creating unique, new experiences that incorporate Huawei’s Chipset-Device-Cloud capabilities. These developers are also unlocking the potential to reach more devoted fans through HMS ecosystem that provides all-scenario capabilities, global distribution channels, full-cycle operational management and support. Currently, HUAWEI GameCenter has partnerships with top global game companies, such as Lilith games, IGG, Gameloft, Forshow games etc.
For developers in the gaming sector, the introduction of GameCenter now provides even further benefits including:
Free professional evaluation services for developers to acquire local feedbacks about the games from overseas regions. This is to help developers localize their apps so the game services will be more relevant and exciting for players across various markets.
For those developers who need to integrate their games with HMS Core, Huawei will provide technical support to facilitate integration with HMS Core efficiently as needed.
Access to the “Shining-Star” program, which provides $1 billion incentive fund and offers various services. This includes a full app development life cycle, funds for development innovation, user growth, marketing and other aspects for developers.
Developers have a favourable share of the revenue when developing with Huawei. Additionally, we offer developers advertising and promotional space within Game Center to reach more consumers.
In future version upgrades, Game Center will feature an in-app social community. That way, players will be able to use the platform as a way to socialize, make friends and build communities of fans with the same interests.
Huawei became the world’s top smartphone seller last quarter, overtaking Samsung for the first time ever, according to an independent market research report released Thursday.
The Chinese tech company shipped 55.8 million phones in the three months ended in June, surpassing longtime rival Samsung, which shipped 53.7 million, according to the Canalys report.
“Taking first place is very important for Huawei,” said Canalys analyst Mo Jia. “It is desperate to showcase its brand strength to domestic consumers, component suppliers and developers.”
A years-long US pressure campaign against Huawei has handicapped the Shenzhen-based firm’s global business.
Huawei still suffered an annual decline in smartphone shipments of 5%. But Samsung’s was a lot bigger at 30%, according to Canalys.
The market research firm said Huawei’s victory over Samsung wouldn’t have happened without COVID-19. The company was able to take advantage of the economic recovery in China, where Huawei now sells over 70% of its smartphones. Samsung has a very small presence in China.
Huawei’s global smartphone and telecom gear business continues to suffer the fallout from US sanctions that cut the company off from key American tech and supplies.
Without access to popular Google (GOOGL GOOGLE) apps such as YouTube, maps and Gmail, Huawei’s latest smartphones are a lot less attractive to international buyers. That will make it very difficult for Huawei to hold on to the global No. 1 position, according to Jia.
“It will be hard for Huawei to maintain its lead in the long term. Its major channel partners in key regions, such as Europe, are increasingly wary of ranging Huawei devices, taking on fewer models, and bringing in new brands to reduce risk. Strength in China alone will not be enough to sustain Huawei at the top once the global economy starts to recover,” he said.
“Our business has demonstrated exceptional resilience in these difficult times,” Huawei spokeswoman Evita Cao said. Cao did not respond to questions on how the company can maintain its lead going forward.
Huawei’s victory came on the same day Samsung posted a big profit bump for the second quarter, with strong chip demand helping the company weather the fallout from the coronavirus pandemic.
Samsung reported operating profit of 8.15 trillion won ($6.8 billion) for the three months that ended in June, up more than 23% compared to the same period last year.
Samsung said sales fell about 6% to 53 trillion won ($44.6 billion).
Shares in Samsung were last up 0.7% in Seoul. South Korea’s Kospi (KOSPI) rose 0.1%.
Despite the double digit declines in annual smartphone shipments for the quarter noted by the Canalys report, Samsung reported that the unit remained profitable thanks to savings on marketing costs. (Samsung does not break out specifics about its smartphone shipments, but noted that they declined.)
For the second half of 2020, however, Samsung is warning that “uncertainties related to COVID-19 linger” for its mobile business.
That could be enough to drag the company to revenue losses for the year, according to research firm Crisp Idea.
The consumer electronics unit, which includes smartphones and TVs, is “expected to decline significantly as COVID-19 affects demand and leads to store and plant closures globally,” Crisp Idea analysts wrote in a note earlier this month.
Smartphone shipments worldwide are expected to fall about 18% in the first half of the year as the pandemic continues to affect consumer spending, analysts at IDC said in a note last month.
The market research firm added that global smartphone shipments are not expected to return to growth until the first quarter of 2021.
That would also hurt Samsung’s memory chip business, because the company supplies chips for rival smartphone companies such as Apple (AAPL) and Huawei.
The US has announced new export controls aimed at limiting Chinese technology giant Huawei’s access to semiconductor technology.
The new rule bars semiconductor-makers that use US technology and software in chip design from shipping to Huawei without US government permission.
It is the latest US action to target Huawei, which US officials view as a national security threat.
China threatened to retaliate against US tech firms.
The tightened controls come a year after the US moved to cut off Huawei, the world’s second largest smart phone maker, from access to US-made semiconductor chips, which form the backbone of most computer and phone systems.
In response, the company and others in China accelerated efforts to manufacture such chips domestically.
US Commerce Department Secretary Wilbur Ross said that those efforts were “still dependent on US technologies”, and accused Huawei of taking steps “to undermine” earlier export controls.
“This is not how a responsible corporate citizen behaves,” Mr Ross said. “We must amend our rules exploited by Huawei… and prevent US technologies from enabling malign activities contrary to US national security and foreign policy interests.”
The new US rule, to be published on Friday, applies to foreign-made items, using US technology. It exempts equipment or software made or shipped within the next 120 days – a move meant to limit economic harm.
In a background briefing for reporters, the US said officials would consider licence applications to do business with Huawei on a “case by case” basis.
“This is a licensing requirement. It does not necessarily mean that things are denied,” a senior State Department official said. “We tend to approach Huawei with some concern but this is a measure that gives the US government visibility into what is moving.”
Also on Friday, the US extended waivers that allow US companies, many of them rural internet providers, to use some kinds of Huawei technology for another 90 days.
‘Cut off the relationship’
Donald Trump, who is campaigning for re-election in November, has stepped up his attacks on China in recent weeks, blaming it for the spread of Covid-19.
This week, he moved to restrict US government pension funds from investing in Chinese companies. He said on Wednesday he could “cut off the whole relationship”.
The US has said Huawei’s technology could be used for spying by the Chinese government.
It has pressured allies, including the UK and Germany, to bar Huawei from their networks and sued the company for technology theft and doing business with Iran, in violation of US sanctions.
Huawei has contested the US government’s claims and said American efforts are likely to backfire, hurting the ability of US tech firms to do business.
China on Friday threatened to place US companies on an “unreliable entity list”, according to a report in the country’s Global Times.
The Huawei ICT Academy programme has introduced a new initiative – Huawei Study at Home Programme – for Ghanaian students currently at home because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The programme, being offered free of charge, focuses on equipping students with the needed technology and educational materials to enable them to take the Huawei ICT certifications programme online while at home during this pandemic period.
According to the Enterprise Director at Huawei Ghana, Mr Geoffrey Li, the initiative would give students interested in Information Communication Technologies (ICT), the opportunity to expand their scope.
A release from Huawei Technologies (Ghana) S.A. Limited quoted Mr LI as saying, the programme “will also offer a seamless training and learning experience and certify excellent students to make them industry ready even when universities and schools are closed.â€
Mr Li said, “As a way to further motivate the students to gain some certification during this period, we are offering students who enrol on the courses, free data with the top five excelling students set to be rewarded after the courses are closed.â€
Structure
According to Huawei, all classes were being held remotely online and courses were instructed by trained Ghana lecturers.
Courses that will be covered during the training period include, Routing and Switching (HCIA-R&S), Cloud Computing and AI (HCIA-Cloud & AI), Security and WLAN.
“All these courses are professional certification courses and students who pass will be certified,†Mr Li said.
He explained that students would be trained on how to operate and use Huawei equipment to develop talents with practical skills for the ICT industry and communities.
Relevance
Adding his voice to the relevance of the programme to students, the Vice President of Ghana Technology University College, Prof. Abeiku Blankson, said while academia focused mostly on theory, the Huawei ICT Academy offered professional certification and was structured to give students a feel of what actually happened on the field.
“Our partnership with Huawei on this is mostly driven by our desire to give our students the opportunity to gain some necessary skills while getting them to be market-ready and the innovative Huawei Study At Home programme will allow them to do that from the comfort of their homes during this period where schools are closed due to the COVID-19 outbreak.†Prof. Blankson added.
Rising from humble beginnings in Shenzhen in 1987, Huawei now connects over 3 billion people in more than 170 countries across the globe.
Huawei hopes to improve lives of future generations through advancement of technological solutions for global communications. However to effectively achieve this, there is the need for constant preparations for the future.
This raises the following vital questions:
1. What does the future hold for Huawei?
2. How does the company continue to lead in innovations in Telecommunications Technology like 5G among others?
In order to help you answer the above questions and better understand how technology is improving lives now and in the near future, watch the fourth and final video of the BBC produced a short video documentary series titled, WHO IS HUAWEI? THE FUTURE IS NOW. Enjoy!
Huawei, a technology development firm has said it maintained the second place in global shipment quantity with an increase of 28.2 percent despite the Google ban.
A statement copied to the Ghana News Agency said the International Data Corporation (IDC) a premier global provider of market intelligence, advisory services for information technology, telecommunications, and consumer technology markets, has authenticated the information.
The statement said while the company is enjoying great success in the premium market and a considerable lead in 5G technology, Huawei is keen to expand its presence in the light flagship device market.
It said the company recently launched its newest light flagship device, the HUAWEI Y9s in Ghana with powerful hardware such as the AI Triple Camera.
The statement said the Breathing Crystal variant of the HUAWEI Y9s looks incredibly fashionable and that the blue colour on the top of the rear cover transitions seamlessly into purple as it goes towards the bottom.
It said the HUAWEI Y9s features a glass cover and the 3D Arc design also contributes to a better grip, so even those endowed with smaller hands could easily and comfortably hold the device.
“The inspiration behind this design came from salt flats. In fact, the HUAWEI P30 Series launched earlier this year was also available in Breathing Crystal, and the variant was loved by both critics and consumers alike,†it said.
The statement said Breathing Crystal variant of the HUAWEI Y9s was created with a 21-step glass finishing process, six more steps.
“The nano texture on the Breathing Crystal variant bends light differently depending on the angle of incidence, creating a bluish-purple hue that is almost as captivating as the mesmerizing salt flats around the world,†it said.
The statement said the new HUAWEI Y9s, with its stylish industrial design and robust specs, certainly was one of the more attractive choices within the GHC1499 price range.
The newly-launched Huawei Y9s smartphone got sold out across the country within four hours of its release.
Huawei customers and enthusiasts all over the country rushed to authorize Huawei dealer shops near them to purchase the much-talked-about Huawei Y9s.
According to customers who thronged Huawei shops across the country, they revealed that they were attracted by the features of the new Huawei Y9s and the fact that they are confident of the quality, durability, exceptional features, beauty and functionality of the Huawei brand as a whole.
Though not everyone was able to purchase their Huawei Y9s last Friday, Huawei has quickly made plans to restock its shops and dealers across the country.
Smartphone enthusiasts and users have commended Huawei for packing an entry-level phone with such range of functionalities and special features only found in top-of-the-range smartphones.
For its worth and an attractive price of only GH¢1499, the all-new Huawei has an exquisite glass body and fashionable colour.
It has 128GB large storage, 4000mAh big battery, Ultra-wide angle, 48MP Triple Artificial Intelligence camera with outstanding night photography capabilities and a big-screen view of 6.59-inch Ultra Full View Display.
The Huawei Y9s is the dream of every smartphone user who loves to have an excellent combination of functionalities, affordability, beauty and efficiency, all at a go.
Huawei has advised customers to be on the look-out or revisit as all Huawei shops and accredited dealers across the country have restocked.
