[caption id="attachment_5244" align="alignnone" width="300"] Dr. Bawumia, V.P of Ghana[/caption]

The launch of Phase two of the Interoperability platform concludes the Financial Inclusion Triangle, and ensures universal interoperability, making Ghana one of the few countries in the world to attain this feat.
Phase One of the project, launched on May 10th, 2018 saw the interconnection of the mobile money platforms and the Ghana National Switch (gh-link system), but not the E-zwich Payment Systems. This allowed users to make payments from Mobile Money wallets to bank accounts, and vice versa. It also allowed the transfer of funds between the various mobile money services provided by the telecom companies.

The second phase has completed the interconnection between Mobile Money and the e-zwich Payment Systems. Thus, the interconnection of mobile money and e-zwich platforms, to the gh-link platform means customers can conveniently move funds across all three platforms: bank accounts, Mobile Money wallets and the e-zwich payment systems.
Speaking at the launch ceremony on Wednesday 28th November, 2018, Vice President Bawumia, said this universal interoperability - known by players in the fintech and banking circles as the Financial Inclusion Triangle, because it interconnects three payment platforms; mobile money, bank account and e-zwich - is expected to remove the constraints faced in trying to move funds around, in real time.

“This should make us more efficient and enable us to accomplish more within the same time available to us. All of these important initiatives are in sync with other programmes by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s government to quicken the digitization of the economy.
“Importantly, it will improve financial inclusion by bridging the gap between the banked and unbanked. It will also enable free flow of funds between and among all the three platforms; allowing the banked and the unbanked to interact at the same level.”

The benefits to business and ordinary Ghanaians will be enormous, with endless possibilities on the horizon, Vice President Bawumia indicated.

“The quick flow of funds enabled by the universal interoperability, should also translate into quick turnaround for businesses, because producers, wholesalers and retailers can receive funds in real time in order to deliver the goods to customers, regardless of which part of the country, they find themselves.
“The possibilities are enormous, and I expect the Fintechs to take advantage and collaborate with the banks and other financial institutions to give us great products.”

With the conclusion of phase two, Vice President Bawumia said it was time to work on Phase Three.
“It is said that the best reward for a good work is more work. So let me once again, in the spirit of transforming our economy, task the partners to this project, to take on an additional challenge - call it phase 3.

“The phase 3 that I propose, is mobile money operator/agent/or merchant interoperability. By this I mean, that it should be possible for an operator, agent or merchant with one phone and SIM, to be able to load electronic funds onto the wallet of the customer regardless of the network.

“An agent currently needs to keep different float accounts for each operator to serve customers. So, when the float of the agent for a particular operator runs out, the agent is not able to serve customers from that operator even though he or she may have electronic funds sitting idle on another network.
“So you see agents turn away customers not because they do not want to serve them, but they simply cannot use the float they have for one network operator for another.

“The status quo is not efficient and affects both the agent’s output and profitability as well as puts a spoke in the wheels of the cash-lite agenda. Let me therefore ask you to work together to fix this challenge, so that anybody who walks into an agent’s location can get service once there are electronic funds available.

“I think it is a normal sequence to what we have achieved so far, and I urge all the key parties to ensure we chalk this success too, so that customers can have wider access to mobile money service.”
Vice President Bawumia commended the Board and Management of the Ghana Interbank Payment and Settlement Systems Limited (GhIPSS), Bank of Ghana, Financial technology (Fintech) companies, the telecommunication companies, and all the partners for their cooperation and contribution towards the attainment of Mobile Money Interoperability in Ghana.

Source: Graphic.com

The GSMA has launched a new industry-wide initiative focused on the development of cloud virtual reality and augmented reality technology.

The new GSMA Cloud AR/VR Forum is backed by a number of Asian and international mobile operators, including China Mobile, China Telecom, China Unicom, KT, NTT Docomo and SK Telecom. Also involved are vendor and content provider partners including Huawei and HTC.

As part of the program, the GSMA aims to encourage whole-of-industry collaboration on accelerating the delivery and deployment of 5G cloud-based AR/VR services.

The forum will encourage knowledge sharing between members, as well as discussion about new business models capitalizing on the emerging technology. A key priority will be the development of a service reference architecture to avoid cost fragmentation.

Other technical development areas will include research into ultra-low latency codec compression, cloud-based graphics processing unit (GPU) rendering and virtualization technologies.

Moving processing of VR and AR graphics to the cloud has the potential to stimulate demand for AR/VR headsets beyond the high-end enthusiast segment, allowing the devices to be sold at price points that will give them mass market appeal, according to GSMA CTO Alex Sinclair.

“Both VR and AR are disruptive forms of immersive multimedia that, combined with operator edge cloud and 5G connectivity, will transform the cost structures of the enterprise and entertainment fields,” he said.

“Mobile operators will play a key role in its development, but without a common approach and industry-wide collaboration we risk fragmenting the market from the beginning. The establishment of this forum will overcome this hurdle and ensure we can scale compelling solutions faster.”

Source:GSMA

[caption id="attachment_5236" align="alignnone" width="300"] MTN becomes the first African telco to join IoT World Alliance[/caption]

MTN Group, one of the biggest telecommunications operators in Africa, announced that it is joining the IoT World Alliance, making it the first African telecommunications company to do so. IoT World Alliance is a collaboration of established mobile network operators which aims to adopt and run a globally connected business through well-executed and smart business decisions.

Multinational corporations planning to roll out connected devices worldwide face a multitude of hurdles. As the largest mobile operator cooperative in the world, the IoT World Alliance aims to eliminate the complexity associated with worldwide deployments of connected devices.

The Alliance provides a global solution aimed at simplifying and promoting the adoption of IoT communications worldwide. The unique solution leverages the operators’ combined global presence to the benefit of customers.

MTN Group Executive for Enterprise Business, Oliver Fortuin said “We are very proud to be a member of the Alliance, not only do we join a community of like-minded telecommunications companies committed to making global connectivity cheaper and simpler, but as MTN we believe this partnership supports our efforts to deliver on our core belief that everyone deserves the benefits of a modern connected life. “

Commenting on the partnership, IoT World Alliance Chairman Mark van den Berg said, “We are pleased to have MTN on board, and look forward to leveraging the scale and reach that MTN has in Africa and parts of the Middle East. I think it is an exciting and long overdue partnership not only for MTN Group but also for IoT World Alliance as we work towards enabling our customers’ IoT device connectivity. He added that, “we look forward to a long-lasting partnership and most importantly working together to offer customers the solutions they need when they need them”.

Source:ITNews Africa

[caption id="attachment_5229" align="alignnone" width="300"] Deputy-Minister-of-Communications-Vincent-Sowah-Odotei-delivery-his-speech-at-the-AirtelTigo-first-anniversary-stakeholders-dinner[/caption]

Following the completion of the AirtelTigo network integration and upgrade nationwide, the Deputy of Minister of Communications, Vincent Sowah Odotei, says many people in rural communities stand to enjoy improved network services.

The Deputy Minister, who read a speech on behalf of the Minister for Communications, Mrs Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, made this known at the AirtelTigo first anniversary stakeholders’ dinner in Accra, themed: “Thank You”.

“With the completion of this integration, AirtelTigo now has a wider coverage and faster internet speed than it had before. I am particularly happy that many more of our people in our rural communities can equally enjoy the improved network services and the many benefits that your one big network presents. This is very impressive, and we commend your efforts,” said Sowah Odotei, who is also a Member of Parliament for La Dadekotopon in the Greater Accra Region.

While commending the Ghanaian staff for their dedication and hard work in unifying and consolidating the former Airtel and Tigo network to become one big network, Sowah Odotei revealed that his Ministry was excited about the merger that is the first of its kind in the telecom industry.

He added that AirtelTigo has provided a good example and an exciting case study, for others to learn from. “Our collective desire is to see to a digitally connected Ghana in which subscribers have access to better network services. This consolidation of efforts between the two companies is certain to get us closer to achieving this.”

He further indicated that the Ministry was aware of the hard work and commitment AirtelTigo put into completing the network integration and upgrade nationwide and the subscriber challenges and concerns as well as the positive efforts the company made to ensure that subscribers were communicated to and remained connected to the network.

In his concluding remarks, he said the Ministry of Communications is pursuing an aggressive rural telephony programme with the aim of connecting the entire country within the next five years. “We are also seeking to attract foreign direct investments into Ghana to boost government’s digitalisation agenda.”

The Chief Executive Officer of AirtelTigo, Mrs Mitwa Kaemba Ng’ambi, thanked all stakeholders for their support during the network upgrade and pledged to continue delighting customers through innovative products and services.

The stakeholders’ dinner was graced by government officials, distribution partners, technology partners, vendors, financial inclusion and information communications technology partners, employees, media and other dignitaries.

Source: AirtelTigo