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Huawei Technologies’ RuralLink solution designed to enhance mobile and internet connectivity in remote areas, has received recognition as the ‘Best Mobile Innovation for Emerging Markets’ at the Global Mobile awards organized by the GSM Association. The award’s citation noted Huawei’s role in promoting the advancement of the human race through technology that reaches everyone. The technology has been deployed in Kenya’s

It noted that ubiquitous mobile network coverage is critical for improving education and healthcare, and plays an important role in eradicating poverty, and protecting the environment. Huawei’s RuralLink uses solar panels to solve the difficulties associated with connectivity.

In the areas where fiber is difficult and costly to deploy, RuralLink uses microwave to replace optical fibers, which reduces network construction costs and power consumption that are considered some of the most important costs for such projects.

Speaking when he received the award, Aaron Jiang, President of Huawei’s Wireless SingleRAN Product Line, said that the firm was consistently developing scenario-based coverage solutions for remote areas. Stating that more than half of Kenya’s population still have no access to mobile Internet, and among those, nearly 30 are not even covered by mobile broadband networks, Aaron explained that this provided an opportunity for Huawei to explore innovations that expand mobile broadband to connect the unconnected.

“RuralLink’s antennas allow green, simplified, and evolvable rural sites, and extend experience-guaranteed coverage to remote areas, enabling experience upgrade for more people, villages, and small and medium-sized enterprises,” he added.

Aaron pointed out that rural connectivity to the mobile and internet networks is a prominent factor that aligns with the 5 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) — No Poverty, Good Health and Well-being, Quality Education, Reduced Inequalities, and Climate Action.

He explained that Huawei’s RuralLink solution uses innovative unique technologies to address challenges in rural communications, and provides ubiquitous coverage with ultra-low cost and power consumption. It is also the industry’s first to use microwave fronthaul technology.

Furthermore, remote sites can share baseband resources of existing base stations, eliminating the need to deploy independent baseband units. One RRU and one Channel Expand Antenna are capable of achieving three-sector coverage. With one-off deployment, RuralLink can currently support 2G, 3G, and 4G services that can evolve to 5G, providing long-term experience-guaranteed coverage for rural areas.

In line with inclusive development, Huawei continues to follow through on innovations in technology that helps remote areas improve digitalization, bring digital life to all people, and promote the balanced development of the global digital economy.

Standardized 5G NTN technology simulated on Samsung’s Exynos Modem 5300;

Demonstrates two-way text messaging as well as image and video sharing

Samsung Electronics, a world leader in advanced semiconductor technology, today announced that it has secured standardized 5G non-terrestrial networks (NTN) modem technology for direct communication between smartphones and satellites, especially in remote areas. Samsung plans to integrate this technology into the company’s Exynos modem solutions, accelerating the commercialization of 5G satellite communications and paving the way for the 6G-driven Internet of Everything (IoE) era.

“This milestone builds on our rich legacy in wireless communications technologies, following the introduction of the industry’s first commercial 4G LTE modem in 2009 and the industry’s first 5G modem in 2018,” said Min Goo Kim, Executive Vice President of CP (Communication Processor) Development at Samsung Electronics. “Samsung aims to take the lead in advancing hybrid terrestrial-NTN communications ecosystems around the world in preparation for the arrival of 6G.”

NTN is a communications technology that uses satellites and other non-terrestrial vehicles to bring connectivity to regions that were previously unreachable by terrestrial networks, whether over mountains, across deserts or in the middle of the ocean. It will also be critical in assuring operability in disaster areas and powering future urban air mobility (UAM) such as unmanned aircraft and flying cars.

By meeting the latest 5G NTN standards defined by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP Release 17), Samsung’s NTN technology will help ensure interoperability and scalability among services offered by global telecom carriers, mobile device makers and chip companies.

For highly reliable NTN communication with low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites, Samsung has developed and simulated 5G NTN standard-based satellite technology using its Exynos Modem 5300 reference platform to accurately predict satellite locations and minimize frequency offsets caused by the Doppler shift. Based on this technology, Samsung’s future Exynos modems will support two-way text messaging as well as high-definition image and video sharing.

Additionally, Samsung plans to secure a standardized NB-IoT NTN technology for use in its next-generation modem platforms. With integrated satellite connectivity, Samsung’s NB-IoT solutions will eliminate the need for a separate high-power wireless antenna chip inside smartphones, providing mobile device makers with much greater design flexibility.

In a new episode of Connecting Africa, CNN International’s Eleni Giokos visits the continent’s first Aerospace Forum in Casablanca, Morocco, meeting some of the aviation leaders who are making intra-African air connectivity a reality.

Allan Kilavuka, the CEO of Kenya Airways talks about the role that the African Continental Free Trade Agreement could play in boosting passenger and freight traffic on the continent, “There’s not enough traffic moving from south to north and north to south, and not enough goods being traded between Sub-Saharan Africa and North Africa. But I believe this is about to change because of the African Continental Free Trade Area, which now, first of all, will give access to goods, and also allow for more freedom of movement for people from both sides.”

In many parts of Africa, the aviation sector is still in its infancy, with poor infrastructure and a fragmented network of routes. Even getting to the Aerospace African Forum posed a challenge for many. For example, the Secretary General of the African Airlines Association, Abderahmane Berthe, said, “I live in Nairobi, in Kenya. I had to fly Nairobi via Addis to go to Bamako in Mali, and then to connect on another airline from Bamako to Casablanca.” Berthe is part of the group working to liberalise air transport in Africa in areas such as traffic rights, market access, and airline capacity.

Although Kilavuka and other aviation leaders are arguing for the liberalisation of the market in Africa, the CEO of Kenya’s national air carrier believes that this could be done in stages to help with the enormity of the task, “What we have said is, even when it comes to the liberalisation of the aviation, we could start with pockets, East Africa, Southern Africa, West Africa, and see how that works. And then before we blow it out, because I know it’s big, we have 55 countries, a very large continent, 1.2 million people, so it’s a large thing, it’s a large project to implement all at once. So, if you implement it in pockets and then roll it out, then that makes much more sense.”

Using the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM), the continent is aiming to increase economic integration, promote social integration, and boost intra-African trade and tourism. SAATM was launched in 2018, but so far only 35 of the 55 African countries have signed up.

Kilavuka argues that African airlines must consolidate if the continent is to improve its aviation prospects, “The African aviation market is very fragmented. I mean, 55 countries, we have so many airlines on the continent. Most of them are not viable, that truth be told. The solution to that is to consolidate. Just like that has happened in Europe, it happened in the US, it happened in Asia. We need to consolidate so that you create bigger entities which are more economical from a scale perspective and can respond to high costs. They can together talk to suppliers and get more bargains when it comes to purchases, so bring down the unit cost of operation.”

Giokos also speaks to Yvonne Manzi Makolo, CEO of RwandAir, about the country’s plans for a new $2 billion airport in Kigali, with ambitions for it to become a major hub for travel and trade on the continent.

By Ivan Kanyali, Regional Manager, East Africa

Kenyan migrant women are powerful agents of change who positively contribute to the Kenyan economy and their countries of transit and destination. They bring diverse talent and expertise in the diaspora and send financial remittances to their families and communities back home. According to UN Women,100 million migrant women send remittances annually – half of all remittance senders globally. Remittances have a positive and well documented development impact for developing countries across the globe. They are particularly helpful during times of national or global crises when private investments dry up and the value of local currencies depreciate.

The fact that migrant women account for half of global remittance transactions highlights the important role they play in supporting their communities back home. Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) data shows that remittances to Kenya grew to record levels of $4.027 billion in 2022, surpassing earnings from tourism and tea. Data from Zepz, the holding company for digital remittance service providers WorldRemit and Sendwave, shows that its users globally sent almost $2 billion to Kenya through its channels in 2022, with Kenya emerging as a leading recipient compared to other key markets. Zepz users have sent over $500 million to Zimbabwe, $300 million to Cameroon, and more than $190 million to South Africa during the period.

As we mark International Women’s Day this March, we need to recognize the positive contributions that Kenyan women in the diaspora make to their families, communities, and wider society. In addition to sending remittances, migrant women, especially those from Kenya, are an inspiration to many across the country – demonstrating their ability to create a positive impact on their families and friends back home.

Relocating abroad requires determination and resilience. Living in the diaspora is not just about working in a new job or going to a new school. One must also familiarize themselves with a new culture and social system – sometimes even a new language. Managing this kind of change is not easy. Kenyan women in the diaspora are inspiring an entire generation to challenge the limits of what is possible.

Although the positive contributions of migrant women to their families and communities are clear, women are often still being held back from reaching their full potential by several challenges. For example, a woman’s choice of whether or not to relocate abroad can be unfairly limited by cultural or social factors. Lack of financial inclusion or access to quality education can also limit the opportunities available to migrant women.

When sending money back home, women can also face challenges. According to UN Women^[1] migrant women are often sending money more frequently and therefore can often pay 20% more in transfer fees than men as they tend to send smaller amounts and rely on in-person cash transfers.

Pioneering digital remittance services like WorldRemit have leveled the playing field by offering affordable, secure and convenient money transfer services for all senders.  For receivers,  payout options include mobile money, bank transfer, cash pick up and airtime top up, ensuring that receivers access their funds conveniently.

The contributions of migrant women are inspiring and we need to continue working for a world where women can reach their full potential, regardless of the country they choose to settle in. We need to play our role in raising awareness about the challenges and opportunities women abroad face. We also need to celebrate the many inspiring success stories.