An ambitious project, but how ready are the mobile networks that will need to support them? nPerf’s 2025 data from Congo, Nigeria and Ethiopia paints a mixed picture.

Speeds still struggling to support everyday usage

First observation: speeds remain far below European standards. Congo shows the strongest performance of the three, with 12.8 Mb/s download and 6.26 Mb/s upload.

Nigeria follows with 9.97 Mb/s download, while Ethiopia trails at 6.73 Mb/s, barely enough to watch a video in standard quality without interruptions.

For future users of low-cost 4G smartphones, this means that the actual experience will depend just as much on the quality of the local network as on the device itself.

Nigeria stands out in streaming, Ethiopia struggles with latency

Beyond raw speeds, real-world usage tells a different story. Nigeria achieves the highest streaming performance index in the group at 62.28%, a level that allows relatively smooth video playback, but falls short in web browsing (27.36%).

In practical terms, this slows access to online services, administrative procedures and e-commerce.

Congo shows the opposite profile: it has the best latency of the three (123 ms), but a streaming index of only 41.88%, the lowest performance among the three countries in this area.

Ethiopia concentrates the most weaknesses: latency of 258 ms (more than double that of Congo), making video calls and real-time interactions particularly unstable, despite mid-range browsing (35.52%) and streaming (49.89%) performance indices.

The $40 initiative: a catalyst, provided infrastructure keeps up

The equation is simple: increasing the number of connected users without strengthening networks leads to greater congestion.

But the effect can also work in reverse: strong demand has historically pushed operators to invest. This is precisely the lever the GSMA and the Handset Affordability Coalition are relying on.

For the initiative to deliver on its promise of digital inclusion, nPerf’s data points to a clear priority in each of the three countries: reducing latency in Ethiopia, improving browsing performance in Nigeria, and enhancing streaming quality in Congo.

Three distinct challenges, but one shared objective: ensuring that the $40 smartphone does not become an empty promise due to networks that fail to keep up.

Key partners include

• Airtel,
• MTN,
• Vodacom,
• Orange,
• Cassava Technologies,
• Ethio Telecom,
• Qhala,
• Lelapa AI,
• Masakhane African Languages Hub,
• Awarri,
• Axian Telecom,
• Pawa AI,
• African Population for Health Research Center (APHRC), and
• World Sandbox Alliance.

Under the shared ambition, “AI Language Models in Africa, By Africa, For Africa,” the initiative seeks to close Africa’s AI language gap, ensuring that the continent’s voices, cultures, and knowledge are fully represented in the global digital future.

By doing so, the partners hope to empower businesses, governments, and communities to create AI applications tailored to African realities, from healthcare and education to public service delivery, customer experience, and the creative industries.

“Africa is home to more than 2,000 languages, yet only a fraction are supported in current AI systems,” the GSMA notes. “This lack of inclusion risks widening existing digital and economic divides. Through African-led language models, we can build technology that truly reflects our continent.”

The announcement follows a feasibility study led by the GSMA and its regional members, which confirmed that African-led AI language models are both technically feasible and economically viable. However, the study highlighted that success depends on collective leadership, investment, and collaboration, not fragmented efforts.

Building Africa’s Digital Future

The study identified four critical areas requiring attention: data, compute, talent, and policy. The collaboration will mobilise operators, governments, researchers, technology providers, investors, and development partners to address these gaps and accelerate AI development across the continent.

To translate vision into action, dedicated working groups will be established to drive measurable progress across these four pillars. Partners have committed to regularly sharing outcomes and lessons learned at GSMA events, ensuring accountability and sustained momentum.

By creating AI models trained on African languages and local datasets, the initiative aims to enable AI-powered solutions that are contextually relevant, helping African industries innovate and scale. Beyond technology, the effort is also about strengthening Africa’s digital sovereignty, giving the continent control over the tools shaping its future.

The GSMA is calling on startups, academia, civil society, creative industries, donors, and global technology players to join the initiative.

By pooling resources, expertise, and shared vision, ecosystem partners can unlock opportunities in data, compute, talent, and markets, driving inclusive AI adoption across Africa.

“Through a collective, problem-solving approach, we can ensure that Africa’s languages, cultures, and knowledge are represented in the AI systems of tomorrow, building an inclusive, African-led digital future,” the GSMA said.

With this initiative, Africa takes a bold step toward shaping its own AI narrative, ensuring that the next wave of global artificial intelligence is not only powered by Africa’s talent but also reflective of its rich cultural and linguistic diversity.

Angela Wamola, head of Africa, GSMA said:

“Africa’s diversity of languages and cultures is one of our greatest strengths, yet it has too often been overlooked in the development of global AI systems. This initiative is about turning that challenge into an opportunity – building African-led AI capacity, empowering innovation across local industries, and ensuring Africa shapes the digital future on its own terms. By working together, we can make AI more inclusive, more relevant, and more reflective of the world we live in.”

This was revealed during the inaugural Rural Connectivity Summit organised by Business Metrics, in Lagos, where Dr Aminu Maida, executive vice chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), stressed that connectivity is far more than speed, it’s about economic inclusion.

“The accurate measure of connectivity is not in megabits per second, but in the economic value it creates or loses,” said Dr Aminu Maida, whose keynote address was delivered by Tunji Jimoh, Zonal Controller of the NCC Lagos Office.

At the event, themed “Rethinking Digital Connectivity to Unlock Rural Economic Potential,” he described connectivity as “an indispensable part of life,” noting that when it fails, “opportunities stop, and lives can be at risk.”

Dr Maida noted that despite progress, rural Nigeria is digitally invisible, with internet access still at 23% compared to 57% in urban areas. This gap, he explained, cuts off millions from modern education, markets, healthcare, and financial services, a situation he called “unacceptable and unsustainable.”

Research shows that a 10% increase in broadband penetration can drive 1.38% GDP growth in developing economies. However, Nigeria’s broadband penetration as of August 2025 stood at 48.81%, below its potential. 

While coverage has expanded, with 3G and 4G networks reaching 86.34%, usage and household access remain at 39.2% and 40.1% respectively.

Nigeria’s ICT Development Index (IDI) score also exposes this imbalance. At 52.9, the country ranks 137th out of 164 economies, following far behind the global average of 77.6 and Africa’s 56.1.

To tackle these challenges, Dr Maida outlined NCC’s ongoing initiatives through the Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF). The Fund has financed over 2,500 educational projects and delivered 100,000 computers to schools nationwide.

One unique project is the Emerging Technology Centre at Ogun State Institute of Technology, where more than 9,000 students now have access to digital tools for innovation.

Beyond education, the USPF’s e-Health Project connects rural clinics to larger hospitals for remote consultations, while the e-Accessibility Project provides persons with disabilities with assistive technology. 

To ensure sustainability, the NCC has also launched the Impact Alliance, a partnership network involving private sector players, civil society, and international bodies, to co-invest in inclusive connectivity.

In response to the sabotage of telecom infrastructure, Dr Maida highlighted the Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII) Order, signed by the President in June 2024, empowering law enforcement to protect telecom assets. 

“Our advocacy has led to 11 states offering zero charges for right-of-way permits,” he said, adding that 70 others have aligned with the national benchmark of ₦145 per linear metre.

The Commission has also been working with mobile network operators, global partners like GSMA and the World Bank, and the Office of the National Security Adviser to safeguard telecom assets and promote affordable broadband deployment.

“We stand at a strategic crossroads. The global digital race is accelerating, and we must act decisively to ensure our youth are creators, not consumers, of digital value,” Dr Maida said.

He urged governors to support right-of-way reforms, operators to speed up rural rollouts, and communities to protect telecom infrastructure. “These assets are their bridge between backwardness and global relevance,” he stated.

With over 45% of Nigeria’s population still living in rural areas, the NCC wants digital inclusion to go beyond policies, it is a national strategy for growth.

The report reveals that women are still 14% less likely than men to use mobile internet in LMICs, with approximately 885 million women remaining unconnected. 

It also notes a slowdown in the rate of women’s mobile internet adoption, leaving around 235 million fewer women than men using mobile internet in these regions. Again, about 60% of the unconnected women live in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa.

The eighth edition of the GSMA report examines data on women’s mobile access and use across 15 LMICs, the barriers they face to adopting and using mobile internet and how this compares with men. 

Mobile is the primary way that most people in LMICs access the internet, particularly women.  Most women report that mobile internet positively impacts their lives. It enhances connectivity, supports livelihoods, and provides access to critical services like healthcare, education, and financial services.   

Persistent gender gaps 

The report reveals that more women than ever before (63%) are using mobile internet in LMICs, but persistent and substantial gender gaps in adoption and use remain. Between 2017 and 2020, the mobile internet gender gap narrowed substantially, dropping from 25% to 15%. 

However, progress stalled in 2021 and 2022, when the mobile internet gender gap widened slightly. Promisingly, in 2023, the gender gap narrowed again for the first time in three years, bringing the gap back to 15%, the same level as in 2020, only to remain relatively unchanged at 14% today. The gap remains widest in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, at 32% and 29%, respectively.  

Claire Sibthorpe, head of Digital Inclusion at the GSMA, comments: “It’s disheartening that progress in reducing the mobile internet gender gap has stalled. The data highlights the urgent need for increased focus and investment by all stakeholders working together to close the digital gender divide. The mobile internet gender gap is not going to close on its own. It is driven by deep-rooted social, economic, and cultural factors that disproportionately impact women.

“Our Connected Women Commitment Initiative shows that by taking concrete actions to address women’s needs and the barriers they face, it is possible to drive change. Since this initiative was launched in 2016, our operator partners have collectively reached over 80 million additional women with mobile internet or mobile money services.” 

Affordability, literacy and digital skills remain key barriers  

While 61% of women in LMICs own a smartphone, that still leaves around 945 million women without a smartphone, 230 million fewer women than men, marking no significant change since 2023. 

The affordability of internet-enabled handsets remains one of the top barriers to mobile internet adoption, with the cost of an entry-level handset representing 24% of a woman’s monthly income in LMICs, compared with 12% of men’s.

Literacy and digital skills is the other top reported barrier to mobile internet adoption among those who are aware of mobile internet. 

Even once women are online, they tend to use it less frequently than men and for a narrower range of services, citing barriers including safety and security concerns, affordability (particularly of data, but also handsets) and connectivity experience.  

The GSMA estimates that over the period 2023 to 2030, closing the gender gap in mobile internet adoption in LMICs would add $1.3 trillion in additional GDP. Closing the gender gap in mobile ownership and use over this period would also deliver $230 billion in additional revenue to the mobile industry.  

The Mobile Gender Gap Report 2025 is funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) via the GSMA Mobile for Development Foundation, with research funded in part by the Gates Foundation.   

In this role, he will support the Chair and Board in overseeing the strategic direction of the organisation, which represents the world’s mobile operators and companies in the broader mobile ecosystem.

Vivek Badrinath, director general of the GSMA, commented:

“My warmest congratulations to Mr Mupita on being elected as the Deputy Chair of the GSMA Board. His experience will be invaluable as we continue to navigate the dynamic landscape of our industry. I look forward to working closely with him and the Board.”

Mr Mupita said:

“This appointment is a great honour as it comes at a time of rapid developments in technology and increasing digital adoption across Africa. Mobile technology will play a critical part in addressing the pressing challenges facing our communities and unlocking the full potential of Africa and the rest of the Global South, ensuring that no one is left behind in this journey toward a more connected future”.

“I am committed to supporting the strategic direction of the GSMA, which plays a pivotal role in representing the global mobile ecosystem. Together, we will continue to drive innovation and positive change in the industry,” he added.

Mr Ralph Mupita is the group president and CEO of MTN Group, a position he has held since September 2020, after previously serving as MTN Group’s Chief Financial Officer from April 2017.

Since joining MTN, he has helped strengthen the Group’s financial position and strategy formulation and overseen the successful listing of MTN subsidiaries in Ghana, Nigeria, Rwanda and Uganda.

Prior to joining MTN, Mr Mupita was CEO for Old Mutual Emerging Markets, providing financial service solutions to individuals and corporates across 19 countries in Africa, Latin America and Asia.

He holds a BSc. Engineering (Hons) and MBA from the University of Cape Town and has completed the General Management Program at Harvard Business School.

• Only the second Indian to chair the prestigious telecom industry body after Mr. Sunil Bharti Mittal
• Appointment also highlights the critical role of Airtel in the global Telecom industry

The Board of Directors of the GSMA elected Gopal Vittal – Vice Chairman & MD, Bharti Airtel, as its new Chairman, until the end of 2026.

Gopal is currently the acting Chair of the GSMA board.

In his role as the Chairman, Gopal will oversee the strategic direction of the GSMA. The members of this prestigious body include 1000 telecom companies from around the world, handset and device companies, software companies, equipment providers, internet companies, as well as organizations in adjacent industry sectors.

Gopal becomes the second Indian after Sunil Bharti Mittal to be elected as the Chairman of the GSMA Board.

The appointment also highlights the significant influence Airtel has in the global telecom industry, with both Sunil Bharti Mittal and Gopal Vittal having held key positions on the GSMA Board for years.

Taking on the role, Gopal Vittal said:

“I am honoured to be elected as the Chair of the GSMA Board. The mobile industry contributed $6.5 trillion to the global economy in 2024 and is the spine on which much of the innovation in the world is built. The GSMA, as a global organisation unifying the mobile ecosystem, is fundamental to discover, develop and deliver innovation that impacts positive change for all. I look forward to working closely with the GSMA team and the rest of the Board to continue this important work “

Mats Granryd, Director General of the GSMA, commented:

“I have worked with Mr. Vittal for many years and am delighted that he has been appointed Chair of the GSMA Board. His knowledge and experience makes him very well positioned to lead the Board and the industry through the current challenges and opportunities, including how to leverage AI and complete 5G for new business models and revenues streams.”

Gopal has served on the GSMA Board in different capacities for over a decade including as Deputy Chair for the last three years.

Most recently, he was also appointed the Acting Chair of the GSMA board in early 2025 and has now been formally elected as the Chair of the GSMA board.

Gopal will serve as the Chair of the Board until the end of 2026. The GSMA Board will announce the election of a new Deputy Chair in due course.

Gopal Vittal is currently the Vice Chairman and Managing Director of Bharti Airtel and is also a Board member of Bharti Airtel Limited, Airtel Africa PLC and Indus Towers. Prior to this, he was the Managing Director & CEO for Airtel for 12 years.

The company, which deploys GSMA Open Gateway, is scaling up its collaborations with mobile network operators (MNOs) worldwide. 

This is a change from experimental phases to large-scale commercial implementation, reiterating Open Gateway’s role in the sustainability of telecommunications security and digital identity.

Through its partnership with Google Cloud, Glide Identity is bringing enterprise-grade identity solutions to both first-party and third-party applications. This collaboration underlines Open Gateway’s prospects, with top industry players backing its adoption. 

Glide’s approach allows telecom operators to enhance security and simplify authentication processes, particularly in mobile verification services.

At the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2025, Glide Identity demonstrated its progress during a panel discussion featuring representatives from Google Cloud, T-Mobile, and Telefónica. 

The highlight was the Firebase phone number verification service, which replaces traditional SMS-based one-time passwords (OTPs) with an advanced SIM-based cryptographic solution. 

This innovation addresses long-standing security issues in authentication processes and brings a seamless user experience.

With network operators like T-Mobile and Telefónica integrating into its ecosystem, Glide is rolling out OG Connect, a Telco Identity Server that enables MNOs to expose Open Gateway services. This allows mobile operators to connect directly to Google Firebase’s verification system, supporting multiple security use cases.

The adoption of Open Gateway technology offers several benefits to telecom providers, including:

• Enhanced security through SIM-based cryptography, reducing risks associated with SMS OTP fraud.
• Standardised authentication APIs that align with GSMA Open Gateway specifications.
• Integrated billing via Google Cloud, simplifying transactions for developers and businesses.

Eran Haggiag, founder and CEO of Glide Identity, noted the importance of this partnership: “Our strategic partnership with Google, combined with our rapidly expanding network of Mobile Network Operators, demonstrates the industry’s confidence in Glide Identity’s vision. We’re on track to achieve global coverage, with our target of planet-scale implementation by the end of next year. As we approach the AGI era, humanity needs to upgrade its identity infrastructure. We offer free tools and integration to MNOs to drive 10X acceleration in adoption.”

Christiaan Brand, group product manager for Identity and Security at Google, also commended the collaboration: “Glide has proven to be a great partner by connecting the dots for interested telcos and providing a way for us to scale this solution rapidly. I am looking forward to seeing how Glide can help us bring Firebase phone number verification to even more telco partners in the coming year.”

David del Val, global open gateway director at Telefónica, spoke on the role of Open Gateway in identity verification: “By partnering with Google, we empower millions of developers to seamlessly verify a consenting user’s phone number through Open Gateway’s APIs. This collaboration enhances security and streamlines authentication via Google Firebase and Glide.”

The integration of Open Gateway into telecom infrastructure aims to bring new opportunities for MNOs, allowing them to offer secure digital identity solutions while unlocking new revenue streams. 

Cybersecurity threats are evolving, but initiatives like these provide a stronger foundation for fraud prevention and data protection across the mobile ecosystem.

The new partnership is designed to deliver a technology showcase at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, establishing the venue as an Advanced Connectivity Innovation Centre, with the objective of promoting the future of connected and autonomous vehicles, drones and unmanned aerial vehicles, and entertainment technologies. 

The partnership will host innovation projects at multiple locations around the circuit to support different technology use cases. 

The showcase will be managed by GSMA Foundry, GSMA’s innovation hub, to serve as a venue for testing and experiencing live demonstrations of connectivity, automotive and smart drone technologies, as well as innovative new fan experiences. 

Positioned at the forefront of technological innovation, the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya will host the first demonstrations at MWC26 Barcelona, followed by dedicated events for fans at motor racing, e-sports and music events throughout 2026.  

John Hoffman, CEO, GSMA Ltd., said: “We are delighted to support Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya’s transformation strategy and technology roadmap. The GSMA Foundry thrives on delivering successful outcomes with valued partners, including more than 70 highly innovative projects since its launch in 2021. This new partnership is no exception, and our work with Mobile World Capital and Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya promises to provide some truly immersive experiences for visitors to future MWC events and at dates throughout the motor racing calendar.” 

Francesc Fajula de Quintana, CEO, Mobile World Capital, said: “This exciting partnership allows us to support the development of innovative digital services and enhance the circuit’s operations. In addition, by leveraging our digital talent program, we will offer reskilling opportunities and foster the circuit’s connection with Barcelona’s digital ecosystem, as well as manage its participation in events such as MWC, Talent Arena and 4YFN, showcasing how technology reshapes our lives and creates new opportunities.” 

Ignasi Armengol, general manager, Fira Circuit, said: “Our strategy for the circuit focuses on digitalisation, sustainability and diversification. Our goal is to develop the infrastructure around the circuit to deliver new and exciting fan and visitor experiences, not only for motorsport but other sporting, music and business events, such as MWC. We aim to deliver a long-term vision and leave a legacy that replicates the success model of Fira Barcelona.” 

In addition to showcasing connected and autonomous vehicle technologies, GSMA Foundry and GSMA Fusion will also leverage the new partnership to display enterprise applications based on open APIs. By integrating these open API-based solutions, the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya demonstrates the versatility and potential of enterprise applications in a real-world environment. 

GSMA Fusion is a GSMA Open Gateway initiative facilitating collaboration between enterprises and the mobile industry to create new network-based solutions for the automotive, aviation, financial services, manufacturing, media and broadcast sectors. 

GSMA Fusion announced that it has signed a number of partnerships with leading automotive groups, including the 5G Automotive Association, Automotive Edge Computing Consortium and JASPAR. 

GSMA Foundry’s Richard Cockle will host a panel discussion alongside Eduard Marin from Mobile World Capital and Ignasi Armengol from Fira Circuit, to discuss the new partnership and how the venue will bring connectivity use cases to life. 

The session will take place during the Connected Industries Networking Reception at 17:00 on Wednesday, March 5, 2025.

Through these partnerships, the GSMA will work on behalf of the mobile industry to better understand the connectivity needs of these sectors and support the development of advanced connectivity solutions that enhance safety, efficiency, and customer experience.

The organisations partnering with the GSMA on these collaborations include the 5G Automotive Association (5GAA), Japan Automotive Software Platform and Architecture (JASPAR), Outsight, Safran Passenger Innovations and Seamless Air Alliance. 

This builds on a similar cooperation partnership signed with the Automotive Edge Computing Consortium in October, last year.

Within the GSMA, these activities will be led by GSMA Fusion, the organisation’s recently formed initiative, established to listen directly to the voice of enterprises at an industry level and to identify unmet needs which today’s advanced networks can provide. 

As part of the GSMA Open Gateway, Fusion works with industries such as automotive, aviation, financial services, manufacturing, media and others in order to accelerate demand for 5G API-based and other solutions and to deliver transformative new services for enterprises. 

Mats Granryd, Director General, GSMA, said:

“The partnerships we’re announcing today, through GSMA Fusion, provide strong direction from these industries to ours, helping the mobile ecosystem truly meet the needs of the automotive and aviation sectors and harness the power of mobile connectivity to create innovative solutions that enhance safety, efficiency, and customer experience. When we launched the GSMA Open Gateway initiative at MWC Barcelona two years ago we stated our ambition to unlock the full potential of 5G networks for all industries through universal access and open APIs and the partnership just announced is a step in that direction.”

Aviation Industry: Collaborations with Seamless Air Alliance, Outsight and Safran Passenger Innovations will aim to improve efficiency, safety, and customer satisfaction in the aviation sector. These partnerships will explore the potential of 5G technology to enable in-flight connectivity, real-time aircraft diagnostics, predictive maintenance, and improved flight path optimization. Additional focus areas will be seamless in-flight connectivity and smarter airports with full passenger journey monitoring, with automated check-ins, AR navigation, and better baggage tracking.

Automotive Industry: The GSMA partnerships with 5GAA and JASPAR, in addition to the partnership with AECC, will focus on integrating advanced connectivity to drive innovation in autonomous driving, smart cities, and mobility solutions. By leveraging 5G technology, the automotive sector can enhance safety, efficiency, and sustainability, paving the way for the future of transportation.

According to research by McKinsey, GSMA Open Gateway and other network API initiatives can unlock significant value for the telecommunications industry, and businesses using 5G networks over the next five years. It’s forecast that, if operators can expose more of their network APIs and innovations to enterprise developer and cloud provider communities, then they can unlock up to an additional $25 billion market opportunity from the automotive sector and up to $30bn from the travel, transport and logistics sectors by 2030.

GSMA Open Gateway Initiative Accelerates Into 2025

Launched two years ago, the GSMA Open Gateway is an initiative which ensures mobile operators can provide enterprise developers standardised access to a range of network functions used to create applications and services. 

By bringing together operators from around the world, the initiative facilitates the design of digital products that can function seamlessly across all devices, regardless of country or operator. 

This is achieved through unique access points, known as APIs (Application Programming Interfaces), which serve as gateways to information about network capabilities. These APIs are available through the CAMARA repository, an open-source project by GSMA and the Linux Foundation.

More than 72 mobile operator groups, representing 284 networks and almost 80% of mobile connections across the world have already signed up to participate in the GSMA Open Gateway initiative, with 52 commercial launches taking place.

In addition to reaching enterprise developers through GSMA Fusion, the organisation has also built a large ecosystem of channel partners and ecosystem partners to help mobile operators commercialise their APIs and reach new sectors. 

More than 35 partners including Alibaba Cloud, AWS, Bridge Alliance, Glide, Infobip, Microsoft, Nokia, Shush and ZTE are now actively working with operators and enterprise developers to launch new digital services.

In the past year, operators around the world from Argentina to China, France and the United Kingdom to Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand, have commercialised and launched API services to help online banks, fintechs and retailers improve security and tackle online fraud. 

In addition, the mobile industry is now turning its attention to a whole array of new services and innovations, including Quality-on-Demand APIs to enable safe drone flight, robotics, extended reality and immersive online gaming services over 5G networks. 

The roadmap includes further development in connectivity for network slicing, cybersecurity and cloud enablement.

The GSMA will also be showcasing further GSMA Open Gateway and Fusion activity at MWC Barcelona 2025, including the GSMA Open Gateway DevCon on Tuesday March 4th, where Isaac Bess – Global Head of Distribution at TikTok, Mark Smith, Strategic Advisor to IBC and Nick Venezia and Founder of Centillion.ai will be discussing how the telecoms and media industries can work better on identity and verification. 

The GSMA Open Gateway DevCon will take place at Talent Arena, along with the Open Gateway hackathon. Developers will test their projects under realistic conditions on live networks, with access to the latest network APIs. Mobile World Capital is also bringing 180 developers from Paris on a charter flight with Vueling, and 70 developers on a dedicated high-speed train from Madrid with Iryo.

The GSMA will also be showcasing network APIs in practice at the GSMA Open Gateway Zone in Hall 4 demonstrating a range of examples, including a demo from Nokia and Elmo Cars showing how to remotely drive a car in Finland using APIs.

Dr. Maxime Flament, 5GAA CTO, said:

“We are delighted to enter into partnership with GSMA. It will further strengthen our efforts to develop end-to-end solutions for future automotive services. In this respect, we believe GSMA is the best partner to work on global availability of advanced network features for the automotive industry, among which include global APIs, MEC- and QoS-enabled services as well as cross-MNO MEC solutions. We look forward to working closely with GSMA Fusion to make this a reality.”

Kazuhiro Funai, JASPAR Connectivity WG Chair, said:

“With this agreement we believe GSMA will be a great partner for JASPAR’s members and will provide a valuable bridge between the mobility sector and the mobile operators. We believe there are significant opportunities for operators to provide advanced connectivity services to the automotive sector, thereby enabling future services for our industry.”

Raul Bravo, president and founder, Outsight, said:

“At Outsight, we are shaping the future of transportation and mobility by providing real-time spatial intelligence through our 3D Spatial AI solutions. As the global leader in this field, our partnership with the GSMA allows us to seamlessly combine our LiDAR-based software expertise with the power of 5G connectivity. Together, we are unlocking new possibilities for smarter, safer, and more efficient operations in the aviation and automotive sectors, paving the way for transformative innovations that will redefine customer experiences and operational excellence.”John Andrews, VP Connectivity, Safran Passenger Innovations, said: “As a leader in the In-Flight Entertainment and Connectivity sector we are excited to be working with GSMA to identify new innovations that can be enabled by advanced mobile networks.” 

Jack Mandala, CEO of the Seamless Air Alliance, said:

“Seamless Air Alliance is excited to strengthen our collaboration with the GSMA as we drive the convergence of satellite and terrestrial services to unlock new levels of convenience for consumers while creating new sources of value for mobile network operators.”

This was collaborated by a recent report released by the Global System for Mobile Communications Association (GSMA).

$0.39 [604 NGN] per 1GB: Nigeria among Countries with Cheapest Data Rates

According to the report, Nigeria stands out globally for its affordable mobile data costs, offering cost-effective connectivity services to data users nationwide.

With an average data cost of $0.39 for a gigabyte, mobile data in Nigeria is one of the cheapest in the world and one of the lowest in Africa.

This position was affirmed by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) and revealed in the GSMA report on “The role of mobile technology in driving the digital economy in Nigeria”.

“According to the ITU, the cost in Nigeria (as a % of GNI per capita) for a basic data-only package is the lowest in West Africa and well below the average across Africa,” the GSMA report stated.

In comparison to Nigeria, other African countries, such as Kenya, Ethiopia and South Africa have higher data costs, with Kenya averaging $0.59 per gigabyte, Ethiopia with an average of $0.68 per gigabyte and South Africa at $1.77 per gigabyte. Notably, the United States of America offers data rates at an average of $6 for a gigabyte.

Amid its cost-friendly and competitive data rates, Nigerian telecommunications operators are currently advocating for a tariff increase, to address the pressing challenges the sector is faced with, due to currency devaluation, inflation and the overall Nigerian economic downturn in the past months.

Dr Karl Toriola, MTN Nigeria’s chief executive officer, during a recent interview with Channels TV, highlighted the diverse challenges the Nigerian telecommunications industry had to scale through in the past year due to the state of the Nigerian economy, emphasizing the need for tariff adjustments to ensure sustainability of the sector.

“2024 was a very torrid year for the entire telecoms industry. We are the largest operators, so we were probably able to be a bit more resilient but it’s been very difficult,” he said.

Dr Toriola cited the major factors which contributed to the challenges of telecoms operations in 2024, noting that the cost of operations of the telecoms firm now exceeds its revenue.

“The difficulty was triggered by the currency devaluation and inflation which happened on a very rapid scale. What this has done is that it has driven the cost of operations up so significantly, that by the end of the year, we are spending more to keep operations up and running than we are generating in revenue and that is not sustainable,” Toriola said.

He noted that the tariff increase will enable telecom operators to build the capacity needed to provide quality services.

“What the tariff adjustment allows us to do is to continue to reinvest, because we need to build capacity, build resilience, put in additional generators and alternative power supply systems for stable and high-quality networks,” Toriola added.

More importantly, he emphasized that the operations of telecom operators are threatened due to present challenges and the tariff adjustments are needed for the sector to survive.“If you have any organization that’s spending 160% of what it earns in revenue, at some point that organization is going to shut down. We are running on fumes to keep our networks up, and we are keeping our networks up. We are not shutting down any networks at this point, because we believe that sooner or later, the sustainability issue will be addressed,” he stated.

The Federal Government has acknowledged the need for tariff adjustments, while also assuring Nigerians that any increase will be moderate, and not up to 100% as the telcos had requested.

Speaking on the tariff increase in a recent stakeholders’ meeting with Mobile Network Operators, Dr Bosun Tijani, the minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, said:

“We want to strike the balance as a government, to protect our people, but also protect and ensure that these companies can continue to invest significantly”.

As discussions concerning the advancement of the telecom sector continue to unfold, stakeholders seek to balance the industry’s operational sustainability with consumer affordability, ensuring that Nigeria’s digital landscape thrives and is accessible to all Nigerians.