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Ericsson Mobility Report: 5G is estimated to cover 60 percent of the world’s population in 2026

Ericsson 5G

Momentum continues in the build-out of 4G (LTE) networks. Global 4G population coverage will be over 80 percent at the end of 2020 and is forecast to reach around 95 percent in 2026.

4G networks are also evolving to deliver increased network capacity and faster data speeds.

There are currently 795 commercial 4G networks deployed.

 Of these, 324 have been upgraded to LTE-Advanced, and 41 Gigabit LTE networks have been commercially launched.

According to Ericsson Mobility Report released on Monday, 30th November, 2020, the 5G launch and deployment as per the end of 2019 Global 5G population coverage was around 5 percent at the end of 2019, with the main deployments made in larger cities.

The most extensive coverage build-outs have been in the US, China, South Korea and Switzerland.

In South Korea, service providers rapidly built 5G networks that covered a large part of the population.

In Switzerland, 5G population coverage reached over 90 percent at the end of 2019. 5G estimated to cover over 1 billion people by the end of 2020.

 To date, there have been more than 100 5G commercial launches across the world. The estimated population coverage by the end of 2020 is approximately 15 percent, equivalent to over 1 billion people.

5G coverage build-out can be divided into three broad deployments:

  1. New bands in the sub-6GHz range
  2. mmWave frequency bands
  3. Existing LTE bands

“There are big differences between countries in how service providers have deployed 5G. In the US, all three of these categories have been used, resulting in 5G coverage for a large part of the population. In Europe, countries such as Germany and Spain have used deployments in existing bands to create substantial coverage. China has mainly deployed new bands to achieve a large population coverage.” Explains part of the report.

The findings also highlighted that 5G estimated to cover around 60 percent of the population in 2026.

 There are several global factors impacting the forecast; the most evident short-term ones are COVID-19 and the geopolitical situation.

The exact impact of these factors on 5G population coverage remains to be seen. 5G is still expected to be the fastest deployed mobile communication technology in history and is forecast to cover about 60 percent of the world’s population in 2026.

Growth of Mobile Subscription in Sub-Saharan Africa

In Sub-Saharan Africa, mobile subscriptions will continue to grow over the forecast period as mobile penetration, at 84 percent, is less than the global average.

LTE is estimated to account for around 15 percent of subscriptions by the end of 2020.

LTE stands for “Long Term Evolution” and is a marketing phrase to signify progression toward true 4G.

Over the forecast period mobile broadband subscriptions are predicted to increase, reaching 76 percent of mobile subscriptions.

While 5G and LTE subscriptions will continue to grow over the next 6 years, HSPA (High Speed Packet Access) will remain the dominant technology with a share of over 40 percent in 2026.

The November Ericsson Mobility Report revealed that driving factors behind the growth of mobile broadband subscriptions include a young, growing population with increasing digital skills and more affordable smartphones.

Over the forecast period, discernible volumes of 5G subscriptions are expected from 2022, reaching 5 percent in 2026.

Middle East and North Africa

In the Middle East and North Africa region, around 30 percent of mobile subscriptions are estimated to be for LTE at the end of 2020. The region is anticipated to evolve over the forecast period, and by 2026, almost 80 percent of subscriptions are expected to be for mobile broadband, with LTE as the dominant technology with more than 50 percent of the subscriptions.

Commercial 5G deployments with leading service providers have taken place here during 2019 and 2020 and 5G subscriptions will reach close to 1.4 million by the end of 2020, with most in the Gulf countries.

Significant 5G volumes are expected in 2021 and the region is likely to reach around 130 million 5G subscriptions in 2026, representing around 15 percent of total mobile subscriptions.

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Ericsson Mobility Report: 5G is estimated to cover 60 percent of the world’s population in 2026
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Ericsson Accelerating Africa’s Digital Future

Jacques Kabandana, Rwanda Country Representative

Digital transformation driven innovative solutions and 5G internet to propel Africa towards the digital future were some of the highlights at the 2020 Virtual Africa Tech Festival (AfricaCom) from November 9 to 12, 2020.

The unprecedented event of 2020 has brought into focus the critical role that digital infrastructure plays in the functioning of almost every aspect of contemporary society.

At the event, global tech giant, Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC) took center stage to share its role of connectivity in powering Africa’s digital future and in achieving a positive impact on people’s lives.

KT Press’s Daniel Sabiiti spoke to Ericsson Rwanda Spokesperson and Country Manager Jacques Kabandana (JK) to find out what the company has in package for Africa.

KT Press – What is the Ericsson plan, prospectus and progress on the 5G network in Africa? Where are we and what is being done to roll out this network?

JK- 5G holds immense potential of opportunities in Africa, driving the industry’s digitization and the pursue for innovation. 5G commercialization is planned between 2020 and 2022, with a focus on use cases and applications relevant in the African context. These include: Enhanced Mobile Broadband, Fixed Wireless Access, and the Internet of Things (IoT) applications.

As 5G offers greater throughput and lower latency, it will bring more use cases to Internet of Things, enabling massive connectivity and allowing new applications for consumers and enterprises such as smart vehicles and transport, architecture, remote healthcare and new levels of automation and human-IoT interaction.

Ericsson has been working in close partnership with African service providers on 5G from tests in the lab, field trials, and now initial customer deployment. Throughout this process, our customers and their service requirements are our top priority. Our aim is to build a network to cater for current and future required services.

In addition to facilitating the delivery of next-generation mobile broadband, cloud and providing support for massive IoT deployment, this collaboration will also enable new industry use cases thanks to increased throughput and reduced latency.

KT Press- How much is Ericsson investing in this network and which African regions or countries will be among the first beneficiaries?

JK- Ericsson is working with key service providers across the continent, helping them create new services, new customer bases and new digital ecosystems.

At the forefront of the digital transformation, MTN selected Ericsson a primary 5G vendor for the deployment of a live 5G network in Africa. As a partner, Ericsson is deploying next-generation technology with built-in customizations and innovations to deliver rich consumer experience while building a robust, future-proof network. The 5G-ready solutions in the Ericsson Radio System portfolio will help boost the capacity of MTN’s LTE network and broaden the availability of high-quality mobile broadband services for its subscribers.

In a related development, Telma Madagascar switched on their 5G commercial network to offer subscribers high-speed services enabled by the new generation of mobile connectivity. Powered by Ericsson, the 5G network is now live at 16 sites, and will further expand to five more sites during the course of 2020.

Ericsson is proud to contribute to Africa’s journey to building communication capabilities of the future and complement its efforts towards a vibrant digital economy. Our solutions help African service providers to automate, manage, and orchestrate hybrid networks in real time, while they engage digitally with customers and monetize improved customer experiences.

KT Press- 5G internet is an exciting progress in technological advancement but the biggest question is affordability. How do you plan on addressing this concern of which while internet is driving lives of many Africans, its access is still begging?

JK- In Sub-Saharan Africa, LTE accounted for around 11% of subscriptions in 2019. Broadband subscriptions are predicted to increase, reaching 72% of mobile subscriptions by 2025, according to the June 2020 edition of the Ericsson Mobility Report. LTE share will reach around 30% by the end of the forecast period, and LTE subscriptions are set to triple, increasing from 90 million in 2019 to 270 million in 2025.

Driving factors behind the growth of mobile broadband subscriptions include a young and growing population with increasing digital skills, and more affordable smartphones. Over the forecast period, discernible volumes of 5G subscriptions are expected from 2022, reaching 3% by 2025.

In Africa, the evolution of 4G into 5G could be a powerful economic growth engine, particularly as this advanced mobile technology is deployed looking into improving productivity in key vertical industrial sectors.

The aim is for 5G networks to be highly efficient, faster, support more users, more devices, more services, and new use cases without a corresponding impact on cost or carbon footprint. 5G will revolutionize five key industries including: TV and media; manufacturing; healthcare; telecommunications and transportation and infrastructure.

KT Press- What is Ericsson’s plan in Accelerating Africa’s digital agenda, and what will this entail?

JK– Africa represents a world of opportunity for us at Ericsson and we are eager to grow our business and presence in the continent. We see a real potential in African markets when it comes to 4G and fintech adoption. To address that, we focus on supporting our customers in the African markets with relevant and cost-effective 4G solutions and services, all while adapting to Africa’s requirements.

The continent has emerged as one of the strongest adopters of innovation, with the rapid rise in usage of technology and smartphones. Just look at how mobile money was initiated in Africa and is now surging all over the continent.

Moreover, Africa has come a long way in its digitisation journey – from mobile telephony to broadband, and from connecting to digitising key economic sectors, jobs, education, healthcare, government and society in general.

We all agree that Africa is witnessing a major technology shift and the pace of change in Africa is becoming exponential. At Ericsson, we have launched #AfricaInMotion to accelerate technology roll-out in Africa together with our partners and reiterate our commitment to the continent.

KT Press- COVID-19 pandemic has forever changed the world and how we do business. Has Ericsson picked any lessons from the COVID-19 crisis which could change the way the company does its business in this new normal, and possibly inform its investments in the Africa digital agenda?

JK- The pandemic has driven adoption and increased usage of many ICT services that have enabled consumers to build a new normal underpinned by connectivity. The massive disruption caused by COVID-19 has demonstrated the criticality of the network in today’s society and we are currently working closely with our customers to keep their networks running.

With our commitment to innovation and long history of engaging in Africa’s telecom industry, we at Ericsson are driven to deliver the next-generation technology solutions to Africa. These can enable sweeping changes to industrial production, allow seamless access to societal services and provide people with ways of living harmoniously with their environment.

A young and growing African population with savvy digital skills and behaviour could offset some adverse trends such as the current slowdown in global trade caused by the COVID-19 restrictions and indicate favourable growth for telecom and ICT services.

The current COVID-19 restrictions have demonstrated the benefits of a digitized economy, facilitating working from home as an example. This could prove to be an opportunity for Africa to accelerate its journey towards raising the role digital and telecom services play in a socio-economical context.

KT Press- How Ericsson is involved driving the virtual leadership in Africa which is one of the ways to build Africa’s most powerful business networks.

JK– We believe that ICT is the catalyst for digital transformation, with mobile networks being the crucial ingredient in increasing Africa’s economic competitiveness in the global arena. While we have witnessed impressive market developments in recent years, Africa’s ICT sector still has growth potential compared to leading economies.

A conducive, enabling policy environment that generates regulatory certainty is key to encouraging market development through partnerships, entrepreneurship, job creation and knowledge sharing. We at Ericsson are constantly looking for opportunities to collaborate and engage with partners across the board to facilitate such policy development to fast tracking digitization across the African continent and our recent collaboration with the African Telecommunications Union is one example.

Another initiative we have launched is our “Ericsson Graduates Program “, a program that will offer fresh graduates a chance to join experienced Ericsson staff for on-the-job, online and classroom learning followed by recruitment to join the Ericsson world. The program also engages with young talents from Africa – the changemakers-to explore and identify innovative ideas that reflect and capture the needs of the continent with an ambition to accelerate the African markets’ digitalization journey.

KT Press- At AfricaCom 2020, Ericsson presented innovative solutions to improve the efficiency of its customers’ network operations. What are some of these solutions and how will they make a difference?

JK- Ericsson showcased digital transformation and innovation solutions to propel Africa towards the future with an interactive exhibition dedicated to 5G, AI, IoT, blockchain, fintech, cloud, data centers and security.

As part of our Africa in Motion campaign, Ericsson’s focus at the event is on building the networks of Africa and accelerating its digital agenda using AI and automation as value creators. Experts highlighted CSR initiatives including Tech for Good and UNICEF GIGA Program as well as a wide range of connectivity solutions in addition to participating in empowering discussions and forming strategic partnerships geared towards unlocking new opportunities in the continent.

Ericsson also presented innovative solutions to improve the efficiency of its customers’ network operations, allowing them to focus on new services and technologies, and ultimately improve the experience for the user – driven by Ericsson’s Africa in Motion campaign.

KT- Ericsson plans on Applying Artificial Intelligence (AI) Automation across the Entire Lifecycle of Network Operations. Is Africa ready for AI and how do you plan on making this workable especially with issues surrounding personal data security and access to reliable internet in Africa?

JK- Africa has great readiness to embrace AI today. There is a very high potential to advance AI in both development and application fronts in Africa, and Ericsson is executing plans to build on this already.

We have been hiring data engineers, data scientists and data analysts based in African countries. One of the few Ericsson AI talent hubs is based in Africa already. We have also been deploying different AI use cases in different networks in the continent, so applying AI across the entire network operations lifecycle is a reality in Africa today.

Yet, as you have correctly mentioned, making this workable requires special attention to data privacy and security regulations as well as the infrastructure status in each country. We have seen different maturity levels across countries, so we believe that one solution will not fit all.

For example, we have used data anonymization techniques to ensure that if user-identifying information is being processed or transferred, it is done in the strictest manner adhering to local laws. We have also opted to use local instances of our AI algorithms wherever data transfer is not possible due to regulation, cost or infrastructure reliability.

KT Press- Ericsson is excited to participate at this year’s AfricaCom to continue setting #AfricaInMotion. What does this mean for the company and its Africa operations?

JK- The unprecedented events of 2020 have brought into focus the critical role that digital infrastructure plays in the functioning of virtually every aspect of contemporary society. Africa is home to over a billion people and the population is expected to grow in the coming years. It is also a continent with the most growing economies. ICT is essential for Africa’s development and adequate ICT service deployment and digital connectivity will play a crucial role in the continent achieving economic sustainability.

We are working with customers across Africa to build best performing network intelligence and automation solutions for increased speed and efficiency. Connectivity is pivotal to how we operate as a company and AfricaCom gave us an opportunity to demonstrate our commitment to driving Africa’s digital future.

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Ericsson Interview –October 2020

Spokesperson: Todd Ashton, Vice President and Head of Ericsson East and South Africa

  1. Take us through the Historical background of Ericsson and how the company’s administration decided to invest into the Rwandan and East African Market?

Ericsson has done business in East Africa for over 100 years when sales of telephone receivers commenced in 1894.We are well established with offices in Rwanda, Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania. We operate in the Information and Communication System (ICT) sector together with our partners being the services providers such as MTN and Airtel. Our comprehensive portfolio ranges across Networks, Digital Services, Managed Services and Emerging Business.

We at Ericsson believe that ICT has the ability to level the global playing field and enable African countries to harness the full potential of their human capital. We also agree that a well-planned policy and regulatory environment is key to encouraging partnerships, entrepreneurship, job creation and knowledge sharing.

  • Ericsson as a telecommunication company has invested in the modernization of its technologies. Where are you now in terms tech innovations? IoT for instance?

Massive IoT technologies continue to be rolled out around the world, but at a slightly slower pace in 2020 than previously forecast due to the impact of COVID-19. 2G and 3G connectivity still enable the majority of IoT applications, but during 2019, the number of Massive IoT connections increased by a factor of 3, reaching close to 100 million connections at the end of the year according to Ericsson Mobility Report figures.

At Ericsson, our new offerings within cellular IoT will enable service providers to address a larger part of the IoT market – with more advanced use cases, across multiple industries. Broadband IoT and Industrial Automation IoT are launched as new segments, to complement the existing segments Massive IoT and Critical IoT. We’ve also enhanced our Massive IoT offering which, together with new Broadband IoT solutions, are designed to leverage new capabilities across 4G and 5G – connecting service providers with new growth opportunities in industry digitalization. 

  • What are the feasible 5g applications for IoT that are applicable for social development in East Africa (ie health care, soil monitoring, education, transportation)?

5G will revolutionize 5 key industries including: TV and media; manufacturing; healthcare; telecommunications; and transportation and infrastructure. Ericsson’s 5G Business Potential report outlines a set of industries served by more than 200 qualified 5G-enabled use cases, divided into nine use case categories or clusters. These are enhanced video services, real-time automation, monitoring and tracking, connected vehicle, autonomous robotics, hazard and maintenance sensing, smart surveillance, remote operations and augmented reality.

Each use case category or cluster serves a set of industries. Looking at a couple of examples, ‘Enhanced video services’, is as expected, dominated by the media and entertainment industry. But in addition, more than half of its value comes from other industries, such as healthcare, manufacturing and public safety industries. For ‘Real-time automation’, the value is largely being built up on the industries of public transportation, manufacturing and healthcare. 

  • How do you stimulate the market and the SME’s appetite towards your services?

Our primary mission as a company is the development and deployment of mobile broadband.  This has major benefits both for the economy and for society and will unleash the innovation potential for both consumer and SMEs across Africa.  We believe that achieving broadband is a basic human right and we know that for every 1000 new broadband connections, 80 new jobs are created (Ericsson and ArthurDLittle). 

A 10% increase in mobile broadband adoption secures 0.6 to 2.8% GDP growth (Ericsson and Imperial college) and doubling of average achieved broadband speed generates an additional 0.3% GDP growth (e, ArthurD little, Chalmers university).  Therefore, we believe it’s important to accelerate the rollout of 4G and prepare for 5G in the near future.

One important enabler for the acceleration is the development and implementation of regulatory policies that stimulate investment and competition.  In most markets we see that about three license holders can make significant investments to achieve a good and affordable customer experience for mobile broadband while at the same time getting reasonable returns.  In Rwanda specifically, we are encouraging the release of technology neutral spectrum for mobile companies with a track record and willingness to invest in mobile broadband.  These licenses should be affordable and long term in nature, thereby creating a better case for investment in order to achieve the economic benefits outlined above.

  • How do you see the contribution of Ericsson in responding to digital divide in Africa and especially in countries of East Africa?

Our mission has always been to help our customers connect the unconnected. This can be challenging under normal circumstances but especially critical in a time of crisis like we have now.

Our engineers and field staff are part of critical teams deployed during a crisis. Our teams have been working around the clock to ensure our customers’ networks can withstand shifts in bandwidth needs as people continue to work and use video conferencing from home and kids are attending classes online instead of in the classroom.

The communications industry supports other industries by enabling them to deliver digital products and services such as health care, education, finance, commerce, governance and agriculture. It also plays a vital role in tackling climate change by helping other industries reduce emissions and improve efficiency. We are continuing to stay close to our customers to understand their needs, and we are doing everything possible to support our customers to maximize their network capacity and performance.

  • What are Ericsson’s projects taking place that one can benefit from? Especially for Young entrepreneurs in the nascent business ecosystems and those whose services tackle key development sectors?

Our annual Ericsson Innovation Awards (EIA) is a global competition that offers university students around the world the chance to develop new, innovative ideas with support from Ericsson experts. The 2020 Ericsson Innovation Awards (EIA) is a call to ‘Reclaim the Future.’ This year, the annual global competition calls on students around the globe to set major change in motion by committing to addressing the current and future challenges of climate action. Focused on how ICT/technology solutions can provide radical climate change mitigation for consumers and industry alike.

Ericsson also has a Graduate Program in several African countries including Kenya, Nigeria, Sudan and Angola. The program aims to fast-track young, potential leaders, train them in the Ericsson ways of working and strategy as well as ensure that they are geared up to meet the business challenges of the future.

Ericsson’s Graduate Program will cultivate change leaders and impactful executors in Africa who strive to make the company better through the orchestration of culture, process, and technology. It will develop ambitious, agile and high performing leaders who will contribute to next generation technologies for years to come.

In addition, Ericsson is committed to developing STEM leaders through digital transformation initiatives and events in East Africa. We are fully aware of the challenges in Rwanda when it comes to capacity building in various sectors including STEM which is one of the objectives of the Rwanda National Employment Program (NEP) and we are working on addressing its key objectives. Since its establishment in 2009, Ericsson Rwanda has focused on recruiting and empowering local talents, we are proud to have more local than foreign resources in our workforce.

  • Recently Ericsson has been ranked as the 12 most sustainably managed company in the world, congratulations! What are the lessons on the new normal and adaptation to remote working at Ericsson?

Sustainability is central to Ericsson’s purpose – and the company was recently ranked #12 on The Wall Street Journal’s list of the 100 Most Sustainably Managed Companies in the World.

Ericsson’s Sustainability and Corporate Responsibility strategy focuses on three pillars: responsible business, environmental sustainability and digital inclusion. We firmly believe in sustainability practices based on science and embedded throughout our business can help create value for employees, customers, investors and – ultimately – society. It’s excellent recognition of cross-company collaboration to reduce risks and create positive impacts across our value-chain.

We are going through unprecedented times with the coronavirus pandemic, which has impacted everyone around the world either directly or indirectly. As a global company with around 100,000 employees and presence in 180 countries, we are aware of our responsibilities towards the societies where we operate. Throughout this crisis, we guide our decisions by putting the safety and health of our employees, customers and partners as a first priority. Ericsson currently has a large number of employees working from home globally. All main production sites are currently in operation.

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Ericsson discusses accelerating Africa’s digital future at AfricaCom 2020

Antenna System
  • Ericsson experts to highlight the role of connectivity in powering Africa’s digital future
  • Focus on improving connectivity and bridging the digital divide

Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC) will discussits digital transformation and innovation solutions to propel Africa towards the future at AfricaCom, part of Africa Tech Festival, a virtual event taking place from November 9 to 12, 2020.

At the event, Ericsson willfocus on the role of connectivity in powering Africa’s digital future and in achieving a positive impact on people’s lives. As part of its keynotes and speaker sessions,Ericsson will cover topics such as how to realize the opportunities of a digitalized Africa, how smarter networks will accelerate Africa’s digital agenda, the progress and prospects of 5G in Africa, and howArtificial Intelligence (AI) and automation creates value across the lifecycle of network operations.

Ericsson will also host a roundtable about bridging the digital divide by focusing on connectivity for schools and learners. The Giga initiative is a UNICEF and International Telecommunication Union (ITU) initiative to connect every school, which identifies internet access for education as a key enabler for today’s youth. 

The unprecedented events of 2020 have brought into focus the critical role that digital infrastructure plays in the functioning of almost every aspect of contemporary society. Africa is home to over a billion people and the population is expected to grow in the coming years. It is also a continent with the most growing economies. ICT is essential for Africa’s development and adequate ICT service deployment and digital connectivity will play a crucial role in achieving economic sustainability in the continent.

Ericsson is excited to participate at this year’s AfricaCom to continue setting #AfricaInMotion. Register here for your free pass to join Ericsson’s sessions and roundtable: https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/

Follow our hashtag #AfricaInMotion for live updates from the event.

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Africa in Motion: Driving innovation, economic growth & societal inclusion

Nora Wahby, Vice President and Head of Ericsson West Africa & Morocco

By: Nora Wahby, Vice President and Head of Ericsson West Africa & Morocco

All around the world, digital transformation is becoming a critical factor in long-term, sustainable economic development, and Africa is no exception. With two decades of experience behind me, I feel a lot of pride in being part of a digital transformation journey with Ericsson which allows me to share my love of technology and how it can accelerate socio-economic prosperity towards the people of Africa.

We, at Ericsson, believe that ICT has the ability to level the global playing field and enable African countries to harness the full potential of their human capital. Almost two years ago, I landed in Africa for my first business trip to meet the team and customers in Senegal. Not only did the career move appeal to my sense of adventure and exploration, I was excited about the life-changing experiences about to unfold.

I did not know about the culture except few stories from my father who had visited Dakar in the 80s and who talked a lot about the kindness of the people and how much he loved the food, the music and the colors. 

As a business leader, my personal purpose ties very well into Ericsson’s vision in accelerating the broadband adoption in Africa. Ericsson’s vision calls for us to connect the unconnected because we believe that access to communication is a basic human need. We believe people in rural parts of Africa will benefit greatly from mobile connectivity, which greatly increases access to information and services that support health, education and small businesses.

In a world where all Africans have access to quality education and health service, this young continent will keep beating with endless opportunities building on a rich heritage, a vibrant culture and a young population dreaming of the future. Driven by a desire to better understand the needs of mobile users in Africa and provide them with specialized services, I committed to the vision of an empowered Africa through technology, innovation and the principles of digital inclusion. In my heart I’m determined to put #AfricaInMotion

A Connected Africa

Operating in a very mature and competitive market that has grown significantly in the last ten years, telecommunication service providers in Africa are playing an increasingly important role in helping both governments and cities deepen their understanding about the concrete steps they can take to increase Africa’s competitiveness in the global economy through supporting and encouraging the increased use of ICT.

Connectivity not only offers great potential to transform cities and industries, but it also fosters inclusion and makes a positive, sustainable economic impact. With the ambition of supporting the acceleration of Africa’s digitization journey, we are working jointly with our customers – the service providers – and other stakeholders across the continent to enable #AfricaInMotion. The campaign highlights the continent’s potential to accelerate digital adoption and leapfrog into a new era of socio-economic prosperity.

One example is financial inclusion through the use of digital technology as an essential element in furthering the economic development of Africa. Mobile money services have become an essential, life-changing tool across the continent for both women and men, providing access to safe and secure financial services but also to energy, health, education and employment opportunities.

In my opinion, putting this campaign into action for Ericsson is key to strengthening Africa’s digital future underpinned by connectivity. Also, I am greatly encouraged by the fact that our attempt to foster inclusion and bridge the digital divide carries significant potential to contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Africa.

Spurring Post-Pandemic Economic Recovery

During an unprecedented crisis like the COVID-19 pandemic, the value of fixed and mobile networks as the backbone of our society has become more apparent than ever before. Given the current speed and capacity of cellular networks with LTE, there are opportunities for African service providers to deliver broadband services to homes and small and medium-sized enterprises economically using Fixed Wireless Access (FWA).Several factors are driving the FWA market in Africa and beyond: demand from consumers and businesses for digital services along with government-sponsored programs and subsidies. 

Africa had my heart from Day 1, with its natural beauty, rich culture and friendly people. I have always felt welcome here. I am convinced that high-speed mobile connectivity will be instrumental in providing a stable platform for innovation and economic growth in the continent, not  least when we factor in the big potential that is still untapped by unlocking ecosystems and digitalizing our industry verticals such as the health sector, energy and utilities, transportation, agriculture, etc.

With the help of smart, long-term investments in infrastructure – including mobile broadband, fixed wireless access and fintech services.

-end-

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Ericsson launches Graduate Program in Africa to help innovate the future

  • Program to fast-track and train potential leaders and innovators to engage with the most exciting technology on the planet
  • Fresh graduates to work with pioneers in ICT and advanced thinkers in their chosen field
  • Ericsson offers virtual training programs for recent graduates during the pandemic

Ericsson (NASDAQ:ERIC) has announced the launch of its 2020 edition of the Graduate Program in Africa.The program aims to grow the technical skills of the graduates,train them in the Ericsson technology, solutions and their delivery and understanding our processes, methods and tools. In addition, getting exposed to working in a large global matrix driven organization in terms of the ways of working, understanding vision, mission, strategies, corporate culture and values of the company. All this to get geared up to meet the business challenges of the future.

We believe this graduate program helps build local talent for our African markets and helps build into our long-term commitment to develop and grow our business in Africa.This way we access the best talent and provide them careers in a global environment, over a period of time.

Caroline Berns, Head of Talent Acquisition at Ericsson Middle East and Africa says: “The Fresh Graduate Program in Africa is designed to give graduates’ career an added momentum at just the right time – maximizing the skills they have gained in the course of their degree, adding more to their repertoire and equipping them to make a positive impact on the continent. Aiming to attract and guide the most talented, innovative and creative technology minds, the programs offers graduates an opportunity to engage with the most exciting technology on the planet and the challenges it brings.”

The Graduate Program helps Ericsson to move the needle on gender equality within the field of technology;half of the graduates hired are women. This is in alignment with Ericsson Educate andlocal Connect to Learn projects which empower women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) fields and leverage connectivity to increase access to education for children, especially girls. 

Our young graduates with curious andinnovative minds, work alongside the brightest minds in the industry and work on projects that are changing the world of communication and thus become the future of the telecoms industry in Africa.

Due to the sudden and unprecedented disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Graduate Program will run virtually for the time being, and will focus on graduates in Kenya, Nigeria, Sudan and Angola. Applications are now closed for this phase but the program is expected to roll out in more countries in the continent during a second phase. Interested candidates can sign up for the job alert on Ericsson.com/careers to be informed immediately when new programs are being opened.

NOTES TO EDITORS

For media kits, backgrounders and high-resolution photos, please visit www.ericsson.com/press

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Telenor Connexion and Ericsson enable sustainable micro-factories with IoT Accelerator

  • Powered by Ericsson IoT Accelerator, Telenor Connexion provides global connectivity to Wayout’s sustainable micro-factories
  • Telenor Connexion to delivers cellular IoT connectivity management services, SIM cards and agreements with local operators
  • Ericsson IoT Accelerator enables cost-efficient IoT connectivity management and operations using the secure, scalable and standardized worldwide mobile network infrastructure

Powered by Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC) IoT Accelerator, Telenor Connexion will provide global connectivity to Wayout’s sustainable micro-factories starting inEast Africa and expanding into the Middle East, AsiaPacific and other markets in 2021.Wayouthas engineered plug-and-play micro-factories for local production of clean, filtered water, with a minimal eco footprint. Powered by solar panels, the micro-factories offer an advanced waterpurification system.

According to the United Nations, 3 in 10 people lack access to safely managed drinking water services.

Wayout’s local solution eliminatesthe unnecessary logistics of bottling and transporting pre-packaged glass or plastic bottles. Each module is fully automated andcan filter 70,000 liters of water,remove up to eight tons of CO₂ and up to 200,000 plastic bottles every month. The micro-factories are managed by a smartphone application tomanage operations, monitor performance, and launch autocleaning.

Wayout’s local operations depend onreliableglobal connectivity.Powered by Ericsson IoT Accelerator, Telenor Connexion delivers the cellular IoT connectivity management services, SIM cards and all necessary agreements with local operators to provide truly global service.Ericsson IoT Accelerator is a global IoTplatform, enabling cost-efficient IoT connectivity management and operations for any enterprise of any scale, using the secure, scalable and standardized worldwide mobile network infrastructure. 

Ulf Stenerhag, CEO Wayout says:”Perfect drinking water should be a human right. Our idea is to make access easy and reliable. By leveraging spearpoint technology and robust engineering, our connected sustainable micro-factories enable infrastructure solutions and business opportunities for providing perfect drinking water locally, whilst reducing the environmental impact globally. We want to let it flow.”

Mats Lundquist, CEO, Telenor Connexion says, “Telenor Connexion is proud to provide global connectivity toWayout.They arean innovative company that values and prioritize sustainability and is making an impact.”

Kiva Allgood, Head of IoT, Ericsson, says, “Our technology can help solve global challenges and accelerate sustainability. Together with Telenor Connexion and Wayout,we are using our global IoT platformto deliver business and societal value and contribute to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.”

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HOOZA NEWS AGENCY

Africa in Motion: Accelerating the continent’s digital future

Fadi Pharaon, President of Ericsson Middle East and Africa.

As a continent with very high potential for growing economies, how can African countries accelerate their digital adoption and leapfrog into a new era of socio-economic prosperity?

This could be achieved by leveraging new technologies that make it easier to conduct business, raise productivity and efficiency while encouraging an inclusive society. Embracing new ways of enabling positive change will boost livelihoods, promote financial inclusion and improve access to health, education, government services and more.

“With the ambition of supporting the acceleration of Africa’s digitization journey, we are working jointly with our customers – the service providers – and other stakeholders across the continent to enable #AfricaInMotion”, explains Fadi Pharaon, President of Ericsson Middle East and Africa.

Digitization Boosting Economies

Information and Communications Technology (ICT) is the catalyst for digital transformation, with mobile networks being the crucial ingredient in increasing Africa’s economic competitiveness in the global arena. “While we have witnessed impressive market developments in recent years, Africa’s ICT sector still has growth potential compared to leading economies’’, said Fadi Pharaon.

As digital infrastructure and transaction become increasingly impactful to the development of the African societies and economies, affordable broadband access will need to be extended to over a billion individuals to bridge the “digital divide” and enable them to reap the benefits of the digital economy.

The Ericsson Mobility Report shows that, by 2025, 77% of subscriptions in the Middle East and North Africa are expected to be for mobile broadband, while in Sub-Saharan Africa mobile broadband subscriptions will increase to reach around 72% of mobile subscriptions. Mobile broadband connectivity not only offers great potential to transform cities and industries, but it enables connectivity as a basic human right; fostering inclusion and making a positive, sustainable economic impact.

Sustainability Through Connectivity

Bridging the digital divide is a demanding journey both for the public sector and the telecoms industry. This carries significant potential to contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Africa. In order to achieve that, there is a continuous ongoing journey serving several parameters.

Education for the economic development of Africa is primordial. ‘‘Our efforts to support education in Africa is a continuous determination and for that we are proud to launch our three-year global partnership with UNICEF that will help map school connectivity in 35 countries by the end of 2023. Our partnership will support the UN’sGiga initiative, a global program led by UNICEF and the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) that aims to connect every school to the Internet’’, said FadiPharaon.

Another key example in supporting education is the “Connect to Learn” program, an initiative that implements Information and Communications Technology (ICT) in schools often in resource poor settings to enhance the quality and access to teaching and learning resources in a safe, cost effective, and user-friendly way. The program uses the power of mobility, broadband and cloud solutions. Thanks to that program since 2008, over 500,000 people, students and teachers at remote villages across 10 sub-Saharan countries are connected to technology tools, digital learning resources and new interactive forms of teaching pedagogies.  

‘‘We also focus on another fundamental goal and that is financial inclusion through the use of digital technology which is an essential element in furthering the economic development of Africa. Mobile money services have become an essential, life-changing tool across the continent, providing access to safe and secure financial services but also to energy, health, education and employment opportunities. One key example to showcase the efforts in that area is our Wallet Platform that allows users to store, transfer and withdraw money; pay merchants and utility providers; and use financial services such as savings and loans’’, explains FadiPharaon.

According to Ericsson research, ICT solutions could help to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by up to 15% by 2030, amounting to around ten gigatons of CO2e—more than the current carbon footprint of the EU and US combined. Examples of areas where the savings can be enabled by ICT solutions are transportation, energy, industries and agriculture. This is reflected in initiatives such as Ericsson Weather Data and Mixed Reality for Urban Design.

Clearly, the SDGs provide a unique opportunity for interesting discussions that will lead to more multi-sectoral partnerships and opportunities that will help spur progress towards meeting the goals.

Partnerships and Collaborations for Societal Impact

What is now needed is a framework that facilitates harnessing the power of ICTs to foster inclusive socioeconomic development across Africa. However, this bridging of the digital divide – which promises to level the global playing field so Africa can achieve its full potential – requires a well-planned policy and regulatory environment.

A conducive, enabling policy environment that generates regulatory certainty is key to encouraging market development through partnerships, entrepreneurship, job creation and knowledge sharing. Factors like:

  • Timely availability of ample, cost-effective and harmonized spectral frequenciesresources
  • Support of long-term stable network regulations that uphold the principle of technology neutrality, stimulate investments and foster infrastructure competition
  • Provision of free flow of data, while ensuring data protection, privacy and security regulation

The President of Ericsson Middle East and Africa pointed out : ‘‘We at Ericsson Middle East and Africa are constantly looking for opportunities to collaborate and engage with partners across the board to facilitate such policy development to fast tracking digitization across the African continent and our recent collaboration with the African Telecommunications Union is one clear example’’.

Accelerating the Future

As we look ahead, it’s clear that Africa shows significant promise for economic, technological and infrastructure growth over the coming years. Yet, there are still many challenges we must overcome if we are to deliver real sustainable change for all.

While there are parts of the continent trialing 5G services, majority of countries remain focusing on 3G and 4G as smartphone affordability improves year on year. The development of advanced wireless digital infrastructure is an integral part of Africa’s growing economy. Mobile broadband access has proved to be an essential driver of an inclusive information society that integrates digitization in all critical aspects of life, such as education, transport, health, energy and even homeland security. Never has this been more evident than during the current COVID 19 pandemic.

‘‘We are focusing on assuring best performing networks in Africa, while also offering the best digital services and solutions to our customers. Our aim is to create a unique customer experience evolving from networks adopting automation, artificial intelligence and analytics. One of our focus areas also is reducing time-to-market and flexibility in launching services for our customers towards their subscribers. From an operations perspective, we emphasis driving service delivery efficiency through adoption of advanced tools. We will continue our purposeful growth of mobile broadband, fixed wireless access and fintech services so that our service provider partners reach out to further communities across the continent’’, said FadiPharaon.

A promise to Africa

Tackling the digital divide, continuing to build a robust ICT infrastructure, promoting sustainability, innovation, education and entrepreneurship will be critical for maximizing the role of technology in boosting resilience and inclusive growth in Africa. By achieving that, Africa will experience a paradigm shift on all levels with new game-changers as e-health, e-government and e-education; the African society will accelerate into a much economically advanced nation. However, collaboration between the different stakeholders in the ecosystem becomes even more important than ever to achieve this vision.

“Our promise and commitment towards the continent are to always support a world where digitalization is transforming the eco-system; enabling sustainable growth, economic development and opening up opportunities for all”, said FadiPharaon.

“To accelerate our promise to Africa and achieve a true impact, we are looking forward to supporting our customers in their quest, bringing our latest innovation, leveraging our global skill and scale to the benefit of Africa’s digital development”.


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