Global Tech - Afrikan Heroes

How to Move Chats from WhatsApp to Telegram

January 30, 2021

With the mass dumping of WhatApp by millions of subscribers, rival platforms such as Telegram and Signal are coming up with ways to make migration as seamless as possible, moreso, they are upgrading their functionalities to appeal to more subscribers. The founder of Telegrams said earlier last week that WhatsApp is behind the “Largest Digital Migration in History”. According to the Telegram’s founder, Pavel Durov, Facebook’s recent attempt to update WhatsApp’s privacy policy has left many users concerned and searching for a more ‘secure’ messaging platform, like Telegram. Telegram has launched a new feature that allows users to import their WhatsApp individual and group chat history – including videos and documents – to Telegram.

Telegram’s founder, Pavel Durov, — Telegram’s founder, Pavel Durov

For subscribers using the Apple iOS platforms, to move a chat from WhatsApp on iOS, open the Contact Info or Group Info page in WhatsApp, tap Export Chat, then choose Telegram in the Share menu. WhatsApp for iOS also lets you export chats directly from the chat list. Swipe left on a chat, then choose ‘…’ > Export Chat.

For those using Android platforms, what needs be done is to open a WhatsApp chat, tap ⋮ > More > Export Chat, then choose Telegram in the Share menu. Messages will be imported into the current day but will also include their original timestamps. In a recent statement, Durov revealed that a number of political leaders and numerous public organizations rely on Telegram to combat misinformation and spread awareness about important issues in their societies.

He goes on to say that “unlike other networks, Telegram doesn’t use nontransparent algorithms to decide whether a subscriber will see content they subscribed to or not. As a result, Telegram channels are the only direct way for opinion leaders to reliably connect with their audiences.” “By removing the manipulative algorithms that have become synonymous with 2010s technology platforms, Telegram channels restore transparency and integrity to public “one-to-many” communication.”

Kelechi Deca

Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry

How AI is Changing the Dynamics of Healthcare

January 20, 2021

By Henry Adams

Globally, healthcare organisations have accelerated adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) with the ones still implementing frameworks planning to go live within 24 months. Hardly surprising given the improved consumer engagement that results from the technology.

But more than that, the challenging economic climate is seeing healthcare organisations looking for better ways to make processes more efficient, enhance their existing products and services, and lower cost.

The key to this is AI that brings with it a more innovative environment to automate manual, error-prone processes, and introduce a sophisticated layer of analytics that can deliver new insights to the wealth of data already available.

These platforms use algorithms and machine learning to analyse and interpret data, while empowering the healthcare organisation with the means to provide more personalised customer experiences.

Understanding people at an individual level means being able to enhance the relationship and identify high-value leads. After all, at its core, a healthcare provider must deliver effective treatment that improves the quality of life. This is where AI can be used to enhance the quality of data and therefore optimise how people are cared for.

Making sense of it all

As with so many innovations, good, clean, well-organised data is key to success, and poor quality data often represents a challenge. The respondents in an InterSystems survey identified the volume and quality of data for training as a barrier and recognised that sufficient data volume and confidence in the data are critical success factors.

Considering how quickly the volume of healthcare data is increasing and the growing complexities of the data sets, it is no wonder that the global AI in healthcare market is expected to top $45 billion by 2026. As more stakeholders in the healthcare value chain start embracing AI (think hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology providers, and so on), the sector is one that is perfectly positioned to highlight the benefits this automated way of dealing with data can bring.

A heightened focus on quality data and models that can be used by both developers and data scientists enable healthcare organisations to accelerate and leverage the true power of AI. This means that those who want to take leadership roles in the industry must now invest in their data quality and push for clean, harmonised data to implement and get the most out of their AI tools.

In practice

Some of the use cases of AI in the healthcare industry range from improving data quality, reading images to assist in diagnosis, and early identification of hospital-acquired infections. And in developing markets like Africa, the advantages of being able to leverage AI take on an entirely new meaning.

In rural areas, the technology can be used to help patients book appointments by creating personal calendars for doctors and their aides. This mitigates against the risk of no-show appointments given the geographic and economic constraints of getting to a clinic or a consultation room. For their part, doctors can collaborate and exchange information concerning medical questions.

It all comes down to a willingness to adapt to the change that technology innovations enable and for healthcare organisations to embrace AI throughout the value chain. It is something that can greatly enhance data and its analysis. Ultimately, patients will be the ones that benefit the most given the inevitable improvements in the care provided to them.

Henry Adams, Country Manager of InterSystems

Kelechi Deca

Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry

Daystar Power Secures $38m Series Round for Regional Expansion in West Africa

January 16, 2021

Daystar Power, a Nigerian based provider of hybrid solar power solutions to businesses that has operations in Ghana, Togo and Senegal has announced a Series B investment of US$38 million to help it deepen its presence in various West African markets. Daystar Power which was founded three years ago as an off-grid power service provider whose solutions, “Solar-as-a-Service” and “Power-as-a-Service” provide clean and reliable power while significantly reducing clients’ overall power costs.

Jasper Graf von Hardenberg, chief executive officer (CEO) and co-founder of Daystar Power

Daystar which also has a representative office in Abidjan has 23 megawatts of installed power capacity and has offset approximately 5,000 MT of CO2 to date. This US$38 million Series B round, which takes Daystar’s total raised funding to US$48 million, was led by the Investment Fund for Developing Countries (IFU), the Danish development finance institution (DFI), and also features French impact infrastructure fund STOA, Frenc DFI Proparco, backed by a guarantee from the European Union under the African Renewable Energy Scale-Up facility, and Morgan Stanley Investment Management.

With the fundraising, Daystar Power will grow its operations in its key markets of Nigeria and Ghana, while deepening its presence in other regional countries. The company is on track to expand its installed capacity to over 100 megawatts, meeting demand from its clients in the financial services, manufacturing, agricultural and natural resources sectors. Daystar Power will continue to enhance its digital offerings and expand its local teams.

“By offering our commercial and industrial clients cheaper, reliable and cleaner power, we have seen a more than 50-fold increase in power-as-a-service revenue over the last two years,” said Jasper Graf von Hardenberg, chief executive officer (CEO) and co-founder of Daystar Power.

“African businesses are realising that solar power – stand-alone or in tandem with a second power source – is a superior energy alternative to the often-unreliable grid or too expensive, polluting diesel generators.”

Thomas Hougaard, vice president for Sub-Saharan Africa at IFU, said Daystar Power had the right elements – the client base, technology, engineering expertise, and executive leadership – to scale off-grid solar across West Africa. “Not only is Daystar Power at the forefront of a growing market, it is helping to accelerate the adoption of renewable energy in some of Africa’s fastest growing cities,” he said.

Kelechi Deca

Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry

South Africa’s Startup Launches Platform to Connect Farmers with Produce Buyers

January 15, 2021

Tech-enabled South African startup Nile has launched a sourcing platform that facilitates the wholesale trade of fresh produce, connecting farmers directly with buyers. The B2B e-commerce platform aggregates supply across the SADC region to offer buyers access to high quality fresh produce at transparent prices. “Our platform makes it easy and safe to trade fresh produce and a wholesale buyer can now view live prices and availability from multiple producers across different regions. A buyer can place orders instantly by selecting specific ripeness, grade, size and packaging,” said Louis de Kock, who co-founded Nile along with Eugene Roodt and Rick Kleinhans.

According to the founding team, they have been developing the business concept and platform since February 2020, but launched it to the public in November. Nile is looking to take advantage of the fact fresh produce trading is rapidly digitising in Southern Africa. “Nile has developed a digital ecosystem that solves issues inherent to food trading, including price discovery, quality verification, payments, and logistics,” said de Kock.

“While traditional markets require both products and traders to meet physically at a central location, online trading ensures that products are delivered through the shortest possible route between buyers and sellers. This greatly reduces food waste and food miles. Using technology and digitising the transaction process, Nile can reduce the high transaction costs inherent in the fresh produce industry.”

Nile is self-funded but considering initiating its first external fundraising round this year, and has already seen strong uptake since its launch. One million kilogrammes of fruit and vegetables have already been traded via its online platform, while Nile has also been able to onboard several of South Africa’s leading producers across most key trading lines. The startup charges a commission on trades made via its platform.

Louis de Kock added that “Nile currently enables South African farmers to sell directly to commercial buyers in SADC, thereby increasing their market potential,” saying that “Nile has a bigger vision where we see a future where Africa’s producers can access the markets with the biggest need for their products. By integrating regional food systems, we aim to make nutritious food more accessible to consumers across the continent and beyond.”

Kelechi Deca

Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry

Eight Tech Trends to Watch in 2021

January 14, 2021

Technology will first make some buzz before becoming the norm. Here are some of the trends we will likely see in 2021. 2020 was anything but a lull. The COVID-19 pandemic exposed vulnerabilities in our society and formed many pockets of crises that called for rapid digitalization to deploy quick fixes. With vaccines on the horizon, the world is poised to restart and climb back up, and we rely on technology more than ever to deliver more permanent solutions.

As such, technology will first make their buzz before becoming the norm. Here are some of the technology trends we will likely see in 2021.

“Yes, we can hear you.”

With telecommuting becoming a default in 2020, we saw a rise in demand for seamless experiences in virtual meeting rooms. Many employees will find value in great gear such as high quality headsets and microphones. When you’re wearing pajamas to work, visual presence is not as important. But audio quality must be in top shape as communicability is the anchor of any work-from-home setup.

Podcast-quality mics will be one of the most popular cart items this coming year.

It’s now or never for 5G

Aside from socio-economic inequalities, COVID-19 exposed the oft-ignored fact that Internet connectivity in the Philippines can still be expensive and sometimes disappointing. We’ve relied on the Internet as an aid in educating the children and keeping both public and private sectors from completely shutting down.

Designing a greener future

With this dramatic shift to digital, there will be further push to expand 5G coverage, as well as other modes of connection to more remote places.

Boost in efforts for infodemic management

We’ve been in an infodemic long before COVID-19 and it only turned for the worse in 2020. There is a lot of fear to feed on and the lack of a full picture of the virus only enabled speculation to get blurred in with facts.

Unlike COVID-19, there is no vaccine for fake news, but 2021 is a prime year to introduce more creative efforts to eliminate not only its dissemination, but perhaps its creation and publication.

Improved customer experiences in digital banking

With the accelerated migration to digital finance, we can expect banking systems to opt for more robust security provisions. With open banking shaping up in the Philippines, there is just no room to let fraud and data losses and breaches run with the rise.

Digital banking shows no signs of slowing down. Though many may have found themselves forced into it, there’s no reason to halt its momentum. We’ve yet to meet a person who says they miss queueing or looking at printed passbooks. Moreover, this enabled anyone to venture into e-commerce and small businesses when they needed to.

It’s also important to note that digitization can make banking more accessible to people with disabilities, as well as financially empower people living in rural areas with no banking solutions. Expect financial institutions to roll out more optimized and personalized experiences for their customers.

New wearable in personal air purifiers

Environmentalists have rallied about it for decades but no one predicted that 2020 was the year that humans collectively clamored for clean air. COVID-19 had elicited fear that the very air we breathe in will make us sick.

Personal air purifier necklaces are like magical amulets that clean the air within a certain radius of you. While there’s no proof that these are able to fully remove particles such as coronaviruses, there’s some comfort in knowing that you’re not breathing in dust and other vague pollutants that may be out there. A must-have, at least, for allergy sufferers.

Wireless charging and other simplifications

The smartphones of 2021, aside from having even better cameras, will push to make wired charging a thing of the past. Flip and foldable phones were received well this year, and based on the lineup of new phones for next year, smartphone companies will still be riding this wave.

Sanitizing for sanity

We may be on our way back to being a mobile and outgoing society, but at least now we have all seen Contagion. Our newfound knowledge on fomites compels even the most carefree of us to shine a UV light over high-touch surfaces. Portable UV wands have been popular among parents and immunocompromised people with a need to keep germs to a minimum. And now, many people have adopted this technology in their homes to sanitize incoming objects and we won’t be surprised if it extends to a handbag staple.

Kelechi Deca

Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry

Sprint, Egypt’s Logistics Startup Signs up Hundreds of Merchants in Expansion Drive

As part of its expansionary drive, the Egyptian logistics startup Sprint has launched out a very ambitious plan to cover the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and other countries in the MENA region with the signing up almost 500 merchant customers at home. Sprint was founded by Mohamed Deif in 2019, the Cairo-based Sprint offers last mile delivery solutions to e-commerce merchants, with a focus on micro-merchants with monthly volumes as low as 30 orders a month. The startup has operations hubs all over Egypt, and its delivery network covers 24 governorates.

Deif said that Sprint is focusing on improving the ecommerce and logistics ecosystem in the Middle East and North Africa by providing a technology-enabled platform that helps e-commerce merchants enjoy high-value logistics services and solutions regardless of their shipping volume.

Customers have access to a web portal where they can upload all their shipments, track shipment status, view inventory stored at Sprint warehouses, and see a complete overview of their financials.

“If our customers have a website, they can integrate with our system to have an automated process of booking and tracking orders and inventory,” Deif said.

Once an order is received, it is automatically assigned to a “sprinter” available in the area, who collects the shipment, gets back to the branch, and then sends it to the startup’s main sorting centre to be dispatched to the final destination branch responsible for delivery.

“With the rising demand for reliable last mile delivery solutions, we’ve spotted the desperate needs of SMEs and micro merchants for reliable and convenient technology enabled logistics solutions,” said Deif.

“We offer our clients all the technology needed to seamlessly manage their core business, along with a great bunch of services such as door-to-door delivery, warehousing and fulfillment and pick-up stations, all of which are technology-enabled with complete visibility to our customers to be able to track all their shipments and inventory instantly.”

Sprint, whose technology can be easily integrated with major e-commerce platforms such as Shopify and WooCommerce, currently serves 460 active customers, ranging between micro-merchants with one or two daily orders up to mega accounts with 900-1,200 shipments per day.

“The uptake has definitely exceeded our expectations with an unexpected growth rate month over month,” Deif said.

The company is for now operating in the Egyptian market, with “ambitious plans” to expand to the GCC and other MENA countries in the near future. Sprint raised a six-figure US dollar pre-seed funding round from an angel investor in December of last year, and will take on more capital as it looks to expand from product perspective as well as a geographic one.

“We have very innovative ideas for optimising our delivery process using AI and data science, along with a fresh concept that will disrupt the traditional last mile delivery concept,” said Deif.

Kelechi Deca

Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry

e-Health Startup, Docspert Raises Fund for Expansion in Egypt

January 13, 2021

Fired up by the rising health challenges caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, health services providers are in high demand, this provided the platform for Egyptian telemedicine startup Docspert Health to embark on operational expansion of its services with the raising of closed a six-figure US dollar seed funding round to help it expand its services across all of Egypt, and then into the Arabian Gulf.

Hisham Mehanna, chairman of Docspert Health and a head and neck cancer surgeon

Docspert was founded in 2020 by a team of medical doctors; Docspert Health connects patients in the Middle East and Africa with leading international medical experts online and through video conferencing, removing the need to travel.

It provides services in over 40 medical specialties through a network of more than 100 handpicked leading international medical experts in the United Kingdom, United States (US), and Europe. Patients are able to book video conference appointments with a specialist, a medical opinion, or a multi-disciplinary opinion for complex cases.

Docspert now plans to expand geographically after securing seed funding from Flat6Labs, MAC Capital Partners, and a group of angel investors in the UK and US. The startup is currently taking part in Flat6Labs Cairo’s ongoing cohort, and is preparing to showcase its progress at the accelerator’s demo day next month.

“We are extremely pleased to have closed this deal with a group of angel investors from Silicon Valley and London,” said Hisham Mehanna, chairman of Docspert Health and a head and neck cancer surgeon.

“The investors were particularly attracted not only to our innovative platform and business model, but also to our ethos of social responsibility. They were keen to help Docspert Health in its journey to provide the best medical advice to the people of the Middle East and Africa.”

Albert Malaty, Managing Director of Flat6Labs Cairo, said, “Docspert’s innovative global health tech platform, alongside their strong founding team, adds up to a recipe for success. Flat6Labs Cairo is looking forward to being part of their growth journey.”

Kelechi Deca

Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry

Work From Home Increased Internet Fraud Cases — Communications Authority of Kenya

January 6, 2021

The Communications Authority of Kenya is hinting that the work from home policy adopted by most companies in Kenya in the heat of the coronavirus pandemic might have brought about increase in the number of internet scam. According to the quarterly sector statistics report covering July-September 2020 released by authority, a sharp increase in cyber threats during the period was experienced, with 35.1 million incidents detected, representing a 152.9 percent jump.

‘‘This increase in cyber threat attacks detected was attributed to the move to working remotely and increased uptake of e-commerce in response to the COVID-19 pandemic,’’ notes the report in part.

Online Bullies Had A Field Day

According to the authority, of the 354 requests received by the National Computer Incident Response Team/Coordination Centre (National KE-CIRT/CC) from investigative agencies, 36.2 percent being attributed to online abuse, 27.4 percent linked to online fraud while 1.7 percent was related to child online abuse.

‘‘Cyberbullying and Internet trolling cases were also on the rise, with these being used for malicious intent across Kenyan domains and social media platforms,’’ reads the report.

The Authority said, in response to the incidences, it issued 21,785 advisories to various stakeholders.

“The period witnessed a decrease in impersonation cases, which is attributed to increased awareness campaigns to the public across the print media, television, and social media platforms, geared towards protecting digital footprints, as well as the operationalization of the Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act, which is a deterrent measure,’’ it noted in the report.

Work from Home Kenya

$6.7 Billion In Mobile Money Transfers In Just Three Months

According to the authority, the total value of KSh. 735 billion ($6.7 Billion) were transacted in the three months to September 2020.

The value of customer-to-business transfers during the period was an increase of 64.8 percent compared to the preceding quarter.

‘‘As was the case last quarter, the values transacted on mobile money platforms continued to increase with the adoption of cashless payments aimed at curbing the spread of COVID-19,’’ notes the report.

In the same period, there was a 41.7 percent increase in the payments for Government services with KSh. 12.3 billion transacted up from KSh. 8.7 billion in the previous quarter.

The total value of deposits also went up by 40.1 percent to stand at KSh.888 billion up from KSh. 634 billion registered in the April-June period.

The period also saw 713.9 million person-to-person transfers valued at KSh.896 billion.

The number of mobile money agents and mobile money subscription agents also went up by 9.8 and 4.2 percent to stand at 245,124 and 31.8 million subscriptions respectively.

Mobile And Internet Subscriptions At An All-time High

The increased demand for ICT services during the COVID period also saw the number of active mobile subscriptions increase to 59.8 million up from 57 million, pushing the mobile (SIM) penetration to 125.8 percent.

Total data/Internet subscriptions increased by 4.8 percent to stand at 43.4 million with mobile data subscriptions accounting for 98.5 percent of the total subscriptions. The positive growth of data/Internet is attributed to increased dependence on digital platforms for work, learning, healthcare, shopping, and entertainment.

During the same period, the total used international bandwidth went up by 14.2 percent to stand at 3,697.62 Gbps up from 3,238.21 Gbps in the previous quarter.

The ICT sector is expected to continue evolving rapidly with tech innovation, digital transformation, and enhanced connectivity in the country.

‘‘As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to ravage the world, the importance of a robust and inclusive digital economy, together with reliable broadband services is imperative,’’ notes the report.

Charles Rapulu Udoh

Charles Rapulu Udoh is a Lagos-based lawyer who has advised startups across Africa on issues such as startup funding (Venture Capital, Debt financing, private equity, angel investing etc), taxation, strategies, etc. He also has special focus on the protection of business or brands’ intellectual property rights ( such as trademark, patent or design) across Africa and other foreign jurisdictions.
He is well versed on issues of ESG (sustainability), media and entertainment law, corporate finance and governance.
He is also an award-winning writer

Siemens Gamesa Expands Leadership in Africa, Seals First Wind Farm Project in Ethiopia

January 4, 2021

Roberto Sabalza, CEO for Onshore Southern Europe and Africa at Siemens Gamesa

Siemens Gamesa has sealed its first wind farm in Ethiopia with a 29 SG 3.4-132 wind turbines to state-owned utility Ethiopian Electric Power (EEP) for the Assela project; the 100 MW wind farm will help power over 400,000 Ethiopian households; the wind farm is set to be commissioned by Spring 2023, and will save more than 260,000 tons of CO2 emissions per year. Siemens Gamesa has signed its first wind power project in Ethiopia with state-owned electricity company Ethiopian Electric Power (EEP), strengthening its leadership in Africa as the country begins to expand its green energy capacity to meet ambitious renewable targets.

The 100 MW Assela wind farm will be located between the towns of Adama and Assela, approximately 150 km south of the capital, Addis Ababa, and will contribute to clean and affordable power for the country’s electricity grid. The country has set an ambitious target to supply 100% of its domestic energy demand through renewable energy by 2030. According to the African Development Bank, Ethiopia has abundant resources, particularly wind with a potential 10 GW of installation capacity and having installed 324 MW at present.

“Siemens Gamesa is intent on expanding its leadership across Africa, and in turn help a growing transition to green energy across the continent. So, we are extremely pleased to begin work in Ethiopia and look forward to collaborating with both EEP and the country to continue to promote their drive to install more renewables and meet transformational energy targets,” said Roberto Sabalza, CEO for Onshore Southern Europe and Africa at Siemens Gamesa. According to a Wood Mackenzie forecast, around 2 GW of wind power would be installed in Ethiopia by 2029.

The wind farm will be made up of 29 SG 3.4-132 wind turbines and is expected to be commissioned by the start of 2023. The project will generate about 300,000 MWh per year. Siemens Gamesa will provide full engineering, procurement, and turnkey construction.

The Assela wind project will be financed by the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs via Danida Business Finance (DBF) adding to a loan agreement signed between the Ethiopian Ministry of Finance and Economic Cooperation (MoFEC) and Danske Bank A/S.

Ethiopia has many renewable resources covering wind, solar, geothermal, and biomass, and the country aspires to be a power hub and the battery for the Horn of Africa. The country’s National Electrification Program, launched in 2017, outlines a plan to reach universal access by 2025 with the help of off-grid solutions for 35% of the population.

Siemens Gamesa is among the global leaders in the wind power industry, with a strong presence in all facets of the renewable energy business: offshore, onshore, and services. With more than 107 GW installed worldwide; Siemens Gamesa is an ideal partner for Ethiopia at this critical juncture in the East African nation’s accelerating energy journey

Kelechi Deca

Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry

Ericsson to Lay Technical Foundation for 6G in 2021

December 31, 2020

Ericsson has joined Hexa-X – the 6G flagship research project that brings together a strong consortium of major ICT, industry and academic stakeholders.The project will begin on 1 January 2021, with a focus on developing the vision for future 6G systems and developing key technology enablers to connect human, physical and digital worlds.

Magnus Frodigh, VP and Head of Ericsson Research

In its Outlook for 6G research paper, Ericsson identifies four key drivers which will emerge in what it calls “the 2030 era” and which the project will seek to address: trustworthiness of the systems, sustainability through mobile technology efficiency, accelerated automatization and digitalization, and limitless connectivity.

The Hexa-X project, which is commissioned to run until June 2023, will be awarded from the European Commission under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Program. Ericsson, together with Nokia, will lead the project, while Ericsson will also be represented across three European countries: Sweden, Turkey and Hungary.

As technical lead, Ericsson’s contribution is expected to be pivotal in laying the groundwork for future use cases, distributed MIMO, artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML), and overall 6G vision and architecture. Ericsson will lead several tasks as well as the work packet on architectural enablers for 6G.

“We are proud to be the technical lead of the Hexa-X project, together with a strong line up of consortium partners from industry and academia. In 2030, society will have been shaped by 5G for ten years,” says Magnus Frodigh, VP and Head of Ericsson Research.

“While we continue to evolve 5G, now is also the right time to start collaborative 6G research activities. The Hexa-X project will be an important vehicle for joint exploration across European industry and academia, together shaping how exponential technology evolution will meet anticipated demands and opportunities for the 6G era. The road to 6G begins today.”

Kelechi Deca

Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry