Tech

Telecom Egypt partners EXA Infrastructure to promote intercontinental traffic via WeConnect

Published

8 months ago

March 22, 2024

Egypt’s first integrated telecom operator and one of the largest subsea cable operators in the MENA region, Telecom Egypt, has entered into a partnership with EXA Infrastructure aimed at promoting intercontinental traffic via WeConnect.

The partnership between Telecom Egypt, and EXA Infrastructure, a European fiber backbone and transatlantic subsea cable infrastructure provider, will aim to reshape the East-to-West traffic flows entering the Mediterranean, and reinforce Egypt’s role as a pivotal hub for global telecommunications.

At the signing ceremony on Thursday held in Cairo, Telecom Egypt Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Mohamed Nasr, expressed the company’s “commitment to launch a new era of cooperation that will see them work more closely together to support digital infrastructure initiatives.”

The agreement was signed by Nasr behalf of Telecom Egypt, Nick Read, the EXA Executive Chairman, on behalf of EXA in the presence of Egypt’s Minister of Communications and Information Technology
H.E. Dr. Amr Talaat, as well as top officials from both companies.

Speaking shortly after the signing ceremony, Nasr said:

“Through this partnership, EXA Infrastructure becomes a one-stop-shop for traffic from the Middle East and Asia into Europe, uniquely combining multi-route solutions, while providing protected capacity solutions from Egypt – via Telecom Egypt’s robust infrastructure and cutting-edge model, ‘WeConnect’ – to hundreds of endpoints in Europe and North America.

“In September 2023, Telecom Egypt had unveiled ‘WeConnect’, a unique ecosystem offering agile access to Egypt’s extensive subsea cable infrastructure.

“WeConnect enables users to seamlessly navigate connectivity between subsea cable systems in the Mediterranean and the Red Sea, fostering an open and neutral model.

“As part of the partnership, EXA Infrastructure will serve as the European and North American-based service provider to access WeConnect.

“This partnership is another step in the strategy to position Egypt as the main gateway to Asia, Africa, and Europe, and as an emerging intercontinental interconnection hub,” he said.

Also speaking, Talaat, said:

“This agreement is an important milestone in the series of partnerships forged with major international telecommunications service providers to expand the reach of the international digital infrastructure globally, keeping pace with the growing demand for Internet services worldwide and in line with the government’s strategy to position Egypt as a global digital corridor for data.

“The Ministry of Communications and Information Technology is keen to maintain Egypt’s distinctive edge in the field of international subsea cables infrastructure, capitalizing on its unparalleled geographical location as a unique hub for submarine cables worldwide.”

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Tech

MTN Nigeria set to acquire two more licences for its fintech

Published

4 hours ago

November 7, 2024

Isaac Dachen

Nigeria’s largest telecommunications company, MTN Nigeria, is on the verge of obtaining two licences that will enable it expand its fintech subsidiary, MoMo PSB, signaling an increased focus on digital payments within Nigeria.

The company, in a statement on Wednesday, said it has applied for Payment Service Solutions Provider (PSSP) and Payment Terminal Service Provider (PTSP) licenses for Momo in a bid to upscale it to a full fledge payments platform.

“The PSSP license will enable MoMo PSB to offer payment processing gateways, create financial solutions, and provide merchant aggregation and collection services,” the statement said.

“With this license, MTN can process its payments in-house, reducing its reliance on external PSSPs and minimizing associated costs.

“In addition to addressing MTN’s internal payment needs, MoMo PSB will also be equipped to handle payment processing requirements for merchants and partners.

“The PTSP license, meanwhile, will allow MoMo PSB to deploy and service POS terminals, develop POS applications, and provide training and support to over 302,000 merchants, agents, and 5.3 million users on the MoMo PSB,” it added.

Tech

Kenyan fintech Chumz expands into Rwanda after hitting 200k users

Published

1 day ago

November 6, 2024

Isaac Dachen

Kenya’s fintech startup, Chumz, has announced its imminent expansion into Rwanda after hitting 200,000 registered users in its home market.

Chumz, which helps users set and achieve saving and investment goals through behaviour-based prompts and mobile money deposits, said the expansion drive was part of testing its solution by going live in Rwanda.

Co-founder and CEO of Chumz, Samuel Njuguna, who spoke on the move, said the fintech had built a goal-based mobile app that helped users save and invest money from their mobile money accounts, with as little as $0.05 and wanted to take its offering out of Kenya.

He stated that one of the unique features of Chumz that stands it out is that it encourages users to save based on their behaviour.

“For instance, if a user spends money at a pub, the app suggests investing some of that money instead of spending it all,” he said.

“Similarly, if a user receives mobile money, the app prompts them to save some of the money. Our app offers an easy, convenient and accessible way for users to save and invest, helping them to reach their financial goals.

“Our next big leap is to hit one million users in Kenya by 2026 and be operational in Uganda, Tanzania and Botswana by then as well,” said Njuguna, who is also behind Kenyan mobile money startup Chura.

Founded in 2019, Chumz worked on a prototype in 2020, reaching out to the regulator for a license in late-2020 and receiving one a year later.

According to several reviews, the platform works by channeling funds collected from a user’s mobile money account to a licensed fund manager, who then offers a return to the fund. Earned interest is then redistributed to individual clients.

The startup has also launched a new feature, the Superfan Challenge, where users save and invest based on their favourite football team’s performance.

“For example, if your team wins, the app prompts you to save a set amount. We have seen segments such as parents using the app to educate their kids about financial literacy and at the same time create goals for them on the app. A majority of the savers and investors are women,” Njuguna said.