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- Kenya, Tanzania braces for torrential floods as Cyclone Hidaya approaches
- EAC monetary affairs committee to discuss single currency progress in Juba talks
- Transport and food prices drive down Kenya’s inflation to 5% in April
- Payment for ransomware attacks increase by 500 per cent in one year
- History beckons as push for Kenya’s President Ruto to address US Congress gathers pace
- IMF’s Sub-Saharan Africa economic forecast shows 1.2 percent GDP growth
- The US Congress proposes extending Agoa to 2041, covering all African countries
- Millions at risk of famine as fuel tax row halts UN aid operations in South Sudan
Tech & Business
- Payment for ransomware attacks is not only impacting large businesses even smaller ones have been hit with 7-figure demand.
- The rate of ransomware attacks falls slightly, but recovery costs hit $2.73 million.
- Despite the soaring ransoms, this year’s survey indicates a slight reduction in the rate of ransomware attacks
The amount organisations are paying to get back their data from cyber criminals has increased by 500 per cent in the past year, a new report by Cybersecurity solutions provider Sophos has revealed.
Sophos, in its annual “State of Ransomware 2024” survey, says this has seen organizations that paid the ransom report an average payment of $2 million, up from $400,000 in 2023, with ransoms being just one part of the cost.
Excluding ransoms, the survey found the average cost of recovery reached $2.73 million, an increase of almost $1 million since the $1.82 million that Sophos reported in 2023. …
- TikTok Community Guidelines will see introduction of stricter For You eligibility standards.
- Video sharing entity says this code emphasizes responsible behavior on and off the platform
- According to the recently released Reuters Institute Digital News report 2023 survey, Kenya leads in world TikTok usage.
Popular video sharing platform TikTok, has unveiled significant updates to its Community Guidelines and introduced new features aimed at supporting creators and maintaining a safe environment for users. The platform’s Community Guidelines, which outline rules and standards for all users, have been updated to provide greater clarity and transparency.
These updates, set to take effect in a few weeks, include refined definitions for policies on hate speech and health misinformation. Additionally, TikTok has detailed how it moderates features like Search, LIVE, and the For You feed to ensure a positive user experience.
One of the key updates is the introduction of stricter For You eligibility standards. …
- Market size of Africa’s digital economy could reach $712 billion by 2050.
- In 2022 only 36 percent of the African population had access to broadband internet.
- Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) are streamlining adoption of 5G services.
Africa is on the verge of an economic revolution. From the north to the southern part of the Saharan desert, nations are striving to eliminate poverty and gain a strong foothold in global markets.
In the same vein, the continent is banking on the potential held by the digital economy. Reports ping the sector to higher standards, including a report from non-profit Endeavor predicting that the market size of Africa’s digital economy could reach $712 billion by 2050.
The growth is propelled by the massive engagement of the continent’s younger population, rising smartphone adoption and increasing internet penetration.
Read also: World Bank backs Smart Africa’s Digital Academy with $20M grant
Digital economy in
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- 5G-related activities are picking up across the Sub-Saharan Africa region, including 5G spectrum auctions, 5G pilots and commercial trials
- The Mobile Economy Sub-Saharan Africa 2022 report reveals that the huge demand for connectivity in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic has led to a growing interest in the role of 5G in the connectivity landscape
- 2022 marks a turning point as 3G adoption begins to decline for the first time
A new report has revealed that 5G-related activities are picking up across the Sub-Saharan Africa region, including 5G spectrum auctions, 5G pilots and commercial trials, and efforts to develop locally relevant 5G use cases.
According to The Mobile Economy Sub-Saharan Africa, 2022 report, the huge demand for connectivity in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic has led to a growing interest in the role of 5G in the connectivity landscape.
For example, South Africa’s ICASA completed the spectrum auction for …
- Liquid Cloud, Microsoft Collaborate to Deploy Hybrid Cloud Infrastructure in Africa
- Combining linear TV via satellite and on-demand services via OTT offers content in optimum quality at the convenience of the viewers.
Africa cannot afford to be complacent about digital transformation. The scale and complexity of Africa’s technical landscape sits at the heart of the problem, and connectivity issues are particularly prevalent.
Digital transformation offers Africa huge potential to overcome, even leapfrog, many of its perennial development and growth challenges.
The African telecommunication space has developed and has positively and significantly affected the growth of the economies on the continent in many ways. From enabling access to banking through mobile phones to interlinking the formal and informal economies that exist in the region.
Satellite combined with other technologies like fibre to form hybrid solutions is seen as critical to efforts by industry stakeholders to increase broadband connectivity in Africa especially …
Mobile services are now the main means of communication for the majority of the world’s population, supporting economic growth and connecting communities.
According to GSMA, effective spectrum licensing is critical to encourage the investment required to expand mobile access, meet the increase in demand for data services and enhance the quality and range of services offered.
There are 3 types of spectrum licences;
- A licence to transmit radio waves and have no interference. This is the most common type of spectrum licence. It grants the right to transmit on a specified frequency and stop others from transmitting interfering signals on the same frequency.
- A licence to have no interference on a specified frequency.
- A licence to transmit emissions without protection from interference.
Airtel Africa has confirmed the purchase of additional spectrum licences from the Communications Authorities in several African countries.
Richard Kadoro, a telecommunications researcher at the Computer Association of …
Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has signed the Computer Misuse (Amendment) Act, 2022, which criminalizes unauthorized access to data and prohibits sharing data relating to legal minors without authorization from parents or guardians. The law also prohibits sending or sharing false, malicious and unsolicited information.
The announcement was made on Thursday, October 14, 2022, by the Presidential Press Unit (PPU). According to the PPU, the president signed four bills into law: the Physical Planners’ Registration Act, the Kampala Capital City (Amendment) Act, the Mining and Minerals Act, and the Computer Misuse (Amendment) Bill.
One legislator introduced the Computer Misuse Amendment Bill 2022 to Uganda’s Parliament and passed it on July 19, 2022.
The Uganda Computer Misuse Act was enacted earlier in 2011 to enhance safety and security in the digital arena by preventing unlawful access, abuse or misuse of information systems including computers and securing the conduct of electronic transactions.…
Integrating AI in farming machines will definitely help in optimizing operations. Investments in mechanization enable farmers to expand the range of their activities and diversify their livelihoods in ways that can reduce their vulnerability to climate change.
The availability of appropriate machinery to carry out sustainable crop management practices increases productivity per unit of land. It also increases efficiency in the various production and processing operations and in agricultural inputs’ production, extraction and transport. Artificial Intelligence methods support agriculture decision-making systems, help optimise storage and transport processes, and make it possible to predict the costs incurred depending on the chosen direction of management.
Tractor-operated tillage is the single most energy-consuming operation in crop production. Operating a plough is the main reason many farmers require high horsepower and diesel-fueled tractors. Conservation agriculture is flexible enough to accommodate the socio-economic resources of smallholder farmers as well as large-scale farming operations.…
- Global smart device brand OPPO says plans are in motion to launch its latest phone OPPO Reno 8 series in Kenya
- The company said the new series would provide strong durability, reliable performance, and a smooth all-around experience for users
- The Reno8 5G is powered by Dual Sony Flagship Sensors and several AI-enhanced imaging features such as Ultra Night Video and Night Portrait
- OPPO said the new phone would take its ‘customer-centric’ approach one step further by leveraging pioneering technology to deliver a seamless and user-friendly experience
Global smart device brand OPPO says plans are in motion to launch its latest phone OPPO Reno 8 series in Kenya.
In a statement, the company said the new series would provide strong durability, reliable performance, and a smooth all-around experience for users.
The Reno8 series will comprise the Reno8 5G and the Reno8.
OPPO Reno8 5G features the MediaTek Dimensity 1300 5G-integrated …
