Eutelsat and unconnected.org partner to expand community Wi-Fi across Africa

13 February 2026

Eutelsat and unconnected.org, a global non-profit organisation focused on delivering "Meaningful Internet For All", have entered into a partnership to expand access to community Wi-Fi across Africa leveraging Eutelsat's EUTELSAT KONNECT high-throughput satellite.

The partnership will launch in Tanzania, where unconnected.org will introduce the KONNECT community Wi-Fi service to local partners, including ISPs, NGOs, system integrators, and government stakeholders through a commercial model designed to accelerate return on investment, expand digital access in underserved and hard to reach places, and support long-term delivery.

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Smart city technology markets set for rapid growth as cities prioritise operational outcomes

12 February 2026

Berg Insight has released the latest edition of its comprehensive smart city technology report, comprising in-depth studies of five key technology areas: smart street lighting, smart parking, smart waste collection, urban air quality monitoring and smart city surveillance.

In 2024, the global installed base excluding China of individually controlled smart street lights amounted to 27.9 million units. The corresponding figures for the smart waste and smart parking sensor technology markets were at the same time 1.56 million and 1.47 million units respectively. Smart parking sensors refers to in-ground or surface-mounted parking occupancy detection sensors whilst smart waste sensor technology consists of fill-level sensor devices that may either be pre-integrated into bins and containers, for example as a smart bin offering, or retrofitted on existing collection points.

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Ethiopia launches first ever smart police station

11 February 2026

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed officially inaugurated Ethiopia’s first smart police station on Monday, February 9, marking a significant step toward digitalizing law enforcement.

Unlike traditional stations, this facility operates without officers on-site, leveraging technology to provide citizens with faster, more accessible police services.

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MTN targets fintech and fibre to build Africa’s digital platform ecosystem

11 February 2026

MTN Group is shifting toward platform-driven growth across Africa, focusing on acquiring startups in payments, lending, and remittances to deepen its digital ecosystem. This strategic move signifies a move away from isolated startups toward integrated platforms serving millions.

According to Semafor, MTN is actively pursuing fintech acquisitions to bolster its rapidly expanding digital finance services, which already support payments, merchant transactions, airtime lending, and cross-border remittances across more than 10 markets. Valued at around $5.2 billion, MTN’s fintech platform surpasses many African unicorns, reflecting its dominance in mobile money and digital finance.

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