🪢🪢 Google fibre to connect Africa with Australia

Today’s Menu ☕️

 🪢🪢 Google launches subsea fiber-optic cable connecting Africa with Australia 
📭 MPOST Introduces Innovative e-P.O. Box Digital Postal System in Rwanda
📲 OPay alerts merchants to potential fraud during launch of physical address verification initiative.
🚚 Egypt's OneOrder Secures $16 Million Series A to Expand into GCC
News Corp and OpenAI Forge Landmark Partnership

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🪢🪢 INFRASTRUCTURE

Google launches subsea fiber-optic cable connecting Africa with Australia

In a groundbreaking initiative to enhance digital connectivity across Africa, Google has announced the launch of Umoja, the first fiber optic route to directly connect Africa with Australia. This ambitious project is set to revolutionize the digital landscape by increasing the reach and reliability of internet connectivity on the continent.

Umoja, meaning “unity” in Swahili, will have its anchor in Kenya, passing through Uganda, Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and South Africa, before crossing the Indian Ocean to Australia. The terrestrial path of this fiber optic route has been developed in collaboration with Liquid Technologies, ensuring a highly scalable network that includes access points for additional countries to join.

The initiative is part of Google’s broader Africa Connect program, which also includes the Equiano cable. By establishing a new, distinct route, Umoja aims to create a resilient network infrastructure that can mitigate the impact of high-profile outages that have historically plagued the region. This new connectivity pathway will significantly enhance the digital infrastructure, fostering more reliable connections both within Africa and with the rest of the world.........continue reading

📭 POSTAL SYSTEM

MPOST Introduces Innovative e-P.O. Box Digital Postal System in Rwanda

MPOST, an innovative digital postal service provider, has recently launched its operations in Rwanda, introducing the e-P.O. Box system designed to revolutionize the way locals engage with postal services.

The cutting-edge e-P.O. Box system developed by MPOST allows individuals and businesses in Rwanda to link their mobile numbers to an electronic post office box. This digital solution effectively eliminates the need for traditional physical P.O. Boxes, offering a more streamlined and user-friendly means of receiving mail and parcels directly through their mobile devices.

The company has highlighted a significant challenge in Rwanda’s current postal infrastructure: less than 1% of the population has convenient access to a post office, which often results in long queues and limited accessibility. MPOST’s e-P.O. Box technology is set to address this issue by transforming mobile phone numbers into official postal addresses, thereby enhancing the postal experience for Rwandans.......continue reading

📲 FINTECHS

OPay alerts merchants to potential fraud during launch of physical address verification initiative

OPay, the mobile money service provider, has recently declared that it will be implementing mandatory physical address verification for all merchants enrolled in the OPay Business program. This initiative is a direct response to the regulatory guidelines set forth by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), aiming to enhance the integrity of financial transactions.

To facilitate this verification process, OPay will dispatch its own personnel to the locations of the merchants to provide assistance with the financial technology procedures required by the CBN. In an effort to safeguard merchants against potential fraudulent activities, OPay has issued a cautionary note urging them to exercise vigilance. Merchants are encouraged to confirm the identity of any individual claiming to be an OPay representative by requesting to see valid identification. This could include an OPay-issued ID card, a Lark Business Card, tools from the Business Development suite, or credentials from the General Agent Platform.......continue reading

🤖 ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

News Corp and OpenAI Forge Landmark Partnership

News Corp and OpenAI have announced a groundbreaking, multi-year agreement that will enable OpenAI to utilize News Corp’s news content. This partnership will allow OpenAI to display content from News Corp’s diverse array of publications in response to user inquiries, thereby enhancing its products and providing users with reliable information from trusted news sources.

This collaboration marks a significant step forward in integrating high-quality journalism with advanced AI technologies. By accessing a vast repository of credible news sources, OpenAI can ensure that its AI models deliver accurate and contextually relevant information. This alignment between AI technology and journalism standards is expected to set new benchmarks for information dissemination in the digital age.......……continue reading

🚚 LOGISTICS

Egypt's OneOrder Secures $16 Million Series A to Expand into GCC

OneOrder, the innovative tech supply chain and logistics solution that has transformed the hotel, restaurant, and catering (HoReCa) sectors in Egypt, has announced a successful Series A funding round, securing $16 million in equity and debt. This pivotal investment will fuel OneOrder’s expansion into the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region, starting with the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The funding round was spearheaded by Delivery Hero Ventures, with significant participation from Norrsken22, Egypt-based Nclude, and A15..……continue reading