Multi-year agreement supports secure digital transformation of banking services and interbank systems

BIO-key International, Inc., a global provider of biometric-driven Identity and Access Management (IAM) technologies, has entered into a new multi-year strategic agreement with Sociedade Interbancária de Moçambique (SIMO), which operates Mozambique’s national electronic payments network

In collaboration with RunLevel, a regional systems integrator specialising in identity and cybersecurity solutions across Africa, BIO-key will help enhance identity and access security throughout SIMO’s financial ecosystem.

The partnership follows the companies’ first joint IAM implementation in Mozambique in May 2025 for a leading national bank.

As part of the new initiative, BIO-key’s PortalGuard IAM platform, PIN: You tokenless authentication solution and Single Sign-On (SSO) functionality will be deployed within SIMO’s infrastructure. The integration is designed to strengthen governance frameworks, enhance cyber resilience and simplify secure access for organisations connected to the national payments network.

The agreement aligns with SIMO’s long-term vision to implement enterprise-grade identity security in line with international best practice, while continuing to modernise Mozambique’s financial landscape. With this deployment, BIO-key reaches its 11th customer within the global banking and financial services sector.

SIMO holds a central position in Mozambique’s banking ecosystem, facilitating interoperability, clearing and settlement services among banks and financial institutions through the country’s single national electronic payments network, known as SIMOrede. As digital banking usage expands to support Mozambique’s population of 36.6 million, robust identity-led security measures are increasingly essential to ensure trust, operational stability and regulatory compliance.

“As Mozambique’s financial system continues to evolve, identity security is vital for ensuring trust, interoperability, and operational resilience across payment services,” said Juna Chiloveque, SIMO’s IT Security and Compliance, CISO. "Partnering with BIO-key and RunLevel allows SIMO to adopt modern identity and access management solutions that strengthen governance, protect essential systems, and support the secure digital transformation of our national payments infrastructure.”

“Partnering with SIMO and BIO-key on this project demonstrates RunLevel’s commitment to strengthening digital trust across Africa’s financial ecosystems,” said Miguel Guerreiro, managing partner, RunLevel.

“By combining local expertise with advanced IAM technologies, we are helping establish secure authentication foundations that allow banks to innovate confidently while safeguarding critical payment infrastructure.”

“Our collaboration with SIMO marks an important step in supporting secure digital banking infrastructure in Mozambique,” said Alex Rocha, BIO-key’s managing director – International. “Together with RunLevel, we are deploying scalable IAM technologies that help financial institutions modernise access, reduce identity risks, and enable trusted digital services across the ecosystem.”

Eutelsat and unconnected.org launch KONNECT satellite community WiFi initiative starting in Tanzania to expand access. (Image source: Eutelsat)

Eutelsat has formed a strategic partnership with unconnected.org to broaden access to community Wi-Fi services across Africa using the EUTELSAT KONNECT high-throughput satellite platform

The collaboration will begin in Tanzania, where unconnected.org plans to roll out the KONNECT community Wi-Fi offering through partnerships with local internet service providers, non-governmental organisations, system integrators and public sector stakeholders. The initiative is structured around a commercial framework aimed at accelerating returns on investment, increasing connectivity in underserved and remote regions, and ensuring sustainable long-term service delivery.

Both organisations intend to use the Tanzanian launch as a foundation for expansion into other African markets, working together to scale digital inclusion efforts across the continent.

Delivered via the EUTELSAT KONNECT satellite, the community Wi-Fi solution is designed to provide high-speed internet access in areas beyond the reach of terrestrial infrastructure. This enables institutions such as schools and healthcare centres, as well as small enterprises, to connect to critical online tools and services.

Operating from the 7° East orbital slot, EUTELSAT KONNECT is a high-throughput satellite built to offer enhanced operational flexibility and substantial broadband capacity across Africa.

Philippe Baudrier, Eutelsat’s Vice President for Africa, said “Through EUTELSAT KONNECT, we are already seeing the tangible impact that satellite broadband can have in communities across Africa — from schools and clinics to local entrepreneurs. Partnering with unconnected.org allows us to extend this reach even further, supporting the development of sustainable, community-based connectivity that delivers real social and economic value.”

Mea Thompson, CCO, of unconnected.org, said “Eutelsat KONNECT plays a critical role in Tanzania by extending connectivity into areas that have historically been impossible to serve in a sustainable way. By lowering the cost of backhaul, it enables viable business models that allow local ISPs and community partners to achieve a return on investment while connecting the unconnected. This is exactly the kind of solution needed to scale digital access in a way that is both impactful and commercially sustainable.”

The partnership reinforces Eutelsat’s broader digital inclusion strategy. In early 2025, the company surpassed a significant benchmark by connecting one million people in Sub-Saharan Africa to satellite internet, achieving its target two years ahead of schedule under the Partner2Connect Digital Coalition led by the International Telecommunication Union.

GSMA report highlights low band spectrum and network sharing as key to improving rural mobile coverage and quality. (Image source: GSMA)

GSMA is urging governments and regulators to accelerate efforts to bridge the rural digital divide by prioritising additional low-band spectrum allocation and easing restrictions on voluntary network sharing between mobile operators

In its newly released report, Spectrum and Rural Connectivity, the industry body presents evidence that access to sufficient sub-1 GHz spectrum remains one of the most powerful levers to enhance rural network reach, service quality and affordability. Expanding access to these frequencies can also unlock broader social and economic gains for underserved communities.

While mobile coverage has expanded significantly in recent years, disparities persist. According to the report, people living in rural areas are still 28% less likely to use mobile internet than those in cities. They are also 30% less likely to regularly access online services such as messaging platforms, digital banking and educational tools. Even where coverage exists, service quality continues to hinder usage, particularly in areas that depend heavily on low-band spectrum to maintain reliable connections.

Analysis from GSMA Intelligence highlights the technical advantages of low-band frequencies. Their stronger propagation characteristics allow signals to travel greater distances and penetrate buildings more effectively, making them particularly suited to sparsely populated regions. Rural users already depend significantly on these bands, spending more than twice as much time connected to low frequencies as urban users across both 4G and 5G networks.

The report establishes a measurable relationship between increased low-band spectrum availability and improved rural connectivity outcomes. For every additional 50 MHz of sub-1 GHz spectrum assigned, rural 4G coverage rises by seven percentage points, while 5G coverage increases by eleven percentage points. Greater availability of low-band spectrum is also associated with download speed improvements of up to 8% and reduced congestion at the cell edge, where rural users are most affected by connectivity constraints.

Cost structures also play a critical role. The GSMA finds that reducing the spectrum cost-to-revenue ratio by 10% points correlates with tangible improvements in rural network deployment. Lower spectrum costs enable operators to allocate more capital towards expanding coverage and enhancing network performance. When combined with policies that reduce regulatory burdens, site access barriers and support voluntary network sharing, affordable low-band spectrum can significantly improve the economics of rural rollout.

“Reducing the digital divide between urban and rural communities allows us to give everyone the same digital opportunities, no matter where they live” said Luciana Camargos, head of spectrum at the GSMA.

“Our analysis shows that low-band spectrum is the foundation of rural mobile connectivity and making more available – at affordable prices and with long-term regulatory certainty – can dramatically improve rural coverage, boost speeds and reduce deployment costs. These improvements translate directly into better access to education, healthcare, financial services and new economic opportunities for rural communities. Governments and regulators have a clear chance to accelerate rural development by prioritising low-band spectrum for mobile and lowering the barriers to voluntary network sharing.”

Beyond enhancing connectivity metrics, the report underlines the broader economic implications of stronger rural networks. Improved coverage and service quality can increase digital participation, enhance productivity in sectors such as agriculture and transport, and strengthen local economies through better access to information, services and markets. Narrowing the connectivity gap between rural and urban areas can also amplify the overall societal value of digital networks.

To maximise these benefits, the GSMA recommends that policymakers prioritise the assignment of all low-band spectrum designated for mobile services, align spectrum pricing with economic fundamentals, provide long-term regulatory certainty consistent with network asset lifecycles, and reduce barriers to voluntary infrastructure sharing. The organisation emphasises that spectrum policy should be central to national strategies aimed at closing the digital divide and promoting inclusive economic growth.