Internet

Vodacom calls on communities to help protect base stations from rising battery theft and vandalism ahead of the festive season. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

Vodacom has observed an alarming rise in battery theft and vandalism at its base stations, particularly in KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, and Northern Gauteng

These regions alone accounted for 40% or more of such incidents in September. Such criminal activities disrupt connectivity for thousands of South Africans, affecting individuals, small businesses, and emergency services in remote areas.

Johan van Graan, chief risk officer at Vodacom Group, highlights the broader implications: "Battery theft and vandalism at our base stations continues to be a huge challenge for the telco sector. The consequences go beyond the costs of repairing and restoring infrastructure. They have a significant impact on communities that depend on connectivity as a vital lifeline."

The telco industry also faces a surge in cable theft, driven by soaring copper prices. This crisis has disrupted essential services, including hospitals, railways, and telecommunications. Vodacom has responded by hardening its sites, deploying Artificial Intelligence for early detection, and working closely with law enforcement and private security firms.

"While we have invested significantly in boosting our security measures at our base station sites, we acknowledge that the fight against vandalism and theft is ongoing with crime syndicates finding new ways to carry out their illegal operations. That is why we are appealing to all stakeholders, from law enforcement to communities, to play a part in curbing these offences," added Van Graan.  

He further explains the role of local partnerships: "Our community engagement initiatives, where we work with residents and community policing forums, have been instrumental in safeguarding sites. These partnerships, combined with the use of technology, have led to successful arrests and prosecutions, sending a strong message to criminals."

Vodacom’s efforts include raising public awareness about the consequences of site vandalism, emphasising how it affects connectivity, disrupts emergency services, and impedes rural network expansion. The company remains committed to collaborating with communities to address these challenges and protect critical infrastructure. These crimes not only disrupt everyday life but also divert resources that could improve South Africa’s digital future.

Vertiv outlines transformative trends shaping power, cooling, sustainability, cybersecurity, and AI in the data center industry for 2025. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

Artificial intelligence (AI) continues to transform the data centre landscape. Vertiv, a leading provider of digital infrastructure solutions, has outlined key trends for 2025.

These include advancements in high-density computing, intensified focus on sustainability, regulatory attention on AI applications, and evolving cybersecurity strategies.

Vertiv’s CEO, Giordano (Gio) Albertazzi, emphasised the accuracy of their 2024 predictions about AI’s impact on cooling strategies. “With AI driving rack densities into three- and four-digit kWs, the need for advanced and scalable solutions to power and cool those racks, minimise their environmental footprint, and empower these emerging AI Factories has never been higher,” Albertazzi said. “We anticipate significant progress on that front in 2025, and our customers demand it.”

Power and cooling innovations

The industry is adapting to challenges posed by compute-intensive workloads. As AI shifts reliance from CPUs to GPUs, power and cooling systems face mounting pressure. According to Vertiv, “Advanced computing will continue to shift from CPU to GPU to leverage the latter’s parallel computing power and the higher thermal design point of modern chips.” Technologies like cold-plate and immersion cooling are set to manage these demands, while factory-integrated solutions, such as liquid cooling, aim to improve efficiency and deployment speed.

Energy Efficiency Under Scrutiny

Data centres, which currently consume 1-2% of global power, could see usage rise to 3-4% by 2030 due to AI growth. This drives the need for sustainable practices. “These pressures are forcing organisations to prioritise energy efficiency and sustainability even more than they have in the past,” noted Vertiv. The trend toward microgrids, fuel cells, and modular reactors is accelerating, addressing energy availability challenges and regulatory demands.

Collaboration and AI Factories

As AI Factory racks approach unprecedented densities of 500-1000kW, collaboration among stakeholders—chipmakers, utilities, and infrastructure providers—is becoming essential. “Chip developers, customers, power and cooling infrastructure manufacturers, utilities and other industry stakeholders will increasingly partner to develop and support transparent roadmaps to enable AI adoption,” said Vertiv. AI-driven tools are also expediting engineering and manufacturing processes, promoting true integration of IT and infrastructure.

Cybersecurity and AI

AI’s rise is enabling both sophisticated cyberattacks and advanced defenses. Vertiv reported that “one-third of all attacks last year involved some form of ransomware or extortion,” with bad actors using AI tools to exploit connected infrastructure. To counter these threats, cybersecurity experts are deploying AI-based defense systems. “While the fundamentals and best practices of defense in depth and extreme diligence remain the same, the shifting nature, source and frequency of attacks add nuance to modern cybersecurity efforts,” Vertiv explained.

Regulatory Developments

Governments are ramping up AI governance efforts. “The trend toward sovereign AI—a nation’s control or influence over the development, deployment and regulation of AI—is a focus of The European Union’s Artificial Intelligence Act and China’s Cybersecurity Law,” noted Vertiv. By 2025, regulations may extend to AI applications and data center energy usage, with localised frameworks varying in enforcement consistency.

Vertiv’s insights highlight the profound impact AI is having on the data centre industry, shaping innovations, sustainability practices, and regulatory landscapes for the future.

Vodacom empowers Africa's youth with digital skills training, bridging the gap for a future-ready workforce. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

Vodacom Group has partnered with technology providers to provide young people on the continent with access to digital skills as part of its commitment to driving digital literacy for Africa’s next generation

Together with AWS, Microsoft, Skillsoft and other collaborating organisations Vodacom aims to bridge the digital skills gap across eight African countries and upskill 1million young people by 2027. The Vodacom Group Digital Skills Hub is available in South Africa, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Mozambique, Lesotho, Egypt (Talimy), the Democratic Republic of Congo (VodaEduc), and in Kenya (Industry Digital Talent Program) to empower the next generation of digital innovators, enabling Africa’s digital society and leveraging existing e-learning platforms in the respective markets. According to the International Finance Corporation (IFC), over 230 million jobs will require digital skills in Africa by 2030, yet the continent faces a significant gap in supply and demand for digital expertise.

“The African continent is plagued in many countries with high levels of unemployment, gender inequality, income disparity and limited access to education, healthcare and essential services. These challenges inform our purpose and drives our strategy to connect for a better future, leveraging digital technologies to drive inclusion into the future for the betterment of people. The launch of the Digital Skills Hub is testament to our commitment to pioneering the path to a digital and more inclusive Africa,” commented Shameel Joosub, Vodacom group CEO.

The Vodacom Digital Skills Hub provides access to self-paced, digital skills training for those aged between 18 and 35. This is in addition to Vodacom Group’s existing free, e-learning platforms across its markets. E-learning and digital classrooms have made it possible for students in remote or underserved areas to access quality education with platforms such as Talimy in Egypt, e-Fahamu in Tanzania, VodaEduc in the Democratic of Congo (DRC), Faz Crescer in Mozambique and an e-learning platform in South Africa, providing a wealth of online resources, which cater to different learning needs.

“We are extremely excited about this initiative which seeks to inspire the next wave of digital innovators. Our main aim with this initiative is to not only address the digital skills shortage on the continent but to also nurture a pipeline of young talent and in turn advance Africa’s digital future, boosting opportunities for empowerment in an inclusive digital economy,” added Matimba Mbungela, chief human resources officer at Vodacom Group. The Vodacom Digital Skills Hub is designed to empower the next generation, to consider a career in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), and entails fun and engaging practical digital skills training for young people on the continent. AWS Educate is one of the first programs to be offered through the Digital Skills Hub and an additional program to Vodacom’s various existing online learning platforms. AWS Educate offers beginners an extensive library of self-paced online training that covers a range of topics from cloud fundamentals to artificial intelligence and machine learning.

“With over 400 million young people between the ages of 15 and 35 in Africa, the continent has the youngest population in the world. Digital is the new currency, it is therefore imperative that we invest in them and provide them with the necessary digital skills that will not only boost their growth and development but that of the continent too,” concluded Joosub.

Eutelsat and Q-KON strengthen LEO services, advancing high-speed internet access for underserved communities in Sub-Saharan Africa. (Image source: Q-KON)

Eutelsat Group has signed a new multi-year agreement with Q-KON, a leading provider of satellite solutions and services, to extend Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite coverage throughout Sub-Saharan Africa

This partnership aims to accelerate the delivery of high-speed, low-latency connectivity to underserved and specialised communities and businesses, with a focus on Southern Africa.

Unleashing seamless connectivity 

This expanded collaboration builds on the success of Eutelsat’s OneWeb LEO satellite integration into Q-KON’s Twoobii Smart Satellite Services in 2023 and the launch of digital banking services in early 2024. Through this agreement, Eutelsat’s OneWeb network will supply substantial capacity to Q-KON, supporting the growth of Twoobii-LEO and offering enhanced broadband options to address rising demands for reliable, high-speed internet across the region.

The partnership will bolster critical services, including cloud-based applications, remote healthcare, e-learning, fintech, and enterprise connectivity across both urban and rural areas in Sub-Saharan Africa. By merging Eutelsat’s advanced satellite infrastructure with Q-KON’s regional expertise and engineering capabilities, this agreement is set to deliver high-quality internet access with cost-effective solutions to regions beyond the reach of terrestrial networks.

Cyril Dujardin, president of Eutelsat Group’s Connectivity Business Unit, shared, "We are delighted to step up our relationship with Q-KON and we are honoured in the confidence Q-KON has placed in us following our initial successful cooperation. We are excited to continue to work with Q-KON as it leverages cutting-edge satellite network solutions to meet the challenging demands for low-cost, high availability, and trusted services in Africa."

Dr Dawie de Wet, Group CEO of Q-KON, added, “We value our continued partnership with Eutelsat and are excited to take this next step in expanding and scaling-up our LEO satellite services across Southern Africa. This agreement opens up more product flexibility and service differentiation for faster, more reliable connectivity that will empower businesses and support digital transformation across Sub-Saharan Africa.”