Airtel Kenya has paid the government Sh1.13 billion (US$10 million) in fees for a network licence to cater for the increased demand for its mobile data services.
Industry regulator Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) disclosed that Airtel paid the money last month, paving the way for use of the new spectrum for 10 years.
Airtel had temporarily acquired the license for two years to February 2022 to support increased demand for its data services when businesses opted to work from home to contain the spread of the COVID-19 disease from 2020.
The Sh1.13 billion payment will be followed by a Sh2.2 billion (US$20 million) fee for the current licence that Airtel has been using since 2015 and which the telco agreed to settle over the next three years.
The payments are the outcome of an out-of-court settlement with the government.
The telco signed the agreements with the CA in February, allowing Airtel to start negotiations meant to exempt the firm from a rule that requires local shareholders to own at least a 30 per cent stake in telecom companies by March 2024.
To accelerate its Digital Transformation, Aluminium Bahrain B.S.C. (Alba), the world’s largest Aluminium smelter ex-China, has selected EtaPRO LLC. to improve the thermal performance of its power stations. The EtaPRO© system will provide a plant performance digital dashboard and measure plant degradation by using digital Industry 4.0 and artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance Alba’s asset reliability.
Speaking on this occasion, Alba’s Chief Executive Officer Ali Al Baqali said: “We believe that Digital Transformation is a discipline rather than a project. As part of our Industry 4.0 revolution, we identified the need to have an online Performance Management System (PMS), based on an industry-leading digital solution utilizing Artificial Intelligence (AI), which would provide us with the flexibility to host the PMS in the cloud.
We are excited to partner with EtaPRO LLC as we carve our way to meet our Company’s objectives in terms of efficiency and optimisation.”
EtaPRO Chief Operating Officer Richard DesJardins added: “Digital Transformation, coupled with process knowledge, enables organizations to innovate new ways to manage and transform their business. As a market leader in Asset Performance and Condition Monitoring technology with three decades of global experience, EtaPRO is pleased to support Alba and the Kingdom of Bahrain in reaching their ambitious Industry 4.0 goals.”
