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Microsoft Airband to Connect nearly 40 Million People across Latin America and Africa (By Vickie Robinson)

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Airband

Through new and expanded partnerships, Airband is delivering against its goal to connect 250 million people by 2025

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, May 17, 2023/APO Group/ — 

By Vickie Robinson, GM, Microsoft Airband Initiative (https://www.Microsoft.com)

Today, we’re announcing new and expanded Airband partnerships set to provide high-speed internet access to nearly 40 million people across Latin America and Africa. These partnerships in Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Guatemala and Cote d’Ivoire, Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania and Uganda mark significant progress in our commitment to extend high-speed internet access to 250 million people living in unserved and underserved areas around the world, including 100 million in Africa.

Across both Latin America and Africa, limited access to broadband can mean that people have fewer opportunities to develop the digital fluency and skills needed to participate in the digital economy.

At Microsoft, we believe that internet access and meaningful connectivity is a fundamental right. The Microsoft Airband initiative was launched to bring transformative connectivity to unserved and underserved communities around the world. Through the Airband initiative and its partners, Microsoft is serving as a catalyst to enable affordable access to connectivity, specifically focusing on regions with lower digital connectivity rates.

Connecting communities across Latin America

In recent years, about 37 percent of Latin Americans in rural areas have connectivity options, compared with 71% of the urban population (https://apo-opa.info/3o7ZQvD). Airband together with Wayfree in Guatemala, Fundacion Pais Digital in Chile, Brisanet in Brazil, and Anditel in Colombia will deliver 18 million people with access to high-speed internet.

Latin America combines thriving urban cities and rural areas with vast cultural heritage sites, however, like most places, there are unique challenges in advancing connectivity in certain regions. With greater access to the internet, Airband through its partners, hope to address societal issues, such as employment and education that can be strengthened through greater connectivity.

  • Brazil: Airband is expanding our footprint to Brazil, the largest market in Latin America, as part of our new partnership with Brisanet (https://apo-opa.info/435Pdsb). Working with Microsoft and NGOs like Amigos do Bem (https://www.AmigosdoBem.org/en/) and Mais Unidos (https://apo-opa.info/3IiPlML), Brisanet will extend high-speed internet access to more than 11 million people and support social and economic development in low-income regions of the country.

At Microsoft, we believe that internet access and meaningful connectivity is a fundamental right

  • Chile: Fundación País Digital (https://apo-opa.info/3WeCOjd) is a nonprofit organization working to develop Chile’s digital economy, expand connectivity, and improve digital literacy throughout the country. Through their newest initiative, Programa Conectando Territorios (https://ConectandoTerritorios.PaisDigital.org/), Fundación País Digital will expand connectivity to rural and underserved areas in two regions: the Biobío Region in central Chile, which has been significantly impacted by earthquakes; and the Antofagasta Region, known for its mining industry. With Airband support, in addition to connectivity, the program will target economic opportunities through training and employing local community members to maintain the new networks and will bring internet access to an additional one million people by the end of 2025.
  • Colombia: Our commitment with longtime partner Anditel (https://apo-opa.info/3M7ETch) to provide coverage for more than 600,000 people in five years has gone well ahead of plan. To date we have nearly doubled that target and are now expanding our partnership to cover an additional three million people by the end of 2025. Partnering with the Colombian government on ICT 360 (https://apo-opa.info/3IhtMfN), the national connectivity program, Anditel aims to cover 85% of Colombians by 2026.
  • Guatemala: Wayfree is the leading provider (https://apo-opa.info/3Wexvk2) of Internet connectivity in Guatemala. They are deploying wireless access zones in towns and villages, already covering over 40 percent of the 340 Guatemalan municipalities with the goal of making universal wireless internet access a reality. Airband’s support will catalyze deployments in the remaining municipalities in Guatemala and ultimately provide three million people with access to high-speed internet coverage by the end of 2025.

Crossing the continent of Africa

Our efforts on the African continent are some of our most longstanding and farthest reaching. Today many African nations are rising economic powers, but on a continent with so many vast rural areas, delivering connectivity can be a challenge. On average Africa has a 40 percent (https://apo-opa.info/3IiPuQj) internet usage rate. Partnerships are key to the success of the Airband model, and we are building upon our existing partnerships in Africa, including with Mawingu and Tizeti.

  • Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda: Microsoft Airband’s relationship with Kenyan service provider Mawingu (https://apo-opa.info/3Ijr75f) began in 2014 with a pilot in Nanyuki and has since expanded to deliver high-speed internet access to four million Kenyans living in rural areas. Mawingu was Airband’s first partner, and thanks to the public-partnership model, today the company is Kenya’s leading internet service provider dedicated to rural and peri-urban markets. This latest expansion of our partnership with Mawingu will bring coverage to an incremental 16 million people across Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda by the end of 2025, ultimately covering a total of 20 million people.

Mawingu provides meaningful internet access to locations throughout Kenya, such as hotspots, vocational schools and businesses. Just one example of Airband’s partnership has resulted in the deployment of more than 700 hotspots and connectivity for more than 100 primary schools, enabling community members to access digital skills training and essential education materials. The company has also partnered with Unilever and Microsoft Philanthropies to provide access and skills to female entrepreneurs.

  • Nigeria and Cote d’Ivoire: Airband partner Tizeti (https://www.Tizeti.com/) has brought coverage to more than 900,000 people in Nigeria, expanding from Lagos to focus on underserved states across the country. Microsoft and Tizeti are expanding this partnership to Cote d’Ivoire, a cultural crossroads of West Africa, to bring internet access to almost 5 million people. Given that electricity is frequently unavailable, insufficient or unreliable in many parts of Africa, this expansion of our partnership includes infrastructure support and deployment of eight solar powered towers to help provide connectivity to households, small businesses and hotspots. This access will empower greater access to education, healthcare, and employment.

Bringing more digital opportunities to more people

Through partnering with Microsoft’s Airband Initiative, organizations have additional support to create the infrastructure needed to provide connectivity support in many different ecosystems that ultimately drives self-empowerment and sustainable development and growth. These partnerships are essential in providing local expertise and experience to help achieve a greater goal tied to what can be harnessed with the support of connectivity.

As technology, like AI, advances, being connected provides a path forward to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Microsoft.

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WARC reveals insights from the winners of the Cannes Creative Effectiveness Lions 2026

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4 hours ago

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August 12, 2026

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Cultural insights, interactive experiences, strategic creator partnerships and platform-native ideas lead to commercial success
12 August 2026 – Strategically integrating cultural insights, interactive experiences, strategic creator partnerships, and platform-native ideas into campaigns are key drivers of commercial success, according to a new report by WARC, the global authority on marketing effectiveness.

‘Creative Effectiveness Lions – Insights from the 2026 winners’, identifies trends and themes common to the winners of this year’s Cannes Creative Effectiveness Lions awards category, which rewards creativity that has also met business goals and driven sustainable impact over time.

Based on WARC’s exclusive access to the jury deliberations and analysis of the entries, the report unearths insights into what makes a campaign both creative and effective, offers a behind-the-scenes view on the strategies that led to success, and provides takeaways for advertisers, agencies, media owners, people and planet.

Commenting on the report, John Bizzell, Content Lead, WARC, said: “This year’s winning Creative Effectiveness campaigns offer valuable insights for marketers, demonstrating how creative excellence can address genuine business and social issues while delivering meaningful growth.”

On the winners, jury president Bertille Toledano, CEO, BETC, Havas Creative Middle East and President of Havas Creative Network, commented: “The jury sought to award Lions to campaigns that delivered genuine impact on real people – the kind of campaigns you would discuss with your mother over lunch. We kept in mind the Creative Effectiveness Ladder to select the most effective creative work that embodied a cultural vision and a clear sense of what the brand stands for. These are the ones I’ll be telling my mother about.”

The three key themes of the Creative Effectiveness Lions 2026 winners are:

  • Rewrite cultural rules, don’t just reflect them

Cultural insight is a strategic business tool that helps brands actively focus on what connects people, and how to respond and innovate. Brands that move beyond surface-level understanding and instead use cultural analysis strategically can unlock new opportunities for growth, relevance and differentiation.

 

Brands should prioritize activation over observation, position themselves as cultural solutions, and focus on value exchange rather than transactional relationships.

Creative Effectiveness Grand Prix winner, Three Words for insurance brand AXA by Publicis France, transformed its home insurance offering to support victims of domestic violence in France by adding the clause ‘and domestic violence’ to its contracts, enabling emergency relocations for those in need.

Gold winner Pedigree’s Caramelo campaign by AlmapBBDO São Paulo, redefined the concept of ‘pedigree’ and increased the adoption of mixed-breed dogs in Brazil, particularly the culturally significant Caramelo, expanding its total addressable market.

  • Interactive experiences foster deeper brand involvement

Turning brand assets into interactive tools enables brands to deepen engagement, foster participation and create memorable moments for audiences.

Brands should embrace direct consumer participation utilising assets, leverage data to build credibility, and implement meaningful reward mechanisms to drive engagement.

Vaseline, the trusted skin healer’s silver-winning Vaseline Verified campaign by Ogilvy Singapore, engaged directly with creators to address misinformation about its product on social media to ensure safe usage among consumers.

Furniture retailer IKEA’s Hidden Tags silver campaign in Portugal by Uzina, Lisbon, encouraged customers to discover the hidden production dates on their products to build consumer trust and reinforce long-term brand commitment.

  • Strategic creator partnerships and platform-native ideas build brands

Creators are more than paid promoters; they can be authentic advocates who add real value. Platform-specific features earn community buy-in and mean reach continues when spend stops.

Brands should focus on integration rather than interruption, look beyond simple amplification, and meet audiences where they naturally engage.

Uber Easts, the food delivery platform’s silver-winning campaign Football is for Food, by Special US, transformed its NFL sponsorship into a purchase opportunity by embedding itself into the sport, linking football with food.

Bronze-winning campaign ‘U Up?’ by Rethink Canada for IKEA leveraged multiple touchpoints to create unexpected brand interactions into points of purchase for mattresses by turning consumer insomnia into immediate conversation.

WARC’s John Bizzell added: “This year’s jury talked a lot about context, from sourcing to metrics and culture. The jury wanted to see work that included well-sourced, credible data and metrics on what was the business impact. They also wanted to see cultural context – on an international jury, not everyone may understand why an insight is so important for a brand or category. Entrants should bear these factors in mind for next year.”

The full report is available to WARC Strategy subscribers. An upcoming WARC Podcast available from 20 August will discuss the findings.

 

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ExxonMobil’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) Breakthrough Signals New Era of Digital Exploration in Guyana Ahead of Caribbean Energy Week (CEW) 2027

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August 12, 2026

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As artificial intelligence transforms upstream decision-making, Guyana’s energy sector continues to attract investment and innovation ahead of the Caribbean Energy Week 2027 In-Country Launch in Georgetown on 1 September 2026

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, August 12, 2026/APO Group/ –ExxonMobil’s announcement that artificial intelligence has identified four new exploration opportunities within Guyana’s prolific Stabroek Block marks a significant milestone in the country’s digital transformation. By applying AI to historical discoveries, drilling results and subsurface data, the company is demonstrating how advanced analytics, machine learning, high-performance computing and next-generation seismic imaging can accelerate exploration, reduce costs and improve discovery success rates.

 

The breakthrough comes as Guyana targets crude oil production of 1.3 million barrels per day by 2027 and 1.7 million barrels per day by 2030, underscoring the growing role of digital technologies in maximizing resource development alongside continued investment in drilling and infrastructure.

Against this backdrop, the Caribbean Energy Week (CEW) 2027 Guyana In-Country Launch, taking place on 1 September 2026 at the Guyana Marriott Hotel in Georgetown, will bring together operators, technology providers, geoscience companies, investors and regulators to examine the latest developments shaping Guyana’s energy sector and build momentum ahead of CEW 2027 next July. Returning for its second edition, CEW provides a premier platform for advancing investment, showcasing new projects and highlighting the technologies driving the country’s next phase of upstream growth.

Momentum behind AI adoption continues to build. In May 2026, ExxonMobil Vice President of Exploration John Ardill confirmed the company was expanding its use of deep learning, machine learning and high-performance computing to analyze seismic data and identify hydrocarbon-bearing prospects that were previously more difficult to evaluate.

The company is simultaneously advancing an ambitious offshore drilling program. This month, ExxonMobil commenced new drilling activities in Guyana’s Exclusive Economic Zone, including the Whiptail development well and Rockhead-1 exploration well. Earlier this year, the company also sought environmental authorization for the Haimara gas-condensate development and has proposed a 35-well drilling campaign between 2028 and 2033, reinforcing confidence in Guyana’s long-term exploration potential.

These developments are creating growing opportunities for AI developers, digital technology providers, seismic specialists, engineering firms and oilfield service companies that can support increasingly data-driven exploration and field development activities.

As the first official milestone on the road to Caribbean Energy Week 2027, the Georgetown launch will provide a platform for industry leaders to examine the technologies, partnerships and investment strategies driving Guyana’s next phase of growth while strengthening collaboration across the Caribbean energy sector.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Energy Capital & Power.

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SOKOYO Advances Global Solar Street Lighting Capabilities

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August 12, 2026

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BEIJING, CHINA – Media OutReach Newswire – 12 August 2026 – SOKOYO, a top manufacturer of solar street lights, has installed 252 sets of lighting units in QatarEnergy’s solar power project in Ras Laffan and Masaieed in Qatar.

Installation of SOKOYO’s split solar street lights for the project being built by Samsung C&T Corp. was completed in July. The arrangement of solar panels was customized at the customer’s request for ease of maintenance.

“SOKOYO provided us with a specially customized solution for our power station,” said Ms. Kathy, senior procurement manager for Samsung. “The entire solar street lighting system consistently met our expectations for brightness, battery life and overall reliability.”

SOKOYO, founded in 2008, has manufactured more than 1 million lighting units installed in a wide range of settings across SoutheastAsia, Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia.

The company manufactures its own LED modules, solar panels, batteries, light housings and light poles. They have third-party certification for European Union and other safety and reliability standards, which qualifies them for export to global markets.

SOKOYO is regularly appointed to bodies that establish national and industry standards.

SOKOYO’s product line includes all-in-one solar street lights, all-in-two solar street lights and split-type solar street lights. They can be controlled remotely with IoT technology to improve safety and efficiency. Using solar power makes them immune to disruptions in supplies of oil and gas.

As the industry evolves to focus on “system-level R&D,” SOKOYO is reducing customer costs by enhancing reliability and resistance to heat and cold. To improve efficiency, it is developing smart lighting and IoT applications. It is promoting modular production, intelligent manufacturing and standardized process management.

The research team has seven engineers, some with more than two decades of industry experience. They develop technology for a wide range of environments and customer needs.

SOKOYO has experience in markets including Thailand, thePhilippines, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Nigeria. It has developed technology to cope with heat, humidity, sandstorms and low light during extended rains, a challenge in central Africa and other areas.

In Uganda, SOKOYO supplied 1,000 light sets to help improve safety on a busy expressway between the capital, Kampala, and the eastern industrial center of Jinja. They provide the first nighttime lighting on a 22-kilometer section of road crowded with trucks, buses and motorcycles.

In Yemen and the United Arab Emirates, SOKOYO lights use LED modules developed to cope with heat, sun and sand.

The company supplied more than 2,000 light units to Saudi Arabia’s planned high-tech city of NEOM as part of the Saudi 2030 Vision plan.

Customers can use SOKOYO’s test facilities to try out different light configurations. Lights can be tested on roads of up to four lanes in an1,100-square-meter darkroom. Designers and urban planners can ensure light is distributed effectively, eliminating dark areas on the road and improving safety.

Batteries are tested to confirm they resist crushing, heat and cold, vibration, overcharging or being dropped. LED modules are drenched in salt spray for up to 72 hours to make sure they resist corrosion.

SOKOYO has been chosen for bodies that formulated eight national and industry standards including the “General Technical Specification for Solar Photovoltaic Lighting Devices” in 2025 with definitions and standards for split-type and integrated solar devices.

SOKOYO products have third-party certification that they meet standards of the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) and other bodies.Its batteries meet the requirements of the CB scheme under the IEC, recognized in more than 50 countries. Tests confirm they withstand overcharging, high temperature, vibration, impact and short circuit.

The company’s solar panels received IEC certification that they meet standards for electric shock protection, temperature changes, damp, heat, humidity, hail impact and other factors.

SOKOYO participates in efforts to improve the industry’s reputation by promoting “zero false labeling” and reliable products that refuse to cut corners.

SOKOYO pays attention to the environment. Its products are designed to minimize light pollution and limit disruption for wildlife, stargazers and the public.
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

 

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