RIOT Network aims to make fast, unlimited Wi-Fi services accessible for people in townships and underserved communities

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, November 22, 2024/APO Group/ — 

MediaTek (www.MediaTek.com), a global fabless semiconductor company powering nearly 2 billion connected devices a year, and RIOT Network (https://RIOT.Network), a community mobile broadband provider in South Africa, have announced the successful integration of Mediatek’s Filogic 830 (https://apo-opa.co/3CIbkNl) chipset into RIOT’s second-generation CROWDNet Core Nodes.

The successful deployment of the CROWDNet nodes has enabled RIOT Network to achieve its aim of offering uncapped internet at an affordable price of R99 per month, and to do so profitably. To date, RIOT Network, in partnership with Sonke Telecommunications, has leveraged the nodes to connect more than 800 households and 5000 users in Olievenhoutbosch to uncapped Wi-Fi services.

RIOT Network aims to make fast, unlimited Wi-Fi services accessible for people in townships and underserved communities. Its CROWDNet Nodes, enable an innovative model for deploying user-operated network infrastructure. Community members serve as operators of some of the core network devices to earn a share of the fee from neighbours who use the service.

With each new connection, RIOT Network is highlighting the role of innovative fixed-wireless solutions in extending broadband access and improving digital inclusivity

CROWDNet powered by MediaTek Filogic 830 brings affordable, last-kilometre broadband to communities where it is not commercially viable to deploy towers or fibre. The MediaTek Filogic 830 is a high-performance SoC for routers, repeaters, access points and mesh networking devices. The SoC enables device makers to build-in powerful applications based on an energy-efficient, Wi-Fi 6-ready platform.

“The Mediatek’s Filogic 830 chipset delivers a unique balance of high performance and cost-efficiency, allowing us to keep operational costs low while maximising network reliability and speed,” said Jarryd Bekker, CEO at RIOT Network. “This combination of affordability and sustainable business growth is pivotal to our vision of expanding digital access in underserved communities. Our work in Olievenhoutbosch near Centurion demonstrates the power of reliable, affordable internet, creating new opportunities for economic and social engagement.”

“With each new connection, RIOT Network is highlighting the role of innovative fixed-wireless solutions in extending broadband access and improving digital inclusivity,” said Rami Osman (https://apo-opa.co/4ghZBUn), Director for Business Development, MediaTek Middle East and Africa. “We look forward to supporting RIOT in building a future where high-quality internet is accessible and impactful for all.”

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of MediaTek Inc

This partnership is set to empower African communities, governments, and businesses, and represents a significant step toward realising the shared goal of financial inclusion and economic advancement across Africa

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, November 21, 2024/APO Group/ — 

In Sub-Saharan Africa, approximately 105 million adults are unbanked and lack proper identification documents (http://apo-opa.co/4fZNzyr) [1]. Over 350 million adults in Africa live on a cash-only basis (http://apo-opa.co/3Z2xBg6), without access to financial accounts, credit cards, or lending facilities. Digital currency systems could prove to be key in improving financial inclusion and opening up new opportunities to large underbanked communities in many African countries.

Universal Digital Payments Network (UDPN) (https://apo-opa.co/4g0POSt), the world’s leading global payments messaging network supporting regulated stablecoins and Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs) and FORUS Digital (http://FORUS.Digital), a global leader in blockchain-based cooperative digital finance, are starting a strategic cooperation aimed at expanding financial inclusion and promoting tokenisation efforts across Africa.

This partnership is set to empower African communities, governments, and businesses, and represents a significant step toward realising the shared goal of financial inclusion and economic advancement across Africa, with blockchain and decentralised finance at the forefront of this transformation. UDPN and FORUS Digital will collaborate to introduce the UDPN platform’s capabilities throughout Africa, initially in South Africa, Malawi, Zimbabwe and Ethiopia.

Sonny Fisher (https://apo-opa.co/4fVmRXZ), Founder of FORUS Digital (https://apo-opa.co/3YWJRih), remarked “Our partnership with UDPN accelerates our vision of economic empowerment through decentralised finance. Together, we are equipping Africa with the tools to embrace blockchain-powered tokenisation and drive sustainable development.”

“As we stand on the brink of a digital payments revolution, UDPN’s collaboration with FORUS Digital will play a crucial role in shaping a future where financial services are accessible, efficient, and secure for all Africans. This partnership is a testament to our belief that technology can be a powerful tool for development. By working together, we are paving the way for innovative financial solutions that will enhance economic resilience in African communities,” commented Christopher Ortiz (https://apo-opa.co/3UYIb6M), Member of Group Executive Board – North America, UK and APAC, GFT (https://apo-opa.co/4eBennO).     

UDPN is a DLT-underpinned messaging backbone focused on providing interoperability between the fast-growing number of different regulated stablecoins, tokenized deposits, and CBDCs, and seamless connectivity between any business IT system and regulated digital currencies.

Earlier this year the UDPN team launched three solutions designed to reshape the landscape of digital payments and assets in the financial sector:

• Tokenised Deposit/Stablecoin Management System: A production-grade system designed for both commercial banks and regulated stablecoin issuers, streamlining the entire lifecycle of tokenised deposits and stablecoin services – from issuance to operation, including advanced interoperability features.
• Digital Asset Tokenisation System: Provides a robust production-grade platform for financial institutions, such as banks and investment firms, to tokenise real-world assets and manage them within a regulated environment.
• UDPN All-in-One Digital Currency Sandbox: A sandbox, designed to enable both commercial and central banks to learn about the latest digital currency technology, test built-in use cases, and develop their own new custom use cases in a self-control and secure environment that the banks can control and provide permissioned access to other institutions in their ecosystem.

The UDPN aims to drive down payment and foreign exchange costs whilst accelerating the uptake of regulated digital currencies.

Over 130 countries [3] globally are currently investigating, developing, or have already launched CBDCs. On the African continent, South Africa, Nigeria, Eswatini and Ethiopia have taken the lead. FORUS Digital has positioned itself in Africa to help central banks and commercial banks in their journey towards CBDC using the UDPN All-in-One Digital Currency Sandbox.

Statista [4] indicated that the Digital Assets market in Africa is projected to reach a revenue of US$3,115.0m by 2024.  It indicates that Africa’s Digital Assets market specifically, the number of users is projected to reach 53.89m users by 2025.

Financial innovation is not limited to central banks. Citigroup’s launch of Citi Token Services and Societé Generale’s December 2023 announcement of their digital currency and asset services and the HSBC Orion platform are the most recent examples of how traditional financial institutions are making digital assets an essential part of their service offerings to their clients.

This partnership between UDPN and FORUS Digital will focus on helping central banks deploy a secure CBDC testing environment for creating use cases and defining new regulations. It will also help commercial banks manage their own tokenised deposit and stablecoin life cycle and integrate into the central bank digital currency testing environment. The programmability of value-added financial services will enable new business models and enhance the efficiency and transparency of cross-border payments.

This partnership is a major milestone in Africa’s digital financial transformation and the introduction of UDPN Solutions there will enable a variety of sectors to access secure, low-cost cross-border payments and tokenised financial products. By providing African governments and financial institutions with blockchain-driven tools, UDPN will support enabling an inclusive, scalable digital payments system for the African continent.

Learn more!

To learn more about the Universal Digital Payment Network (UDPN), please visit www.UDPN.io.

Together, we are equipping Africa with the tools to embrace blockchain-powered tokenisation and drive sustainable development

---

[1] https://apo-opa.co/4fZNzyr

[2] https://apo-opa.co/3Z2xBg6

[3] Atlantic Council’s CBDC Tracker (https://apo-opa.co/4ggoRKH)

[4] Statista (https://apo-opa.co/4fX9p5N)

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of FORUS Digital.

• OPPO Find X8 and Find X8 Pro launched in global markets
• Find X8 Series delivers ultra-grade cameras, performance and battery life
• ColorOS 15 debuts on Find X8 Series with cutting-edge OPPO AI

JAKARTA, INDONESIA – Media OutReach Newswire – 21 November 2024 -OPPO, the world’s leading smart device brand, today announced the global availability of its Find X8 and Find X8 Pro flagship smartphones. Each delivers ultra-grade experiences across camera, performance, and battery life and debuts ColorOS 15 with its suite of advanced OPPO AI solutions.

“With Find X8 Series, we have broken through barriers that have held smartphones back for generations. An exquisite, ultra-slim design, along with ultra-grade cameras, ultra-long-lasting battery life, and ultra-powerful performance, are now a reality for the first time. Thanks to our intelligent ColorOS 15, OPPO AI, and our close partnerships with industry leaders, Find X8 and Find X8 Pro make creativity, productivity, and everyday tasks easier, quicker, and more seamless than ever. Find X8 Series really is the new global standard for smartphone excellence.”— Pete Lau, SVP and Chief Product Officer, OPPO

Stylish, Slim & Durable

Both Find X8 and Find X8 Pro are premium, elegant, and durable, with rich glass and aluminium construction plus striking Cosmos Ring design, delivering a super-comfortable in-hand experience, whichever you choose. Despite ultra-beating camera systems, each sets a new benchmark in its class for ultra-slim flagship camera phone design.

Find X8 represents a golden size. With its 6.59″ display and an easy-to-hold design, it balances being both compact and immersive, and the slender 7.85mm profile and light 193g weight ensure whatever the scenario, it’s a perfect fit.[i] Fans of big-screened smartphones will love Find X8 Pro’s expansive 6.78″ Infinite View Display. Its size is offset by its elegant, curved frame and quad-curved glass on the front and back, creating a soft, easy-to-manage hold.

Both Find X8 and Find X8 Pro are IP68 and IP69 dust and water-resistant, able to withstand being submerged in 1.5m of water for 30 minutes and jet sprays of water up to 80ºC for total peace of mind. Find X8 also adds Swiss SGS and Military Grade certification, tested to whole-phone drop resistance and MGJB 150.18A MIL-STD impact standards.

Available in Star Grey, Space Black and Shell Pink, Find X8’s diffuse finish is elevated and fingerprint-resistant, whichever colour you choose. Find X8 Pro is available in Space Black and Pearl White. Both carry forward this sleek, diffuse aesthetic, but each Pearl White Find X8 Pro adds a unique pearlescent pattern, infusing an exclusive quality to the colour.

Less Bezel & More Screen

Find X8 and Find X8 Pro deliver immersive views and stunning, bright, crisp, high-quality screens. Each phone features a super-smooth 120Hz display and up to 1600 nits peak brightness for easy outdoor viewing, even on a sunny day. When playing back HDR content, Find X8 Series beams at up to 4500 nits, and the ProXDR displays support the Ultra HDR standard, so your photos look glorious across compatible apps and services.

For Find X8 and Find X8 Pro, the bezels surrounding the displays have been shrunk to create a futuristic, immersive view. Find X8 showcases the thinnest bezel of any OPPO phone, symmetrical on all sides at just 1.45mm, creating a nearly edge-to-edge impression. Find X8 Pro’s visually symmetrical 1.9mm bezel is also ultra-slim, with the larger size and quad-curved glass elevating the look and feel further still.

Splash Touch technology means you can use Find X8 Series outdoors in the rain or when your hands are wet without interruption, and with high-frequency PWM dimming, DC dimming, and TÜV Rheinland Eye Comfort 4.0 certification, enjoy a view that’s easy on the eyes across both Find X8 and Find X8 Pro.

Hasselblad Master Camera System

OPPO Find X8 Series introduces OPPO’s all-new Hasselblad Master Camera System with ultra-beating zoom and cutting-edge AI-powered capabilities. Both phones feature all-50MP cameras, with Find X8’s combination including a 15mm (0.6x), 24mm (1x), and 73mm (3x) periscope camera mix, while Find X8 Pro has a quad-camera, adding a 135mm (6x) periscope camera for further-reaching zoom and a larger 23mm wide-angle camera sensor.

Both Find X8 and Find X8 Pro debut OPPO’s triple prism periscope camera with a flagship 50MP, 1/1.95-inch Sony LYT600 sensor, capturing superior lowlight photos and videos despite its compact size. Find X8 Pro is also the first globally available smartphone to feature two periscope cameras, offering industry-leading gapless zoom performance.

With Hasselblad Portrait Mode, Find X8 and Find X8 Pro put the iconic Hasselblad look in your pocket – a perfect pairing with the periscope cameras – and Find X8 Pro is the only global smartphone to offer optical 135mm portraits for high-impact, dynamic photos of people and pets.

When you need next-level zoom, AI Telescope Zoom takes Find X8 Series’ incredible hardware even further, breaking through limitations to create stunning photos at up to 60x. So whether it’s a picturesque landscape or a performer on stage, Find X8 and Find X8 Pro go the distance.

OPPO Find X8 Series also introduces Lightning Snap, capturing a burst of photos at up to seven frames per second with a long press of the shutter button, and all without sacrificing image processing. This means each frame looks like a dedicated still image, taking full advantage of OPPO’s HyperTone Image Engine. Find X8 Pro owners can also access Lightning Snap by using the Quick Button, a touch-sensitive strip on its right side that can quickly launch the camera and control zoom.

With its all-50MP rear camera system, Find X8 and Find X8 Pro aren’t just photography champions; they also record Dolby Vision HDR video at up to 4K resolution, 60fps from all cameras, including the front camera, making both phones ultimate creator tools.

Transforming the Livephoto experience, Find X8 Series marks an end to poor-quality accompanying video clips. Capturing the essence of every moment with movie-grade dynamic range and stabilisation in every clip, Find X8’s Livephoto quality means each frame can be turned into a potential photo for maximum flexibility.

The Ultra-Powerful MediaTek Dimensity 9400

With the latest MediaTek Dimensity 9400 chipset, Find X8 and Find X8 Pro pack class-leading power. Built on TSMC’s 2nd generation 3nm process and featuring MediaTek’s 2nd generation all Big Core design, the Dimensity 9400 delivers 35% faster CPU and 41% faster GPU performance. More than just powerful, MediaTek has achieved game-changing efficiencies of 40% from the CPU and 44% from the GPU, and with AI tasks using 35% less power, the Dimensity 9400 and Find X8 Series are future-proofed performance champions.[ii]

OPPO and MediaTek have worked closely to optimise Find X8 Series with the all-new Trinity Engine, and each phone features a customised cooling system, harnessing a high-performance vapour chamber, graphite layer, and thermal conductive gel to deliver improved heat dissipation for ultra-powerful performance.

The Ultimate Concert Phone with AI LinkBoost

Find X8 Series features OPPO’s new AI LinkBoost for unrivalled connectivity. With a total of 20 antennas, Find X8 and Find X8 Pro ensure you stay as connected as possible, even in challenging environments.

Perfect for concerts, AI LinkBoost is optimised for stadiums, enabling 79% faster video uploads in congested environments.ⁱⁱⁱ Together with industry-leading zoom capabilities and ultra-long battery life, you can capture higher-quality, further-reaching clips and share them with ease like never before.

AI LinkBoost’s superpowers take Find X8 Series beyond stadiums. In weak network conditions, such as in an elevator or a basement, AI LinkBoost enhances uplink and downlink throughput by 50%. AI LinkBoost also makes sure connectivity won’t hold back your gaming, thanks to a triple Wi-Fi antenna, so no matter how you hold it, you’ll benefit from the best possible connection and experience up to 40.11% less latency during playback.ⁱⁱⁱ

Slim Style; Huge Battery Life

Pioneering silicon-carbon battery technology adds ultra-beating battery performance to Find X8 Series despite both phones’ sleek profiles. Find X8 has a better-than-flagship 5630mAh battery, and Find X8 Pro’s incredible 5910mAh higher-than-ultra capacity delivers true multi-day performance.

More than just long-lasting, Find X8 and Find X8 Pro are also fast-charging, with 80W OPPO SUPERVOOCTM charging for hours of power in minutes of charge time. Both phones deliver ultra-beating wireless charging with 50W AIRVOOCTM, and when paired with an OPPO Mag Charge case, Find X8 Series can enjoy the speed of 50W AIRVOOCTM with the convenience of magnetic charging and mounting.

ColorOS 15 & OPPO AI

OPPO Find X8 Series introduces ColorOS 15, setting the bar for ultra-smooth experiences and ultra-smart AI capabilities.

By overhauling more than 800 elements to create a sleek, minimalist aesthetic with refined effects, navigating ColorOS 15 is a seamless, fluid experience, and Flux Themes creates easy-to-swap visual profiles you can switch between in moments. ColorOS 15’s fluidity is made possible by OPPO’s Luminous Rendering Engine, resulting in an 18% faster touch response and 40% superior stability.[iii]

Launching with Android 15, Find X8 Series will receive six years of security updates for long-lasting peace of mind.

To streamline photo edits, OPPO AI Eraser has been upgraded for superior object detection and generative fill, while three new AI-powered creative tools have been added.

AI Clarity Enhance transforms a low-resolution photo or cropped image into a crisp, clear, natural-looking ultra-high-definition image. AI Unblur restores natural details, colours and textures, such as skin and hair, so you can breathe new life into action shots and blurry photos. AI Reflection Remover removes glare and reflections to reveal the photo you were trying to capture all along.

Dare to dream with OPPO AI Studio, and create countless generated images, choosing between realistic, illustrated and a host of fantastical styles to create your next avatar, profile picture or social post.

From creativity to productivity, ColorOS 15 upgrades OPPO’s AI ToolBox. This context-aware menu is in the Smart Sidebar when you need it, with AI Summary, AI Speak, AI Reply and AI Writer returning to streamline reading and writing for Find X8 Series, whether browsing the web or writing a message.

AI Assistant for Notes restructures and streamlines content in an instant, while also correcting spelling, grammar and tone, and it can intelligently expand or shorten notes. Within the new Documents app, existing text files, spreadsheets and presentations can be summarised in seven languages. It also supports pro-grade translation and can rewrite documents in more formal or casual styles. Recorder can capture hours of audio in multiple languages, generating a transcript and a summary for personal assistant-level support, so you can focus on the task at hand.

ColorOS 15 also introduces Google Circle to Search for OPPO smart devices. With a simple long press, users can instantly search for whatever’s on-screen without needing to switch apps. And with the Google Gemini app and Gemini as ColorOS’s digital assistant, whether checking the weather, chatting with Gemini, or planning your next vacation, OPPO and Google are on hand to make life easier.

With Touch to Share, OPPO continues to break through established barriers, enabling one-tap wireless file-sharing between iOS/iPadOS and ColorOS 15 devices using NFC.[iv]

OPPO Find X8 and Find X8 Pro availability

Find X8 is available with 12GB + 256GB and 16GB + 512GB, Find X8 Pro is available with 16GB + 512GB.

---

[i] Dimensions and weight vary depending on colour

[ii] Data from MediaTek and OPPO Labs

[iii] Data from OPPO Labs

[iv] Touch to Share requires O+ Connect app to be installed from the App Store. The feature currently supports wireless file-sharing between ColorOS 15 and iOS/iPad OS devices, with NFC touch to share made available in a future update.