The 2024 Southern Africa Telecommunication Networks and Applications Conference (SATNAC) concluded its 26th edition with a resounding call to harness AI to drive positive change across the continent.
Held under the theme ‘The AI-driven hyperconnected future: Co-creating shared value’, the conference brought together experts, industry stakeholders, and policymakers to navigate the transformative potential of AI in telecommunications and beyond.
A key takeaway from the conference was the recognition of AI's pivotal role in bridging the digital divide and fostering inclusive growth in Africa. Along with the need for AI-powered solutions tailored to address local challenges, such as improving access to healthcare, education, and financial services.
From telco to techco
While AI will not replace people, those who do not use AI will be replaced by people who adopt it. This was the message from Telkom Group Chief Digital Officer, Sello Mmakau. He emphasised that talent and skills remain uncompromised needs, adding that it is crucial to craft an AI governance framework upfront to provide the structure, policies and guidelines necessary to ensure responsible and ethical use of AI.
“AI is revolutionary, but remains a means to an end, critical to enabling a journey from ‘traditional telco’ business models to ‘techco’,” said Mmakau. “While embedding AI in products and services is crucial for staying competitive and meeting customer needs, a well-defined AI strategy guides the organisation in leveraging AI effectively. Ultimately, the choice between vertical and horizontal AI strategy, or hybrid, depends on the organisation's goals, market focus and the nature of business outcomes to solve for.”
Hosted by Telkom, the conference also delved into the ethical implications of AI, highlighting the importance of responsible AI frameworks to mitigate potential risks and ensure equitable benefits for all, including a focus on data privacy, algorithmic bias, and the need for transparent and accountable AI systems.
Security and sustainability
Industry leaders showcased cutting-edge AI applications transforming the telecommunications landscape, from secure autonomous networks and hyper-personalised customer experiences to AI-powered sustainability solutions.
“Today, security and sustainability must be top of mind,” said Dr Noxolo Kubheka-Dlamini, Chief Digital and Information Officer at Telkom Consumer and Small Business. “Sustainability requires more deliberate, intentional, purposeful as well as responsible investment into technologies that support long-term ecological balance and human rights.”
SATNAC research paper winners
The conference also celebrated the next generation of innovators with the announcement of the Best Student Papers Awards, showcasing the exceptional talent emerging from African universities.
From 130 papers submitted, Marchant Fourie, Herman Myburgh and Allan de Freitas from the University of Pretoria won the best paper award for their research on “Automated crocodile detection using deep learning and synthetic data”.
In second place was Francis Phiri, Fambirai Takawira and Chabalala Chabalala from University of Witwatersrand for their paper on “Machine Learning-based Computation Offloading in Energy-Harvesting eMBB Networks: A Twin Delayed DDPG Approach”.
In third place was Arnold van der Merwe and Albert Helberg from North-West University for their paper on “Modulation classification accuracy of a clustering and a CNN technique under FGSM adversarial attacks”.
“Education shapes nations,” said Geoffrey Qhena, Telkom Board Chairman. “Seeing the calibre of projects and the innovation these students bring gives me hope. We are capable of developing solutions relevant, not just for South Africa, but for the entire continent. We should not be shy about our capabilities. We are capable!”
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