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WEEKLY PUBLICATION DEADLINE: 12 pm GMT Sunday.  ISSUE NO 112 SOMALIA AND CONGO: SOMALI TELECOM - REACHING THE PARTS OTHERS CANNOT REACHSomali Telecom’s Ed Resor has an interesting story to tell. He helped the Eritreans get international connectivity at the end of the war with Ethiopia and created similar telecomms links for Somalia. He’s also recently invested in the Congo (DRC). It sounds like he always invests in former war zones but he assured us in this interview in New York that he’s looking for places where people think it can’t be done because they are either too small or too difficult. How did it all start? I finished with Save the Children in Sudan in 1990 and I moved back to New York. I was looking for things to do in Africa. I went over to Eritrea for a conference, weeks after the liberation of Asmara. I met with their telecoms people and promised I’d help them once the war was over. I helped them get an international telecoms link for the first anniversary of the liberation. Then I saw some of my friends from Sudan who were working in Mogadishu. They said the only thing that would help would be to jam the warlords communications. I then spoke to UNDP who said they would like to do what was done in Eritrea...To cut a long story short, I ended up going into partnership with Abdi Rizak Ibrahim Osman (a former Engineering graduate from Morgan State University). What was it like back then? I took a trip to Somalia and found people paying US$18 per hour for an Inmarsat call. We put in a 3.8 m digital earth station of the type used for private networks by oil companies. I then connected using a Russian Satellite Corp satellite. We started in Bossasso on the tip of the Horn of Africa and then went to Hargeza, capital of Somaliland. We now cover from the Kenyan border all the way up to Hargeza, pretty much the whole country. How did you connect across the country? Initially we worked with earth stations and overhead copper lines. We looked for a long time at cellular but didn’t get involved until Interwave came out with their base stations. In this respect, we lagged behind Barakat, our main competitor. It’s now been broken down into three independent companies. Who are your main competitors? Aerolite/Olympic who work with Telenor and Samtel who work with KPN. How many customers have you got? Around 30,000. We have 40% of the market, so the total market is around 75,000. Is it still growing? Yes. It’s growing by about 20% a year. It’ll grow even faster if we start aggressively marketing pre-paid cellular. You also operate in the Congo (DRC)? Yes, through Globalnet who we helped out of bankruptcy. They have operations in Goma and Kisangani, the RCD-controlled area. We’ll be expanding to Bukavu but we’re in start-up mode at the moment. The main competitor is Rwanda Tel through a joint venture that is partly owned by MTN. Do you also offer internet access? In Somalia we offer 56K dial-up access in Bossasso, Hargeza and Mogadishu. But overall the subscriber base is probably in the hundreds. In Congo we have an internet cafe in Kisangani but we’ve built a digital microwave network and therefore we’ll be able to roll it out across the country. You seem to operate in former war zones? No, we operate where there are political situations that mean we can get good technology to the common people. What are your expansion plans? The key thing we do in Somalia is that we encourage resellers and phone sellers (as happens in Senegal), even people with short-wave radio. The Somalis came up with the idea. An HF radio operator can play us against the competition and get the best deal. I said to the ITU, if you surveyed Somali families, you’d find that 85% of them had used a phone in the last 6 months. I can walk into a cyber cafe or telecentre and call anywhere in the world for 30 cents a minute. There’s a price war in Mogadishu! The big issue for telecoms in Africa is this price war. It will force operators to go to the unserved areas because the competition would not be so fierce, if the regulators would let us do it. We want to get out to the rural areas and cover the whole country. We’re looking for partners and opportunities in similar African countries with populations of 50 million people or less. We want to focus on access - places where people think it can’t be done because it’s too small or too difficult. We have two of the eight rural licences in Kenya but we can’t get the investors so it’s not going forward. We tried to do a similar deal in Haiti but with national coverage but failed to get the licence. Initially I got into the voice business to pay for the infrastructure for data. That’s working but we’ve been slow on the internet. Now the internet may start to lead. I’ve been talking to the people at Afsat. I think we can expect to see more investments along those lines. In time we’d like to offer a switching hub for intra-African traffic so that we could offer connectivity from Djibouti to Kenya. What about Africa One? Africa does not need Africa One. It’s a waste of money.
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TANZANIA - MSI UNDER FIRE OVER TTCL PURCHASE MSI has found itself under fire as it negotiates to be come a strategic investor in the Tanzanian state telco, TTCL. It became upset "there had been a number of misleading and inaccurate statements made in the media " and has issued a statement to "set the record straight", according to MSI Chairman, Mohammed Ibrahim: "Following a competitive tender in July 2000, MSI in consortium with Detecon, was invited to become a strategic investor in TTCL. However, in the final negotiations, due to a number of audited adjustments which materially affected TTCL’s profitability for the year 1999, the Government of Tanzania agreed that the price should be paid in two tranches, with the second being dependent upon TTCL’s Year 2000 financial performance, as measured and recorded by the company’s annual audited accounts. MSI/Detecon paid the first tranche, a sum of $60 million in February 2001". "The difficulties since then, for both MSI and the Tanzanian Government, have revolved around establishing a set of fair and reasonable accounts to measure the financial performance of TTCL in the Year 2000. When the new management at TTCL began to review the accounting systems and data, a number of serious issues were revealed. In particular a very large proportion of the company’s recorded revenue in the year 2000 and before was never collected, and the age of much of the debt was such that it was never likely to be. The total uncollected debt due to non-Government sources amounted to 75 billion shillings at the end of 1999, rising to 115 billion shillings at the end of 2000. In addition a number of other issues emerged relating to interconnect payments and retroactive changes in taxation rules which also impacted upon the financial performance of TTCL in the year 2000". "In February 2002, to avoid further debate on the validity of these issues, MSI proposed that a third party independent review of the accounts, or a joint investigation team, would be desirable. Following lengthy consultations, the Government chose the latter and a joint MSI/Government Taskforce was put in place on 9 April 2002. The Taskforce confirmed the issues, but in the time available were unable to agree a resolution of them. On 31 May 2002 it was agreed by MSI and the Government of Tanzania that a further month should be granted to resolve the accounting issues and that a joint project team with an Independent Chairman be formed to carry out the work. Until this appointment is made MSI have agreed that the Government should provide an Acting Chairman". MSI has found itself the subject of damaging allegations that it was seeking to cheat the Government and worse for its financial credibility, obtain loans from the Government: it completely refutes all of these allegations. As with the Ghana Telecom, there is danger that investors will simply not bother to invest in Africa if the sale becomes a political football. If as in Cameroon, the state telco is in a financial and operational mess, it takes a brave investor to enter into negotiations where it stands every chance of being painted as the villain of the piece. However, MSI has invested more than US$400 million in African telecommunications and now manages 14 telecom networks in 12 African countries so its Chairman must know more than most when he says that he remains optimistic. CELTEL IN ZAMBIA "EXPORTS" ROAMING SERVICES CELTEL has now started exporting Zambian cellular services through international roaming, managing director Steve Torode has said. Torode said with Celtel Zambia being part of the pan-African network, its services were being exported to 14 other countries, thus helping to benefit the economy.And marketing director Mabel Mung’omba said Celtel had become a catalyst of national economic development by adding value to their services and facilities. She said since the international roaming facility was introduced on the network in April this year, between 250 and 300 people had been roaming on a daily basis. Giving an update on Celpay, Mung’omba said there was great interest in the mobile wireless cash payment system launched by Celtel in April although it was still a new service.She said they were recruiting more merchants to sign up and allow their customers to settle bills or make purchases via their mobile phones. Presently, BP Zambia Plc, CopperNet, Solutions and MultiChoice are the merchants signed up right from inception while Zesco Limited is soon expected to join.The facility, intended to ease payment of bills for services, is expected to change the characteristic use of cash in the Zambian economy. (source: The Post via DigAfrica) NEW RULES FOR NIGERIA’S SECOND TELECOMS CARRIER OUT The stalled licencing of the Second National Operator (SNO) is to be reinvigorated by moves by the Nigerian Communications Commission to modify the exercise by removing hurdles in the bidding process. Among the concessions being contemplated in the modified exercise now being put in place is the pegging of the reserved price for the SNO at US$200 million instead of US$285 million as stipulated in the old rules. Also in the fresh Information Memorandum (IM), successful bidders are to be granted three licences in one shot. They are the National Carrier Licence (NCL), International Gateway Licence (IGL) and a Digital Mobile Licence (DML) with an initial term of 20 years and renewable for another 15 years. In the preliminary stages, each bidder would go through four rounds of applications for the SNO with $50,000 non-refundable processing fee: the Technical Evaluation Stage where detailed financial and technical information must be provided.Only applicants who score 80 percent or above would proceed to the financial stage of the bid, which may qualify them to submit sealed bids in envelopes to the NCC. (source: Nigerian Institute for Media and Society) TELECOM EGYPT TO ADD 1.5 MILLION LINES THROUGH ALCATEL DEAL French telecommunications giant Alcatel has signed a five-year agreement with Telecom Egypt (TE), the state fixed-line telephone monopoly, for the modernization of the country’s telecommunication infrastructure. The agreement foresees the extension and the upgrade of the network enabling the connection of an additional 1.5 million lines in 10 governorates of the Delta and Alexandria region. The total investment in this project is expected to amount to €300 million ($282 million) over the next five years. A first firm order has been placed this week under the agreement to provide and install 340,000 lines in urban and rural Delta region. (source: menareport.com) COTE D’IVOIRE CONNECTS TO SAT 3 FIBRE LINK Cote D’Ivoire Telecom has announced that it will connect to the SAT3 fibre link that connects Lisbon and South Africa, writes Adediha Kokou. There are 17 different connection points, of which Cote D’Ivoire is one. Senegal also opened at the end of May. The cable has a capacity of 4 x 2.5 gigabits a second, according to Dodo Alexis, Project Manager at Cote D’Ivoire Telecom. The biggest advantage of the cable is that it will enormously increase international bandwidth capacity for internet users and multinational companies. Kadja Alain, the Cote D’Ivoire Telecom staff member responsible for the financial side said that the total project had cost CFAs 472 million, of which the company had contributed CFAs 14 million. The minimum investment from country partners was set at CFAs 9.6 million at the beginning of the project. The highspeed cable will boast an ultimate capacity of 130 gigabytes, meaning it can handle some 6. 2 million simultaneous telephone calls, telecoms industry sources said. Neighbouring Ghana is also signed up and is expected to connect shortly. IN BRIEF - Intrinsic Technology is please to announce that it has concluded the second phase of the Fibre Telecommunication Network contract with Copperbelt Energy Corporation (CEC located in Kitwe, Zambia) . The total contract is valued at $8,9M. Intrinsic Technology was awarded the first phase of the contract in January to supply 520km of optical ground wire (OPGW) with short spans of underground fibre cable. The second phase of the contract is the supply of Synchronous Digital Hierarchy (SDH) technology. - Telecom Egypt (TE) recently announced that it will finalize payment of the 1.975 billion Egyptian pound ($425 million) fee for licensing Egypt’s third mobile operator without credit assistance, reported Al-Alam Al-Youm . - SA’s Ananzi Mail has announce a budget Internet access package for all its Mail users. - SchoolNet Namibia in partnership with SchoolNet Africa and UNESCO, is launching three technology prototypes for learners with special needs from marginalised communities in Namibia,as part of a drive to make ICT-enabled learning accessible to all learners in Namibia. The prototypes are targeted at learners in three categories of special needs: visually impaired, hearing impaired and mentally disabled. - In a deal worth an estimated R2.3 million, Tarsus Technologies has supplied hardware for a project carried out at the Zambian Revenue Authority (ZRA) by Bull Computers South Africa. - Ethiopia’s state telco ETC has announced that it now has two international gateways to handle internet traffic, France Telecom and NewSkies Satellites. Previously, ETC’s international gateway link to France Telecom was 2 Mbit/s up and 2 Mbit/s down. Now, it has added 2 Mbit/s up and 8 Mbit/s down through NewSkies Satellite.
* REPORT FROM BAMAKO: AFRICA STAKES A CLAIM TO BEING PART OF THE WORLD INFORMATION SOCIETY The author’s surname should have read Mureithi not Muriethi. Apologies.
EGYPT’S INTERNET ACCESS REVENUES TO REACH US$81.5 MILLION BY 2006 The Internet market in Egypt has been witnessing a steady growth. This is attributed to a number of factors among which is the Ministry of Telecommunication and Information Technology’s (MCIT) policy to liberalize the market and create competition. There are currently more than 13 Internet and Datacomm providers and some 65 small and virtual Internet Service Providers (ISPs). Egypt’s Internet subscribers are projected to reach 680,000 accounts by 2006, up from 120,000 in 2001, a newly released report from the Arab Advisors Group asserts. The report found that Egypt’s "free Internet model" will be a major force behind consolidation and a market shakeout amongst Egyptian ISPs. "We project Egypt to have 680,000 Internet accounts in 2006, a penetration rate of 0.93 percent, up from 0.18 percent in 2001. Our definition of "Internet Accounts" includes regular users of the free Internet model," Shahin Shahin, Arab Advisors Group analyst said. "In 2006, Internet users are projected to exceed 2.6 million in Egypt, up from an estimated 540,000 in 2001. While the subscribers and users will grow, we see strong signs of an impending consolidation and shakeout phase in the country that will reduce the number of infrastructure-based "real" ISPs to nine by 2006." "Privately branded virtual ISPs, promoted by major brand names in Egypt in association with the big ISPs, are expected to increase to 145 by 2006," he added. "Internet access revenues in Egypt will reach $81.5 million in 2006 up from $19.1 million in 2001." — (source: menareport.com) ORASCOM SELLS CI SUBSIDIARY FOR US$40 MILLION Egyptian cellular conglomerate Orascom Telecom (OT) announced the sale of its 52.5 percents stake in Loteny Telecel of Cote D’Ivoire, part of OT’s sub-Saharan subsidiary Telecel International. A Share Purchase Agreement was signed with Access Telecom Mauritius, an emerging telecom player in West Africa, who will be paying $40 million to Telecel International in two installments over the course of one year. Closing of the sale remains subject to regulatory and third party approvals. The move was taken in line with OT’s strategy to divest its sub-Saharan operation Telecel. Acquired in late 2000, the loss-generating Telecel had burdened OT, which is seeking means of finance for its latest GSM license acquisitions in North Africa. This agreement allows Telecel International to stabilize its financial situation without further commitments from shareholders. At the same time, the operation will continue to carry the Telecel name under an ongoing licensing arrangement. Although this move will reduce the size of the Telecel portfolio, it will remove over $114 million in debt from OT balance sheet equivalent to 524 million Egyptian pounds. Telecel International is Africa’s largest GSM operator serving twelve markets. The company is in advanced talks with potential buyers for the sale of assets in West Africa, including Gabon, Togo, Benin, Burkina Faso and Niger. BNP Paribas was nominated OT’s chief financial advisor to the move. — (source: menareport.com) M-CELL HAPPY WITH NIGERIAN RESULTS M-Cell, the holding company for cellular network MTN reported a 49% jump in revenue and a 36% increase in subscribers. Headline earnings and profits were down significantly, but well within expectations, and in morning trade today the M-Cell share price moved only marginally down. The reason for the discrepancy in revenue versus earnings and profits lies in the heart of the African continent. While the South African MTN business is now considered mature, operations outside the country contributed 19% of revenue, or more than R2 billion. M-Cell says it intends to earn 35% of its money outside SA within the next two years. MTN Nigeria, which is now 77%-owned by the company, made a contribution befitting a country of its size and economic importance. The average Nigerian subscriber, of which there are no more than 300 000, spends R600 a month with the company, three times the average in SA.Yet a lack of infrastructure in the country makes network roll-out difficult, MTN says, and it has intentionally slowed down its growth there. Poor service was cited as the major reason behind the decision. (source: http://itweb.co.za) IN BRIEF - The Uganda Investment Authority (UIA) has entered into a strategic partnership with a Canadian-based e-businesscompany, Perwit International.The two partners expect to work together to promote the export of local products through the Internet.Perwit International is a privately held Canadian based consulting group with over thirty years of international experience in helping business people adapt to technological, structural and market changes."We believe that E-ventures can be a powerful business and economic development tool. In addition to providing our private sector clients with advice and assistance on how to set up their E-business ventures," UIA Executive Director Maggie Kigozi said last week. - JSE-listed Paracon Holdings has taken a 10% share in multi-level sales firm Chatbox Limited in lieu of full payment for developing the Chatbox unified messaging software.
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SA’S TELKOM SETS UP ELECTRONIC MARKETPLACE TO ENCOURAGE E-COMMERCE Telkom Business Integration Services (TBIS) last week launched its flagship eCommerce product, CyberTrade Xchange, an electronic marketplace which aims to bring together buyers and sellers in a trading community or in particular vertical industry, providing a low cost, low risk entry into e-commerce for buyers and suppliers. "CyberTrade Xchange is one of South Africa’s most advanced hosted electronic Business-to-Business (B2B) trading platforms and will promote real-time, collaborative commerce in the global economy," said Telkom’s Managing Executive of Corporate and Global Markets, Randall Seidl. "CyberTrade Xchange will give our trading partners the tools to participate in this revolutionary online, performance-driven business environment securely and reliably. We recently brought a number of our suppliers online, utilising CyberTrade Xchange to trade with Telkom," he said. CyberTrade Xchange will streamline an organisation’s procurement and electronic sales processes by replacing the traditional paper based process with an integrated, electronic end-to-end business solution. This can significantly shorten procurement cycles, cut costs and increase productivity. The CyberTrade Xchange trading platform provides a neutral marketplace Exchange Operating Environment (EOE) that hosts best-of-breed business applications for Business-to-Business trading. Telkom is also taking CyberTrade Online Auctions to market to complement the CyberTrade Xchange product offerings. CyberTrade Online Auctions enables buyers and suppliers to shorten process-cycle times, increase contract flexibility and improve bottom-line performance. It increases sourcing capabilities and effectively liquidates inventories, by providing a service through which clients can transact using a dynamic trading mechanism as opposed to fixed-price catalogues. On a high level, the key auction applications offered are forward and reverse auctions. "Our Centurion-based Data Centre hosts the operating environment and provides the vital security, support, maintenance and redundancy features are required to facilitate this highly sophisticated network environment. This also guarantees a minimum up-time availability of 98%," explained Telkom’s Business Integration Executive, Rikus Matthyser. "Two of Telkom’s world-class technology providers, SAP and Commerce One, both leaders in the field of direct and indirect procurement applications, are supporting the platform. -more- A joint sales and marketing agreement signed with SAP states that they will only support CyberTrade Xchange in sub-Saharan Africa. We have also aligned ourselves with other partners (such as Citigroup, Cisco, Sun Microsystems, Compaq and Microsoft) to supply additional value-added services (VAS), which include a payment gateway and logistic services. "Electronic commerce offers communications companies the opportunity to capitalize on experience in managing extensive networks, and infrastructure as well as high-level skills sets in technical support, billing, provisioning, customer service and account management. In addition, communications companies offer a credible neutral Internet platform with unsurpassed redundancy, infrastructure and reach," said Matthyser. He added that Telkom wanted a solution for both direct and indirect procurement, and the jointly developed product from CommerceOne and SAP brought the best of two offerings into one solution. "Coupled with this was the fact that we required interoperability between leading ERP and MarketPlace solutions to ease integration complexities. We also wanted credible long term partners that not only had a large existing market presence in the procurement and B2B world that could provide a business solution that was supported by leading edge technology, but that had the ability to continuously improve in order to support changing business requirements. We found all these and more in CommerceOne and SAP," said Matthyser. UGANDAN REGIONAL SITE LAUNCHES The website, http://www.karamojadata.org has information including detailed maps of the districts (Moroto, Kotido and Nakapiripirit, ethnic and cultural groupings and the location of minerals in the region. Karamoja, which is considered to be the least developed region in the country, has been linked to the internet faster than other districts in Uganda. KENYAN BANK LAUNCHES SMS ACCOUNT BALANCE SERVICE The Commercial Bank of Africa has installed a computer software which will allow its customers to inquire their account balances through mobile phones.The bank’s assistant general manager, Information Technology (IT), Moses Abwoga, said yesterday customers will also be able to make cheque inquiries and stock payment instructions."The software is formatted in such a way that it gives an individual the information immediately after sending a short message service (SMS) to the bank," he said.The service, which has been operational at the bank for the last one month, already has 100 customers."There are other services ideal for mobile phones. For instance, you cannot issue statements on the phone but you can request a print-out of the statement," said Abwoga.He said the customer has to subscribe to the service through the bank which offers it free of charge and one will only pay for the SMS sent to the bank. (source: The East African Standard via DigAfrica) UNICEF AND FIFA TEAM UP AT FIFA WORLD CUP 2002 UNICEF and FIFA have teamed up to dedicate the 2002 FIFA World Cup to children. On May 28th, UNICEF launched a new Web site at http://www.unicef.org/football/, highlighting how football helps children around the world claim and celebrate their right to play. Across Africa, football is being used to improve childrens’ lives. In southern Sudan, football is helping demobilized child soldiers re-integrate into their home communities. UNICEF-supported football matches provide an organized re-introduction to civil life, in which the boys are not under pressure to explain themselves but rather can re-adapt to their old surroundings while working out their aggressions on the football pitch. In Kenya, football is being used to save lives. Youth leaders teach HIV/AIDS prevention lessons at halftime breaks of local matches. In neighborhoods where more boys spend the day on the playing field than in school, sport is used as a vehicle to get critical health messages to the masses. For more information, see http://www.unicef.org/football/ IN BRIEF - There is a new initiative aimed at young people in Zimbabwe who want to develop skills for producing local multimedia content for different delivery platforms. Go to:http://www.youngruddinternational.org - Platinum Technologies, a provider of information technology solutions in Ghana has launched a new e-commerce website called Ghanaonline.com. - Afro@digital, a 52-minute
documentary directed by Balufu Bakupa-Kanyinda of the Congo,
and produced by UNESCO, looks at the promise ICT hold for Africa.
THE WORLDWIDE LEXICON - TURNING THE INTERNET INTO A GLOBAL TRANSLATION SERVICE The worldwide lexicon (www.worldwidelexicon.org) is an exciting new project that will turn the Internet into a global translation service, writes Brian McConnell, its Project Leader. Modeled after peer to peer file sharing systems, the worldwide lexicon creates a standard protocol that computer programs use to locate and communicate with language services throughout the web (dictionaries, translation servers, and pools of human translators). This will enable programmers to embed language services within a wide variety of applications. The lexicon also creates an exciting business opportunity because human translators will be an integral part of the system. Translators will participate in the worldwide lexicon by downloading a program modeled after the popular SETI@Home screensaver. When a translation service somewhere on the Internet needs help from a person (perhaps to translate a paragraph, or a short message from a chat session), the program prompts the person to do some work, or to score the work of another user. One of the most interesting applications we are working on is a library of instant messaging/chat programs that can tap human translators to help people communicate with each other. The system will create an opportunity for entrepreneurs to create translation service bureaus in developing countries. All they will need to start their business is a bilingual or multilingual workforce, some personal computers, and an Internet connection (broadband access is not necessary). This is also an exciting opportunity for translators, who will be able to access a large number of companies and individuals, while also improving their own language skills, knowledge that will help them in future endeavours. USING HANDHELD COMPUTERS IN POOR ENVIRONMENTS Satellife and its partners in Kenya and Uganda are engaged in a project this year to test the efficacy of handheld computers (Palm, etc.) by health care workers to collect data and to access medical reference material. In addition to HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria treatment guidelines specific to each country, the units also carry essential drug lists, medical calculators and medical text books. This project has been funded by the Acumen Fund (New York, USA) and to date has put 110 handheld computers in the field. Skyscape, a Massachusetts, USA company (http://www.skyscape.com) that publishes medical reference books in the Palm OS and Pocket PC format has donated 160 copies of reference "books" for use by health workers participating in our project. The titles include Griffith’s 5-Minute Clinical Consult, A To Z Drug Facts, The Harriett Lane Handbook, Pocket OB/GYN, and 5 Minute Pedi- atrics. Each unit will be equipped with two of the above books. For those who would like more information about our handheld project, please feel free to contact me <hladd@usa.healthnet.org> or Rebecca Riccio <rebecca@usa.healthnet.org>. SOFTWARE PIRACY INCREASING IN AFRICA Software piracy is increasing globally, and this trend is particularly apparent in Africa, where half of the software distributed is unlicensed. The "worst" African pirates are found in Kenya and Nigeria, a new global study shows. Of all software found in Kenya, only 23 percent is licenced, according to the annual report by the Business Software Alliance’s (BSA). The remaining software are pirate copies. Nigeria follows with a 71 percent sowtware piracy rate. Kenya and Nigeria, with the highest piracy rates in Africa, are however significantly above the African average piracy rate of 53 percent in 2001. The continent saw only a small increase in piracy, from 52 percent in 2000, the study holds. South Africa, the largest economy in the region, had the continent’s lowest rate, at 38 percent. BSA estimates that software piracy in Africa has a cost of nearly US$ 284 million. This is however little compared to the estimated global losses of US$10.97 billion in 2001 and is related to the limited computer use on the continent. Further, the highest piracy rates are found outside Africa, Eastern Europe as a region having a piracy rate of 67 percent. In Vietnam and China, software piracy is close to universal, at 94 and 92 percent respectively. Robert Holleyman, president of BSA, says the rise in software piracy around the globe "is an alarming trend." He adds that "BSA is committed to working with governments, companies and law enforcement agencies around the world to turn this trend around now." BSA is an industry watchdog group representing the world’s leading software manufacturers. (source: Afrol News Service)
* Dr Swithun Mombeshora, the Minister of Transport and Communications, is understood to have fired the eight-member TelOne (Pvt) Ltd board of directors he appointed last year.The minister appointed the board in a move meant to pave way for the eventual privatisation of the Posts and Telecommunications Corporation (PTC).The TelOne board comprised executives including Dr Caxton Muzangaza (chairman), Walter Chidakwa (deputy chairman), Michael Kateketa, Fortune Chasi, Colonel Tshinga Judge Dube, Barnabus Chirombo, Ona Kwanele Jirira, and Nelson Kudenga.The anonymous official said "off the record" that the continued arguments between board members and the minister had resulted in projects failing to kick off because of "much politicking".The TelOne launch, the successor company of the telecommunications arm of the PTC was largely made possible by the passing of the Postal and Telecommunications Act in September, 2000. * SA’s Information Technology Association has appointed its first black president, Maroale Rachidi, in keeping with its aim of winning more support from black technology firms.Rachidi is the 28th president of the industry umbrella group, and is chairman of Kganya Technology Solutions. * According to the East African Standard, consultants working for Kenya Commercial Bank left after attempts by the bank to have their visas renewed failed.The consultants are from India’s Infosys Technologies Limited, the firm contracted to implement KCB’s IT Programme which is not yet complete. Most people are now asking how the departure of the consultants will impact on the implementation of KCB’s now controversial IT Programme. But KCB’s Chief Executive, Mr Gareth George, said that the consultants had only gone on leave and that their exit only coincided with the expiry of their visas. George maintained that there was nothing abnormal or sinister about their departure and that KCB is already working on the renewal of the visas. The departure of the consultants is the latest twist in the saga of the implementation of the IT Programme. Last year, it led to the sacking of then IT Director Mr Siraj Siddiqui. * Compuware has appointed former IOCORE CEO, Wade Gomes as country manager for Compuware Southern Africa. * SANGONet’s Executive Director is encouraging people to run a "double marathon and a bit" (86.5 kms) this Monday to raise money for its ICT training and development work. What are these people on? If like us, you’d like to stay at home but contribute send an e-mail message to comrades@sn.apc.org.
- The deadline for nominations is: September 15, 2002 This year’s theme: People-Centred Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Policy in Africa. The prize is open t0: civil society organisations, government institutions, educational organisations, community-based groups, networks, social movements and individuals anywhere in Africa. The prize: USD$7,500.00 will be shared amongst up to three winning initiatives For more information: http://www.apc.org/english/hafkin/2002.shtml or write to hafkin-prize@apc.org - UNCTAD, a member of the UN ICT Task Force is holding an expert group meeting in Geneva on 10-12 July 2002 on the topic of the basic elements of an enabling environment for e-commerce, followed by a series of regional meetings on e-commerce strategies. For more information please visit www.unctad.org/ecommerce.
* NITDA, OAU Ife University, NIG and the French Embassy in Nigeria (as a sponsor) are organising a seminar (free entrance) on the Nigerian CCTLD, especially on regulation issues. This seminar is open to anyone who is knowledgeble on that topic, especially other CCTLD administrators within the African continent. This will take place on the 10th of july in Ife. Let me know if someone is interested. This will be preceded with a two day workshop on UNIX/ LINUX based LAN and Routing. As this workshop is sponsored, it will be only 7500 Naira registration. For any further information, you can contact the Ife team:lkehinde@oauife.edu.ng * STEAL OR DEAL? Is your business breaking the law online? Discover your rights with Kojo Bentsi of Bentsi-Enchil & Letsa and Kwame Agati of Kwame Agati & Co. Are there local cyber laws? Are there global laws? If there are,are they enforceable? Are you breaking any? Has the internet made it easier for plagiarism, copyright violation amongst other crimes? Come and find out the answers to these important questions! Thursday 4th July @ 7pm, Free at BusyInternet, Ring Road, Accra, Ghana * Nairobinet Online in conjunction with Mindleaders, will soon start offering courses in information technology, business and finance. Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=7922
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