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WEEKLY PUBLICATION DEADLINE: 12 pm GMT Sunday. ISSUE NO 419 Libya’s LPTIC heads for full NGN implementation with pilot local access projectsLibya’s national incumbent LPTIC has embarked upon what is probably the most ambitious overhaul of a telephone network in the whole of Africa. It plans to put in place a fibre Next Generation Backbone Network (NGBN) and has pilot projects to extend IP delivery at a local level. The impact of new fibre network will also improve both its connections to its neighbours and internationally. Russell Southwood looks at what’s happening. Libyan Post Telecommunications and Information Technology Company (LPTIC) is the national operator that provides fixed, mobile and internet related services throughout Libya. Its implementation of the NGBN is split into two phases and between the eastern and western part of the countries at a total cost of 160 million euros (US$237 million). The first phase of the project is to roll-out 8,000 kms of fibre to link all of the cities of Libya. Most of the cable has to be laid across rocky ground. Italy’s SIRTI was awarded the contract for the west and Alcatel-Lucent for the east. 30% of the project work has been completed. Phase 2 involves putting in the transmission equipment and the East and West contractors for this work will shortly be selected. This work will happen at two levels: the first level is putting in the transmission equipment for the backbone infrastructure and the second level is creating routers to link the small and medium-sized towns. The majority of Libya’s population is found along its Mediterranean coast and in the two big cities of Tripoli and Benghazi. The whole NGN implementation will involve 30 vendors, of which 20 so far have been selected. The coastal part of the fibre backbone network is already live. It is a WDM festoon and it is already providing Lamdas worth of connectivity. It stretches from beyond Ras Jedir in the west to beyond Berdi in the east and will connect Libya to Tunisia and Egypt, making 15 drops along the coastline. And although it would be challenging, the southernmost cable has the potential to connect into neighbouring Niger where Libya has invested in Sonitel. The cable will land in Tripoli giving access to both Marseilles and the UK, again giving capacity measured in Lamdas. In addition, LPTIC has agreed to put in place a bilateral cable from Tripoli to Madzara in Sicily which via Italy connects it into Europe. On top of this, it is also an investment consortium signatory for the European India Gateway project into which it is putting US$60 million. The local access network element of the NGN implementation has started with a pilot project in the capital called the Tripoli Business Network, which will deliver IP calling all the way to the customer’s phone. The roll-out for this local level access will again be carried out in phases, focusing on Tripoli and Benghazi in 2010. Sources in the company say that price for provisioning both switching and fibre is considerably cheaper than its non-IP equivalent but prices for local access provision are more expensive. The current level of voice traffic carried in IP form is comparatively small but it is expected to increase substantially over the next three years. Like many incumbent carriers, LPTIC has rolled a CDMA 2000 product with a capacity for 800,000 connections. Currently it has around 400,000 fixed lines but has found offering the CDMA 2000 product much quicker than installing copper. Undoubtedly it will soon have a significant number of CDMA voice and data subscribers. Although there has been no liberalisation in the Libyan telecoms market, SIRTI formed a joint venture company with LPTIC which was announced in December last year. It will not only build projects but also subsequently manage them. The agreement was signed by Mohammad Muammar Gaddafi, the son of the Colonel and chairman of the Libyan telecom, and by Sirti chairman Gianni Maria Chiarva. SIRTI owns 55% of the joint venture company. According to the business plan envisaged by the agreement, initially 120 Italian engineers and technicians will be employed, along with 170 Libyan professionals. The targeted revenue in the first three years is 140 million euro (US$207 million).
New local GSM Company launched in GambiaA licence has been granted to a new locally-owned GSM company, which will bring the total number of GSM operators in the country to four. The company is called QCell and will provide 3G mobile services, such as voice, data and video. The company is owned by Muhammed Jah, the Chief Executive Officer of QuantumNet, Gambia largest ISP. According to the Department of State for Communications, Information and Information Technology (DOSCIIT), the decision to grant the licence is in line with universal access principles and the aspirations of President Alhaji Dr Yahya Jammeh, to ensure increased availability, affordability, modern and reliable communication services to the Gambian people. "This development is also consistent with global trends in the telecommunications industry and for the attainment of our Silicon Valley Initiative. In addition to the existing GSM operators in The Gambia, we expect QCell will live-up to expectations in this highly competitive environment," the state department highlighted. Gambia’s Minister for Communications, Information and IT was recently in Nigeria and spoke to Globacom about the possibility of Glo One landing in Gambia. There is speculation that there will be a quid pro quo: a landing station for a Gambian mobile licence for the ambitious Nigerian operator. (Source: The Daily Observer) With added competition mobile price war heats up in UgandaMTN, uganda telecom (utl) and WARID are engaged in a price with each company is offering lower rates on calls within the same network to lure subscribers. Market leader MTN recently launched MTN Zone, a tariff structure that offers discounts of up to 99%. "The more capacity available, the greater the discount at the time of making the call," the Chief Commercial Officer, Erik Van Veen, said while launching the tariff band recently. The discount varies according to the amount of traffic in particular areas. The more phone usage in a an area, the lower the discount and vice versa. The discounts are on a per second basis. Warid's latest promotion, Megabonus pushes the bar even higher in the tariff war. Under the promotion, subscribers can talk for free 24 hours after loading airtime. The free calls are only to Warid subscribers. Zain, which was Celtel then, launched Chacha where calls within the network cost sh3 per second. Utl under their Bonna Bogere offers free airtime to 17,000 clients a day if they load airtime. Its discount plan is akin to MTN Zone where pre-paid users outside Kampala can get discounts in less congested areas. The newcomer Warid is trying to eat into MTN's dominance by offering huge discounts. "For Warid, they have a huge fixed investment and need the numbers to make it viable. What they are saying to the public is "come and see what we have," hoping that if 100 people can take up the offer and 20 stay on, they will have the numbers they want. As a new player trying to break into a relatively crowded market, it makes sense," an analyst said. "The beauty is that MTN cannot offer the same because their network would crash and inevitably hurt their subscriber base . The question, however, is how sustainable is it? Can you continue to give free calls? What happens when you start charging for the calls which has to happen one day? Will you see major attrition on your numbers?" the analyst asked. "MTN Zone and its utl equivalent are the smartest thing to happen to the industry, but they are not without pitfalls." "Essentially, MTN is not giving anything away for free. Instead, they are getting more people to call who used not to and in effect, making more money," he said. "The more stable predictable income of MTN and utl's subscriber base is their corporate clients, who though, are the minority in relation to the total subscriber base, are loyal. The pressure is going to be to offer them something as well or the battle will intensify for post-paid clients from people like Warid." HITS was supposed to switch on at the beginning of this year and has not done so. However, company officials insist the launch is imminent since issues that have been holding them back have been largely resolved. (Source: New Vision) Zambia at risk of being cut off from the rest of the world, claims ZACAThe Zambia Consumer Association (ZACA) has urged the Government and the Communications Authority of Zambia (CAZ) to inform the country about the status of the Mwembeshi satellite, following persistent failures of international calls. Telecommunication subscribers have in recent days complained about difficulties in making or receiving international calls, which had been attributed to congestion on the single international gateway. In a statement last week, ZACA executive secretary Muyunda Illilonga said the current situation where Zamtel was failing to carry an increased volume of traffic could be rooted in the state of the earth station. Illilonga said the Government must quickly address the situation, before the infrastructure is crippled and completely fails to transmit international calls from and to Zambia. "ZACA is deeply concerned that this vital sector of the economy appears to be at risk as consumers' confidence declines due to the never ending problems related to quality of service," he said. From the admission by Zamtel that the difficulties currently being experienced in communicating to and from Zambia were as a result of increased international telecommunication traffic, it was clear that Zambia should not depend on one external channel. It seems that the international call routing at Mwembweshi could not handle the current three million telecommunications subscriber base connected to Zamtel landline service as well as mobile phone lines of CellZ, MTN Zambia and Zain Zambia. Illilonga said the Government needed to allow the other telecommunications operators in Zambia to carry their own traffic and establish terrestrial links with neighbouring countries, in order to ease pressure on the Mwembeshi earth station. "This means that the other mobile telecommunication providers must be allowed to operate independent channels at a reasonable fee. If Government does this, we will avoid a situation such as the one being experienced now when Zambia is cut off from the rest of the world," he said. (Source: The Times of Zambia) Vodafone Gets the Nod for Ghana Telecom, So Who’s Next?Vodafone has finally triumphed in its quest to take a majority stake in Ghana Telecom, opening a new chapter in the mobile giant’s expansion plans. In fact, by chasing the deal the company has thrown down the gauntlet and has indicated its readiness to compete for both the big and the not-so-big assets. Emeka Obiodu of Ovum mounts a spirited defence of the global player’s acquisition in Ghana. “The Ghanaian parliament has finally approved Vodafone’s takeover of 70% of Ghana Telecom, paving the way for the mobile giant’s first foray into West Africa. Remarkably, the approval, after spirited but unsuccessful opposition by some members of the Ghanaian parliament, finally draws the curtain on the era of Arun Sarin as CEO. Vodafone is to pay $900 million for the stake, and has pledged to invest a further $500 million in network infrastructure in the country. In return, the global mobile giant gets Ghana’s incumbent fixed line telco and the country’s third largest mobile operator, Onetouch.” “For Vodafone, the deal is a major turning point. In recent times, the company has seemingly set its sights on the big global markets where a combination of high growth and a sizeable addressable market can guarantee good returns. It has recently waded into Turkey, China and India, and Ghana hardly matches the same profile.” “But therein lies the point. As the pool of high-quality acquisition targets lessens, Vodafone is using the Ghana deal to set out its vision for the future and its readiness to compete on the African turf. Indeed, the deal has effectively ended any speculation of a pact between Vodafone and Vodacom on expansion in Sub-Saharan Africa. By entering Ghana, Vodafone has taken its first steps into West Africa, signalling to France Telecom that there is competition at hand.” “Apart from the geographical significance, the deal effectively plunges Vodafone into Africa’s fixed telecoms market. For a company that, until recently, has traditionally regarded itself as a ‘mobile only’ player, running a fixed network in Africa is not going to be an easy proposition. With the likes of MTN and Zain reluctant to wade into fixed services on the continent, France Telecom had seemed to be the only multinational telco prepared to buy into Africa’s fixed telecoms turf. Vodafone has now followed suit, and by buying an incumbent it will have to grapple with poor fixed infrastructure and political innuendos.” “In the light of these undertakings, Vodafone must be commended for its boldness in pushing ahead with the deal. Ghana is the ideal test-bed for a push into Sub-Saharan Africa. The country is English-speaking, relatively stable and growing steadily. Vodafone can thus leverage its global expertise and deep pockets to drive growth in the market.” “Interestingly too, Vodafone has been fairly generous with its offer, although we initially commented on the company’s hastiness in announcing the deal before placating Ghanaian parliamentarians. Quite why the deal is bad for Ghana, as adduced by opponents, is not clear. Vodafone’s offer values the company at $1.3 billion. For that price, it gets to control Ghana Telecom’s 1.4 million mobile customers (about 17% market share), 380,000 fixed line customers and 15,000 broadband clients. Vodafone also said it will take over the Ghanaian government’s fibre networks. In comparison, Nigeria’s Nitel, which operates in a much bigger market, was valued at $1.5 billion when it was sold to a local conglomerate in July 2006.” (Source: Cellular News) In brief:- In Uganda, Communication technology minister, Ham Mulira, reported to the Parliament that South Sudan will stop using Uganda's telephone code in October. - To avoid identity theft and ensure transparent process, Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, has said that the SIM card registration that would commence soon will include a system that would capture the biometrics of individual subscribers. - South Africa’s Department of Communications says it plans to award DVB-H mobile TV licences early next year. Pay-TV operator Multichoice has confirmed that it is interested in acquiring a DVB-H permit, while the country’s largest cellular operator in terms of subscribers, Vodacom, says it will wait to see the full auction rules before deciding whether or not to bid. - Econet Wireless Kenya has been given a two-month extension to its rollout deadline after petitioning the government for more time to deploy its networks. It will soon be joined by Telkom Kenya’s own mobile offer planned to be launched before the end of this year. - Tanzania’s Minister for Communication, Science and Technology, Professor Peter Msolla, told parliament last Friday that the government intends to launch a new rural communications fund, designed to encourage telcos to invest in underserved rural areas. - Telkom Kenya has angered unions over plans to lay off more workers, Business Daily reports. The firm, which last week relaunched its operations under the Orange name to reflect majority owner France Telecom’s international brand, says it will reduce its workforce by between 300 and 500 in the coming months. - Nokia is customising a range of handsets, including some 3G models for the Ethiopian market by adding Ethiopic text capabilities to their phones. BravoCom, the local distributor for Nokia has ordered the handsets following a surge in sales of PrePay SIMS by the monopoly phone operator, Ethiopia Telecommunication Corporation (ETC). Telecoms, Rates, Offers and Coverage (briefs)- One of Liberia's GSM Service Providers, Cellcom Telecommunications, has connected Cocopa district and other surrounding villages in Nimba County to its services. - Zimbabwe’s three mobile telecommunications firms, Econet Wireless, Telecel and NetOne have announced new tariff increases. Mobile tariffs were last reviewed in July. Subscribers will now pay between $12 and $18 per minute up from about $2. International calls will cost between $30 and $40 per minute while local SMS will cost between $5 and $7. International messages have been pegged at between $12 and $20. - At the launch of the MTC Professorship in ICT, the General Manager of MTC said that Namibia has now 1 million active mobile users and MTC accounted for 900 000 of those numbers. - Motorola announced it has won the Mobile Data Association (MDA) Green Award for its wind and solar powered mobile base station trial in Namibia, conducted with the GSM Association (GSMA) and MTC Namibia. - Ugandan mobile operator Warid Telecom has launched two new value added services (VAS) Music Zone and Gaming Zone, claiming a first for the country. The Music Zone service allows Warid customers to listen to music for as long as they want for a flat-rate fee of UGX299 (USD0.18), while Gaming Zone allows subscribers to enter a five digit combination for the chance to win UGX10 million. - Kenya's largest mobile operator, Safaricom has launched a HSDPA upgrade on its network in the coastal city of Mombassa - offering speeds up to 72.Mbps. The company said that it has invested Sh1.8 billion (US$27.5 million) on the network upgrade. - In South Africa, mobile operator Cell C’s active subscribers surged by 58% since June 2007 to 5.4 million, largely due to popular products such as Woza Weekend and the Hola 7 starter pack, resulting in a substantial increase in the volume of traffic on Cell C’s Edge-enabled network.
Access Kenya Introduces High-Speed Home InternetAccess Kenya has introduced a retail broadband product dubbed Access@home and the service is being marketed to domestic users as a new addition to the company's already existing product for corporate clients. "This is a lifestyle product that will also prove invaluable for those doing online learning, e-commerce, shopping or watching movies or sports at home," says Jonathan Somen, group managing director of Access Kenya. The new product was developed following months of research on the emerging requirements of people in the middle and upper-income groups, which all pointed to the need for a better Internet connectivity. Somen said the main concern was high-speed connectivity that was reliable and did not fluctuate due to rising numbers logged on at a specific time. Ordinarily, logging on at most existing services takes several minutes, depending on the time of day and location. In Nairobi, for example, Fridays are particularly bad, as connection failure is a common problem. The company went shopping for the appropriate equipment and concept and settled for the Alvarion Wimax, which has posted an impressive track record in Namibia Telkom, South Africa Telkom and MTN Uganda. The company is deploying 35 base stations in Nairobi and Mombasa, making the largest WiMAX network in the two cities in Kenya as part of a grand strategy to develop the biggest broadband base of subscribers in the country. It is investing $3.5 million for the project, expected to roll out within a month. The focus of the Home Internet service labelled “Access@Home” will be residential areas in Nairobi and Mombasa, where the highest concentration of Internet users is found, and will then look at other major urban centres. It is unclear if the current price offers to its existing corporate customers will apply across the board but it shades some light on how much the service might cost to the end users. The Access@Home broadband service offers the equipment free of charge but has an one off installation fee of Kshs.8,500/- plus VAT (US$144 inclusive of 16% VAT). Although access to the service is unlimited, the monthly fee varies according to the upload and download package the customers will choose. The “Premium Option” is at Kshs.6,000/- plus VAT (US$101 inclusive of 16% VAT) and offers the following guaranteed speeds: all Day (7am – 6pm): 32kbps Uplink, 32kbps Downlink & All Night: 64kbps Uplink, 256kbps Downlink & All Weekends (1pm onwards – rest of the weekend): 64kbps Uplink, 256kbps Downlink. The “Value Option” is at Kshs.4,000/- plus VAT (US$68 inclusive of 16% VAT). It is more affordable but the guaranteed speeds are lower too: all Day (7am – 6pm): 32kbps Uplink, 32kbps Downlink & All Night: 64kbps Uplink, 128kbps Downlink & All Weekends (1pm onwards – rest of the weekend): 64kbps Uplink, 128kbps Downlink. The Access@Home broadband service comes as alternate offer to Telkom Kenya’s Jambo ADSL. A 256kbps connection is currently prices at Kshs.5,990 (US$87) per month and comes with Orange’s Livebox. When it comes to the world of online entertainment on offer, the Livebox might provide more choices in the long run. And there is also Safaricom, which has launched mobile internet of HSPDA at prices as low as Sh1,999 (US$30.55) per month and runs up to Sh10,000 (US$152.80) per month. (Source: The East African & Balancing Act) Business Sector to Foot Bill for fibre infrastructure in RwandaThe Minister in the office of the President in charge of Technology and Research, Professor Romain Murenzi, has said that the business sector will be required to pay a fee to access the new fibre infrastructure being built by the Government. He was reacting to the uncertainty raised in a story published by Focus Newspaper on of whether the business sector would be included in the roll out of the fibre infrastructure being constructed by the Rwanda Information Technology Authority (RITA). "They will be considered at a fee. The cost will depend on the traffic," Murenzi said in a phone interview with The New Times. He added that there would be more discussions on the issue after completion of the project. He, however, didn't rule out the possibility of subsidizing the fee. The construction of the $7m fiber optic infrastructure to cover Kigali and the suburbs is underway and will later be extended to the rest of the country by 2009. The first project is expected to end by December and aims at improving connectivity for better communication and business. "Our aim is for all Rwandans to have access to universal communication. You can be in Rusizi, study and get a Masters from abroad. It will change completely the way we live. It will be the backbone of communication," Murenzi underscored adding that the countrywide coverage of wireless broadband meant more business prospects for Rwanda. People can come and start a data centre in Rwanda. Business will have more stations upcountry with more people having access to information," the Minister explained. The optic fiber project was initiated by the government in conjunction with RITA. It aims at increasing the speed at which data, voice and video is transmitted. The first phase that will cover 134km is already underway in the city where the optic fiber is already being laid. (Source: The New Times) 48h of the Senegalese Music OnlineKheweul.Com and the Senegalese Regulation Authority for Post and Telecom (ARTP), in close relationship with the supporting institutions (World Bank, etc.), is promoting Senegalese music by launching the My Music Online. This initiative also benefits from the support and the cooperation of public and private partners such as the French Embassy in Senegal, the State Computer Science Agency (ADIE) and the International Bank for Commerce and Industry of Senegal (BCIS), among others. More than 200 web specialists (web developers and web designers) are going to be mobilized over 48 hours to create, host and upload a website, for each of the selected musicians, in order to promote him or her and make him be within the reach of the entire world. In brief:- Ghana Telecom has expanded its broadband coverage to the city of Sunyani. The incumbent broadband service labelled "Broadband4U" offers currently a 256kbps connection at US$92.30 per month. - Sokoto State Government in Nigeria has spent a total of N36 million to connect all its 10 science and technical colleges to the Internet, for effective teaching and learning. - The Tunisian Association of Internet and Multimedia (ATIM) is holding the International Summer Internet Festival next August 25-28. The event will be organised simultaneously in El Kantaoui port (Hammam Sousse) and the Medina of Yasmine Hammamet.
ICT Minister Faces Inquiry Over 150 Million US Dollars Computer Deal in UgandaIn a Parliamentary session last Monday MPs gave junior ICT Minister John Alintuma Nsambu two weeks to explain reports that he was using his post to promote personal business. Nsambu is accused of using his position to strike a personal computer business deal worth at least $150 million (about Shs243 billion). Erute South MP John Odit who opened the lid on the issue, pushed Mr Nsambu to explain why he was using his position to trade with an American company named Tropix under the guise of offering a government service to civil servants. "Madam Speaker, we cannot allow this because this minister committed the government to a tune of $150 million without authority because he wanted to make money," Odit said. Although the statement was directed to Dr Ham Muliira, the senior ICT Minister insisted that Nsambu should explain as he was deeply involved in the project. Nsambu has been spearheading a drive for civil servants to acquire computers on lease arrangement and officials who acquire the laptops have their salaries deducted until they have paid the full sum. The laptops, are however, said to be valued a little below commercial rates. Nsambu, conceded that he was running a $150 million computer project with an American investor. "These laptops don't belong to government but as a state minister, my mandate allows me to promote ICT and this is what I am doing," Mr Nsambu said. MPs heard that Nsambu crafted the multi-billion shilling computer deal with the American firm and that the minister's firm would recoup its investment through selling laptops to civil servants. But his submission provoked intense criticism with Dr Muliira insisting Nsambu combined the ministry with his business as some MPs suggested the Deputy Speaker gives him two weeks to present a statement to Parliament on the matter. (Source: The Monitor) South Africa’s PC brand sales slumpSales of local computer brands are slumping as consumers instead opt for more well-known international brands. This has put pressure on local brands such as Sahara and Mustek's Mecer as sales of the top three local PC brands have dropped by 19% in the second quarter of 2008. Pierre Spies, MD of Tarsus Technologies says the more familiar brands such as Dell and HP have benefited from the drop in sales as they are now retailing at below R3,000, which is at the same price as local machines. “Local players cannot reduce prices further and have witnessed customers migrating to international brands available at a similar price,” says Spies. Tarsus distributes brands such as Lenovo, Acer, LG, HP, IBM and Samsung. Pinnacle's Proline machines are resisting the pressure for now, but the decline in sales of local brands is set to accelerate in the face of international brands experiencing a combined 28% year-on-year growth. Spies points out that the South African notebook and desktop sector grew by only 0.8% in the second quarter, which paints a bleak picture in comparison to the IDC's 12% growth forecast. The decline in desktop sales was offset by the 25% increase in notebook sales and, although considered significant, is lagging behind the 50% increase witnessed in Europe for the same period. (Source: ITWeb) Nigeria: Coscharis Technologies Targets 500 PCs Per Day By 2009Emecheta Ofondu, chief executive officer, Coscharis Technologies spoke to Vanguard’s reporter, Emeka Aginam on its latest brand of indigenous computer brand. “We believe that there is gap in the information technology market. At the point we were entering the market, what we discovered was that a few companies were playing in the market and that service delivery was poor, prices were not competitive. Generally, customers were short-changed. Our entry in 1998 redefined the market space in terms of service delivery and price. Some of the product offerings we entered the market with strongly contested with what our existing competitors was offering and they were forced to bring down their prices. We were all trying to ensure we have sufficient foothold in the market; we were all compelled to bring down our prices to the benefit of the customers. Our entry brought a lot of benefit to the ICT users in this country in terms of service delivery. We are packaging Cosmos with unique solutions that will address the needs of the individual user whether he is in banking, education segment or government sector. We are not saying people are not addressing these needs but they are not being sufficiently addressed. You find a teacher has a computer and all he is doing with it may be Word Processing, much more can be achieved by the teacher. Much more can be achieved by the student and in fact, the student-teacher payment relationship can be delivered to those three parties- the parents, teachers and the students. We intend to fill these gaps. We do have arrangements with UBA, C&I Leasing and some other banks to ensure that people can easily pick laptops or desktops by paying only 10 per cent and that 10 per cent may be about N10, 000 or less. Subsequently, the user may pay over 12 months. Recently, we have come to a point with the banks where we have agreed that the user can pay over 24 months. That makes it a lot easy and smooth for anybody who intends to acquire a personal computer. We intend to serve different segments of the market. Our mission is to address the middle and bottom segments of the pyramid. Those who are ignorant of the use of information technology tools we want to reach them, those who cannot afford to use these tools we want to reach them. What we have today, the 50 PC per day capacity is merely a seed. We have an expansion programme that we intend to roll out over time. In the next six months or so, we would double our capacity. By the year 2009 we hope to be doing about 500 PCs per day since the market is there”. (Source: Vanguard) In brief:- Nigeria's representatives to this year's World Cyber Games grand finale scheduled to hold in November in Cologne, Germany are to contest to participate in four of the 14 events at stake. Segun Ogunlola, President of the World Cyber Games in Nigeria said that the Games present an avenue for Nigerian youths to generate revenue and positively tests their computer skill. - The ICT bus project, an initiative being implemented by the Rwanda Information and Technology Authority (RITA) will commence late this year. The programme to be coordinated through the e-Rwanda project will use two buses with fully built computer laboratories in each of them, will tour all districts in the country, beginning with Burera and Gisagara. - A new National IT Policy that will reposition Nigeria in the emerging global IT- driven economy is in the offing.This fact emerged when the Minister of Science and Technology, Mrs. Grace Ekpiwhre inaugurated the National IT Policy Review Committee in Abuja. - The ISO and IEC have rejected the appeals of South Africa, Brazil, Venezuela and India against the process to vote in Microsoft’s OOXML document standard and given the green light to publish the standard. - South Africa’s Department of Education (DOE) will not subsidise the thousands of Asus EEE PCs that the SA Democratic Teachers Union (Sadtu) hopes its members will buy. Hindle says the DOE has been in discussions with Intel for some time to provide a solution across the country that would be subsidised by the state. He notes that the Sadtu deal will not deter it from continuing with this plan. Intel's Classmate PC costs between R1 500 and R4 000 – comparable with the EEE PC's average R2 500 – and has similar specifications to the EEE PC. - Kenya's horticulture industry is losing millions of shillings following the breakdown of the Kilindini Waterfront Automated Terminal Operation System (Kwatos). Since the port went live with the system three weeks ago, port operations have ground to a halt, with ships waiting to be offloaded and loaded, creating serious congestion in what the Kenya Ports Authority management has passed off as teething problems.
Access Kenya Profit Up 62 PercentTechnology firm Access Kenya has posted a 62 per cent rise in profit before tax for the first half-year of 2008.The company recorded Sh104 million in the period compared to Sh64 million it reported over the same period last year. Revenue for the internet services provider also jumped up from Sh387 million in 2007 to Sh682 million, a 76 per cent rise in the same period under review. According to the group's Managing Director Jonathan Somen, the profits were driven by their core business in corporate services. "The corporate internet business has powered through the months of political upheaval and delivered strong growth in customer numbers, Average Revenue Per User and net profit, at the same time delivering ever increasing levels of speed and value for money to our customers," said Somen. Despite lower margins from the IT services in the first half of the year, the firm's gross profit in the sector rose to Sh343 million, from Sh256 million over the same period in the previous year. (Source: The Nation) Nitel: Amid search for new core investors, FG to give stakes to IILThe Federal Government plans to transfer stakes in the national incumbent, NITEL to Investors International Limited (IIL), the London-based consortium that had in 2001 made a botched $1.317 billion bid to buy the telecoms company. Technology Times believes that the government plans to cede about 7 per cent shareholding of its 49 per cent stakes in the company may not be unconnected with the outcome of international legal battle waged by the business promoted by businessman, Bode Akindele. Lately, battle for control of stakes in Nitel has intensified following the inability of Transcorp, which was sold 51 per cent of NITEL to reposition the telecoms company to compete in the new wave of telecoms revolution set off by the introduction of commercial mobile telephony services in August 2001. Ahead of the planned concession to IIL, President Umaru Musa Yar Adua had approved a major proposal to also grant 15 per cent of government’s 49 per cent stakes in NITEL to the Nigeria Communications Satellite Company Limited (NigComSat) while also allowing the government-owned satellite bandwidth service provider offer direct service to subscribers. Akindele’s ILL had in 2001 been offered 51 per cent stakes in NITEL in a bid codenamed “Flagship Transaction” by government privatisation agency, the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) as part of measures to complete the liberalisation of the hitherto monopoly telecoms sector in Nigeria. ILL’s higher offer over rival bidder, the Telnet Consortium, was to run into stormy waters when the consortium, a mix of Nigerian shareholders and Portugal Telecom, failed to raise the balance of $1.317 billion, within regulatory time frame set to close the deal. ILL which had paid 10 per cent of its $1.317 billion winning bid through a combination of $100 million loan from First Bank and its shareholders faced challenges in raising the balance within the stipulated period based on what analysts reckon as the general recession in the global telecoms sector following the auctions of new licences and what was perceived as “cautious approach” to investments in Nigeria by the international investment community after the period following years of military governance. Under its partnership with Nigerian Internet Service Provider, Linkserve, in partnership with U.S.-based ViaSAT, NigComSat is providing bandwidth for cost-effective broadband service across the country, says Chairman, Linkserve, Chima Apugo Onyekwere, in the wake of the MoU signed by both organisation earlier in the year. (Source: Technology Times) MTN Expects 1st Half Earnings Up As Much As 14.5%MTN Group, Africa's largest mobile phone network operator, last Wednesday said its earnings rose as much as 14.5% in the first half of the year. The company said attributable earnings for the six months increased by between 9.5% and 14.5% on the 298.6 South African cents ($0.385) a share reported a year ago. MTN has steadily been growing its subscriber base in recent years, recording about 68.21 million customers at the end of March against 61.35 million at the end of last December and 48.2 million in June 2007. It operates in 21 countries in Africa and the Middle East. It said it expected headline earnings per share -the figure generally followed by South African analysts and which strips out capital, non-operating and certain other items - for the half year rose by 9% to 14% from 304.2 cents a year earlier. Headline EPS adjusted for the unwinding of a deferred tax asset raised in Nigeria and a put option a shareholder has on Nigeria rose by between 23.3% and 28.3% from 324.7 cents, MTN said. (Source: Dow Jones) ICT sector is boosting Tunisia’s economyResults scored by the information and communication technologies sector in the first half of 2008 revealed a great dynamics at both quantitative and qualitative levels, as part of the implementation of orientations meant to further develop and modernise this sector to help step up its contribution to boost investments. Among the major quantitative indicators recorded in the first half of 2008 there is notably: The number of subscribers to the mobile telephony network posted a remarkable increase. It reached 8 million 120 thousand subscribers by the end of June 2008, compared with 7 million 80 thousand users for the same period of 2004, i.e. a 15-pct rise. Telephone density reached 80 users per 100 inhabitants. An improvement in the quality of mobile telephone services was recorded which helped reduce congestion and saturation of traffic in rush periods, thanks to the programmes and measures decided to attenuate congestion in a noticeable manner, bringing it down to 2% compared with 16% in the previous year. The mobile telephone SMS traffic rose by 30% in the first six months of the current year (80 million SMS) compared with 61 million SMS in the previous year. In the Internet area: The number of subscribers to the ADSL (broadband Internet connection) network doubled, reaching over 153,000 users by late June 2008 compared with 76,000 users for the same period of 2007. To June 2008, 27% of ADSL users benefited from an internet connection speed of over 512 Kb versus only 12% in the previous year and 22,000 ADSL subscribers had a connection speed higher to 1MB/s compared with 4500 users in the same period of 2007. The Internet services were enriched this year by the launching of WIMAX-based services. The number of companies connected to this network reached 700 by 2008. Besides, the number of subscribers to the satellite data transmission network (VSAT) posted an increase, reaching 420 users notably among companies exporting software and computer systems and call centres. The number of Internet users reached 2 million 68 thousands up from 1,618,000 in the same period of 2007, i.e. a rise of 28%. Besides, the country's connection to the international Internet network was doubled in 2008, reaching 5.1 GBit/s compared with 2.4GB/s in the same period of 2007. The creation of web sites also posted a noticeable rise, reaching nearly 18% in the first half of 2008. Hence, the number of web sites rose from 5,270 late June 2007 to 6,200 in the same period of 2008. Efforts have been stepped up to further boost investment and job creation in information and communication technologies-based activities. In this respect, the creation of call centres witnessed a remarkable development, including notably centres dedicated to foreign markets. The number of centres increased by 44% and so did the volume of jobs which rose by 54%. The number of call centres reached 175 by late June 2008, providing nearly 15,400 jobs especially for higher graduates compared with 122 centres and 10,000 jobs in the same period of the previous year. The creation of these centres is no longer limited to the area of Greater Tunis and coastal cities but also extended to the country's inland cities. In the field of computer systems' securitisation advisory services, the number of private experts rose considerably, reaching 160 by late June 2008 compared with 103 in the same period in 2007, i.e. an increase of 55%. With regard to electronic certification, the number of users of electronic signature certificates has more than doubled, with 2,461 certificates by late June 2008 compared with 1,154 for the same period of 2007. Moreover, the year 2008 witnessed the launch of the programme of the connection of industrial zones and administrative and economic services' zones. This programme will allow nearly 1400 companies to connect to the modern telecommunications networks and benefit, according to their needs, from broadband connection ranging from 2 MB/s to 1 GB/s. The achievement of this project has reached an advanced stage, namely 60 % by late June 2008. It is expected to be completed by the end of the current year. Moreover and in order to provide broadband connection to higher education institutions, the relevant project consisting in connecting 300 university institutions in various regions of the country has reached a furtherance rate of 90%. With regard to electronic transactions, the service of postal cheques via Internet witnessed a noticeable rise. Hence, the number of companies which subscribed to this service reached 4452 by late June 2008 compared to 2620 in the same period of 2007, i.e. a rise of 70% Moreover, electronic payment operations by the Universal e-Dinar card reached 180,000 operations in June 2008, up from 158,000 operations in the same period of 2007, i.e. a rise of 14% (Source: TAP) In brief:- Vodafone Egypt has acquired Sarmady Communications ("Sarcom") - the Cairo-based digital media specialist and one of the fastest growing online businesses in the Region. This deal accelerates the advancement of the Company's new revenue generating channels - Mobile Internet and Online Advertising. - South Africa’s mobile operator Cell C's announcement of its half-year results (January to June 2008) confirms its continued strong growth, which was evidenced in its annual results for the year ended 31 December 2007. Total revenue has increased by R590 million, a rise of 17%. Cell C has also recorded a strong improvement in Operating profit of 36%, as compared to half year results of 2007 and Earnings before Interest, Tax, Depreciation and Amortisation (EBITDA) of R517 million was achieved. - The Safaricom refund saga is a total mess. According to the latest statistics from the Central Bank, cheques for a whopping Sh1.67 billion have yet to be refunded. Poor investors have been made to wait for months on end for their money. As a matter of fact, the refund process started way back on June 9, 2008. - The Kenya’s telecommunication industry is set to be the biggest beneficiary of a Sh3.3 billion loan ($50 million) facility signed between two development finance institutions. The deal, between China Development Bank (CDB) and PTA, which is the largest line of credit the latter has ever received from a single institution, will support the bank's strategy in financing the growing industry. - InfoDev has pubished a new report "Financing Technology Entrepreneurs & SMEs: Challenges and Opportunities". The report addresses the Role of Private Sector Finance in Scaling Up ICT-Enabled Innovation & Entrepreneurship in Developing Countries. For further information on the report or to download it visit http://www.infodev.org/en/Article.243.html - Black empowered ICT resourcing group Paracon Holdings has agreed to purchase 36.3 million of its own shares from BEE shareholder WDB Investment. This will allow WDB to settle its R49 million debt with the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) and hold its remaining 60 million shares in Paracon unencumbered, allowing WDB access to Paracon's dividends for the first time in five years.
Sam Wilson King of the Novel Idea in South AfricaSam Wilson is South Africa's first award-winning mobilist with a clear majority: 38.5% of the readers' votes. Wilson's story Prestige Animals kept Novel Idea readers hooked to their phones for their daily updates. The Novel Idea pilot, which launched on 7 July 2008, has been groundbreaking in so many ways: it's apparently the first time short fiction has been specifically commissioned for delivery via mobile phones, it's been a unique way to promote edgy professional South African writers (all originally published in print or as screenwriters) and it's the first time original Afrikaans content has been published on mobile. The winning story was determined entirely by public vote, highlighting the interactivity and openness of the cellphone platform. Prestige Animals is a rollicking comedy adventure involving an animal smuggler, his reprobate brother, an angry badger and a crocodile-coveting drug lord. Packed with gags and cliffhangers, it wins Wilson R8000, sponsored by Vodacom. "It was one of the most enjoyable writing challenges I can think of," said Wilson, "being asked to make a story that had to be unrelentingly entertaining." He added, "All the stories were wonderful, and as snappy as you'd expect from such great writers." The runner-up position was shared between Ghost Girl by Lauren Beukes, Winona Forever by Sarah Lotz and City Fun by Stephen Simm. They share R2000, also from Vodacom. The stories are now available in full through Novel Idea (until the end of September 2008). To register, SMS the word NOVEL to 33879, follow the link to the WAP site, click on 'new users register here' and send through your cellphone number. Round two of Novel Idea will be launched before the end of the year. The lineup of local authors will be announced shortly. For more information, go to the Novel Idea WAP site (accessible only on phone browsers: www.mobfest-novelidea.co.za), the Novel Idea website (www.mobfest.co.za/novelidea/default.html), and the Novel Idea blog (http://novelidea.book.co.za/blog/). (Source: Biz-Community) Crooked Police Go Hi-Tech in Hunt for Bribes in KenyaCorrupt policemen are keeping abreast with technology, and turning to mobile phone transactions and brokers to avoid arrest. Indeed, reputable organisations have since 2001 reported that police are the most corrupt public officers in Kenya. But the discreet methods used by officers to receive bribes have not prevented researchers from gathering facts and presenting the annual indexes. At a traffic roadblock, the bus conductor or matatu tout would drop a Sh100 note squeezed into a tiny ball as a police officer pretends to check the validity of insurance stickers on the windscreen. The officer allows the vehicle to proceed and picks the note after it drives away. A driver could also hand over his licence to an officer but with a bank note neatly placed inside. The officer would constantly stash the notes in a pouch hidden by the road and take away the money at the end of the day. Recently, the Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission found out such cases may have reduced, but warned that the level of corruption by traffic police officers remained high, thanks to advances in technology. Detectives at the commission unearthed a new method by which corrupt officers receive bribes via mobile phone-based technology, like M-Pesa and Sokotele. Some of the cases under investigation show bribery is rampant among traffic police officers and those manning weighbridges. It was discovered after officers on such assignments were found to be regularly receiving money through cashing agents of mobile phone companies. Regular senders were found to be matatu drivers and conductors, according to a KACC detective who spoke to the Nation. Long distance truck transporters were also found to be culpable for regularly breaking highway regulations like overloading, exceeding axle limits, smuggling and transporting contraband goods. A typical policeman on a regular traffic beat receives between Sh500 and Sh15,000 daily, the detective disclosed. A report by the commission seen by the Nation indicated: "Corruption in the police force has come under increasing scrutiny in recent times. Along with the increasing frequency of bribery, are special challenges presented by the sophisticated methods applied." The detective, who requested anonymity saying the investigation was still at an early stage, said conventional methods previously used had become too risky due to increased vigilance from the public and the commission. He explained that the officers were avoiding receiving money directly from operators, since the bank notes could be treated and serialised to preserve evidence. According to the investigation, officers had also engaged the services of brokers to make it difficult for detectives to track the phone transactions. The brokers would use their phones to cash money from agents and later hand it over to the officers for a small fee. This is because the service providers require a recipient and the sender to produce national identity card before allowing the transaction. Commission detectives are focusing investigations on traffic police. "Officers who are regularly on the same assignment expect bribes on a daily basis and prefer using the cellphones. On the other hand, their colleagues aren't sure who they are dealing with and expect instant cash," said the detective close to the on-going investigations. The technological advancement has caused an unprecedented challenge to detectives who had been following leads on corrupt officers using surveillance cameras and catching them red-handed. Officers who spoke to the Nation said it was not an offence to receive money via the cellphone, unless it was proved that it was a bribe. The cellphone transactions have largely been traced to police officers in Nairobi and major towns. Detectives said it had not spread to the rural areas where the frequency of bribery was not high. A report released last month by Transparency International placed police on the top of the list of the most corrupt officials in government departments in 2007. The position had not changed since 2001. Reports for 2006 and 2007 also show police at the top, with almost a third of all cases under investigation involving police officers. Between January and May, 35 per cent of suspects arrested by the anti-graft officials were police officers. On bribery alone, seven regular police officers and three Administration Police officers were arrested. (Source: The Nation)
People* Nitel Plc has approved the appointment of Tom Iseghohi as the new chairman of its Board of Directors and ratified the appointments of Mallam Sayyu Dantata and Olorogun O'tega Emerhor, (OON) as directors. Events* ITU REGIONAL CYBERSECURITY FORUM FOR EASTERN AND SOUTHERN AFRICA 25-28 August 2008, Lusaka, Zambia The purpose of the forum is to identify the main challenges faced by countries in the region in developing frameworks for cybersecurity and critical information infrastructure protection, to consider best practices, share information on development activities being undertaken by ITU as well as other entities, and review the role of various actors in promoting a culture of cybersecurity. For further information visit www.itu.int/ITU-D/cyb/events/2008/lusaka/ * 3rd CONNECTING RURAL COMMUNITIES AFRICA FORUM 2008 26th - 28th August 2008, Lilongwe, Malawi With strong support from the industry and public sector this ICT forum will be the continent’s most important forum devoted to last mile solutions. To participate as a delegate, sponsor or exhibit please contact j.taylor@cto.int, m.dekock@cto.int or s.naidoo@cto.int. * ECONOMIC REGULATION, COMPETITION AND PRIVATISATION 15-19 September 2008, Yaoundé, Cameroon This course is part of the the Programme for Development and Training (PDT) run by the Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation (CTO) is a professional training and capacity building programme aimed at helping industry stakeholders understand the latest developments in the industry and build the in-house capacity to meet the challenge of future markets. For further information contact Nomita Das at +44 20 8834 1573 or n.das@cto.int * 7th IWEEK ANNUAL CONFERENCE 17 - 19 September 2008, Johannesburg, South Africa iWeek has become a critical calendar entry for everyone with a stake in the Internet sector and is the only conference endorsed by the Internet Society of South Africa (ISOC-ZA). Anyone with an interest is welcome to attend free of charge. You are encouraged to register at your earliest convenience at: http://www.ispa.org.za/iweek/2008/apply.shtml prior to the conference. * THE COMMONWEALTH ICT SUMMIT 6-8 October 2008, Abuja, Nigeria If you are a telecom or satellite operator, equipment supplier, software developer, solution provider, a consultant, or any other stakeholder in the Telecommunications and ICT industry, and are seeking opportunities to expand in emerging markets, or are seeking the platform to meet policymaking and regulatory authorities, donor agencies and financiers to champion your business development goals, the Commonwealth ICT Summit is the event to attend. For further information visit http://www.events.cto.int/ictsummit08 * MOBILEACTIVE08 SUMMIT 13-15 October 2008, Johannesburg, South Africa SANGONeT and MobileActive.org are pleased to announce that they will be hosting the MobileActive08 Summit. The theme of the event is “Unlocking the Potential of Mobile Technology for Social Impact”. More information about the event is available on the MobileActive08 Summit website at http://www.mobileactive08.org * CAPACITY AFRICA 2008 14-15 Oct 2008, Cape Town, South Africa This unique event features a business-driven agenda that will address the latest market developments and opportunities and equip delegates with strategic information to enable them to grow their businesses. Dedicated networking opportunities throughout the programme will provide you with the optimum opportunity to build profitable partnerships and execute business deals. For additional information visit http://www.capacitymedia.com/conferences-events.asp * NORTH AFRICA COM 14-15 October 2008, Cairo, Egypt North AfricaCom is the largest telecommunication event specifically designed for operators and telecoms professionals. With 35 expert speakers, 700 communications professionals and a 50-stand exhibition in 2007, this event is the best opportunity for you to learn from your colleagues' experiences in other countries and find out the latest solutions that can improve your business. For further information visit http://www.comworldseries.com/newt/l/gsm/events/northafrica * THE MOZAMBIQUE ICT CONVENTION 2008-08-14 15-16 November 2008, Maputo, Mozambique The Mozambique ICT Exhibition has been initiated by the Ministry of Science & Technology to provide an educational platform for all government ministries, departments and organisations, as well as all major private sector enterprises and SMEs. They will meet together over two days to share knowledge, learn form local and international experts and network with each other in both the conference and the exhibition. For further information contact AITEC Africa, +44(0)1480-880774; info@aitecafrica.com * TELECOMMUNICATIONS SERVICES AND CONSUMERS RIGHTS IN WEST AFRICA 22-24 October 2008, Cotonou, Benin The conference aims at impulsing a new dynamics to the telecommunications sector through taking into account the concerns of consumers regarding quality and services rates at the national and regional level. The conference will also deal with all the aspects related to the regional regulation in term of telecommunication, the settlement of the West African ICT Consumer Associations Network as well as the advocacy techniques to be used during the campaign which will be conducted towards sub-regional institutions. The conference is funded and supported by the Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA) For further information contact the League for the Consumers Defence in Benin on +229 21 35 24 58 or visit their website at www.ldcb.org * TECHNOLOGY: A PLATFORM FOR DEVELOPMENT? 30 - 31 October 2008, Chatham House, London, UK Technology is now recognized as having the potential to transform the lives of millions in the developing world. This major international conference will seek to identify best practice for achieving the successful implementation of new technology. For further information visit http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/events/conferences/view/-/id/127/ * UBUNTUNET CONNECT 2008 AND OPEN ACCESS 2008 11-14 November 2008, Lilongwe, Malawi For further information on the 1st UbuntuNet Alliance Annual Conference, visit
For further information on the 6th International Conference on Open Access, visit
* ngNOG 16 – 26 November 2008, Lagos, Nigeria For further information on the 3rd Edition of the Nigerian Network Operators Group Workshops and Meetings, visit http://www.forum.org.ng/ * AFRINIC 9 22 – 28 November 2008, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia For further information on the 9th AfriNIC Open Policy Meeting, visit http://www.afrinic.net/ Jobs and Opportunities* IDRC Internship Awards The IDRC Internship awards provide exposure to research for international development through a program of training in research management and grant administration under the guidance of IDRC program staff. The internship is designed to provide hands-on learning experiences in research program management - in the creation, dissemination and utilization of knowledge from an international perspective. The intern will undertake a program of research on the topic submitted when competing for the internship award, and will be trained in the techniques of research management through hands-on experience with the Centre's policies and practices for grant administration under the mentorship of a Program Officer(s). Deadline for receipt of applications: 12 September 2008 (awards will be announced in November or December 2008). For further information visit http://www.idrc.ca/en/ev-84370-201-1-DO_TOPIC.html ContractsNeotel - South Africa Telecoms operator Neotel is about to sign a distribution deal with a national chain store to make it easier to sell its services to consumers. One source says the chain has roughly 120 branches across the country.
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