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ISSUE NO 60 ON THE MONEY

NEW WIRELESS TECHNOLOGIES MAY NOT BE WORTH THE COST

The introduction of next-generation wireless technologies should provide a platform for additional usage-enhancing services in West Africa (defined as Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria and Senegal). Given the cost of establishing such technologies, however, one should question their economic viability in the regional context. On the whole, the viable solutions will be those that enable operators to meet client needs cost- effectively. Thin-bandwidth services like short messaging service (SMS) seem to fit the criteria; although a case could be made on a market-by- market basis for general packet radio services (GPRS), Pyramid Research believes EDGE and W-CDMA are not worth the hassle, at least not over the next five years. Even GPRS, if introduced, would have to be focused on supporting relevant applications and be targeted to business or high-end users, a small addressable market. If one considers that the mobility factor for data services is still irrelevant in West Africa, it would be more cost-effective for operators to deploy fixed broadband wireless solutions to meet their clients’ needs.

Nigeria presents an exception. We expect the Nigerian market to be large and savvy enough to support the offering of wireless Internet services and GPRS on a smaller scale. Even here, however, EDGE and W-CDMA will be long shots.

(source: Pyramid Research via DigAfrica)

NASPERS OFFERS 15 TO 1 SHARE SWOP TO M-WEB SHAREHOLDERS

Media group Naspers said that it would offer shareholders in its internet service provider M-Web one Naspers "N" share for 15 M-Web shares in the acquisition of all their shares. Naspers said in April that it planned to delist M-Web because of poor market conditions.

(source: http://www.barney.co.za/reuters/may01/nasper17.asp )

ESKOM DEFENDS ROLE IN SECOND PHONE LICENCE

State-owned power utility Eskom strongly defended plans to give it a stake in the SA’s second fixed phone licence, saying it would expect a holding of at least 35% in the venture.

(source: http://www.barney.co.za/reuters/may01/esskom17.asp )

iTOUCH’S LOSSES WIDEN ON HIGHER TURNOVER

South African-founded and London-listed iTouch, a mobile services provider, has reported a loss per share of 1.1p for the first quarter of 2001, compared with a 0.3p loss for the same quarter last year.

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