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ISSUE NO 74 NEWS ROUND-UP & SNIPPETS

THREE TANZANIAN COMPANIES FORM ALLIANCE TO OFFER INTERNATIONAL DATA SERVICE

Mediapost (T) Ltd, Paconet (T) Ltd and Planetel Communication Ltd have formed a joint venture called MediaPost Tanzania Ltd offering a data communication and internet service.

MediaPost wants to become the leading Internet value added services provider in Africa. It has established Points of Presence in various African countries, Tanzania being the third after South Africa and Congo Brazzaville. According to Felix Nkusi, its Managing Director:"It is our expectation that the first class data, internet connectivity and other value added services to be offered will make MEDIAPOST Tanzania Ltd. the ISP of choice for Government Institutions, corporates operating virtual private intranets network, NGO¹s and individuals".

Mediapost SA’s ambition is to create a fully meshed African data network with points of presence in all major African cities to carry international data traffic throughout the continent as well as to and from the rest of the world.This Pan African Network allows African nations to communicate directly with each other, rather than having to switch through one of the major US or European hubs.

Felix Nkusi says:"In partnership with Paconet ( Pan African Communication Network ) we are committed to bringing low cost international data transmission on the African continent. With our partners, Mediapost installs its own infrastructure. The building of this highway of information throughout the African continent sets the company apart from the other players in the data transmission market. Our partners deal directly with the owners of satellites in purchasing bandwidth.Equipment is owned at both ends.As a result the process is owned end to end.It is one of relatively few African telecommunication operators".

Mediapost has plans to roll out in the following countries: Nigeria, Senegal, Cameroon, Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, Malawi and Botswana. More licenses have or are being acquired in various African countries through strategically selected local partners.

The partnership between Mediapost, Planetel and Paconet has invested more than TSh. 600,000,000through licenses, equipment, and working capital. The operation in Tanzania will be employing suitable local technicians to manage its operations in Dar es Salaam.These employees are trained in the latest telecommunications skills by internationally qualified staff of the joint venture.

TELKOM OFFERS FRAME RELAY THAT MAKES BANDWIDTH CHEAPER

South Africa’s Telkom has introduced new frame relay port speeds that are available in smaller increments than before, effectively making bandwidth more flexible and affordable for businesses that are growing their networks gradually.

Telkom’s frame relay service offers flexible and reliable high-speed data communication on Telkom’s ATM platform."Many applications of wide and local area network communications, such as transaction processing, image and graphics transmission and distributed databases, involve the transmission of large amounts of data at intermitted high-speed busts," says Telkom Product Manager, Dick Dauth.

The new more flexible port speeds have been introduced to make FrameExpress even more attractive for wide area network applications. "With this innovation, the customer has the freedom to gradually increase bandwidth usage without doubling costs when the existing bandwidth usage increases above the currently used port speeds," he explains.

Up until now, the only ports available were 64Kbit/s, 128Kbit/s, 256Kbit/s, 512Kbit/s, 768Kbit/s, 1024Kbit/s and then 2048Kbit/s.The large difference between bit rates didn’t meet customers’ requirements and were too expensive for them to readily upgrade.For example, a customer using a 256Kbit/s port who needed to marginally upgrade would have to use the next speed available from Telkom, which was 512Kbit/s. This was instantly doubling the costs of the customers’ network expenses.

Now, FrameExpress offers port speeds between 64Kbit/s and 512Kbit/s in 64Kbit/s increments, between 512Kbit/s and 1024Kbit/s in 128Kbit/s increments and between 1024Kbit/s and 2048Kbit/s in 256Kbit/s increments.

"This means a customer can upgrade from 256Kbit/s to 320Kbit/s or 384Kbit/s, to match his bandwidth requirements to the new port speeds now available," says Dauth.

M-WEB SPLITS USERS WITH INFOSAT

M-Web is again focusing on its core strengths in the consumer market, with a deal to split users with satellite Internet solutions provider InfoSat.

(source: http://www.itweb.co.za/sections/internet/2001/0108161233.asp )

GHANA’S NATIONAL IT STRATEGY OUT IN DRAFT

The Ghanaian government has published its national IT strategy. The framework was put together by a team of IT experts working from the Office of the President since the second quarter of year 2001. Currently, there is a massive media drive and promotion to ensure that key stakeholders can provide input for consideration into the final policy. A national IT policy conference is slated for the 11^th and 12^th of September 2001 at GIMPA, Accra aimed at finalising the Policy framework.

The aim of the policy is to " improve productivity and assist government officials, co-ordinate, promote and supervise the implementation and use of the Information Technology in Government organizations and also promote the development of a vibrant Computer Industry in Ghana". For further information contact Crosby Tekyi-Mills (itpolicy@ghana.gov.gh) The policy framework is available online at www.ghana.gov.gh

UGANDA’S ELECTRICITY TRANSMISSION COMPANY GOES INTO FIBRE

The Uganda Electricity Transmission Company is to use fibre technology to transmit telephone messages alongside electricity. The Engineering Manager, William Kiryahika, said a new line will be attached to the earth wire along the transmission line from the Nalubale Dam to Kampala initially, then will be expanded later to other places. Eventually the transmission line to Nairobi will also have it.

(source: New Vision )

MALAYSIA OFFERS AFRICAN COUNTRIES ITS THIRD SATELLITE

Malaysia offered African countries the use of its third satellite to be launched in 2004, a move aimed at further enhancing smartpartnership among participating members. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad, making the offer just before the close of the Global 2001 Smart Partnership InternationalDialogue here, also offered the African nations a stake in it.

He said Binariang Satellite Systems Sdn Bhd, the owner and operator of the Malaysia East Asia Satellite System (Measat), had established a consortium with Astronautic Technology Sdn Bhd to launch a new satellite into the Malaysian orbit slot of 5. 7 degrees east longitude.At a total cost of US$200 million (RM760 million), the new satellite,according to Dr Mahathir, would be named Africa Meas Sat (A-M Sat).

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