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WEEKLY PUBLICATION DEADLINE: 12 pm GMT Sunday. ISSUE NO 490 5th February 2010 Zambian Government reinforces Zamtel monopoly as country heads for competitionIn the run-up to the privatisation of Zamtel, the Zambian Government is proposing to add a significant proportion of the fibre assets from the state-owned power utility Zesco. This move will reinforce the de facto monopoly of Zamtel in terms of infrastructure ahead the more competitive landscape envisaged in the new ICT Act passed in December last year. This adding of other fibre assets to the incumbent’s dowry also occurred in Ghana when Vodafone bought Ghana Telecom. Russell Southwood looks at how these kinds of transfers can either hinder or help competition in the market. The Zambian Development Agency is currently undertaking the sale of state-owned incumbent Zamtel. The company has become loss making, is hugely over-staffed and has the smallest cellular operation in a country with only three operators. Huawei has been building the company a fibre backbone but it is far from complete: indeed, there are still so many gaps that it would not be fair to describe it as a national network. By contrast, the power utility, Zesco had laid an effective fibre network across the economically active central part of the country from Lumwana/Solwezi in the north to Sesheke in the south, connecting the copperbelt to Lusaka and on to the borders of neighbouring Botswana and Namibia. It was licensed by the regulator (then CAZ, now ZICTA) as a carriers’ carrier. So whilst Zamtel was protecting its gateway monopoly and charging high prices for satellite connectivity, PCCW joined forces with Zesco and others and created an international fibre route out to South Africa via Namibia and South Africa. It wasn’t cheap but it was a whole lot cheaper than the Zamtel satellite service and it began to undercut Zamtel’s previously protected international revenues. Interestingly, the Zesco portion of this route was the cheapest and the Telkom South Africa portion the most expensive. In December 2008, the Zambian Ministry of Communications decided to sell a 75% stake in the company. A year later in December 2009 a shortlist of bidders was announced by the Zambian Development Agency. More or less at the same time, the Government decided that 7 of the 12 fibre pairs on Zesco’s network would be taken away from it and given to Zamtel. This is clearly an attempt to fatten the goose before any sale price is agreed. That much is understandable but what it does is entrench the near de-facto monopoly on national fibre infrastructure of the eventual buyer. Of the 12 fibre pairs Zesco has, it uses 2 to manage its power network, 7 will go to Zamtel, MTN has use of 1 pair, leaving 2 not yet used. Both Zain and MTN are laying metro fibre in the larger cities and are talking of building national fibre backbones. Realtime Technologies has a joint venture with the country’s second power utility CEC and has an extensive fibre network in the country, particularly the Copperbelt. So it now goes from being a competitive infrastructure play with Zesco to finding itself back in the arms of Zamtel for international infrastructure. Furthermore, Zambian ISPs oppose the move. As one told us:”All the ISPs don’t want this to happen. We have a good relationship with Zesco and we put a lot of capacity through their link. If it happens, I’ll have to lay fibre routes and that’s not my business. We’re looking at VoIP offerings because the current prices of international calling are still US$1.10-1.50 a minute.” On 23rd December 2009, the government through the Zambia Development Agency (ZDA) announced that the shortlist of bidders. These are: India’s Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd, Angola's Unitel and Libya's LAP Green Networks. Unitel is the only private mobile operator in the Angolan market and has the biggest market share. It also has the distinction of having a minority shareholding by the President’s daughter who nowadays get described in the press as a “businesswomen and entrepreneur”. LAP Green Networks owns former incumbents in Rwanda and Uganda. After the announcement, Russia’s Altimo was added as a fourth successful bidder. Altimo has investments outside Africa in Beeline, Megafon, Kyivstar and Turkcell. It issued a paper in November last year saying Africa was becoming the key investment target as other markets were saturated. A similar situation is happening in Tanzania although lack of information from the Government makes it much harder to gauge how it might finally turn out. Incumbent TTCL has been managed up till now by Saskatel who have not managed to find a strategic investor. The Government have taken on a Chinese loan to have Huawei build a national fibre backbone. Tanzania has several parastatals who have fibre assets, most notably power utility TANESCO. It has put the use of these assets out to tender on two occasions and both occasions the tender has not been concluded. In short, the Tanzanian Government has failed to chart a strategy for creating a national backbone in sharp contrast to its Kenyan neighbour. The national backbone seems to be underway: people have seen Chinese workers digging trenches alongside the roads and the Government is promising the northern loop will be available by November 2010. However, it is not clear when it will actually be available for use. The plan appears to be that the Government will own the fibre infrastructure and that it will be operated by incumbent TTCL through a separate subsidiary. TTCL has not much of a track record for the successful operation of national fibre backbone infrastructure. No final pricing has yet been discussed but the Ministry has set up a Committee of operators to look at interconnection issues. However, rumours are circulating that Vodacom has been given the go-ahead for a fibre route between Arusha and Namanga and a consortium of Zain, Tigo, Simbanet and Zamtel have been discussing fibre infrastructure. In the meantime, cheap international bandwidth has arrived in the country but it’s impossible to get it anywhere because the glacial pace at which the Tanzanian Government moves. It has neither come up with a timely, funded national fibre strategy, nor allowed the private sector to do the job. And all this is happening in one of the most competitive telecoms markets on the continent. As one local operator told us:”Taking the international bandwidth from Dar to elsewhere is an issue. There is a lot of (national) fibre in the country but it’s a mess. The Government wants to give (the national backbone they are building) to TTCL but it will be a competitor to other providers. There are a lot of issues around management and pricing and a total lack of clarity.” By contrast, Kenyan utility KPLC has let the use of its fibre network (see Internet News below) to three competing operators: Safaricom, Jamii Telecoms and the Wananchi Group. In this way, several players can make competing infrastructure offers whilst at the same time sharing a single network.
Ghana’s Communications Minister stops mast building unilaterally despite Committee to address the issuesDespite having set up a Committee to produce recommendations, the Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology (MEST) has banned the mounting of telecommunications masts in the country until further notice, writes Russell Southwood. According to a Daily Graphic report of Monday February 1, 2010 citing a letter dated January 12, 2010 to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says the ban is until further notice. The inter-sectoral committee comprises personnel from the EPA, the National Communications Authority (NCA), the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC) and National Security to produce guidelines that would bring some order in the way communication towers are being erected all over the country. As one insider told us:”The Government decided to jump out of the collaborative process and make a rule.” According to the EPA, the report says, about 50 per cent of all communications masts in the country were erected by service providers who did not obtain the required permit. Some of the concerns that informed the decision to ban the erection of masts include public outcry against the location of some of these masts, accidents, land disputes and alleged health implications associated with the masts. As ever politicians are something of a law unto themselves. An insider told us that “ the Minister accused us of raping the landscape and thinks there must be some advanced technology in Europe we should be using because you don’t see the masts there. Despite it being explained that this is not the case, the Minister has persisted in this view.” Also when a member of the public complained about the building of an MTN switch site and an order to stop work had not been obeyed, the Minister said public should take matters into their own hands. As the insider told us:”In terms of telecoms, the Government has lost its marbles.” Strong words but likely true for you cannot have mobile service without masts. Part of the pressure that has been building on this as an issue is that the new entrants Glo and Zain are building out new networks and mast sharing does not yet seem to have taken off. The issue has also risen to the surface because of a seemingly unrelated issue. The widespread use of advertising and branding by the mobile companies (when it seems like every third hut is decked out in mobile company colours) has led to some resentment locally at the impact on the environment. However, now the issue has become political, it may lead to no end of trouble. We have heard of similar simmering discontent over masts in both Cote d’Ivoire and Nigeria. Those with longer memories may remember the former Communications Minister defending the Communications tax he wished to impose by saying that part of the funds raised would be used to pay for hospitals to care for those with cancer caused by masts. The knot the politicians seem unwilling to face is that you don’t get mobile services in a residential area without masts. So try selling no masts, no mobile service in your area to the electorate…. Rwanda launches “cheaper handsets” programmeRwanda Utilities and Regulatory Agency (RURA) in partnership with Rwanda Development Bank (RDB) and telecom operators are set to launch a pilot for cheaper handsets for all. The scheme is inline with the regulator's drive to increase the country's subscriber base. Government targets to distribute about 600,000 mobile phone handsets in all districts at cheaper prices. In the deal, RURA will contribute 50 percent of the total cost of the handset, the company 30 percent and the user 20 percent. BRD will finance the project in which the user will be paying in instalments. "In 2007, in partnership with district authorities we managed to distribute 550,000 handsets which were reimbursed in instalments," Jack Kayonga, BRD's Managing Director said. "The user will be required to refund Rwf1,000 per month. We are again looking forward to working with the district authorities to help us identify people in need of these phones." In a recent interview with the Business Times RURA's Director General, Diogene Mudenge, revealed that the regulator is planning to issue a license to a fourth operator by the end of this year. However, he said that the RURA has to first give a chance to the third operator to consolidate. "The third operator has to first to acquire about 300,000 subscribers then we can issue out the bidding process for another operator," Mudenge said. He added that with three telecoms, competition is going to increase which will make people to have a choice and eventually subscribers will also eventually increase. The 6 million subscriber base target by the regulator is set to contribute to the East African region target of 99.5 million 2015. Currently the region's subscribers are at 37.6 million with a penetration rate of 30.8 percent. (Source: The New Times) Kenyan Telcos Demand Stiff Penalties for Cable VandalsStakeholders in the telecommunications industry are calling for stiffer penalties for criminals caught tampering with fibre optic cables. With many telecoms operators currently counting losses of up to Sh20 million each year following a spate of network cuts, the industry is lobbying for longer jail time for people caught engaging in vandalism. "In other countries, this is considered economic sabotage. These cuts have become a major problem for the country's networks, incurring huge losses in downtime and repairs," said Safaricom CEO, Mr Michael Joseph. Safaricom joins a growing list of operators, including Kenya Data Networks (KDN) and Telkom Kenya, who have been pushing for stiffer penalties for people caught vandalising cables or selling the product. "I would go so far as to term it economic terrorism. These installations are actually part of the country's national infrastructure and any act carried out on them needs to be viewed in that light," said Telkom Kenya CEO, Mickael Ghossein. Currently culprits, -- mostly individuals who hope to sell pieces of cable on the black market ,-- who are caught get away with small fines or minimal jail time. If the lobbying effort is successful, the practice would become a criminal act punishable with lengthy jail time and higher fines. But given the increase in cable cuts on Telkom Kenya's network, the firm on Wednesday said it was not ruling out the possibility of corporate sabotage. Increased strategic cuts by evidently specialist technicians on both the firm's copper and fibre optic lines have served to fuel the fear that corporate saboteurs may be at play. The firm has repeatedly warned that such cuts erode the country's national security as they border on economic terrorism. Other players in the industry, however, dispute the strong claim saying statistics show that most of the cuts are either made by road contractors or are attributable to poor network design. "We have not been affected as much and I would hesitate to call it corporate sabotage at this time," said Jamii Telecom chairman, Joshua Chepkwony. The developments follow Telkom Kenya's announcement that it had arrested three prime suspects who are behind a number of service disruptions on its network. The firm was forced to employ new methods of catching culprits after its efforts to work with the police failed to bear fruit. On Wednesday, the firm announced that it has apprehended suspected masterminds in the North Rift region. Telkom Kenya conducted a joint operation led by Eldoret OCPD, Muindi Kioko, that netted the suspects. In January, Telkom Kenya embarked on a community policing strategy which led to the recent arrests. Other operators such as KDN have been forced to hire security consultants in order to protect the integrity of their networks. "Investigations confirm that the three masterminds have been facilitating the rising cases of copper cable vandalism as they appear to be the main financiers. Once vandalised, our cables are burned in clearings within a nearby forest to remove the rubber insulation and later sold to these masterminds for onward sale as scrap copper wire," said Ms Angela Ng'ang'a-Mumo, the Telkom Kenya head of corporate communications. (Source: Business Daily) Cellphone Rates Cut in Doubt in South Africa After Icasa Steps inA proposed cut in cellphone interconnection rates by next month looked in doubt last week after regulator the Independent Communications Authority of SA (Icasa) refused to endorse the operators' proposal for a 29% reduction. Vodacom, MTN and Cell C submitted a draft agreement to Icasa on January 25, which would have seen the peak cost of connecting between networks fall from R1.25 to 89c a minute by March 1. High interconnection rates are widely considered a key factor behind South Africa's steep cellphone charges. The delay is likely to embarrass Communications Minister Siphiwe Nyanda, who mediated the initial agreement in tense talks with the three cellphone companies in November. But Icasa said on Monday night that it would not support the agreement, complaining that doing so would have bound it "to an undertaking not to review mobile termination rates until March 1 2013". The operators warned last week they could not go ahead with the planned cuts without the regulator's approval, but said they would address Icasa's concerns. Icasa's short statement gave little hope of this, however, saying it was "committed to releasing draft regulations on the effectiveness of competition in the wholesale call termination market in March". Nyanda's agreement would have seen off-peak interconnection rates kept at 77c. Peak rates were to be cut to 89c from March, falling to 85c next year and 80c in 2011. Those reductions were evidently too little for Icasa, which has estimated the real cost of interconnection at 40c. An Icasa source told Business Day yesterday that regulators had felt the cellphone operators were "trying to tell us what to do". (Source: Business Day) In brief:- In Zimbabwe, Telecel, the second largest mobile operator by subscriber base says it has acquired frequencies to launch 3G. - In Ghana, all subscribers of the various networks have up to July 1, 2011 to register their SIM cards. Those who fail to comply with the directive will have their mobile phone lines blocked. Speaking to Journalists at a press conference in Accra last week, Head of the regulator NCA Bernard Forson noted that the directive has an economic, social and security value which all users must take into consideration. "No matter the type of phone you are using, the real asset is the contacts you have. The contacts you lose represent your economic base which can seriously affect your business" he said - MTN Nigeria, and its counterpart in communication business, Ericsson International, are partnering the United Nation Development Programme (UNDP) to provide mobile communication and internet facilities to Ikaram cluster of the Millennium Villages Projects of the world body. - According to local news sources an unnamed French company is set to take over management of Ethiopian state-owned incumbent Ethiopian Telecommunication Corporation (ETC) having beaten off bids from South African and Indian competition. Having attracted the interest of a number of foreign companies on announcing that it was seeking a partner on a revenue-sharing basis, Capital Ethiopia claims that only three companies made it through to the final stage of the selection process; South Africa’s MTN, state-owned Indian telco Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) and the unnamed French company. The U.N.'s World Food Program (WFP) and the mobile telecommunications company Vodafone are piloting a project that will allow shopkeepers in Burkina Faso to manage food vouchers by text message. The World Food Program and The Vodafone Foundation, a division of the British mobile phone company, have started to bring technology to the food voucher program in place in Burkina Faso. The partnership will allow shopkeepers in two towns in Burkina Faso to manage food vouchers through text messaging, or SMS. Paul McCann is Vodafone's Program Delivery Manager in West Africa.
Kenya: KPLC Taps New Revenues with Fibre Optic OfferElectricity distributor, the Kenya Power and Lighting Company, has signed Sh828 million infrastructure sharing agreements with three telecoms operators, opening a new front in the battle for control of the ICT market. The deal gives Safaricom, Wananchi Group and Jamii Telecoms access to KPLC's fibre optic network that runs on the national electricity grid, improving their footprint presence in the country. Though the contract is specific to the Mombasa-Nairobi cable route, the ability to deliver broadband on the national electricity network puts the three firms ahead of the competition in the ongoing battle for reach and could by extension offer them direct access to some of KPLC's 1.3 million customers on the national grid. KPLC's fibre optic network should also help telecom firms overcome the bottlenecks associated with long distance bandwidth delivery, which require multi-billion shillings investments and have more recently become prone to frequent attacks. "We have 18 pairs of fibre for leasing and have only awarded three to Safaricom, Wananchi and Jamii Telcoms leaving us with 15 more on the Nairobi-Mombasa route," said Mr Joseph Njoroge, the KPLC CEO at a contract signing session in Nairobi. By offering its fibre network to other players, KPLC is effectively elevating broadband service to basic utility status - in the same rank as water, power and the telephone. For shareholders in the electricity firm, signing of these contracts also opens a new revenue stream that should help lift the company's profits in the current financial year. KPLC began the journey into the telecoms sector in 1998 when it unveiled a Sh1.9 billion investment in a fibre optic network to help monitor its power lines and lease excess capacity to telecoms operators. Until Tuesday, the power distributor had only allowed telecoms operators to build cables on its electricity distribution poles in specific sections of Nairobi. KPLC began the search for leasees last August and received 15 applications from both local and international firms. On Tuesday, Jamii and Wananchi separately signed five-year lease agreements with KPLC for a pair of fibres on its cable at an annual fee of Sh27 million. Mobile phone service provider Safaricom placed the heaviest bet on the fibre line, sinking Sh288 million for a 20-year access right. Safaricom, which depends heavily on terrestrial fibre networks said it was keen to use KPLC's network to overcome service delivery challenges arising from fibre cuts. Safaricom CEO Michael Joseph said the deal would see the mobile firm shift its live traffic between Nairobi and Mombasa to KPLC's cable in the next two weeks. "With this contract, vandalism could become a thing of the past. In the medium term, we see this agreement as pushing down cost in the telecoms market," he said. (Source: Business Daily) Vodacom Halves Its Broadband Rates in South AfricaVodacom Business looked to steal a march on Internet provider rivals last week by halving its rates for broadband connectivity, a cut made possible by last year's Seacom fibreoptic cable launch. Managing executive Ermano Quartero said business clients would now pay on average half the previous rate for their broadband use, although some large companies could save even more. He expected most customers to increase their bandwidth allowances in response to the cut, effective from this month. The price reduction had been enabled by "the increasing competition between undersea cable providers, which in turn creates a sustainable competitive international bandwidth market in SA". The bulk of SA's international voice and data traffic had previously been routed via the SAT3 cable, a closed-access pathway controlled by Telkom , which had been criticised for keeping prices artificially high. It cut these wholesale charges in response to the Seacom launch - but the effect on retail rates has been limited. Quartero denied that the reduction was a short-term promotional tactic. "This cut is absolutely permanent: the price can never come up, because the pressures are just too extreme." Vodacom Business could halve its broadband rates again in July, when the West African Cable System came into operation. (Source: Business Day) Nigeria: Galaxy Backbone delivers 110 VSAT to Anambra StateGalaxy Backbone (GB) Plc has delivered 110 VSAT terminals to the Anambra State government, just as it has commenced deployment of access to some selected schools in the State.This came as the agreement was recently signed with the State governor, Peter Obi. Sources close to the Abuja-based Galaxy Backbone, informed Champion Infotel that the leading public sector Information and Communication Technology (ICT) infrastructure, has within five working days after the deal was signed mobilized all the equipment and requisite manpower to Awka, the state capital. Champion Infotel recalled that the deal was to deploy Internet connectivity and access to 110 secondary schools in the State. Confirming this, the Corporate Executive, States, Education & Developmental Services, at Galaxy Backbone, Yusuf Kazaure, said during the official handover and public presentation of Anambra State School Connectivity Programme to the people of the state by Gov. Obi, said the company was proud to be associated with Anambra State Government under Peter Obi in its desire and passion to empower future generations of Anambrarians. "For the avoidance of doubt, the contract was signed a fortnight ago and equipment for the 110 secondary schools arrived on last Saturday," he said, stressing that these equipment have been handed over to the State Commissioner of Education, Dr. Mrs. Kay Onyechi. "... Our technical team is on standby to connect the first ten priority sites with five working days as soon as our site readiness criteria are met," he assured. (Source: Daily Champion) In brief:- Telkom South Africa has reported a loss of connectivity across the SAT3 cable system. The SAT3 cable is one of the primary ways that South Africa data connects to the rest of the world, there is still SAT2 and Seacom amongst other methods like satellite uplinks that South Africa uses to connect. The SAT-3 cable is degraded due to a suspected power problem between Abidjan and Lagos in Nigeria. It's the second time in a week that the outage has been reported, and in September last year (2009), a huge outage led to bankers warning that services such as trade could lead to losses amounting to tens of millions of US dollars. - Internet prices are set for regulation in two months time if providers do not reduce their costs, the Communication Commission of Kenya has said. Dr Bitange Ndemo, permanent secretary ministry of Information and Communications, said it is suspicious that Internet costs remain high despite changes in the last few months. "We are investigating whether there is collusion among operators to fix prices," Dr Ndemo said. - In a move aimed at providing redundancy for the international Internet traffic that comes through the undersea cable, TEAMs, the Kenyan government is in talks with the Ethiopian government to link the two countries using terrestrial fibre optic through the Moyale border. The Kenyan government has laid a terrestrial fibre optic cable (part of the National Fibre Optic Backhaul) from Thika to Moyale and says the Ethiopia government is working on a similar link from their end. - Zimbabwean data services and internet access provider Broadlands Networks has announced plans to launch commercial voice, data and value added services in three cities by the end of next month over a broadband wireless access network based on ‘4G’ technology. The South African-backed operator says it has already pumped USD30 million into its launch plans and intends to spend a total of USD100 million rolling out triple-play services including VoIP telephony and residential TV subscriptions via set-top boxes. - The Main One Cable Company has announced the commencement of the final laying of its high capacity fibre optic cable from Seixal, Portugal through the coast of West Africa to Ghana and Nigeria. “Now that the 7,000 kilometre trunk of the cable is being installed, we are pleased that our efforts over the last 18 months are coming to fruition,” said Funke Opeke, Main One CEO. - Under the banner of the “Africa for Haiti” (http://www.africaforhaiti.com/ ) campaign a number of prominent African civil society organisations are combining their efforts in mobilising support for Haiti. The aim is to raise US$20 million in the next six months in support of specific reconstruction initiatives which will be identified in partnership with Haitian civil society organisations. - The EU FP7 project, ERINA4Africa, which is mapping Africa’s research e-Infrastructure potential for boosting research and innovation, has launched its website, www.erina4africa.eu. The website will be used to disseminate project activities, data collection and hosting the virtual observatory. The aim of ERINA4Africa is to foster knowledge-sharing between e-Infrastructures stakeholders in Africa and the EU in the key ICT areas of e-Health, e-Government, and e-Learning. - January 28, 2010 has marked the beginning of another phase for KENET, the Kenya NREN, as they launched their first STM-1 link between its Nairobi PoP and the UbuntuNet Router in London through the SEACOM cable. This means that KENET is the second NREN to connect to the UbuntuNet Router in London using fibre after TENET connected about 2 years ago. - Rascomstar-Qaf will boost its pan-African connectivity by launching a new satellite in May, two years after launching the Rascomstar-QAF1 that is expected to stop working by the end of this year. - Telkom’s WiMax customers can expect a voice-over-broadband service soon. Telkom was the first company in South Africa to launch a commercial WiMax service in June 2007. This service was however never planned as a standalone product, but is rather used as an ‘ADSL substitute’ in areas where users cannot get ADSL services.
New IT company to open soon in GambiaThe Gambia's information and technology industry will soon see the birth of another major information technology company, the BizDataSoft Solutions. This development was disclosed to this reporter by Famara Sawaneh, chief technology officer and founder of BizDataSoft Solutions, LLC Company in the United States of America. He said that the company, which is a subsidiary to the one in the US, has already been registered in The Gambia. Sawaneh explained that his company is a leading business technology and software consulting company in US that offers high quality IT services to commercial, federal, state and local government agencies. "We also provide superior solutions and services to our clients and assist them in achieving their business and technology goals," he stated. Sawaneh, who has an impressive experience as an IT specialist, hinted that his company will also offer services like re-engineering, data management solutions, enterprise software implementation, end-to-end virtualisation (desktop, application and server solutions), health care informatics solutions amongst others. The BizDataSoft chief technology officer went on to say that they have official partnership with major software, hardware and technology service providers. Such a partnership, according to him, enables them to remain abreast of upcoming business opportunities, service offering, software and hardware product releases, patches and best practice project implementation methodologies. "We collaborate with our partners to provide our clients with the best solutions that fit their business and technological needs," he said. He also used the opportunity to thank the government of The Gambia for creating the proper environment to explore the business opportunities and talents in the country. Sawaneh is an IT technology architect, consultant, specialist and analyst with over 16 years of experience in implementing, managing, maintaining and supporting communication systems for governments, companies and other clients. (Source: The Daily Observer) Uganda: French Firm to Computerise Land RegistryThe Government and the Private Sector Foundation have signed a contract with a French firm to computerise land records. The head of the Private Sector Foundation, Gideon Badagawa, said IGN France International would design, install and implement the lands information system. Badagawa, who was on Friday addressing journalists at the signing of the contract worth $10.5m (sh19b), said the exercise would take about three years to be completed. He said the move was aimed at securing land records and making the process of accessing and securing information easy. IGN France International is a geographic engineering firm which deals with the creation of digital databases and the integration of computer systems made up of specialised software and geographic data. Nadege Orlova and Christopher Dekeyne represented the IGN, while lands officials Wilson Ogaro and Richard Oput signed for the Government. Badagawa explained that the system was part of the fight against corruption in the sector. He added that the lands office had also refurbished and constructed offices in upcountry areas. Private Sector Foundation chairman Gerald Ssendaula said the project was timely and would reduce the rampant land problems. He warned the French firm against corruption, saying the issue of land in Uganda is crucial and needs to be handled carefully. The Private Sector Foundation manages projects funded by the World Bank through the Government. It aims at reducing the cost of doing business in the country. It also enables the private sector to be better positioned to respond to investment and export opportunities. (Source: The New Vision) ECA seal ICT deal with MicrosoftUnited Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and global computer giant, Microsoft Corporation have sealed a partnership memorandum of understanding that aims to foster regional cooperation and economic growth in Africa through the use of Information and Communication Technologies' (ICTs). ECA executive secretary Abdoulie Janneh said, “We believe this is an agenda that will drive economic growth in Africa. Indeed, Africa stands to gain given Microsoft’s credibility”. Microsoft chairman, for Middle East and Africa, Cheick Modibo Diarra noted that poor connectivity in Africa prompted the US based computer giant to pursue accessibility as a legacy. Diarra said, “I decided to make accessibility my legacy considering that Africa is still poor in connectivity. ECA and Microsoft are two credible organisations coming together to make Africa a better continent”. Through the public private partnership, ECA and Microsoft will employ their respective expertise in a number of areas including access to software and technical support, local software development and supporting the development of Africa’s e-government programmes through enhanced use of ICTs. Partnership programmes will support and align closely with the work of ECA’s Information Technology Centre for Africa (ITCA) to raise awareness and commitment in the use of ICT as a driver of economic opportunities in Africa. The partnership will also include collaboration on issues relating to safeguarding intellectual property, security of information systems and networks. (Source: Africa News) In Brief:- The Rwanda Capital Market Advisory Council (CMAC) has plans to introduce electronic trading. According to its Executive Director, Mr. Robert Mathu, this “is the only way we shall integrate with the regional markets is through an electronic trading environment.” - One of Nigeria's foremost ICT solutions provider Resourcery Plc, has recently extended its dragnet to India, catching one of India's famous software giant, Prodapt on a business memorandum of understanding (MOU). Resourcery's MOU with Prodapt is expected to see the duo exchanging software and technological ideas capable of turning the country into a software haven in the nearest future. - Nigeria’s ICT Distributor's, Technology Distributions, is set to launch a branch in Liberia in the second week of February 2010. Managing Director of the company, Mrs. Chioma Ekeh said that TD would take to Liberia a full compliment of the international OEM's whose partnership, over the years, have built the unassailable supporting evidence for the performance of TD. - 2010 started on a high note at UbuntuNet Alliance as the appropriately named EthERNet, the Ethiopian Research and Education Network, was accepted as the 12th REN Participant (Member). This has come just two months after the UbuntuNet community celebrated and welcomed SomaliREN as the 11th member. The updated membership map shows that UbuntuNet Alliance covers a large land mass in eastern and southern Africa. The human network is growing and we expect to see the physical network exchanging REN traffic soon! - Construction of Mozambique’s first Science and Technology Park is to begin in March, the country’s science and technology minister, Venancio Massingue has said, cited by the Mozambican news agency AIM.
Etisalat takes over Atlantique TelecomUAE-based carrier Etisalat on Monday acquired the remaining 18 per cent of Atlantique Telecom that it does not already own. Etisalat paid $75m to take its holding in Atlantique to 100 per cent, thereby securing majority shares in seven telecommunications organisations across the Ivory Coast, Benin, Burkina Faso, Gabon, Niger, Togo, and Central Africa Republic. Etisalat operates Atlantique operations via a ten year management contract ending in 2015. Etisalat also announced a net profit of Dhs8.84bn (€1.7bn) for 2009, compared to Dhs8.5bn recorded in 2008. Revenues for the year were up 5 per cent to Dhs30.8bn in 2009. (Source: Telecom.com) Tanzania: New Telecom Bill Sends Shockwaves to InvestorsParliament last week passed a communication bill that makes it mandatory for mobile companies to be listed on the Dar es Salaam Stock Exchange (DSE). But the bill has riled the companies, calling it retrogressive. "It takes the country back to the era of nationalisation when individuals were forced to sell their companies or shares to the government," said the legal and regulatory affairs head of Vodacom Tanzania Limited, Godwin Ngwilimi. But debating the bill before they passed it, many MPs criticised mobile phone companies for unfairly treating customers and denying the government billions of shillings in taxes. Presenting the Electronic and Postal Communication Bill 2009, the minister for Communication, Science and Technology, Prof Peter Msola, said it was meant to set up a legal framework for providing comprehensive regulations for electronic communication service providers. Once the bill becomes a law, telecommunication companies will be required to offer shares to the public. Subsequently, they will also be required to list with the DSE within three years after the Act come into force, but subject to requirements of the Capital Market and Securities Act. In disposing of local shares listed or registered with the DSE, the companies will have to sell their local shares to Tanzanians according to procedures prescribed in the regulations. It emerged last week those officials of the cellphone companies were in Dodoma attempting to lobby MPs to block the passing of the provisions seen as a big threat to their operations and profits. In separate interviews the stakeholders continued with their criticisms of the Electronic and Postal Communications bill 2009. Ngwilimi told The Citizen that by forcing mobile companies to be list on DSE the government was going against the constitutional rights of the parties involved. According to him, the Tanzanian constitution gives individuals the right to own private property and dispose it willingly without being pressured. "There is currently no law, not even the Companies Act 2002 nor the Capital Markets and Securities Act No. 5 of 1994 as amended by Act No 4 of 1997 that forces companies or individuals to list shares in the DSE," he said. DSE board chairman Peter Machunde said the bourse was opposed to the idea of the government forcing mobile companies to list with the DSE. "Representatives from the DSE participated in the Parliamentary committee for Infrastructure when they were discussing the (Electronic and Postal Communications) bill right from the beginning. We advised the committee to make the listing of shares optional not mandatory, but they ignored our advice," he told The Citizen yesterday. He echoed Mr Ngwilimi's sentiments that forcing the listing of shares would bring back sentiments that the country was shifting to the era of expropriation of private properties. He said what the government needed to do was to provide incentives to attract firms to list with the DSE. "There are rules that companies have to adhere to before listing, such as getting profits in two successive years prior to listing, but we are afraid that the capital intensive mobile firms might not be able to meet this and other requirements," he said. But Nkasi MP Ponsiano Nyami (CCM) alleged that some MPs had been corrupted to block the law that makes it compulsory for the companies to list with the DSE. "I cannot hesitate to say that they (mobile phone firms) have been lobbying with some MPs and even corrupting them with money to achieve their goal; that they are not forced to list with the DSE," he told the House. A CCM insider confided to The Citizen that the issue had cropped up during a meeting of all CCM parliamentarians on Thursday night. He said some MPs vigorously fought to block the bill before they were overpowered by those in its favour. Last week Nyami said forcing the companies to join the DSE would mean that the government would be able to assess their revenues and collect taxes. "They are getting billions of shillings for which they were not paying taxes and that is why they fear joining the DSE. Nearly every Tanzanian owns a mobile phone. The business offers them super profits and joining the market will mean that their profits are known and tax is collected accordingly," said the MP. Mbozi East MP Godfrey Zambi (CCM) questioned the reason for the companies shunning to list with the DSE, while there was evidence that the same firms are listed with stock exchanges in foreign countries. "These companies fear that listing with the DSE means that there will be proper scrutiny of their revenues," he told the House. He wondered that the companies feared to join the DSE while they enjoy a waiver of corporation tax from 25 per cent to 30 per cent. Some mobile companies operating in Tanzania are listed on foreign stock exchanges. Vodacom is enlisted on the JSE Security Exchange of South Africa, Zain (MTC) on the Kuwait Stock Exchange and Tigo (MIC) on a US stock market. Same East MP Anne Kilango Malecela (CCM) said the enactment of the Communication Act would have significant benefits to the nation because it would curb capital flight. She said there were foreign companies that had enlisted with the DSE. She named Kenya Airways, East African Breweries Limited, Jubilee Holding Limited and Kenya Commercial Bank. She wondered why not for Tanzanian companies. "The listing of these companies on DSE will give opportunities for Tanzanians to have shares in them...and this is very important for our economy," she said. But the opposition spokesman for the Parliamentary Committee on Infrastructure, Mr Said Arfi (Chadema, said the provision was discriminatory for it only touches investors in the communications sector. "Investors are in many sectors, including those in the mining sector. Why shouldn't they also be targeted to join the markets?"he queried. Mwibara MP Charles Kajege (CCM) said it would be unfair to make it mandatory for the companies to join the market for this depends on the volume of their business. A former cabinet minister, Dr Juma Ngasongwa, said the law forcing mobile companies to list with the DSE was long overdue. "Compelling the companies to enlist with the DSE is crucial and there should not be a choice. The companies are earning a lot of money; so the taxes must go to the government and the people be empowered through buying of shares," he said. In his summation, Prof Msolla said mobile phone companies were posting a gross profit of Sh1.4 trillion annually. (Source: The Citizen) Africa: Sector Boosts Vodacom's Turnover 6 PercentVodacom Group shrugged off steep revenue falls in its international division to post a 6% year-on-year rise in turnover for the quarter to December, as growth in its core South African operation "remained robust". Revenue from the group's South African data services saw the biggest expansion, growing by 35.2% to R1,16bn. This was due to "increased penetration of mobile PC connectivity and mobile internet usage, with broadband customers increasing 48.8%". The Regulation of Interception of Communications Act (Rica), introduced in July, had slowed growth in prepaid service revenues in SA. The act, which requires companies to register all new customers, had contributed to a 1.3-million drop in prepaid customers during the period. But Vodacom's mobile customer numbers grew 2.5% in the period to 27.1-million, thanks to strong growth in its contract subscriber base. Total South African revenue grew 7.5% from the same period in 2008 to reach R13.4bn. The group's international performance was less impressive. Growth of more than a quarter in customer numbers could not prevent a decline in international mobile revenues of 33.4%. Vodacom attributed the drop largely to "promotions aimed at improving competitiveness in the key markets, coupled with continued economic pressures". Growth in Mozambique and Lesotho remained strong, however, while service revenue declines in Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of Congo had stabilised. CEO Pieter Uys said that while Rica had slowed down Vodacom's gross connections on a monthly basis, the company had "since seen big improvements". "We've so far registered a third of our prepaid base, and we're on track to have registered our full base by December in line with the regulations." Uys said Vodacom would introduce cutting-edge HSPA+ broadband to high-traffic areas in time for this year's World Cup. "This is the first switched-on HSPA+ network in Africa, and we're very proud of that." The HSPA+ network -- which will offer download speeds three times faster than those available now in SA - could see Vodacom steal the thunder of rival Cell C, which plans to unveil a similar system this year. Chief financial officer Rob Shuter said Vodacom had written down about 400m following its 700m acquisition of Gateway Communications in 2008, as "margins in the carrier business have permanently declined based on original expectations". But Shuter said Gateway would generate "a decent return on its impaired value". (Source: Business Day) Audit faults Huawei, ministry on Ugandan Internet projectAn audit of Uganda's US$106 million national fiber backbone and e-government infrastructure project, which was contracted to Huawei Technologies of China, has brought to the fore inadequate supervision by the relevant government ministry and pricing anomalies on the part of the contractor. The first phase, costing $30 million, was investigated by the government's auditor general, John Muwanga, at the request of the parliamentary committee on Information and Communication Technology (ICT). The resulting 29-page report raises serious questions about the way in which the contractor, Huawei, was selected to implement the project, including the laying of 2,100 kilometers of fiber-optic cable. The auditor general said that Huawei's proposal was not evaluated based on the set standards. "By not subjecting the proposal to proper evaluation, the ministry exposed itself to the risk of high pricing and unfavorable contract terms," the report reads in part. Huawei apparently quoted the price of cable GYTA53 24 core at $3,200 per kilometer to the ministry and quoted a price of $1,400 per kilometer to another government agency. The report also raises questions about a $5 million procurement of communication equipment that the auditor general said was not done in accordance with the provisions of the contract. Documentation that was made available to the auditor showed that the communication system was actually bought for $4.5 million, and no adequate explanation was given in respect to the extra cost of $500,000. The auditor general found there was inadequate supervision of the project by both the Ministry of ICT and the main contractor. Where works were subcontracted by Huawei, supervision by Huawei and the ministry was also lacking. "This was further aggravated by the fact that most of the work was subcontracted by the main contractor," the report reads in part. It said that a review of contract documents revealed that Huawei had farmed the bulk of the work out to four subcontractors. The auditor general said that under such arrangements, monitoring and supervision of the work becomes complicated and quality is compromised. According to the report, which has yet to be discussed by the parliamentary committee, guidelines for cable laying were not adhered to in some instances, especially with regard to the cable depth. Also, pre-shipment inspections were not undertaken to guarantee suitability of the equipment and materials required for the implementation. The auditor pointed out that while parliament asked for work on the second phase to be halted until investigations into the first phase are completed; Huawei has disregarded the directive and gone ahead with work. Around 800 kilometers of fiber cable has reportedly been laid of the 2,100-kilometer total due in Phase II. Inspections by the auditor general found that "the various sub-contractors were in high gear carrying out excavation and cable burying activities on all the major routes for the phase." "Quality control of the activities of the second phase may be compromised as there is no supervision being done by the ministry of ICT," says the report. The auditor general also pointed out the issue of delayed completion of the project, saying implementation was to be done in three phases over a period of 27 months beginning Oct. 11, 2006. "However 30 months later, the first phase, originally to be implemented in 6 months, has not been fully completed. The project is thus over 32 months behind schedule," the report says. "Delay in the implementation of the project could lead to further administrative costs." The National Transmission Backbone Infrastructure and E-Government Infrastructure project aims to connect all major towns in the country to an optical-fiber cable network, which would provide faster and cheaper Internet access for government to ensure better service delivery. The $106 million project is financed using a concession loan from the Export/Import Bank of the People's Republic of China, which will have to be repaid. The two projects are meant to allow for an e-government policy, reduce expenditure in public administration, provide communication to rural communities and improve service delivery in the fields of health, education and agriculture. The NBI project entails the laying of 2,500 kilometers of fiber-optic cable countrywide to provide high-speed data transmission, while the EGI connects government ministries, departments and local governments into an e-government network. The second phase of implementation will link Uganda's borders with those of neighboring countries -- taking in those areas that private players do not consider viable. According to a project brief, the backbone is to be built and owned by the government, but will be used by both public and private consumers. Once it is completed, a special-purpose vehicle will be created to lease out the lines in the backbone to whom ever is interested. (Source: Computerworld Uganda) In brief:- NetOne seeks to exempt NetOne from going through the State Procurement Board to enable it to swiftly purchase equipment in tandem with the current dynamic technological environment, an official has said. NetOne managing director Mr Reward Kangai last Thursday said the mobile service provider was subjected to the SPB, which took long to adjudicate on purchases yet its competitors were promptly buying new technology. - In a bid to increase the penetration of banking services in Uganda, United Bank for Africa (UBA) is set to introduce a banking service that can facilitate transactions via mobile phones. - MTN Rwanda, the country's leading telecom by market share on Tuesday launched a foundation that is meant to give back to the society. The telecom will be injecting Rwf100 million representing 1 percent of its profits after tax in the foundation as it widens its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programme. - Increased demand for its systems integration services helped Dimension Data (Didata) record a rise in revenue for the three months to December, despite sluggish product sales. An interim management statement reported 6% year-on-year growth in turnover for the period, a result that was "consistent with management's expectations". But the figure translated to a 9% annual fall when adjusted for currency fluctuations, as the results benefited from the strength of Didata's main trading currencies against the dollar. - South Africa’s Sentech has been a struggling parastatal for years, something which was clearly illustrated by its inability to make its MyWireless broadband product work in a vibrant and growing broadband market where its competitors flourished. A recent Business Report article said that the struggling signal distributor is budgeting for a net loss of R123 million for the 2009/10 financial year as a result of discontinued operations such as MyWireless. Telecoms, Rates, Offers and Coverage (briefs)- Telecel Zimbabwe has launched a major expansion drive, as it seeks to take advantage of the country's stable economic environment to provide its subscribers with the most modern mobile communication technology available. On the other hand, Econet Wireless is set to extend a new service that could dramatically change the way rural people and other low-income earners communicate with their relatives. The service, to be launched by the end of the month, is already available to users of Econet's Libertie prepaid service, and is called "Call-Me-Back". Econet now wants to offer the service to payphone users, something that has not been done anywhere in the world yet. - Vice President John Dramani Mahama gave the assurance that the government had no intention of abrogating the deal with Vodafone Ghana despite some few concerns expressed about it. “There had been concerns on the deal, but as a government we are looking forward to streamlining those concerns to pave way for effective connectivity and industrial growth through Information Communication and Technology (ICT).” - MTN has gained first-mover status in Cote d’Ivoire by launching the first mobile collect call service on Sicap Pay4Me solution. Simple to use and available for all MTN customers by dialling a short code before the correspondent’s number, the Sicap-designed service was rapidly embraced by a large number of MTN’s 4 million subscribers on launch last November. MTN is now running a nationwide media campaign, including a TV commercial which shows a child and her Mother phoning the Father, who automatically accepts the call charges. MTN has astutely chosen to market the service as a means of bringing families closer by enabling subscribers to bear the cost of calls from their loved ones. - Madagascar's Telecom Malagasy (Telma) has launched a recharge service that will allow its prepay subscribers to credit both their fixed line and mobile phone. Madagascar is the world's first country to implement this service, supported by the Ericsson Billing System.
E-Soko Boosts Marketing of Agricultural Products in RwandaFarmers in Rwanda have got a boost with the introduction of the e-market to help them market their agricultural produce and get premium prices. The e-market was mainly introduced to provide market information and bridge the information gap to address some of the supply constraints. Fondly known as e-soko, the e-market is an electronic platform giving farmers, consumers and traders up-to-date market price information by SMS and is now widely used. Latest figures from Rwanda Development Board (RDB)-IT department show that 7,100 farmers, traders and consumers in the country are using the service. With this service, middlemen who used to take advantage of farmers by dictating market prices have reportedly been eliminated. "Today, Rwandan farmers identify profitable markets to sell their produce by sending free SMS and accessing the information on Internet," a statement from RDB says. "The public is able to follow price trends for the various commodities hence enabling them to make informed decisions regarding production and marketing of their produce," the statement further says. Projections show the number of users is bound to grow as Rwanda Development Board-IT team has embarked on a countrywide sensitization campaign to popularize the services. The people enjoying this service are connected to the MTN network. They either send SMS using 7656 code or access the information on Internet by visiting Url: http://www.esoko.gov.rw/ After the piloting phase, there are moves to enhance this system to increase the amount of information available to users as well as include a commodity trading platform on the web application. The application will enable producers get into direct contact with large scale consumers and traders both on the local and international market. The development comes when agriculture is the principal foreign exchange earner in Rwanda. However, production is largely subsistence; characterized by an information gap from both the supply and demand sides of the production chain. (Source: East African Business Week) Internet Marriage Agency Booms in CameroonThe marriage of 22-year-old Abiba, who has spent weary years searching for a dream husband, was certified last weekend at the New Bell neighbourhood in Douala. The youngster is married to 79-year-old Christian, a truck driver who lives and works in Bordeaux. Abiba and her two childen plan to join their internet-connected husband and foster father in France next month. Christian and Abiba are just one out of a dozen couples that Dolly matches via the internet-dating- service every month. Dolly's "intercontinental marriage consultancy" discreetly situated at the New Bell main roundabout, is busier than a liberal paymaster's lodge. As from 3 p.m, every day, scores of anxious ladies, including disgruntled married women, university graduates, secondary school students and city loafers, who lustfully lift their wavering breasts with synthetic strings right beneath their chins, throng Dolly's corridors, carrying their most enthralling photos which they upload on the date website. At Dolly's doorsteps, the eager customers are required to pay a non-refundable consultancy fee of FCFA 25,000 before proceeding to the expert's cosy office where they receive comprehensive counselling. Dolly starts off by schooling her clients on crucial techniques necessary to win a dream husband. Her lectures focus on profile writing, caressing picture postures, agreeable terminology which better describes the client's social past and present, educational level (including blatant lies), cooking skills, parents and siblings, likes and dislikes. Thereafter, Dolly and partners, based in Paris, provide intensive guidance and advocacy for two weeks, time the FCFA 25,000 deposit expires. Life at the "intercontinental marriage consultancy" is an accurate mirror of contemporary world; a theatre of joy and sorrow; a landscape of pain and pleasure. At one end of Dolly's long corridor, a clumsy stunted woman leaps and darts from end to end. She hugs the air and chants and waves her floppy muscles for heaven's sake. Then, her telephone rings. She jilters and dives towards a quiet corner. She twists her nostrils and concocts an assent which is neither Britannic nor Caucasian. A soul healing communication begins. The woman speaks with a sugar-coated tongue. It's her day. She has found a white man, a dream partner. At the other end, a slim lanky lady, seemingly starved for weeks, tears her tainted hairs with sorrow. The guy with whom she had charted for years is a liar. He is married, and cannot come to Cameroon. Exasperating revelations! The hard-earned FCFA 25,000 not refundable. Tears stream down her cheeks; she secretly dries them with a piece of lotus and walks off the corridor. And, the drama continues. Onlookers have however raised several questions about Dolly and her customers. Do these couples really live happily ever after, or are they likely to meet with divorce lawyers? Do love stories created from online matches always have fairy tale ending? Aren't women afraid to enhance their personal lives with digital technology? (Source: Cameroon Tribune)
People Zain's CEO, Dr Saad al Barrak has dramatically quit the company as reported differences between Dr al Barrak and a major shareholder in the company came to a final conclusion. In a short statement to the Kuwait stock exchange, Zain simply confirmed that Dr al Barrak has submitted his resignation to Mr Asaad Al Banwan, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Zain. The Chairman will convene the Board of Directors at the soonest convenient time to deliberate on this matter. - The Information Technology Association of Nigeria (ITAN) has announced the appointment of Mr. Oluwole Owolabi as the Chief Operating Officer (COO) and Head, World Information Technology Service Alliance's (WITSA) Africa Regional Secretariat located in Abuja. - Vodafone Ghana has recruited Ike Cudjoe as Head of Corporate Communications. Ike Cudjoe joins Vodafone Ghana with a rich experience in media and government relations, as well general expertise in corporate affairs. - The former employees of MTN Uganda have been charged with attempting to defraud the company of up to sh1 billion (US$5.1 million). The three, James Clinton Benio, a contractor, Patrick Muhoozi, an offline administrator, and Douglas Kibuuka, a system analyst, were charged and remanded to prison. It's being alleged that they modified SIM cards so that they could make calls without triggering billing records on the network - effectively enabling the users to make unlimited free phone calls. Events:AITEC BANKING & MOBILE MONEY COMESA 24-25 February 2010, Kenya International Conference Centre, Nairobi, Kenya Technology presents great opportunities for the financial sector to extend reach, improve service and reduce costs. However, in the drive to implement the very best that technology vendors have to offer, the focal point of the banking process is often forgotten – the customer. AITEC Banking & Mobile Money COMESA 2010 will focus on the customer experience in relation to all technology implementation and services, challenging suppliers and bankers alike to evaluate their systems in the light of customer needs and preferences. For further information on the conference visit AITEC’s website http://www.aitecafrica.com/event/view/45 DIGITAL AFRICA SUMMIT 9-11 March 2010, Munyonyo Resort, Lake Victoria, Kampala,Uganda This year's 8th Annual Digital Africa Summit is set to be Africa’s premier ICT business summit, creating more opportunities for learning, partnerships and business, with ICT’s, telephony and broadband being globally recognized as a prerequisite for social and economic development the opportunity to engage positive change has never been greater. Africa’s ICT sector is the fastest growing globally with mobile and broadband penetration rates set to continue to rise and with lower cost high speed broadband now a reality companies must prepare and build solid foundations allowing them to take advantage of the opportunities, that this exciting industry and continent has to offer. Thus, the challenges to win in this new and dynamic environment are enormous making focus, speed, cooperation and ongoing innovation imperative to its many members. For further information visit http://www.be-excellent.com/dynamic.php?button=121§ion=25 SECOND GLOBAL CONFERENCE MICROFINANCE AND NEW TECHNOLOGIES 10-11 March 2010, Marrakech, Morocco New technology represents a key driver for the evolution of the microfinance sector: its use could result in doubling the number of microentrepreneurs, beneficiaries of microfinance, to 300 million worldwide. Moreover, in Morocco the microfinance market already appears promising for providers of technology solutions attracted to the sector. In this context, PlaNet Finance is co-organising with the Banque Populaire Group and Sogeti the 2nd international conference on the theme “Which models are best placed to increase access to financial services for the unbanked? For further information visit www.mfntsummit2010.com 4th ANNUAL E-GOV AFRICA FORUM 2010 23-25 March 2010, Maputo, Mozambique At a time when ICTs are defining the way the world lives and conducts business, it is important for African governments to evolve themselves to meet the demands of changing trends in order to deliver effective services and to improve the quality of life of their citizenry. This also requires the formation of Public Private Peoples Partnerships to be geared towards achieving developmental goals through the application of ICTs to governance (e-governance/e-government), electoral processes (e-democracy), food and nutrition (e-agriculture), health delivery (e-health/telemedicine), learning and capacity development (e-education) and trade (e-commerce), among others. For further information on the conference visit the CTO’s website CRASA 13TH ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING – “BETTER REGULATION FOR SADC ICT MARKET’ 25-26 March 2010, Continental Hotel, Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe The theme of the AGM have been chosen as it is being recognised that it has been more than two decades since the first ICT regulator was established in the region. We recognise the fact that regulation is essential to achieve the goals of the public policy and therefore better regulation is to be considered in SADC so as to improve the policymaking process. As we drive towards greater competition, credibility and welfare of SADC citizens, we should recognise the critical need for high quality regulation and regulation that is only used whenever appropriate. In this regard, the Secretariat in coordination the NetTel@Africa is coordinating a training workshop prior to the AGM on the “Southern Africa Impact Assessment Training Workshop II” This is a follow up workshop on the same theme that was held in Dares Salam Tanzania in September 2009. The workshop will be held from 22 to 24 March 2010 at Elephant Hills Continental Hotel. For further information visit CRASA’s website http://www.crasa.org/13agm.htm AITEC BANKING & MOBILE MONEY WEST AFRICA 11-12 May 2010, Lagos, Nigeria Technology presents great opportunities for the financial sector to extend reach, improve service and reduce costs. However, in the drive to implement the very best that technology vendors have to offer, the focal point of the banking process is often forgotten – the customer. AITEC Banking & Mobile Money West Africa 2010 will therefore focus on the customer experience in relation to all technology implementation and services, challenging suppliers and bankers alike to evaluate their systems in the light of customer needs and preferences. For further information on the conference visit AITEC’s website http://www.aitecafrica.com/event/view/46 NOG-11 AND AfriNIC-12 MEETINGS 23 May-4 June, 2010, Kigali, Rwanda The African Network Operators' Group (AfNOG) and the African Network Information Centre (AfriNIC) are pleased to announce that the 11th AfNOG Meeting and the AfriNIC-12 Meeting which will be held in Kigali, Rwanda during May & June 2010. The jointly organised two-week events include the AfNOG Workshop on Network Technology (offering advanced training in a week-long hands-on workshop), several full-day Advanced Tutorials, a one-day AfNOG Meeting, and a two-day AfriNIC Meeting. In addition, several side meetings and workshops will be hosted in collaboration with other organizations. Further details are available at the AfNOGand AfriNIC websites Jobs and Opportunities* Senior Sales Manager - Ivory Coast Coberon Chronos Consulting’s client is one of the world´s largest and most successful integrated communications companies. The Group offers enhanced mobile, fixed line, television and Internet services to customers. • Sales responsibility for Western Africa • Responsibility for initiating, developing and managing sales and business activity in the territory. • Formulates and develops strategies to obtain new customers while maintaining relationships and identifying growth opportunities with existing customers. • Working to achieve and excel sales targets, driving the success of the role and the company forward. • Conducting continuous negotiation processes with large businesses. • Identifying and developing new sales opportunities in the market. • Individual should have a Bachelor’s degree. • Minimum of 10 years experience in sales within the telco industry. • Displays seasoned, strategic and hands-on knowledge of the telecom and enterprise business in Western Africa. • Proven track-record in double-digit sales growth in West Africa to multinationals /and or regional large accounts / and or financial sector. • Able to identify focus opportunities and to establish priorities. • Good understanding of customer's needs and mentality. • Self-starter, highly motivated, hands-on, decisive with excellent interpersonal and communication skills. • Integrity, initiative, keen business acumen and the professional stature to match the challenges of the role. • Excellent command of English and French for both written and oral communication. Excellent remuneration package for the right candidate. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. For further information or to apply email africa@chronosconsulting.com * Futureafrica calls for sharing SME success stories In any economy, a vibrant SME sector is essential for sustainable job creation, poverty reduction and private sector development. It plays a catalytic role in the development of any country. All accept that poverty-elimination in Africa can only come about through investment-driven economic growth. The key to sustainable economic development is the strength, health and competitiveness of small businesses. Africa needs more entrepreneurs which mean more enterprises, and more enterprises will mean more jobs. In an attempt to help facilitate a further development Futureafrica have established a blog on www.futureafrica.eu for sharing SME success stories that already exists across Africa. Futureafrica's web site and blogs are visited by thousands of people every week, with this new initiative the hope is that we through this knowledge management tool can help an increase in innovation and start up of new businesses. We invite all small and medium sized businesses across Africa to share their success stories so far with our readers for the benefit of many. All you do is to forward your story in no more than 500 words directly to lars.stork@futureafrica.eu using word document format. Every month we will select the story that we believe would benefit a further development of the SME sector in Africa and other emerging markets. A symbolic price of US$ 200 will be awarded every month to the story of the month. Futureafrica will in addition liaise with institutions such as the IFC who together with Fututureafrica can assist turning the idea into reality. A project of the International Finance Corporation, a member of the World Bank Group, the SME Toolkit offers free business management information and training for small businesses / small and medium enterprises (SMEs) on accounting and finance, business planning, human resources (HR), marketing and sales, operations, and information technology (IT). The SME Toolkit offers a wide range of how-to articles, business forms, free business software, online training, self-assessment exercises, quizzes, and resources to help entrepreneurs, business owners, and managers in emerging markets and developing countries start, finance, formalize, and grow their businesses. Please contact Futureafrica on the web site: www.futureafrica.eu for more information. ContractsMeditel and Rotana Media - Morocco Moroccan mobile operator Medi Telecom (Meditel) has signed a deal with Saudi Arabian broadcaster Rotana Media as part of a drive to attract more young subscribers with online entertainment content, Reuters reports. Rotana, part of Saudi billionaire Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal's Kingdom Holding company, controls 85% of the music market among the Arab world's more than 300 million population and has 60% of its film distribution and production market, according to the article. Vodacom and Nokia Siemens Networks - Tanzania Nokia Siemens networks (NSN) has announced a contract to supply Vodacom Tanzania with a unified charging and billing system. The upgrade will allow the cellco’s pre-paid subscribers to benefit from the same promotional campaigns and value added services (VAS) as their post-paid counterparts, and vice versa, it said in a statement. Zain and Motorola - Nigeria Motorola has announced the signing of a multi-million dollar order with Zain Nigeria to expand the coverage, capacity and service quality of the operator’s existing GSM network. With the expansion of its network and implementation of software upgrades, Zain Nigeria will provide service to rural customers that previously did not have access to cellular coverage. The network upgrades will bring about improved coverage as well as enhanced data capabilities for mobile phone users. Cell C and Teraco – South Africa Mobile network operator, Cell C, will use Teraco Data Environments as the centre of its R5 billion 4G network. Teraco has two global best practice data centre facilities in the Cape Town southern suburb of Rondebosch and the Johannesburg area of Isando. Cell C¹s network will be deployed within both of these facilities.
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