Issue no 573 23rd September 2011

South Africa’s Vodacom is in talks to buy a stake in mobile operator Telekom Networks Malawi (TNM), the Daily Times newspaper said citing unidentified sources.
Vodacom, which is majority owned by Britian’s Vodafone, had previously shown interest in TNM, the paper quoted the sources as saying. TMN has since streamlined some of its businesses to bring them closer in line with how Vodacom operates, the sources said.

The TNM officials were not immediately available for comment.

Vodacom’s CEO for international operations, Johan Dennelind, said in a statement the company would look at expansion opportunities in sub-Saharan Africa, but declined to comment on specific countries or companies.

Vodacom is the dominant mobile carrier in South Africa, but is dwarfed on the continent by rival MTN Group. In addition to its home market, it has operations in Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mozambique and Lesotho.

The Independent Communications Authority of SA (Icasa) has set down a provisional date for hearings on local-loop unbundling, the regulatory intervention that will force Telkom to open its “last mile” of copper cables to competitors in some or other form.

The hearings, the most anticipated that Icasa has held since its investigations into call termination rates — the fees operators charge each other to carry calls between their networks — will provisionally take place from 10 to 14 October, according to Pieter Grootes, the GM of the authority’s markets and competition division.

Grootes revealed the hearing date while speaking at the VoiceSA telecommunications conference in Midrand.

Icasa has proposed four separate models for unbundling the fixed-line local loop, which is seen as an important way of promoting competition in broadband and potentially driving down prices.

The first option mooted by Icasa is “bitstream” or wholesale access. This option doesn’t entail unbundling of the physical copper cable infrastructure, but rather Telkom providing other operators with access on a wholesale basis. Rivals won’t have access to Telkom’s network infrastructure, so it’s an option that the fixed-line incumbent may prefer.

In its discussion document, Icasa says the advantage of bitstream access is that it won’t “hinder any progressive modernisation of the local access network by replacing copper cables with fibre cables”.

The second option Icasa has proposed is line sharing, or shared access to the local loop. In this model, Telkom and companies seeking access to its local loop can share the same line where both provide different services such as voice and data on the same loop.

“In this situation, consumers can acquire data services from facilities seekers [other operators] while retaining the voice services of the facilities provider [Telkom]. Some facilities seekers may choose to offer data services only, so with line sharing customers can retain their facilities provider for voice calls while getting higher bandwidth services from another operator without the need to install a second line,” Icasa says.

Technically, the authority explains, a splitter is installed in the “main distribution frame” that separates the frequencies for voice telephony and those for higher bandwidth services. “Line sharing allows the facilities seeker to provide the service of their choice by covering either low-frequency bands or high-frequency bands,” it says. “When one frequency band is occupied by one operator, the other frequency band can be occupied by another operator.”

Icasa says this option would broaden choices available to consumers as they could choose Telkom as their voice provider while at the same time choosing a new entrant, or any other operator, as the provider of broadband Internet services over the same loop.

The third option that Icasa has tabled is full local-loop unbundling, or full access. This assigns the entire copper local loop to rival operators. In this model, other operators may place all required equipment inside or outside Telkom’s premises. Rival operators take over the full operation of the local loop allocated to them.

The final option is sub-loop unbundling, where Telkom’s rivals get access to its “primary connection point” at street level. This form of unbundling is more suited to new forms of digital subscriber line technology, such as very high-speed DSL.

In this model, Telkom’s rivals would provide their own networks all the way to the primary connection point. They locate their equipment adjacent to the connection point rather than in Telkom’s telephone exchanges. In all other respects, sub-loop unbundling is analogous to full local-loop unbundling.

Icasa has said it should complete regulations for unbundling by no later than November, after it has consulted with industry stakeholders. Communications minister Roy Padayachie has said previously that he wants unbundling to be completed by that date.

ZTE Corporation, a publicly listed global provider of telecommunications equipment and network solutions signed an agreement on 20 September 2011 with Burundi Backbone Systems Company (Burundi BBS) to build Burundi’s first national backbone network.

The ZTE network will cover 17 provinces and cities in Burundi, dramatically reducing broadband costs and laying the foundation for further improvements. It will also link Burundi with eastern and central African countries such as Tanzania, Rwanda, and Congo, connecting it to The Eastern Africa Submarine Cable System (EASSy).

Burundi BBS is a joint venture between five local telecommunication operators and is partially funded by the World Bank.

“This year, ZTE established a strategic objective to change bearer network patterns,” said ZTE Bearer Network Product Line General Manager Fan Xiaobing.

“The development of the backbone network in cooperation with Burundi BBS will help achieve that objective, while also improving the nation’s telecommunications infrastructure.”

As part of the project, ZTE will provide ZXR10 M6000 super-high-performance multi-service routers and multi-service access products such as the S385 and S325 to Burundi BBS. The ZXR10 M6000 slot supports 40G switching capability and provides upgrade capability to 100G.

The S385 supports multi-service access and provides an upgrade from 2.5G to 10G, greatly reducing initial network construction costs. ZTE has shipped several thousand T8000/M6000 units based on the T8000 platform across China, Asia-Pacific, Southeast Asia and MEA in the first half of 2011. The units are in use by operators in China, such as China Mobile, China Telecom and China Unicom; and by other operators across those regions.

Public enterprises minister Malusi Gigaba has again raised the possibility of a merger between state-owned enterprises Sentech and Broadband Infraco, but says nothing is imminent. “It would be the culmination of a process,” Gigaba says.

There has been talk for at least a year that the two companies could be merged. Sentech, in addition to providing broadcast signal distribution services, is keen to roll out a broadband network in rural areas; Infraco is keen to do the same, though providing more of the backhaul-type services that would support the wireless access network Sentech is proposing.

Gigaba says government has begun “emphasising cooperation” between the two companies and says a merger can’t be ruled out down the line.

“We have begun discussions at ministerial, director-general and board levels to try to find the synergies to improve cooperation between the two organisations through entering into a venture agreement,” he says. “At one stage or another, depending on the programme we establish and follow, we might arrive at a point where we say both organisations need to merge to form one organisation.”

Sentech reports to the department of communications, while Infraco is answerable to public enterprises, which could complicate attempts at cooperation. Gigaba explains the reason they report to different ministries is that they are “not the same types of organisations” because Sentech “gets its budget from government and Broadband Infraco raises its own resources to support its programmes”.

He adds that the presidential review committee is trying to resolve a number of issues related to state-owned enterprises, including reporting lines and the need for rationalisation. Gigaba hopes the committee will close “that lacuna” by rationalising reporting lines.

Despite increasing deployment of broadband infrastructure and growth of mobile technology, Africa is the lowest-scoring region in the ICT Development Index (IDI) released by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) last week.

The 2011 edition of Measuring the Information Society scores the level of advancement of ICT in 152 countries worldwide, comparing progress made between 2008 and 2010. 

The IDI, which ranked countries according to their level of ICT access, use and skills, puts the Republic of Korea as the world's most advanced ICT economy followed by Sweden, Iceland, Denmark and Finland. Most countries that rank high on the index are from Europe and Asia Pacific; the United Arab Emirates, Russia and Uruguay rank first within their regions.

However, Africa remains the region with the lowest IDI values. Of the forty African countries listed, only six of them made the first 100 on the 2010 IDI. They are Mauritius (69), Seychelles (71), Tunisia (84), Morocco (90), Egypt (91) and South Africa (97).

This year's report includes a special focus on broadband, looking at speed, quality of service and international bandwidth available in different countries worldwide and how this is affecting broadband take-up in the developed and developing worlds.

Among the developing regions, Africa had the highest mobile growth rate. Mobile penetration has risen from just one in 50 people at the beginning of 10 years ago to over one fourth of the population today, the report noted.

"While the IDI leaders are all from the developed world, it is extremely encouraging to see that the most dynamic performers are developing countries," ITU Secretary-General, Dr Hamadoun Touré said in a release. "The 'mobile miracle' is putting ICT services within reach of even the most disadvantaged people and communities. Our challenge now is to replicate that success in broadband."

However, the ITU report stated that Africa's fixed broadband service remains prohibitively expensive and in 2010 still represented almost three times the monthly average per capita income.

Even though new submarine cables are providing African countries with access to more and cheaper international Internet bandwidth, the report stated, it still lags far behind other regions in terms of the bandwidth available to Internet users. For Africans to benefit from the continent's increased connectivity, operators must acquire greater amounts of international Internet bandwidth, expand and improve core networks, and make network access infrastructure available, as well as affordable, according to the report. 

The report also analyzed the digital divide among Internet users, examining how factors like age, gender, educational level, and location affect people's ability to get online. The ITU indicated that targeting students may be the most effective way to increase the approximately 21 percent of the population that use the Internet in developing countries, through connecting educational institutions and improving enrollment rates.

The Ghana Interbank Payment and Settlement Systems (GhIPSS) has opened five satellite offices across the country to ensure that e-zwich services are running effectively throughout the country.

The offices located in Accra, Takoradi, Kumasi, Sunyani, and Tamale, will carry out regular monitoring and support e-zwich services in the various outlets.

This was contained in a statement issued by the Management of GhIPSS copied to Ghana News Agency in Accra on Wednesday.

The statement said the Accra office would have additional responsibility over the Central, Eastern and Southern parts of the Volta Region while that of Kumasi would be responsible for the entire Ashanti Region and the Takoradi office to have responsibility over the entire Western Region.

It said the Sunyani office would however have responsibility over the Brong Ahafo and Upper West Regions while the satellite office in Tamale would be responsible for the Northern, Upper East and the Northern Sector of the Volta region.

Mr Archie Hesse, General Manager in-charge of Project and Business Development at GhIPSS said “With this arrangement, we cover the entire country,” adding the satellite offices had been tasked to regularly visit all the financial institutions, as well as merchants under their areas of operation.

He said the offices would ensure that the financial institutions and shops that operated e-zwich Point of Sales devices were providing the services at all times and would be readily available anytime there was any issue to be addressed.

Mr Hesse said the satellite offices would also support the financial institutions to register customers who wanted the biometric card as well as scout for new shops to offer the e-zwich range of services.

He said currently various e-zwich initiatives were being implemented including the Senior High School project, the various farmers’ e-zwich programmes as well as microfinance e-zwich initiatives at the urban and peri-urban areas in the various regions, adding the satellite teams would also be monitoring and supporting these initiatives.

Mr Hesse said other activities that would be undertaken by the satellite offices include regular education for the various stakeholders, adding “These are administrative strategies that are adopted as we enter into various phases of the e-zwich project to further improve on the provision of the e-zwich range of services”.

He noted that as more people particularly outside Accra patronised the biometric smart card, it had become necessary to deploy staff in the regions to provide regular support to financial institutions, agri-businesses, schools and shops offering the service.

Mr Hesse encouraged the various institutions to work hand-in-hand with the satellite stations to ensure that their e-zwich customers were served well at all times.

Six suspects, not 10 as earlier reported by Sapa, were arrested on Thursday morning at MTN’s head office near Roodepoort. The operator explains the six — two of whom were MTN contractors — are suspected to have sold new Sim cards fraudulently loaded with airtime.

The Sim cards were then sold to members of the public at “exorbitantly discounted amounts, thereby defrauding MTN”.

“Our fraud and forensic department detected this scam and immediately followed up on leads and clues,” says Lily Zondo, GM for business risk management at MTN SA. “After irrefutable evidence was collected, MTN handed over the matter to the authorities, who made the arrests this morning.”

MTN says consumers must be wary of “falling prey to offers that are ridiculously discounted. If it is too good to be true, it probably is”.

“Customers should note that the law deems customers who purchase illegally sourced goods to be in commission of a crime,” says MTN SA customer service executive Eddie Moyce.

MTN is still collating all the evidence to ascertain the revenue impact. The company says the R200m figure mentioned in the earlier Sapa story is “grossly misleading and inaccurate”.

Information Technology Manager – Abuja, Nigeria
The IT Manager will provide leadership support and maintenance to Family Health International (FHI) Nigeria computer and network infrastructure to ensure stable operations. S/He will be responsible for all IT related equipment and software that is part of the FHI-Nigeria inventory. S/He will take appropriate steps in solving problems, or where necessary, in identifying suitable vendors capable of solving them. The IT Manager will support the design and implementation of new IT solutions to improve business efficiency and productivity.

Bachelor's degree with 7 to 9 years experience, in IT,  or a  Master's degree with 5 to 7 years experience in IT, OR PhD with 3 to 5 years experience in IT.
For further information or to apply click here

Technical Account Manager – Accra, Ghana
Google's Partner Solutions Organization (PSO) is a technology group dedicated to developing and managing the company's largest and most strategic partnerships. Our multi-faceted professionals work together with teams throughout Google to address our partners' most pressing technology challenges – ones that have no simple answers. We create solutions for and build enduring long-term relationships with organizations that represent outstanding revenue opportunities and/or are strategically important for us to take new, world-shaping technologies to market.

The role: Technical Account Manager
As a Technical Account Manager, you are the engagement manager taking responsibility for the success of our largest partnerships. You lead deployments, optimize implementations and integrations to increase revenue, drive new business opportunities, and manage the overall technical aspects to build strong, successful, long- term partnerships. If you are a creative thinker who thrives in a fast-paced, market-driven environment, we want to talk to you. You should be a self-motivated individual looking to solidify Google's strategic partnerships across a variety of product lines made especially for Africa. These include search, mobile, video, Google Apps, e-commerce, and many other new initiatives.
Responsibilities:

Troubleshoot and train in relation to the Google Apps deployment project management with partner universities.
Perform implementation reviews, evangelize new product features, and ensure the prompt and proper resolution of technical challenges.
Improve product feature offerings by providing partner feedback to internal cross-functional teams including Product Management and Engineering.
Guarantee the technical aspects of a partner’s integration (both new and ongoing) by providing necessary documentation, training and technical guidance.
Develop proof-of-concept products and software tools to assist in closing deals.

Requirements:
BA/BS preferred in a technical field with a strong academic record. (MS/MBA is a plus).
Extensive hands-on experience in Internet or telecom products and technologies in Africa or similar market.
Experience in deadline-driven, large-scale technical project management or software development in the Internet/Telecommunications space.
Excellent project management skills and attention to detail as well as experience working with external clients in a sales environment.
Proficient in one or more programming languages, including Java, C/C++, JavaScript, Python, or PHP.
Proficient in French, English and at least one other African language.
Willing to travel extensively within Africa.
For further information or to apply click here