Issue no 141
Top Story
AFRICAN LAKES IN THE PROFIT SPOTLIGHT AFTER COLLAPSE OF IFC DEAL
African Lakes in its new technology incarnation is one of those businesses that could become emblematic of the whole African internet sector. If its dream of being a continent-wide service provider fails, then Africa’s internet sector may be destined to become a series of marginalised, local markets that will struggle to find future international investors. The collapse of its deal with IFC for further financing has meant it has had to turn a sharp spotlight on profits. Russell Southwood talked to its Executive Deputy Chair last week on where the company is headed. African Lakes is primarily an internet business:…
Telecoms
EX-KPN DUTCH CONSULTANCY PREFERRED BIDDER TO MANAGE NITEL
A Dutch telecoms group, formerly part of KPN, has become the preferred bidder to manage the troubled Nigerian state-run telecoms company Nitel. The Nigerian privatisation agency Bureau for Public Enterprises…
Telecoms
KENYA’S CCK PLANS BIDS FOR THIRD MOBILE PHONE OPERATOR
Plans for a third mobile telephone operator entered a decisive stage yesterday, when the board of Kenya’s telecommunications regulator approved its licensing. The Communications Commission of Kenya also decided to…
Telecoms
ZIM’S PHONE OPERATORS REQUEST MORE FREQUENCIES TO EASE CONGESTION
Zimbabwe’s mobile and fixed telephone operators have requested the Posts and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ) to allow them more frequencies so that they can overcome congestion on their…
Telecoms
Telecoms News - In Brief
- Egypt’s Ranin Telecommunications is planning to establish the country’s first mobile telephone manufacturing facility in Giza. The factory is expected to produce 400,000 cell phones each year, at a…
Internet
FLAG ANNOUNCES LAUNCH OF EGYPT’S NEW INTERNET EXCHANGE
Flag Telecom Group Limited last week announced that together with local partner National Telecom Company (NTC) it has completed the Cairo Regional Internet Exchange (CR-IX), the new Internet Exchange in…
Internet
TELEONE TOP LEVEL DOMAIN SHORTCOMINGS CAUSE ZIM E-MAIL FAILURE
According to ZW News, the technical problems which have been brewing in Zimbabwe’s e-mail system for months came to a head yesterday, with widespread failures affecting subscribers at almost all…
Internet
UGANDA TELECOM OFFERS ‘FREENET’
Local telecommunications company, Uganda Telecom, launched its new Freenet product last week. "Freenet is a service that enables every uganda telecom landline to immediately access the internet without a registration…
Internet
Internet Connectivity News - In Brief
- Concerns are being expressed over the reports that the International Telecommunications Union plans to propose at the WSIS summit in December 2003 the creation of an international cyberspace treaty…
Computing
TZ’S TECHNO BRAIN SIGNS DEAL WITH NEW HORIZONS ON LEARNING CENTRES
Dar es Salaam based Techno Brain Ltd has signed a contract with New Horizons Worldwide, Inc., the world’s largest IT training company, as their Master Franchisee for Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda,…
Computing
NEW STUDY WILL OFFER OPEN SOURCE VS PROPRIETARY COMPARISON
A study comparing the use of open source and proprietary software in an African context will bring what it claims is unbiased information to a polarised debate that is often…
Computing
Computer News - In Brief
http://www.ictworld.co.za/EditorialEdit.asp?EditorialID=1734 http://c.moreover.com/click/here.pl?e57373847&e=6528
digtool
NEW SOFTWARE PROVIDES SECURE WORLDWIDE TRACKING AND DOCUMENTATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES
The Benetech Initiative, a Silicon Valley non-profit, last week announced the release of The Martus Human Rights Bulletin System, an open source technology tool designed to assist human rights organizations…
digtool
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
MTN FAVOURED TO TAKE OVER FORMER TRITEL FRANCHISE
MTN Uganda is engaged in talks with the Tanzania Telecommunications Commission (TTC) to buy the frequency vacated by Tritel following the failure by the Malaysian cellular phone company to fulfil…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
On The Money - In Brief
- So few investors are willing to back telecommunications projects in the present economic climate that bidders trying to set up networks in rural areas could be doomed to fail…
Digital Content
FAHAMU PUBLISHES ONLINE TRAINING MANUAL FOR HONING WRITING SKILLS
A major training resource designed to help those working in the not-for-profit sector hone their writing skills has been just been published free of charge on the internet. It argues…
Digital Content
African Web Site News - In Brief
http://c.moreover.com/click/here.pl?e57236193&e=6460 www.col.org/news/connections/html/0212.htm#focus http://africa.rights.apc.org http://www.dogon-lobi.ch http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=8 http://c.moreover.com/click/here.pl?e57287708&e=6460
More
PEOPLE
* NITEL’S MD and Chief Executive Engr. Ganiyu Adegbuyi is complaining loudly about the Nigerian Government’s privatisation plans for his company. Adegbuyi is quoted as saying: "Predicated on the strategic…
