Issue no 152
Top Story
AFRICAN TELCOS AND INTERNATIONAL CALL TIME: FINDING A NEW NEGOTIATING HAND
Most African incumbent telcos may have a monopoly on international call termination but even before this monopoly may be removed, they are under pressure from all sides. Their key revenue stream and the underpinning assumption for their business model has been the lucrative international traffic paid in hard currency. But international call rates have tumbled and VOIP and ‘leaky PABXs’ are leeching away revenue. In this off-the-record briefing, Russell Southwood looks at why the bottom has fallen out of the incumbent telcos’ world and how they might shape a new negotiating hand. Imagine it, if you will. The confident Manager…
Telecoms
NITEL GSM EXPANSION: GOVT SIGNS US$155.7M EXPANSION CONTRACT
The Federal Government yesterday signed six contracts totaling US$155,659,212 million with six companies for the expansion of the Global System for Mobile (GSM) network of the Nigerian Telecom-munications plc (NITEL).…
Telecoms
GATEWAY COMMUNICATIONS EXPANDS PAN-AFRICAN VPN SERVICES TO MOZAMBIQUE
Gateway Communications, a provider of international voice and data services throughout Africa and the Middle East, today announced the expansion of their pan-African VPN service to Mozambique through an agreement…
Telecoms
ERICSSON AND NIGERIA’S RELTEL SIGN US$145M CONTRACT
Ericsson and Reliance Telecommunications Limited (RelTel) have announced a CDMA2000 1X contract valued at $145 million to deploy a nation-wide wireless network in Nigeria.President of Ericsson Mobile CDMA Systems, Mr.…
Telecoms
ORANGE BRAND NAME REACHES BOTSWANA
Botswana’s Vista Cellular has been rebranded under the Orange brand name. This is the latest operation in Africa to be re-branded after the successful launches of Orange in the Ivory…
Telecoms
Telecoms News - In Brief
- MTN subscribers can now make and receive calls on their MTN phones even when they travel to any of 41 different countries spread across Africa, Europe, Middle East, Asia…
Internet
MOROCCO’S INTERNET CARAVAN GOES OUT INTO THE ATLAS MOUNTAINS
An internet caravan run by a research centre (Crafs) for the Colleges of Beni Mellal for teachers and students has just completed a three month tour visiting 42 colleges, writes…
Internet
NEW REPORT LOOKS AT THE REALITIES OF E-COMMERCE IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
A new report The Reality of E-commerce with Developing Countries by John Humphrey, Robin Mansell, Daniel Paré and Hubert Schmitz summarises the results of research led jointly by The London…
Internet
Internet News - In Brief
- Tanzania’s IXP is stalled for reasons that insiders say are not technical. So when are they going to get down to it?
Computing
CAPE TOWN’S BANDWIDTH BARN BOASTS NEW INTERNATIONAL TENANTS
The UUNET Bandwidth Barn is rapidly becoming home to a burgeoning number of ICT start-ups, of strong international flavour. Among the tenants working from the Barn’s new premises in Strand…
Computing
FIRST AFRICAN LINUX SCHOOL OPENS IN MAURITIUS
The first Linux school in Africa opened its doors in Mauritius last week. According to its Director-General, Akil Pirbhai of Pascal Computer Services, which launched the project in collaboration with…
Computing
UCS PARTNERS WITH FERNRIDGE TO MUSTER GREATER CLIENT VALUE
Retail software company UCS Group has acquired a 51 percent share in urbanology specialist Fernridge Consulting. The acquisition represents an investment by UCS in the analysis-driven market of urbanology and…
Computing
Computer News - In Brief
- Channel Data Legato has expanded its influence, with ICSN Namibia, a Windhoek-based ICT systems and office equipment specialist, becoming its first Legato software partner outside SA. - Africa Digital…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
PRIVATE SECTOR BUY-OUT OF MARCOC TELECOM AS VIVENDI SET TO SELL STAKE?
Morocco’s Maroc Telecom could end up under private control sooner than expected as a result of a rushed asset sales by its second-largest shareholder, Paris-based Vivendi Universal SA. Potential Arab…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
On The Money - In Brief
- Standard Bank London Ltd said it had arranged, along with Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp, a US$250 million four-year syndicated revolving credit facility for South African mobile phone operator MTN.…
Digital Content
PEARSON AND DAX DATA PUT TOGETHER ONLINE GRAPHIC DESIGN COMPETITION
Pearson Education SA, THOS and DaxData / MacroMedia, have partnered to present a online Graphic Design competition: "return-by-design". They would like to invite all creative minds to design a unique…
Digital Content
ANANZI LAUNCHES IN MAURITIUS
Ananzi has announced its first venture outside Southern Africa, Ananzi.mu, in Mauritius. The future of business in Africa lies in partnerships, says Mark Buwalda, Managing Director of Ananzi. Ananzi is…
Digital Content
African Web News - In Brief
- Seven international organisations have jointly launched Dgroups, an online community platform for groups working in development and human rights around the world. Designed for low bandwidth users in the…
Digital Content
FINDING NEW INCENTIVES FOR TECHNOLOGY INITIATIVES - SA SURVEY RESULTS
South Africa’s IT organisations need to review their incentive scheme designs as many current schemes driven by the industry’s almost exclusive focus on share price and financial performance - are…
More
PEOPLE
- Nathi Sukazi has left Business Report in South Africa and is doing Investor Relations for Vodacom.
More
JOBS AND OPPORTUNITIES
http://www.openknowledge.net) If our correspondent is "off the mark" or you have factual amendments, mail them to us and we will include them in subsequent News Updates. If you'd like to…
