News update Telecoms and ICT in Africa - Issue no 177 on 19 December 2003
Top Story
E-MAIL THREATENS POSTAL SERVICES IN WEST AFRICA
At a recent meeting of the West African regional organisation of postal services (CPAO), delegates shared the pain they were taking from the impact of e-mail on their business. Business losses of between 5-15% were discussed. Although letters will never completely disappear, African postal services are a great deal more vulnerable than their developed world counterparts to e-competition: they have much lower volumes and the level of security they offer is often far from impressive. But all was not doom and gloom for these monopoly postal companies. Several pointed out that the revenues from their own cybercafes now exceeded those…
Telecoms
ECONET WIRELESS NIGERIA COMPENSATES SUBSCRIBERS FOR LOST VALIDITY
Embattled GSM operator, Econet Wireless Nigeria, has concluded arrangements to compensate aggrieved subscribers who have been complaining against the company’s decision to reduce all accumulated validity on the company’s network…
Telecoms
BOTSWANA’S BTC REBALANCES TARIFFS, UPPING LOCAL COSTS
Botswana Telecommunication Corporation has increased tariffs for local calls, installation and post paid telephone services with effect from 1st October. Addressing a news conference las Friday about tariff re-balancing, BTC…
Telecoms
EGYPT’S POWER COMPANY AWARDS ALCATEL 16M EURO CONTRACT FOR COMMS
Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company selected Alcatel to provide a full turnkey telecommunications network and associated services for their internal communication needs. Although planned for internal company use, the high-speed data…
Telecoms
KENCELL IN THEFT AGREEMENT WITH TANZANIAN AND UGANDAN MOBILE COMPANIES
Kencell, one of Kenya’s mobile phone services providers, last announced it had signed a Memorandum of Understanding with its counterparts from Tanzania and Uganda to de-bar stolen handsets. Phillipe Vanderbrouck,…
Telecoms
KENYA TELKOM BREAKS UP NYANZA PHONE BILL RACKET
Telkom Kenya has unearthed a syndicate in which the parastatal and its clients have lost millions of shillings. The firm’s anti-fraud unit said a lot of revenue had been swindled…
Telecoms
Telecoms News - In Brief
- Tanzania’s Vodacom has launched its network along the Morogoro-Dodoma Highway. - Zambia’s Celtel opened its network in Mzimba district last week. It also launched a customer promotion in which…
Internet
GHANA’S NCA REPORT CLAIMS 32 ISPS HAVE CAUSED GT USD30 MILLION LOSS
Some 32 ISPs have been identified to be involved in "fraudulent activities" resulting in the loss of USD30 million to Ghana Telecom (GT) between April and August last year, an…
Internet
NIGERIAN POLICE EXTORT MONEY FROM CYBERCAFE OPERATORS OVER 419 SCAMS
Members of the Nigeria Police now extort money from cybercafe operators in the guise of carrying out surveillance on their activities. Investigations by PMNews revealed that policemen, mostly in mufti,…
Internet
Internet News - In Brief
- SA’s First National Bank (FNB) was "really embarrassed" last week, as its internet banking system crashed during its busiest part of the month, hitting the bank’s 200,000 users around…
Computing
ZIMBABWE’S ICT SECTOR THREATENED WITH COLLAPSE
Zimbabwe’s information technology sector is at a cross- roads where it faces possible collapse due to the acute shortage of foreign currency and the excessive loss of skilled manpower spawned…
Computing
SA’S TELKOM AND ORACLE TO DEMONSTRATE OUTSOURCING SOLUTIONS
Telkom Business Integration Services is demonstrating its Oracle outsourcing solution with partner Sun Microsystems at the annual South African Oracle User Group (SAOUG) conference. The conference takes place this week…
Computing
Computer News - In Brief
- Algeria E-Banking Service is a joint venture set up by the French group Diagram-Edi, a provider of e-banking and electronic transaction software. The company has over 17 years experience…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
ECONET WIRELESS NIGERIA TO MEET OVER BOARD RIFT
The board of Econet Wireless Nigeria, the country’s second-largest mobile phone provider, met last Friday, and shareholders will meet on Monday, to resolve a takeover feud, a company official said…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
TELECOM EGYPT AND VODAFONE EGYPT SIGN AGREEMENT FOR SHARE ACQUISITION
Telecom Egypt and Vodafone Egypt have signed an initial agreement by which Telecom Egypt will acquire a 16.9% stake of Vodafone Egypt’s outstanding shares, at an as of yet undisclosed…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
On The Money - In Brief
- Bytes Technology Group (BTG), in line with expectations, recorded acceptable results for the six months ended 31 August 2003 with headline earnings per share increasing by 4.8% despite a…
Digital Content
M-WEB PLEDGES TO INCREASE CHAT ROOM SAFETY
Internet chat rooms operated by M-Web, the largest consumer internet access provider in South Africa, will not be closing down despite the risk that they are haunted by paedophiles and…
Digital Content
African Web News - In Brief
- L’administration fiscale Tunisienne’s web site went live this week (http : //www.cimpftest.nat.tn) It offers both free and subscription-based services. The free services include: financial receipts and tax regulations. www.sky2net.net
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PEOPLE
* Dr Bill Venter, Chairman of the Altron Group, has assumed the Chairmanship of Bytes Technology Group. In compliance with King II, the roles of chairman and chief executive officer…
