Issue no 179
Top Story
IXPS DRAFT REQUEST FOR SERVICE THAT WILL KICK-START THE AFRICAN INTERNET EXCHANGE
The prospect of a continent-wide regional internet exchange took another step forward with circulation of a draft Request for Service (RFS) from existing local IXPs. This draft RFS will be discussed by a Steering Committee set up after initial agreement was reached at a meeting held during iWeek in Johannesburg in September. There are now nine IXPs in Africa: South Africa, Mozambique (opened May last year), Zimbabwe, Egypt (also May last year), Kenya, Nigeria (Ibadan with only 2 ISPs), Tanzania, Uganda and the DRC (set up December last year). An IXP in Lagos is due to open shortly. Local internet…
Telecoms
TELKOM SA TO UNVEIL ITS REGIONAL VOIP CALLING HUB AT WORLD TELECOM
Telkom is profiling its capability to provide a telecommunications hub to carry voice traffic into and out of Africa at the ITU World Telecom Forum 2003, staged by the International…
Telecoms
KENYAN OPPOSITION MPs DEMAND ECONET LICENCE BE CANCELLED
The licence given to Econet, the third mobile phone service operator should be immediately revoked, 48 MPs demanded last week.The MPs, drawn from Kanu, Narc, and Ford People, want the…
Telecoms
NITEL INTRODUCES PILOT CDMA IN SOUTH-EAST ZONE
NITEL says it is planning to introduce Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) into its network as a way of improving telecoms infrastructure in the South-east zone, under a pilot programme.…
Telecoms
MOBILE OPERATOR CORA QUITS COTE D’IVOIRE, ORANGE CLOSES MARCORY
Mobile operator Cora has decided to pull out of Cote D’Ivoire after an incident last Thursday "following the aggression that we were victims of by M Galley and around 20…
Telecoms
FEDERAL HIGH COURT ADJOURNS HEARING IN ECONET SUIT
The Federal High Court sitting in Lagos last week adjourned the suit filed by ECONET Wireless Nigeria Limited (EWNL) against ECONET wireless international (EWI) for further hearing on the 23rd,…
Telecoms
TELECOM RATES, OFFERS AND COVERAGE
- Nigeria’s Kebbi State will soon be connected to the country’s GSM networks. - Ghana’s Kasapa Telecommunications has extended its Kasapa Dash incentive plan to include calls that their customers…
Internet
CAMEROONIAN CABLE TV OPERATOR TO OFFER HOME INTERNET SERVICE
A Cameroonian TV cable operator is making its customers a new offer: access to the internet with a modem, no computer and no telephone line. The service will be launched…
Internet
NUMBER OF BLACK INTERNET USERS IN SA HAS GONE UP 30%, SAYS ANANZI
Search portal Ananzi says browsing by SA’s black online users has grown sharply, to 30%. Ananzi, which records over 10 million page impressions per month, bases its finding on an…
Computing
MADAGASCAR: MONTHLY COMPUTER SALES RISE TO 1000 AFTER TAX IS LIFTED
Before taxes were taken off, Madagascar sold 700 computers a month. This has risen to 1000 a month since the tax was removed according to a report by a local…
Computing
US PLANS N390M COMPUTER CENTRE FOR OGUN
The United States government is to spend N390 million to establish a Computer Resource Centre (CRC) in Ogun State. The State Commissioenr for Information, Niran Malaolu, who made the disclosure…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
UK’S VODAFONE TO INVEST USD250M IN ECONET WIRELESS NIGERIA
UK mobile phone firm Vodafone will invest USD250 million in a subsidiary of South Africa’s Vodacom with the aim of jointly buying the Nigerian cellphone group EWN, sources at EWN…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
TELECOM EGYPT TO ACQUIRE AN ADDITIONAL 8% STAKE IN VODAFONE EGYPT
Telecom Egypt is currently in negotiations to acquire an additional 8% stake in Vodafone Egypt, potentially raising its ownership up to 25%. This latest development comes following news earlier this…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
On The Money - In Brief
- Egyptian cellular telephone company MobiNil said on last week it would pay a special dividend of 4.88 Egyptian pounds ($0.79) per share from retained earnings. - Econet’s market price…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
RESPONSES
Issue 178: Satellite and fibre: Good friends or the best of enemies?Just one correction, an IRU is "indefeasible" not indefensible. :) Jim Moore
Digital Content
KENYA’S AFRIPAY OFFERS PREPAID CARDS FOR E-COMMERCE
www.AfriPay.com Q: We all know that it’s difficult - or impossible - for people in Africa to get credit cards. Tell us how your system works, how much it costs…
Digital Content
CRDI/TRADE POINT DEAL LAUNCHES FIRST SENEGALSES E-COMMERCE SITES
A partnership between Trade Point Sénégal and CRDI has launched what is claimed to be a site generator for e-commerce sites. After the implementation of Orbus at Senegalese customs for…
Digital Content
African Web News - In Brief
- SA’s Innovation Hub has upgraded its Web site to integrate into its customer relationship management (CRM) system, as part of its philosophy of being Web-based and accessible from anywhere,…
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PEOPLE
* According to the Daily Nation, some of the MPs challenging the third mobile operator licence have been under investigation by the Communications Commission of Kenya (CCK) for alleged involvement…
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EVENTS
NTIC et Entreprenariat - l’Art de concrétiser ses projets Balancing Act et Afribone en partenariat avec l’IICD organisent le 05 Novembre à l’hôtel Salam à partir de 8H00, un atelier…