News update Telecoms and ICT in Africa - Issue no 201 on 5 March 2004
Top Story
MWEB LOOKS TO BUILD ITS AFRICAN INTERNET BUSINESS IN SUSTAINABLE MARKETS
After the setback of ABSA’s short-lived free internet offer in South Africa, it seemed like MWEB had taken itself out of commission as a continental internet player. But it has been quietly building its business in Nigeria since last year and this week sees the launch of its new always-on satellite internet product aimed at corporates and SMEs. Speaking at the product launch function held at the Lagoon restaurant in Lagos, M-Web Nigeria’s General Manager, Jannie Van Rhyn, explained that the new product is in line with M-Web Nigeria’s commitment to offer quality products and to continuously introduce new and…
Telecoms
CDMA NETWORS TO BE BUILT IN ETHIOPIA AND ALGERIA
China’s Huawei Technologies has had a good week. It’s been selected to build CDMA networks in both Ethiopia and Algeria. It has signed a contract valued at over USD10 million…
Telecoms
ALCATEL MAROC INVESTS IN CALL-CENTRES
Alcatel Maroc has set up a new division dedicated to the booming business of call centres in Morocco. It has two million euros to invest in pursuit of this goal. "Our…
Telecoms
SA’S TELKOM TAKES ADVANTAGE OF SNO DELAYS TO ENTRENCH ITS POSITION
Lengthy delays in introducing competition to the fixed-line phone market have helped bolster Telkom’s predicted earnings for 2003-04, with the monopoly predicting that a 30% rise in net income is…
Telecoms
NAIROBI-MOMBASSA FIBRE PROJECT SET TO START BUILDING IN 2004
Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC) plans to put on the market part of the bandwidth from the proposed Sh1.17 billion fibre optic cable that KPC will lay along the pipeline way-leave.…
Telecoms
GHANA’S SCANCOM GIVES ERICSSON CONTRACT FOR WAP AND MMS
Ghanaian mobile operator Scancom has awarded a USD32 million contract to Ericsson to supply cellular equipment and services. The deal will see Scancom implementing GSM networking technologies, including Wireless Application…
Telecoms
SA’S TELKOM THREATENS ACTION AGAINST PEOPLE USING VOIP SERVICE
People using peer-to-peer (P2P) Œnetwork bypass’ software to make cheap international telephone calls over the Internet may yet face action for illegal practices. According to Andrew Weldrick, senior manager for…
Telecoms
Telecoms News - In Brief
- Key wireless industry companies Motorola, Nokia, Siemens, Sony Ericsson and Sun Microsystems have launched a ŒJava Verified’ programme to provide a unified process for the testing and certification of…
Telecoms
TELECOM RATES, OFFERS AND COVERAGE
- Just one week after ending its Talk Now promo, Nigeria’s SNO Globacom has announced the commencement of another promotion package which brings down the prices of its Prepaid Classic…
Internet
FIVE GHANAIANS FALL FOR ONLINE CONFERENCE REGISTRATION SCAM
Five Ghanaians have been allegedly duped out of USD550.Speaking to the Accra Mail last week, one of the five, Edward Ofosuhene said the money was part payment for a four-day…
Internet
KENYA PLANS TO HARNESS THE INTERNET FOR E-GOVERNANCE
Government ministries and departments will soon have websites to improve administration. The websites will make it easier to manage finances, including the payroll, National Security minister Chris Murungaru said Last…
Internet
Internet News - In Brief
- SA’s MTN Network Solutions last week launched a new offering, giving corporates free Internet access with unlimited local bandwidth, free GPRS for six months and a free firewall with…
Computing
SOUTH AFRICA COULD BECOME OUTSOURCING "PLACE OF CHOICE
An Increasing number of companies in developed economies are outsourcing IT functions and business processes offshore to companies in developing countries because of the cost advantages. "SA is well positioned…
Computing
DIGITAL MALL AND ALICORNIO AFRICA LAUNCH APS MODEL SERVICE
Digital Mall, in collaboration with Alicornio Africa (previously Sagent Southern Africa), has announced a new service for information integration, business intelligence and data warehousing based on an Application Service Provider…
Computing
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
COMMUNITEL SET TO SNATCH 25% WAREHOUSED SNO SHARES?
A consortium led by telecommunications group Communitel is expected to snatch government’s warehoused 25% stake in the second phone operator’s licence, it emerged last week. This would effectively increase Communitel’s…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
AMITELO SET TO LAUNCH GHANAIAN JV WITH CAPITAL TELECOM AND MOBICALL
Amitelo Communications Inc. (OTC: ALOC) is preparing to file the necessary paperwork for the incorporation of its subsidiary: Amitelo (Ghana) Ltd. The company is currently negotiating a Joint Venture Agreement…
Digital Content
INVENTORS GET THEIR OWN SITE IN SENEGAL
l’Association Sénégalaise pour la promotion des inventions et innovations (Aspi) has launched a new website with an "Investor space". It is aimed at brining together inventors and innovators directly with…
Digital Content
ETHIOMARKET OFFERS ONLINE TENDERING SERVICE
http://www.ethiomarket.com/ http://www.ethiomarket.com/ecua http://www.ethiomarket.com/market_info.htm
Digital Content
African Web News - In Brief
www.statehouse.go.tz www.mamamikes.com/uchumi - RSA-Overseas, which runs a Web portal for expatriate South Africans and visitors to SA, has been acquired by Los Angeles-based Mindsgate Media.
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PEOPLE
* Africa governments have been urged not to fully liberalise their information and communication sectors if the goal of universal access to communication services is to be achieved.Sammy Kirui, the…
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EVENTS
- ROADSHOW PRESENTATION ON THE ICT EMPOWERMENT CHARTER (29 MARCH 2004) POLOKWANE MONDAY 29th MARCH 2004 09:30 for 10:00 to approx. 12.00 The Ranch Protea Hotel, N1 - Polokwane The…
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JOBS AND OPPORTUNITIES
- In March 2003 the Southern African NGO Network (SANGONeT) launched Thetha:The SANGONeT ICT Discussion Forum. This initiative aims to provide civil society organisations with an opportunity to discuss information…