News update Telecoms and ICT in Africa - Issue no 210 on 4 June 2004
Top Story
NIGERIA'S VEE NETWORK: THE TRANSACTION THAT SUNK A DEAL AND COST TWO SENIOR PEOPLE THEIR JOBS
All over the world business gets very rough-and-tumble, especially at the point when the ownership of companies changes hands. In Africa this rough-and-tumble frequently occurs without reliable external referees like courts and with few regulatory "ground rules" limiting what might happen. But Africa's "freestyle" way of doing business came up against nervous developed world institutional investors, conscious of the cost of breaking the rules. In a surprise move this week the continent's largest mobile player Vodacom pulled out of its management contract with Nigeria's V-Network, a move that cost two of its most senior management their jobs. News Update seeks…
Telecoms
STRIKES THREATEN PRIVATISATION OF NIGER'S SONITEL
Staff at Niger's Sonitel - which has been in the hands of a Sino-Libyan consortium since last year - have decided to mount a series of strikes to try and…
Telecoms
GHANA TELECOM LOSING USD5 MILLION MONTHLY DUE TO VOIP AND STAFF FREE USE OF SERVICES
According to Ministry of Communications sources a committee set up by the Auditor-General to investigate monthly losses of USD5.1 million at Ghana Telecom has found two main sources. It believes…
Telecoms
MALI'S SOTELMA TO PUT FCFA25 BILLION INTO NETWORK UPGRADE PRE-PRIVATISATION
Sotelma is to spend FCFA25 billion to rehabilitate its network before privatisation. It signed a finance agreement last week at a meeting attended by the Minister of Communications Gaoussou Drabo…
Telecoms
ZANTEL TO OPERATE ON MAINLAND TANZANIA NEXT FEBRUARY
Zanzibar-based mobile phone company ZANTEL will start operations in Tanzania Mainland next February, the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA) has announced. The TCRA Public Relations Manager, Isaac Mruma, said ZANTEL,…
Telecoms
MOZAMBIQUE'S MCEL SIGNS FRAME AGREEMENT WITH ERICSSON
Ericsson SA has entered into a frame agreement with mCel, Mozambique's leading cellular provider, that will be worth US$10 million over three years.The agreement was set in place to allow…
Telecoms
Telecoms News - In Brief
- The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority has given mobile telephone operator, M-Tel until next Tuesday to pull down a mast said to have been illegally erected in Zaria - Econet…
Telecoms
TELECOM RATES, OFFERS AND COVERAGE
- Celtel Uganda plans a major rollout programme to cover key centres in the country. The move is part of the mobile phone service provider's strategy to bring services nearer…
Internet
INTERNET BANK 20TWENTY GEARS UP FOR RELAUNCH
Internet bank 20twenty is gearing up to re-enter the South African market next week.The bank was bought by emerging market heavyweight Standard Chartered Bank last year for about 10m after…
Internet
ZIMBABWE SET TO FORCE ISPS TO DISCLOSE "OFFENSIVE OR DANGEROUS" MESSAGES
The Zimbabwean government has proposed obliging its internet service providers to divulge details of e-mails deemed offensive or dangerous. Zispa, the local ISP association, has asked the government to clarify…
Internet
TISCALI WANTS R300M FOR ITS SA OPERATIONS
Internet communications group Tiscali International's SA operations are in the throes of a bidding process that has been narrowed to five possible buyers. There is speculation is that the asking…
Internet
Internet News - In Brief
- The Ugandan regulator UCC has decided to scrap the licensing of ISPs and declare 802.11b free spectrum to encorage internet take-up. - SA's Telkom has launched a new version…
Computing
GHANAIAN GOVERNMENT AWARDS CONTRACTS FOR REGIONAL ICT CENTRES
The Ghanaian Government has awarded contracts to the tune of one billion cedis for the provision of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) centres in all districts of the Upper West…
Computing
ZAMBIAN COMPUTER SOCIETY PRESIDENT RECOMMENDS COMPUTER REGISTRATION
Computer Society of Zambia President Milner Makuni is proposing an amendement to the Computer Bill that would register all computers when they bought, writes Balancing Act's Zambian Correspondent Timothy Kasolo.…
Computing
MICROSOFT INVESTS N20M IN LAGOS DIGITAL VILLAGE
Microsoft will invest an estimated sum of N20 million in partnering the recently commissioned Lagos Digital Village (LDV). The LDV, is the second of its kind in the country partnered…
Computing
Computer News - In Brief
- Last week, a container of Macs left for Zambia sent by World Computer Exchange. Programme Officer, Will Loving, contacted Mac users groups across the States seeking parts and pieces…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
TELECEL PLANS TO LIST ON THE LUSAKA STOCK EXCHANGE
Telecel chairman, Bwalya Chiti, has said Telecel Zambia Limited was charting a plan to list on the Lusaka Stock Exchange (LuSE). Chiti, said in an interview on Saturday, following the…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
THE CELTEL PURCHASE OF KENCELL - THE STORY BEHIND THE DEAL
It all started in December 2003, when Naushad Noorali Merali, a Kenya businessman was in a reflective mood while on a pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia to pay tribute to his…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
On The Money - In Brief
- Vodafone-Egypt released audited FY04 results ending March, confirming its preliminary announcement of LE1,078 million net profit, reflecting a 111% increase over the LE511 million recorded in FY03. - Nigeria's…
Digital Content
PINK AVIATION SAYS SITE'S ACCUSATIONS AGAINST GHANAIAN AIR FORCE ARE ALL TRUE
www.ghanaairforce.com According to Thomas Lewetz, he asked them to solve the problem which caused the establishment of the site. "They could not tell me that anything on the website was…
Digital Content
African Web News - In Brief
- Three Blind Mice Communications (TBM), a 75% black controlled media and IT company, received the Runner Up Award in the "Organisations: SMME" category of the National Science & Technology…
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PEOPLE
* Zambia's Itezhi-Tezhi District Commissioner Godfrey Beene has cited the lack of reliable communication infrastructure as negating development in his area. Beene appealed to the government to facilitate enhanced communication…
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EVENTS
ACT 2004, MAURITIUS (7-9 SEPTEMBER) AITEC Africa and Act ICT Industry Alliance of Mauritius confirm partnership to host sixth annual African Computing & Telecommunications Summit at Mauritius CyberTower, 7-9 September…
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JOBS AND OPPORTUNITIES
- A well known radio company is looking for Sudanese nationals who are qualified Site Engineers and Transmission Engineers. Submit your resume at www.delconsulting.com If our correspondent is "off the…
