News update Telecoms and ICT in Africa - Issue no 217 on 14 May 2004
Top Story
GHANA TELECOM TRIES TO STRONG-ARM GISPA'S MEMBERS OUT OF THE MARKET WITH PREDATORY PRICING
It all seemed to be going so well. The ministerial advisers had arranged for Ghana's Internet Association GISPA to negotiate cheaper prices with Ghana Telecom on SAT3 and some of the internet bosses were praising the new climate of conciliation. New cheap prices would then be passed on to the SSP's customers, making everyone a winner. Then the negotiations broke down as Ghana Telecom's senior management made a "take-it-or-leave-it" offer in which the final price of the bandwidth on offer was not to be revealed until GISPA signed up to a set of conditions. Although its own ISP is a…
Telecoms
KENYA'S NEW MINISTER TUJU SAYS SNO BIDDING PROCESS NEEDS TO BE RERUN
The bidding process for the Kenyan SNO has been thrown into chaos after it was cancelled by the Minister Raphael Tuju. On Monday morning last week, the Kenyan regulator CCK…
Telecoms
NIGERIA'S TELCOS COUNT THE LOSSES FROM THE KILLER PHONE RUMOURS
Nigeria's telcos last week recounted the damage which the rumour that some phone calls could cause instant death has done to their business in the past two weeks since it…
Telecoms
SA'S ICASA HOLDS HEARINGS ON 1 800MHZ, 3G
The Independent Communications Authority of SA (ICASA) is moving forward in the process that will see mobile operators granted access to the 1800MHz and 3G spectrums. Last week, the regulator…
Telecoms
UGANDA'S UTL LAUNCHES SOLAR LANDLINE
Uganda Telecom has introduced solar-powered accessory for the newly introduced TelesaverPlus landline. This will especially be useful for rural populations, which have no access to regular electricity power. "This is…
Telecoms
ZIMBABWE'S POTRAZ WARNS ON "ILLEGAL" VOIP AND INTERNET TRAFFIC
The Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (Potraz), in charge of licensing and regulating all telecommunications traffic in the country, has warned both public and private companies or organisations unlawfully operating…
Telecoms
Telecoms News - In Brief
- Nokia has launched a mobile phone and networking division in SA, although the cellular handset provider says the move will not affect local Nokia distributor, the RF Group. -…
Telecoms
TELECOM RATES, OFFERS AND COVERAGE
* MTN Nigeria's Virtual Top Up is facing local press criticism. According to the Daily Champion, virtual credit vending depends on the literacy level of the subscribers and the Short…
Internet
TUNISIA HOSTS IPV6 AFRICA AND MID-EAST TASK FORCE EVENT
Last week (20-22 July) saw Tunisia host the "Internet Protocol V6" organised by the ITU and the Tunisian regulator ATI. The event concluded with a press conference to describe the…
Internet
MALI: HOSPITAL AT DIMMBAL USES STAELLITE INTERNET FOR TELEMEDICINE
In the hospital at Dimbal situated some 750 kilometres from Mali's capital Bamako, patients can now benefit directly from the medical opinion of experts. How? Via a Geolink Access satellite…
Internet
SA'S INTERNET SOLUTIONS TO LAUNCH ADSL OFFERING
Internet Solutions (IS) is planning to introduce its own ADSL offering within two months, says CEO Angus McRobert. McRobert spoke to ITWeb during the company's Internetix conference held in Cape…
Internet
EUTELSAT'S SKYLOGIC SELECTED BY NETHOPE TO CONNECT WORLDWIDE OPS
Eutelsat, one of the world's leading satellite operators, announced today that it has been selected by NetHope as a supplier for 2-way satellite broadband connectivity for aid organisations in over…
Internet
Internet News - In Brief
http://csd.ssvl.kth.se/~csd2004-team21 - Teleglobe International Holdings (which recently purchased ITXC) announced that Skype, the global Internet telephony company, has connected to Teleglobe's global VoIPLink(tm) Service for global call termination. Under the…
Computing
32 AND 40-INCH LCDS FROM SAMSUNG NOW AVAILABLE IN SOUTH AFRICA
Tarsus Technologies has announced the local availability of the Samsung Syncmaster 323T and 403T LCD monitors, designed for use as information boards, presentation displays or virtually anywhere a large display…
Computing
NIGERIA'S EXPERTEDGE LAUNCHES ORACLE XPREMIUM
Expertedge, the Software arm of Nigeria's Computer Warehouse Group (CWG), is set to launch an Oracle Support Service Consultancy called Oracle Xpremium Support Services. This service is targeted at her…
Computing
AST GETS COMPUTER MANAGEMENT CONTRACT FOR PHARMACEUTICALS IN MOZAMBIQUE
AST has been awarded a contract by John Snow to work for the Central de Medicamentos e Artigos Medicos (CMAM) of the Ministry of Health (MOH) of Mozambique with funding…
Computing
SAHARA COMPUTERS SUPPLIES PC POWER FOR CYBER-GAMERS
Cyber warriors in Gauteng battled it out at Eastgate last weekend during a regional qualifying event to secure a place in the finals of the South African leg of the…
Computing
Computer News - In Brief
- SA-based Value Logistics has outsourced its entire wide area network (WAN) to Bidvest's network solutions company, I-Fusion. With 74 branches and sub-depots countrywide, Value Logistics required a comprehensive contract,…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
ECONET UNFOLDS PLANS TO TAKE OVER VMOBILE READY WITH USD230M BID FOR MAJORITY SHARE
Econet Wireless Interna-tional says it is now ready to take up and fully pay for a 50 per cent plus one majority shareholding of cash-strapped Vmobile Nigeria, months after it…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
On The Money - In Brief
- South African cellular operator Cell C announced last week it had turned EBITDA (earnings before interest tax, depreciation and amortisation) positive on a monthly basis at the end of…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
READERS WRITE
ISSUE 216: CSIRT: A ROUTE TO COMBATING AFRICA'S POSITION AS ONE OF THE WORLD'S CYBER-BADLANDS There is now a CSIRT in Algeria set up with USAID funding. Jonathan Metzger USAID
Digital Content
CÔTE D'IVOIRE: FRATMAT.NET, SHOP SITE LAUNCHES
The Ivorian group Fraternité Matin has identified a number of areas of web information that it thinks are "saleable". Its "shopping without shops" (commerces sans boutique) uses special coupons and…
Digital Content
Digital Content
I4D DEVELOPMENT SOLUTIONS
AFRICA MOBILE PHONE USERS RALLY FOR WOMEN'S RIGHTS Campaigning organisation Fahamu is using SMS text messages to collect support for the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples'…
More
PEOPLE
* Kenya's new Information and Communications Minister Raphael Tuju last week punched holes into the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) policy paper describing it as flawed. "The draft policy lacks…
More
EVENTS
ICT CONFERENCE - "UNIVERSITIES: TAKING A LEADING ROLE IN ICT-ENABLED HUMAN DEVELOPMENT" The Directorate of ICT Support, Makerere University, is organising a conference under the theme Universities: Taking a Leading…
More
JOBS AND OPPORTUNITIES
http://www.delconsulting.com 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…
