Issue no 221
Top Story
AFRICA ONLINE GOES INTO PROFIT BUT ITS HOLDING GROUP IS NOT YET OUT OF THE WOODS
The annual financial results for the African Lakes Corporation plc (owner of Africa Online) have just come out (for the year ending September 2003) and they provide a useful dipstick for the state of the internet on the continent. Africa Online is only one of two pan-continental players, the other being Naspers' MWeb, which has this week consolidated its grip on its home market by agreeing to buy Tiscali's South African operation. However unlike Mweb, Africa Online has now moved into operating profit and says that this year's revenue figures are 8-9% up on last year at the same point.…
Telecoms
SUDAN’S TELECOM MARKET GEARS UP FOR A COMPETITIVE ERA, ACCORDING TO NEW REPORT
Sudan’s fixed line and cellular markets are still monopoly markets operated by Sudatel and its cellular subsidiary Mobitel. The cellular sector is expecting a second mobile operator by the end…
Telecoms
ANGOLA'S NEXUS INVESTS USD12M IN NEW FIXED LINES
Angolan operator Nexus will invest 12 million dollars to enter the fixed line market. According to company President Rui Santos the network will offer a combination of fixed line and…
Telecoms
SOUTH AFRICAN MINISTRY SIGNS IP TELEPHONY DEAL
The Department of Trade and Industry (dti) last week announced a R19.5m deal with Dimension Data and Moloko ERS for the implementation of a Nortel Networks Internet Protocol (IP) network…
Telecoms
NIGERIA'S SNO GLOBACOM LAUNCHES UK INTERNATIONAL GATEWAY
Globacom last week launched its International Gateway operation and Point of Presence in the United Kingdom, thereby becoming Nigeria's first telecom operator to launch a switch outside the country. This…
Telecoms
SIERRE LEONE'S DATATEL GSM AWARDED NATIONAL WIRELESS LICENCE
Datatel GSM Limited announced last week that it has been awarded a GSM wireless licence by the Ministry of Transport and Communications in the Sierra Leone. The license will allow…
Telecoms
GATEWAY COMMUNICATIONS SIGNS DEALS WITH T-SYSTEMS AND C & W
Gateway Communications has signed two significant deals this week: one with T-Systems and the other with C & W. T-Systems gains access to Gateway Communications' pan-African network of more than…
Telecoms
Telecoms News - In Brief
- Vodacom Mozambique has selected Aircom's performance management tool, OPTIMA, to ensure that its engineering departments have the near-real time performance data required to monitor and optimise their network. -…
Telecoms
TELECOM RATES, OFFERS AND COVERAGE
* Following its full commercial launch Nigeria's First Wireless has announced official tariffs and rates for its range of services. A major highlight in the new tariff regime is that…
Internet
ZAMBIA'S COPPERNET EYES MANSA MARKET
CopperNET Solutions plans to open up a point of presence (POP) Internet connectivity in Mansa as part of its expansion plans. Chief Executive Officer, Phillip Chitalu, said during the company’s…
Internet
SA'S INTERNET SOLUTIONS SETS ITS SIGHTS ON ADSL OFFER
South Africa's Internet Solutions would launch an asymmetric digital subscriber line (ADSL), or high-speed internet access-enabling technology, in competition with other internet service providers (ISPs), Rob Firer, Internet Solutions' product…
Internet
BOSS OF EGYPT'S LARGEST ISP FACES FRAUD CHARGE IN THE USA
The president and chief executive officer of Egypt’s largest Internet company has been charged in New York with allegedly trying to defraud the international American aid agency, the US Attorney’s…
Internet
Internet News - In Brief
http://www.isoc.org.za - On 4th/5th September the village of Siachilaba in Zimbabwe´s remote Binga area will be celebrating the Official Opening of two new computer centres, Siachilaba ITC & Syanzyundu ITC.…
Internet
ETHIOPIAN TELECOMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION SIGNS USD6.7M BROADBAND DEAL WITH DIMENSION DATA
The Ethiopian Telecommunications Corporation (ETC) has signed a US USD6.7 million deal with Dimension Data to facilitate the implementation of a nationwide broadband Internet project. This is Ethiopia's third main broadband…
Computing
KENYAN PRIVATE SECTOR AND CIVIL SOCIETY WANT ROLE IN ICT POLICY
Representatives of civil society in Kenya have called for its inclusion in the redrafting of a policy on the use of information and communication technology (ICT) in the East African…
Computing
KEYTOOLS LANDS FIRST MAJOR AUSTRALIAN DEAL
South Africa-based KeyTools International today announced that KeyTools Australia has signed a major contract with X F Enterprises (Australia) (XFE), for a mobile consumption management system (MCMS). This is said…
Computing
SAP RELEASES AN APPLICATION AND INTEGRATION PLATFORM, SAP NETWEAVER
According to SAP Netweaver puts all of the stuff that it feels should be basic into one package – Java, applications, portals, business intelligence (BI), knowledge management (KM), process management,…
Computing
NEW HP SERVER FROM TARSUS MAY SPELL THE END OF DESKTOP SERVER
While every SME will acknowledge the need for ICT in their organisation, budgets are limited and expertise is not a ready resource, leading many small companies to make the most…
Computing
Computer News - In Brief
- The new mail list for African script issue is now active at Unicode.ORG. This is a forum for discussion of African scripts, including native scripts and imported scripts (e.g.,…
digtool
SMS AS A BUSINESS MARKETING TOOL HAS "MORE POTENTIAL THAN E-MAIL"
Empowerment company Sechaba Technology Services has unveiled an SMS solution that it says will allow companies to promote their solutions through cellular phones. Indian-based software company Lifetree Convergence developed the…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
XANTIUM TO MAKE DEBUT ON JSE'S ALTX
Black-empowered Xantium Technology Holdings becamee the first company to make its stock exchange debut on the JSE Securities Exchange SA's AltX board last week, joining five other companies that switched…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
BYTES TECHNOLOGIES TAKES TOUGH LINE ON TAKEOVER OFFER FROM CS HOLDINGS
Shareholders in tarnished technology group CS Holdings are to be offered a cash payment of 5c less than last week's trading price in a take-it-or-leave-it offer from Bytes Technologies. Bytes…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
On The Money - In Brief
- Nile Satellite Company - NileSat announced 1H FY04 results ending June, in which bottom line advanced 14.3% to reach USD4.0 million versus USD3.5 million in 1H FY03. Sales revenue…
Digital Content
FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION INSTITUTE SLAMS SA'S TELKOM OVER HELLKOM SUIT
The Freedom of Expression Institute (FXI) says Telkom is “lying” in its letter and statements against parody site Hellkom, in which Telkom accuses it of trademark infringement and encouraging hate…
Digital Content
African Web News - In Brief
- A Swedish-based Ethiopian company, Media A2, will officially launch at the end of this month a website "Go-Ethio.Com" with the aim of taking Ethiopian tourism one-step further, according to…
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PEOPLE
"Looking at the types of cellular networks installed in Africa, it's clear that voice communication is the primary area of interest for consumers on the continent," says Hendrik Bredenkamp, Manager:…
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EVENTS
Futurex in Cape Town A two-day ICT conference on the future direction of IT and telecoms in SA will be held in Cape Town next month. Futurex Cape 2004: The…
