News update Telecoms and ICT in Africa - Issue no 227 on 17 September 2004
Top Story
EVERYTHING SOLID MELTS INTO AIR – WELCOME TO THE NEW BUSINESS MODEL
With the publication of the competition frameworks in Kenya and South Africa, Africa’s internet and telecoms sectors enter a new era. It may not yet be nirvana but it’s certainly the end of the beginning. The balance of power between those embracing a competitive future and the “stick-in-the-pasts” has decisively shifted and there’s no going back. As the assumptions change, all the old certainties are thrown up in the air. Russell Southwood tries to assess how things might change. What follows is a leap of the imagination. It’s an attempt to see round the corner to what might happen next.…
Telecoms
FIRST AFRICAN GSM OPERATOR SERVICE LAUNCHED BY GATEWAY COMMUNICATIONS
In a development that will lead to savings in cost and an increase in quality for mobile phone users across the continent of Africa, Gateway Communications today announced the launch…
Telecoms
ARIVIA.KOM WINS USD21M NIGERIAN LOTTO VSAT DEAL
In a deal worth an estimated US USD21 million over the next five years, the recently established arivia.kom Nigeria has been awarded the contract to implement, maintain and support 2,400…
Telecoms
EQUANT LAUNCHES SATELLITE VPN SOLUTIONS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH INTELSAT, IDIRECT
Equant, Intelsat and iDirect Technologies have formed a partnership to globally launch a set of fully managed, satellite-based, wide area network (WAN) services. This partnership supports Equant's strategy to develop…
Telecoms
Telecoms News - In Brief
- Investments in Nigeria's telecommunications sector have risen to USD4billion (about N560billion) as at June 2003, from a lowly $50 million level in 1999, an increase of over 500 per…
Telecoms
TELECOM RATES, OFFERS AND COVERAGE
* Nigerian SNO Globacom last week unveiled three of its latest services in Abuja with a firm pledge to roll out 10 million lines by the end of 2005. As…
Internet
TUNISIA TO INSTAL WI-FI HOT SPOTS FOR WSIS SUMMIT
Two pilot wireless "hot-spots" will be installed for the forthcoming WSIS Summit in Tunisia. The hot-spots are currently being installed in the Kram exhibtion centre and the main Tunisian airports.…
Internet
EGYPT EMERGES AS LOWEST COST ADSL MARKET
New Arab Advisors research covering 17 major Arab markets reveals that Egypt has the lowest total cost of residential ADSL service in the Middle East region. Syria lies on the…
Internet
DESTINY WIRELESS PLC LAUNCH DESTINY WIRELESS SOUTH AFRICA
The Wi-Fi Technology Forum/-Destiny Wireless plc officially launched Destiny Wireless South Africa this week. Destiny™ will replicate the structures already created in the UK and Australia as Country Agent for…
Internet
SA'S TELKOM INTERNET LAUNCHES WITH 2GB CAP
Telkom has launched the TelkomInternet powered by ADSL Standard package, which it says offers customers a combination of e-mail and always-available Internet services at reduced cost. The TelkomInternet powered by…
Internet
Internet News - In Brief
- Nigerian ISP Linkserve Limited, has approved free service for prospective customers, who desire to purchase Linkserve's VSAT product. On purchase of the 1.2, 1.8 or 2.4 meter dishes, Linkserve…
Computing
Computing – In Brief
IT services spending in South Africa is expected to increase 10.5 per cent year on year in 2015 to total US $5.7 billion, according to the latest forecast from International…
Computing
IT MARKET TO DOUBLE IN MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA BY 2008, SAYS IDC
HP together with International Data Corporation (IDC), last week discussed the implications of the enormous growth that the IT industry is facing in the Middle East and North African (MENA)…
Computing
MERGER: DIGITAL PARTNERS WITH GRAMEEN FOUNDATION USA
On September 13th, 2004 Digital Partners merged with Grameen Foundation USA (GFUSA; http://www.gfusa.org/technology_center/), under the Seattle based Technology Center Initiative umbrella. Since its inception at the dawn of the "Digital…
Computing
SA IT START-UPS TO GET FUNDING BOOST
Entrepreneurs are already signing up with non-profit and commercial organisation Enablis, ahead of the launch of its first operational hub in SA to provide ICT start-ups with funding and support.…
Computing
IVERI PAYMENT TECHNOLOGIES AND CREDITCARD SERVICES SAL FORM STRATEGIC ALLIANCE TO TARGET AFRICA & MIDDLE EAST CARD MARKET
CreditCard Services SAL (CSC) and iVeri Payment Technologies (iVeri) today announced a strategic alliance to enter Africa and the Middle East's emerging card market. The two established players in the…
Computing
UGANDA'S ICT INCUBATION CENTRE DELAYED BY SLOW PAYMENT FROM GOVT
Implementation of Uganda‚s Information Communication and Technologies (ICT) incubation centre has hit a snag following a delay by Government of Uganda, the main sponsor of the project to disburse funds,…
Computing
Computer News - In Brief
- Global Technology Holdings (Glotec) has finalised agreements to dispose of all its remaining operating businesses. The Glotec share was suspended last week at the request of the group's directors.…
digtool
THE MARRIAGE OF TWO PHONES - FIXED AND MOBILE COME TOGETHER WITH BLUETOOTH
Is the fixed-line phone a dead duck? Look at the numbers and the trends, and you might well conclude that it is. Mobile phones now outnumber fixed ones, and their…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
CELTEL READIES ITSELF FOR GBP1.1 BILLION UK FLOAT
African mobile phone group CelTel is planning to float on the London Stock Exchange early next year with an expected value of GBP1.1 billion. The company operates in 13 African…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
On The Money - In Brief
- Listed cellular company MTN Group said on Thursday that in association with its co-shareholders in MTN Nigeria, it was exploring ways of introducing broader Nigerian shareholder participation in MTN…
Digital Content
DEHEZI STARTS UGANDAN SCHOOLS WEBSITE
Ugandan Dehezi International Limited, a computer accessories company has launched a new website where schools could avail information about themselves to the public. www.educationuganda.com was launched last week at Hotel…
Digital Content
ONLINE DATING GENERATES MILLIONS IN SA
Almost a quarter of a million South Africans have used online dating services and the market is worth at least R20 million annually, according to a study on online dating…
Digital Content
Web News - In Brief
- SADC has launched a new website which has a capacity to allow access to six hundred million people to information on trade in the SADC region.
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PEOPLE
* HP has announced the appointment of Thoko Mokgosi as CEO for the company's SA operations. In the past few years, she has been the Divisional MD of Siemens Telecommunications,…
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EVENTS
- Really Awesome Gaming Expo (Rage) 2004, running from 1-3 October at The Dome in Northgate, will reportedly boast a host of exhibitors offering the latest in video games, gadgets…
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JOBS AND OPPORTUNITIES
* South African organisations have one week to go before the close of the Bridges.org competition to support innovative ground level initiatives that want to use handheld devices (handhelds) to…
