News update Telecoms and ICT in Africa - Issue no 248 on 4 February 2005
Top Story
CAMPUSWISE USES CDMA FOR ONLINE LEARNING
CampusWise is the Pretoria-based dynamic LIVE e-learning company, which has been established to meet the needs of the corporate, educational, IT and public sectors e-learning markets; whilst in the process increase its productivity and reduce its costs by offering a medium for the delivering of live lessons online. LIVE e-learning or more commonly known as the Virtual Synchronous Classroom is most similar to leader-led instruction in that a trainer and students are involved in a live class, conducted in real time on the Internet. LIVE e-learning is the next big step in advanced distance education technologies and fills a clear…
Telecoms
KENYAN MINISTER PUTS IN TRUSTED HAND AT CCK - IS THIS TIT-FOR-TAT OVER DIVERSION SCANDAL?
Last week the Kenyan Minister for Communications Raphael Tuju decided to sack the board of the regulator CCK and sent its Director-General Sammy Kirui on indefinite leave. Meanwhile he has…
Telecoms
GT TO BE BROKEN UP INTO DIFFERENT PARTS FOR PRIVATISATION?
The Ghanaian Government is talking about selling off Ghana Telecom's mobile operation in the forthcoming privatisation. Word is that a settlement with the Malaysians will soon be in the offing…
Telecoms
COMPETITION LOOKS SET TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF PROVIDERS IN TANZANIA
Since the end of the incumbent's monopoly in Tanzania, there has been a flurry of applications for new licences. A spokesperson for the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority [TCRA] Isaac Mruma…
Telecoms
MTN'S RURAL PAYPHONES TAKE OFF IN RWANDA
MTN Rwanda's Tuvugane community payphone initiative, aimed at bringing mobile communication to rural communities, has proved to be even more successful than originally expected.According to the cellular operator, Tuvugane –…
Telecoms
SPAIN'S TELEFONICA TO BID FOR MOROCCAN FIXED LINE LICENCE
Spanish mobile phone operator Telefonica Moviles SA (TEM) said last Wednesday it will bid for a fixed-line license in Morocco through its local joint venture with Portugal Telecom SA (PT).…
Telecoms
Telecoms News - In Brief
- DRC's incumbent OCPT is building new earth stations in partnership with Lucent Communications and other foreign investors including local mobile provider Sematel. The total project is according to local…
Telecoms
TELECOM RATES, OFFERS AND COVERAGE
- Algérie Télécom’s wholly owned mobile arm Mobilis has awarded a contract to build out its GSM network in western Algeria to Chinese vendor ZTE. The announcement follows ZTE’s statement…
Internet
SKYVISION NOW OFFERING LOW COST INTERNET OVER INCLINED ORBIT SATELLITE FROM INTELSAT
In a long awaited step, SkyVision is now offering in Africa its Internet services over an inclined-orbit satellite (the IS-603) from Intelsat. The new service promises prices as low as…
Internet
PLANETSKY ADDS CAPACITY USING YAMAL SATELLITE TO SERVE AFRICAN MARKET
PlanetSky Ltd. and JSC Gascom signed a long-term agreement for the use of capacity on Gascom’s Yamal 200 satellite at 49E. Over a period of time, PlanetSky intends to load…
Internet
3COM INCORPORATES INTERNET FILTERING WITH ITS OFFICECONNECT PRODUCT LINE
3Com Corporation has announced the addition of advanced Internet filtering capabilities to its line of OfficeConnect® Routers and VPN Firewall, providing easy-to-deploy, affordable Web filtering. By joining forces with SurfControl,…
Internet
SA'S SYSTEMSFUSIONS SIGNS UP AS SLIPSTEAM DATA DISTRIBUTOR
South African-based Systemsfusion has signed an agreement to become the African distributor of the data compression and acceleration products developed by SlipStream Data Inc., a leading provider of accelerated web…
Internet
Internet News - In Brief
- Southern Sun Hotels Group is making high-speed Internet access a standard feature in all its hotels in SA. The High Speed Internet Access (HSIA) strategy will see HSIA installed…
Computing
PWC, FRAXION PARTNER ON SPEND MANAGEMENT SOLUTION
PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC) and software company Fraxion have collaborated on a solution for international best practices in spend management. The Global Best Practices solution is aimed at delivering an “industry-specific, charter-compliant,…
Computing
PERIBIT EXPANDS AFRICAN FOOTPRINT
Peribit, the wide area network (WAN) bandwidth optimisation technology company, has expanded its footprint in Africa, with the appointment of a new reseller in East Africa, K-Ninety East Africa Limited…
Computing
NEW ICT INITIATIVE IN RURAL CAMEROON
The ComICT Centre project is going to launch a computer and internet training centre in the rural community of Buea. What marks out this project is its intention to use…
Computing
UCONNECT TAKES ICT TO UGANDAN SCHOOLS USING REFURBS
At least 100 schools that would otherwise not afford it have been able to buy computers at lower prices from an NGO that extends Information Technology to rural areas. The…
Computing
Computer News - In Brief
- In Cape Town, the students of Maitland High School in Kensington will avail the benefits of ICT. The K.I.C. van der Westerhuizen computer room boasts 25 computers with word-processing…
digtool
COOPERATIVE MODELS BEAR FRUIT FOR LIQUID THOUGHT
Cooperative business ventures are an emerging trend in South African among IT and telecommunications companies providing complimentary services to the mid-market. The cooperative model – unlike the “co-opetition model”…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
SA'S TELKOM MOVES TO GRAB 51% STAKE IN NITEL
South Africa’s dominant telecoms services provider Telkom SA is looking to acquire a 51% stake in beleaguered PTO, Nigerian Telecommunications Limited (NITEL). Telkom emerged as a possible contender in the…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
MTS RESOLVES IN-HOUSE CRISIS AND SEEKS TO SETTLE SHARE ALLOCATION DISPUTE
Nigeria's pioneer wireless operator, MTS, has resolved its squabbles and the directors one after the other spent the past week making reassuring speeches to employees of the firm. There was…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
On The Money - In Brief
- South Africa's Sentech says it needs government to finance a R300 million upgrade so that it can offer enhanced digital TV-type services. - Pan-African mobile group Celtel International has reported…
Digital Content
VMOBILE LAUNCHES VACTIVE AND VOFFICE
Vmobile Nigeria has launched Vactive and Voffice as value-added mobile products. While Vactive offers multiple entertainment and information options to suit the individual needs, preferences and lifestyles of Vmobile subscribers,…
Digital Content
KILOSA RURAL SERVICES LAUNCHES WEBSITE
Kilosa Rural Services announced today that it has launched its website for the first rural cybercafe/telecentre in Tanzania. The website - www.kilosaruralservices.com - is designed to inform tourists, backpackers and…
Digital Content
BLACKBERRY GOES COMMERCIAL IN SA
Vodacom last week announced what it claims to be the first commercial launch of the BlackBerry wireless solution in SA, aimed at both the consumer and corporate markets. BlackBerry is…
Digital Content
ZIMPOST LAUNCHES 20 MOBILE POST OFFICE AND WEBSITE
ZIMPOST last officially launched its website and 20 mobile post offices to cater for remote rural and resettlement areas, countrywide. This is in support of the country's agrarian reform programme…
Digital Content
BANKING VIA SMS
First National Bank (FNB) has extended mobile phone banking to the widest market by basing its new cellphone banking service on the lowest common level of technology. “FNB‘s new mobile…
Digital Content
Web And Mobile Data News - In Brief
- Soul Beat Africa has launched a new feature on the website (http://www.comminit.com/africa/community-radio/) - a Community Radio Window - focusing on experiences, strategic thinking, materials, evaluations and other information related…
More
PEOPLE
* According to International Telecoms Users Group Director Ewan Sutherland, monopolistic telcos across Africa are delaying the rollout of low cost VoIP technology because they are afraid of losing revenue…
More
EVENTS
CISCO INNOVATION TOUR TO AFRICA TO BOOST CHANNEL PARTNER OPPORTUNITIES Cisco Systems executives will undertake a tour of five major African countries in March to provide its African business partners…
