News update Telecoms and ICT in Africa - Issue no 292 on 6 January 2006

GIPFZA TO ATTRACT NOKIA SERVICE CENTRE TO AIRPORT FREE ZONE?

The Gambia Investment Promotion and Free Zone Authority has developed a 10 hectare “free zone” adjacent to Banjul’s airport which has 2000 sq mtrs of factory space with basic services and facilities and it is keen to attract ICT service companies into the space. There is also more land for development that can be made available a concessional rate. QuantumNet has signed an agreement with Nokia to become a regional distributor and service centre, taking advantage of the country’s air links with countries like Liberia and Sierra Leone. It may be one of the first new companies to move into…

KENYAN CCK TO ANNOUNCE INTERNATIONAL GATEWAY LICENCES FOR MOBILE OPERATORS IN 3 WEEKS TIME?

Communications Commissions of Kenya (CCK) will in three weeks announce when it will give mobile firms licences to operate their own international gateways. CCK director-general, John Waweru, on Wednesday said…

EGYPT: COMPETITION INTENSIFIES FOR THIRD MOBILE LICENCE

The competition for Egypt's third mobile licence intensified last Sunday, with Kuwait's expansionary MTC throwing its hat in the ring. Now, with the government expected to issue the licence later…

VODACOM TO PROVIDE MOBILE DATA SERVICES IN CONGO

Vodacom Congo has awarded a contract to France-based telecoms equipment vendor Alcatel, which will see the deployment of a complete end-to-end GPRS (EDGE-ready) mobile data solution. The operator expects to…

COURT STOPS MTL SALE IN MALAWI

The High Court has stopped privatisation of Malawi Telecommunications Limited (MTL) until a judicial review on claims that the Privatisation Commission (PC) violated the Public Enterprises (Privatisation) Act in the…

LESOTHO’S INCUMBENT GIVEN ONE-YEAR EXTENSION TO ITS MONOPOLY

Hardened cynics were not surprised but others expressed incredulity that the Lesotho incumbent has been granted a one year extension to its exclusivity on its fixed line operations. This extension…

Telecoms News - In Brief

- Pan-African mobile operator Celtel International has launched a new Technical Centre in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The centre, which was built at a cost of US$7bn, will…

TELECOMS, RATES, OFFERS AND COVERAGE

- Sierra Leone mobile operator Celtel SL has revealed plans to invest USD20 million in its GSM network to expand its reach across the country. The cellco, which currently provides…

EGYPTIAN ISPS GIVEN THE ALL-CLEAR TO GET INTERNATIONAL GATEWAYS

Egypt’s National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (NTRA) says it will amend all of the country’s internet service provider (ISP) concessions to allow licensees to obtain international bandwidth, a government official said…

AFRICA ONLINE LAUNCHES ADSL IN TANZANIA

Africa Online Tanzania has just introduced ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line) in addition to its range of products. This a communication technology that uses the existing phone network the deliver…

MAURITIUS CONNECTS 120,000 STUDENTS ON BROADBAND AND LAUNCHES IXP

Since the launch of an initiative to connect both public and private secondary schools to DSL broadband, 171 institutions (of which 166 are Colleges) have been put online. According to…

Internet News - In Brief

* The Communications Commission of Kenya (CCK) has deregistered 30 Internet Service Provider (ISP) operators. CCK director-general, John Waweru, last week said the affected companies, which he did not name…

ETHIOPIA’S CSA LAUNCHES NEW SURVEY RESULTS DATABASE

The Central Statistical Agency (CSA) launched on Tuesday new software -EthioInfo- the Agency said "provides socio-economic and demographic data base in a user friendly manner." At a launching ceremony held…

TELKOM SOUTH AFRICA EYES DIMENSION DATA

South Africa's fixed-line phone company Telkom is on the prowl for a technology firm to beef up its data business and has approached Dimension Data shareholders about a possible deal.…

MIDDLE EAST & AFRICA'S FIRST TECHNOLOGY DISTRIBUTORS ASSOCIATION LAUNCHED AT DISTREE MEA 2006

New association to be open to all Technology distributors in Middle East & Africa (MEA); aims to provide platform for best business practices and communications between channel and vendors Middle…

NIGERIA’S RELTEL IN THE EYE OF INDIAN INTEREST

Nigeria-based fixed wireless operator Reltel has said that an Indian firm is interested in acquiring a majority stake in the operator at a cost of US$55mn. Although Reltel executive vice…

SOUTH AFRICA'S TELKOM SEES SLOWER H2 PROFIT GROWTH

South Africa's fixed-line phone company Telkom expects its full-year earnings to grow at a slightly slower pace than in the first half as the impact of tariff cuts bites, its…

KUWAIT'S MTC BUYS REST OF SUDAN'S MOBITEL

Kuwait's Mobile Telecommunications Co. (MTC) said it bought control of leading Sudanese mobile operator Mobitel from Sudan Telecom (Sudatel) for $1.33 billion. MTC said the deal with in line with…

On The Money - In Brief

- South African state-owned transport utility Transnet said on Tuesday it had begun selling a 5 percent stake in cellphone operator MTN through a book building exercise. Transnet has held…

ZIMBABWE: MDC FACTIONS IN DIRTY CYBER-WAR

Rival Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) camps have started a cyber-war and ratcheted up their campaigns to demonise each other ahead of parallel congresses this month and in March. The…

Web And Mobile Data News - In Brief

- Developing Telecoms (www.developingtelecoms.com ) is the new web site for the developing world launched at WSIS. We are building a practical resource for telecom managers and engineers in emerging…

PEOPLE

* AITEC has recruited Peter Redlinghuys as Group MD. Peter was previously head of African marketing for NCC Education and then Business Development Manager for Soft-Tech in Tanzania. AITEC has…

EVENTS

6 January 2006

- ITU Workshop to Survey RFID Standards14-15 February 2006, ITU Headquarters, GenevaFor further information please consult http://www.itu.int/newsroom/press_releases/2006/Advisory-01.html - Corporate Network Management Forum: LANs, WANs, VPNs, Multimedia, VoIP, Security: Developing Strategies…

JOBS AND OPPORTUNITIES

* HOSTING JINX 2006/2009 The call for proposals for the hosting of JINX for the2006-2009 has been launched by ISPA. Proposals have to be submitted by 17:00 on Tuesday, 28…

CONTRACTS: WHO'S SELLING WHAT TO WHO?

* ORASCOM TELECOM AND DITECH COMMUNICATIONS -Orascom Telecom has ordered a voice quality assurance platform from Ditech Communications for use on its subsidiary networks in Pakistan (Mobilink) and Algeria (Djezzy).…