Issue no 305
Top Story
Most common complaints about phone service are price, quality and access, says new report
The three main areas of complaints from phone consumers are high prices, quality of service and getting access to the service, according to the authors of a new report published by Balancing Act this month. The report - “Assessing consumer activity in the telecom and Internet sectors in Africa” – is based on a survey of 30 countries in Africa and includes three detailed case studies of Kenya, Senegal and South Africa. It looks at how consumer complaints are treated and what processes are in place to deal with them. It focuses on the central role of the regulator in…
Telecoms
MALAWIAN REGULATOR MACRA ANNOUNCES TENDER FOR SNO
Malawi’s regulator MACRA has announced a tender for a Second National Operator (see www.macra.org.mw) to provide “public fixed telecommunications services”. Applicants have been given 30 days from 5 May to…
Telecoms
BTC REMOVES PUBLIC PAYPHONES IN BOTSWANA
Botswana Telecommunications Corporation (BTC)- the fixed line monopoly - has done away with most of its public payphones. Only a few of the public pay phones, which used to populate…
Telecoms
VMOBILE'S PLANNING TO USE INTERCONNECT CLEARINGHOUSES
Pioneer cellular telephone operator deploying a modern 2.5G network across the country, Vmobile, during the week disclosed that it is concluding arrangements to use an interconnect clearinghouse in transiting its…
Telecoms
SOUTH AFRICAN PREPAID CELLPHONES TO BE REGISTERED
The government's plan to register prepaid cellphone users is likely to close down the countless middlemen who buy SIM cards in bulk and sell them with no questions asked, according…
Telecoms
ORASCOM SEEKS TO SQUEEZE WATANIYA OUT OF TUNISIANA
Egypt’s Orascom Telecom has announced that it will file a request for arbitration against Kuwait operator Wataniya Telecom to enforce what it claims to be a contractual right to acquire…
Telecoms
BHARTI INTERESTED IN GABON LICENCE
Indian telco Bharti is in talks with Gabon’s government to discuss the possibility of entering the country’s telecoms sector, either through the purchase of a stake in state-run incumbent operator…
Telecoms
Telecoms News - In Brief
- The ANRT, the Moroccan regulator has published a call for tender regarding the award of third generation licences. Applications can be made from May 2nd on payment of 40,000…
Internet
Internet News - In Brief
- The federal government of Nigeria, last week, integrated the country into the Africa’s e-school initiative with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the e-Africa Commission’s team…
Internet
NCC AND ISPS START INTERNET EXCHANGE POINTS IN NIGERIA
Nigeria's first national internet exchange has been established, a result of collaboration between the Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC) and the ISP industry represented by Internet Service Providers Association of Nigeria.…
Internet
NEPAD FAVOURS OPEN ACCESS FOR EASSY PROJECT
The NEPAD e-Africa Commission, a body mandated with the development of a continental ICT infrastructure network, is taking a tough stance over ownership of the proposed Eastern Africa undersea cable…
Internet
EASSY CONSORTIUM TURNS DOWN INVESTMENT FROM AFRICA ONLINE
One of Africa’s few regional ISPs Africa Online has been turned down as an investor by the EASSy consortium, according to one of its Board members Richard Bell. It made…
Internet
SURVEY REVEALS POOR WEB SITE PERFORMANCE IS COSTING BUSINESSES MILLIONS
While the transactional Web site is increasingly finding its way into the marketer's arsenal for growing reach and revenues by making it easier and more cost-effective to deliver products and…
Internet
Computing
COPYRIGHT COMMISSION SEIZES PIRATED CPU'S IN NIGERIA
It was a bad day for the staff and management of Standard Alliance Insurance Limited as it had its head office on Plot 280/281, Ajose Adeogun Street, Victoria, Lagos besieged…
Computing
NEPAD DRAFTS YOUTH INTO ICT DEVELOPMENT AGENDA
Africa's effort to accelerate development through increased Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) has gained momentum with the formation of the NEPAD e-Africa Youth Programme that is intended to generate awareness on…
Computing
STATE SECTOR RESTRUCTURING SQUEEZES IT SECTOR IN SOUTH AFRICA
Cost-cutting measures and restructuring taking place in state-owned enterprises are hitting the information technology industry, as these organisations apply strict cost controls to match their falling budgets. State-owned enterprises spent…
Computing
OPEN SOURCE OFFICE OPENS IN SOWETO
The CSIR Meraka Institute's Open Source Centre, in conjunction with open source software (OSS) movement, the Kasi Open Source Society (KOSS), is opening a satellite office in Soweto today. The…
Computing
Computer News - In Brief
- The Ugandan Government plans to set up an Information and Communication Technology (ICT) ministry. The new ministry, when formed, will bring together activities of the Directorate of Information, the…
Telecoms, Rates, Offers and Coverage
TELECOMS, RATES, OFFERS AND COVERAGE
- Ghana Telecom (GT) has launched a new service product named eazyfone prepaid telephony at Tarkwa yesterday. The service is in two parts, the one which is targeted at the…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
SUITORS TOO SLOW BUT ERP.COM DOOR IS OPEN
Software supplier ERP.com says talks with two potential bidders have come to nothing, prompting the withdrawal of a cautionary announcement to end the uncertainty over its future independence. The discussions…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
NIGERIAN MTC ANNOUNCES IMPROVED EARNINGS
The Mobile Telecommunications Company (MTC) has announced its first quarter 2006 results, reflecting increased earnings The financial highlights of the results released weekend showed that subscribers' base had climbed to…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
ZIMBABWE NET*ONE ON THE LOOK FOR A BUYER
Talks to dispose of a 49 percent stake in Zimbabwe's ailing state-owned cellular operator, Net*One, have reached a crucial stage, with South Africa's MTN understood to be one of the…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
On The Money - In Brief
- Dimension Data today reported revenue growth of 15.9%, to $1.45 billion, with both group operating profit and group operating margin increasing “considerably” for the first six months ended 31…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
READERS RESPONSES:
ISSUES 294 & 304 – CAMEROONIAN ISPS I was just reading the article on the revolution Kikao has brought for Internet users in Cameroon and kind of got mixed feelings…
Digital Content
BAT LAUNCHES REGIONAL WEBSITE IN UGANDA
BritishAmerican Tobacco has launched a regional website known as BAT East Africa Community website. The website, www.bateac.com, launched by the Executive Director of the Uganda Investment Authority, Ms Maggie Kigozi…
Digital Content
ALGERIAN MOBILIS WAP PORTAL SUPPLIED WITH APS NEWS SHORTLY
Under an agreement to be concluded in the next few days, Algerian news agency 'Algérie Presse Service' (APS) will supply with news the WAP portal of mobile telephony operator Mobilis,…
Web and Mobile Data_old
FIFA AWARDS MTech AND OSMI LICENSE FOR 2006 FIFA WORLD CUP
Nigeria’s premier mobile technology company MTech, and Sports marketing Outfit, Optima Sports Management International (OSMi), have jointly acquired the Mobile Telephony license for sub-Saharan Africa in the upcoming FIFA World…
Web and Mobile Data_old
AFRICAN MOVIE CHANNEL LAUNCHES ON UK’S HOMECHOICE
African Movie Channel, AMC is the new digital TV channel that has just launched in the UK exclusively on Homechoice on channel 240. AMC is the first and only TV…
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PEOPLE
* MTN Group, announced the appointment of six new directors. Dr Kolade, Nigeria High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, is the first Nigerian to make the non-executive board of MTN…
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EVENTS
- OIL & GAS COMMUNICATIONS CONFERENCE: AFRICA AND THE MIDDLE EAST 15-17 May 2006, JW Marriott Hotel, Mirage City, Cairo, Egypt. The conference will bring together key leaders and experts…
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JOBS AND OPPORTUNITIES
* BUSINESS CONSULTANT – BURKINA-FASO The company is seeking a Business Consultant for 1 month in Africa. The Ericsson customer in question has had independent consultants draw up a Business…
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CONTRACTS: WHO'S SELLING WHAT TO WHO?
- ALGERIA TELECOM AND ALCATEL – ALGERIA Alcatel was selected by Algeria Telecom to open the door for expansion of high-speed DSL broadband in the North African nation. Paris-based Alcatel…
