News update Telecoms and ICT in Africa - Issue no 316 on 21 Jult 2006
Top Story
Cameroon’s Matrix Telecom looks to VOIP as MTN set to provide nationwide internet service by November 2006
The war over who provides what services to African users is hotting up. This week saw MTN Cameroon announce that by November 2006 it will offer a nationwide Internet service to its customers. Orange Cameroon has also entered the market with a wireless-based solution. But according to a report in Cameroon’s The Post, the newly-formed ISP Matrix Telecom is gearing itself up to fight fire with fire by offering a VoIP product in the near future. Last week MTN’s Distribution Manager Alain Moffon briefed local journalists that its Internet service that can be accessed either by mobile handset or laptop…
Telecoms
SAT3 FIBRE: REGULATORS AND POLICY-MAKERS ASK FOR “TRANSPARENCY ON…PRICING AND GOOD GOVERNANCE
Last week over 30 policy-makers, regulators and operators met in Johannesburg to discuss what will happen when the self-awarded monopolies of Africa’s SAT3 consortium members comes to an end in…
Telecoms
ATLANTIQUE LAUNCHES AS THIRD MOBILE OPERATOR IN COTE D'IVOIRE
Atlantique Telecom, an African company with management interest in seven African telecom operators, has announced the official launch of its operations in Cote d'Ivoire. The company will provide GSM services…
Telecoms
RWANDA GOVERNMENT DECLARES TERRACOM DEAL “NULL AND VOID”
The Rwanda Government last week declared the recent swap deal between Terracom Sarl and GV Telecel null and void, arguing that the deal was not conducted in proper legal terms.…
Telecoms
PROPOSED LEVY IS TOO EXPENSIVE, SAYS CELTEL KENYA
Mobile telephone services provider Celtel Kenya has petitioned the Government to halt its plans to charge telecommunication firms a levy for rural communications development. The Government intends to set up…
Telecoms
NIGERIAN JUDGE SAYS ECONET SALE CASE SHOULD BE ACCELERATED
The judge presiding over the legal battle between Econet Wireless and its Nigerian partners in the Lagos High Court has ruled that the case should go to full trial on…
Telecoms
Telecoms News - In Brief
- ICASA has cleared the way for 10-digit phone dialling. South African customers will need to dial 10-digit numbers even for local calls from October 16 when dialling changes are…
Internet
ICANN TURNS SIGHTS ON AFRICA
Officials at the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) acknowledge that they have failed to help Africa develop its information and communication technology (ICT) infrastructure, and are looking…
Internet
TELKOM TO REDUCE WHOLESALE ADSL ISP BANDWIDTH RATES
Telkom has informed ISP’s about a reduction in the per-Gig ADSL rate effective from the 1st of August 2006. According to information received from ISP’s selling ADSL services, the new…
Internet
MOROCCO TOPS BROADBAND LEAGUE WITH 325,000 SUBSCRIBERS
Maroc Telecom, announced its half year results this week for its mobile, fixed line and internet activities. On the internet side the company has reported that the ADSL customer base…
Internet
RWANDA INTERNET DOMAIN RANKED 28,827 WORLDWIDE
A universal website; Ranking.com, has ranked the Rwandan domain ‘co.rw’ 28,827th worldwide, receiving an estimated 301,974 viewers per day. MSN.COM and yahoo.com scooped the number one and two positions respectively.…
Internet
ITU TO ATTEND THIRD ANNUAL AFRICAN VOIP FORUM IN NIGERIA
The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) will be attending the third African VoIP Forum in Lagos over 21-23 August 2006. A statement issued in London by the organisers of the VoIP…
Internet
Internet News - In Brief
- Abuja-based Backbone Connectivity Net work (BCN) Limited, has began laying fibre optic cables to connect the Northern region of Nigeria including Abuja, Kano, Katsina, Sokoto and other Northern towns.…
Computing
MICROSOFT LAUNCHES AFRIKAANS LANGUAGE INTERFACE PACK FOR WINDOWS XP
Microsoft SA has announced details of the general availability of the Afrikaans Language Interface Pack (LIP) for Windows XP, which forms part of Microsoft's global Local Language Programme. Pfungwa Serima,…
Computing
INDIAN OFFICIALS EXPRESS SCEPTICISM ABOUT MIT’S ONE LAPTOP PER CHILD PLANS
Earlier this week some Indian officials expressed concerns about MIT’s One Laptop per Child Plans. In a letter to his counterpart in the Planning Commission (Sudeep Banerjee), Rajiv Ratna Shah…
Computing
LAGOS' COMPUTER MARKET PROMISES TO 'CLEAN UP'
A bustling computer market in Lagos, Nigeria's commercial capital, on July 24 was allowed to stay in business after pledging to dispose of its dangerous waste properly, traders and officials…
Computing
Computer News - In Brief
- Gambia President Yahya Jammeh has announced plans to create a new tax-free zone that will transform The Gambia into a 'Silicon Valley of Africa'. However, he maintained that the…
Telecoms, Rates, Offers and Coverage
TELECOMS, RATES, OFFERS AND COVERAGE
- Angola Telecom, the national fixed operator has introduced a wireless telephone system called "Touch More” which will provide voice, data, message and internet services. The firm has invested USD…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
MTC REPORTS RECORD FIRST HALF YEAR PROFITS AND SECURES $4 BILLION LOAN FACILITY
MTC Group (owners of Celtel) has reported that it is operating in 20 countries on 2 continents serving over 22.9 million customers as of June 30, 2006 an increase of…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
PORTUGAL TELECOM COMPLETES PURCHASE OF 34% STAKE IN NAMIBIAN CELLCO
Namibian Post and Telecom Holdings Limited (NPTH) and Portugal Telecom concluded a share sale agreement and a shareholders' agreement, officially finalising the acquisition of 34 per cent of the share…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
GIVE 41 PER CENT TO LOCALS, MOBILE PHONE SERVICE PROVIDERS TOLD BY ZAMBIAN GOVERNMENT
Government has urged mobile phone service providers to sell 41 per cent of their shares on the Zambian market as a way of protecting national interests in the telecommunication sector,…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
MILLICOM Q2 PROFIT UP SEVENFOLD AT US$34MN
European mobile holding company Millicom International Cellular saw its second quarter profit leap sevenfold to US$34mn from US$5mn in the same period a year ago, the company said in a…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
VODACOM ANNOUNCES RESULTS FOR THE PERIOD ENDED JUNE 30
As at June 30, the Vodacom Group recorded 25.2m customers across its networks operating in SA, Tanzania, the DRC, Lesotho and Mozambique, reflecting a 7,3% increase in the three months…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
On The Money - In Brief
- Dialogue Group and black-owned Tlhalefang Placement have formed a new company, Interaction Call Centres, to provide services to MTN worth R106m over 18 months. About 400 new jobs would…
Digital Content
MOZAMBIQUE GOVERNMENT LAUNCHES INTERNET PORTAL
This week in Maputo, the Information Policy Commission launched the government portal, with the aim of creating a common infrastructure for executive communications. The government portal was developed by the…
Digital Content
BRITISH HIGH COMMISSION LINKS CONCORD TIMES IN SIERRA LEONE
The Website of Concord Times (www.concordtimessl.com) has now been linked to the British High Commission website in Freetown. Readers of Concord Times can browse at www.britishhighcommission.gov.uk/sierraleone and get the latest…
Digital Content
Web And Mobile Data News - In Brief
- All Nigerian Government Ministries and Departments have been directed to put up functional websites by the end of the year. President Olusegun Obasanjo said that henceforth there should be…
Web and Mobile Data_old
ICASA EXPECTED TO EXTEND DEADLINE FOR BROADCASTING LICENCE
The Independent Communications Authority of SA (Icasa) is today expected to extend the deadline for subscription broadcasting licence applications to the end of August. This will give interested companies an…
Web and Mobile Data_old
CHALLENGES TO DOWNLOADING MULTIMEDIA AND CONFUSION OVER NET NEUTRALITY
Imagine now you can download latest movies, entertainments, multimedia games from the internet for FREE of charge. What will happen to cable TV such as Dstv? The neutral communications medium…
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PEOPLE
* Aimable Mpore recently announced his departure from Uganda telecom. He is said to be heading west to work for MTN in Cote d'Ivoire. * The Ghanaian Chronicle reports that…
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EVENTS
- SANGONET’S THETHA FORUM 2-3 August 2006, Mountain Inn in Mbabane, Swaziland. SANGONeT's Thetha Forums provide NGOs with the opportunity to discuss information communication technology (ICT), including challenges facing the…
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JOBS AND OPPORTUNITIES
* LIAISON AND COMMUNICATION OFFICER – MAURITIUS AfriNIC is a non-governmental and not for profit Organization responsible of Internet Numbers Resource Management for Africa and Indian Ocean region. For the…
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CONTRACTS: WHO'S SELLING WHAT TO WHO?
* ORANGE AND VOLUBILL – CAMEROON Orange Cameroon has ordered a billing platform from VoluBill, a provider of charging solutions. The Charge it for IP solution will be installed to…
