News update Telecoms and ICT in Africa - Issue no 317 on 4 August 2006
Top Story
Revealed: the SAT3 consortium’s shareholder agreement they don’t want you to see
Suddenly out of the blue last week a copy of the SAT3 shareholders agreement came into our hands. This 76 page document (with extensive appendices) was signed on 17 June 1999. It is the “commercially confidential” agreement that outlines the capacity held by the different partners and the governance of the consortium. This week Russell Southwood takes a look at the main parts of the agreement and identifies some items that seem to be missing. The copy of the SAT3 document that has come to us has been cross-checked against parts of the shareholders’ agreement that we have seen from…
Telecoms
MTN, VGCCL, SIX OTHERS GET UNIFIED LICENCE IN NIGERIA
Four new firms have secured unified licences from the Nigerian Communications Commission, bringing to eight the number of telecommunications companies in the country granted similar licences. A unified licence gives…
Telecoms
BOTSWANA: PEEPA OUTLINES BTC'S PRIVATISATION PROCESS
Public Enterprises Evaluation and Privatisation Agency (PEEPA) Chief Executive Officer, Joshua Galeforolwe last week outlined stages that will be taken towards Botswana Telecommunication Corporation's (BTC) privatisation. Galeforolwe, who was speaking…
Telecoms
MOBILE OPERATORS GET EXPERT HELP IN AFRICAN RUSH
The rapid expansion of mobile telecommunications in Africa is seeing operators turn to innovative technologies in the scramble to reach new areas and grab market share, according to recent industry…
Telecoms
SMS REVENUES UNDER THREAT FROM IM CLIENT FROM MXIT
At around R70 (USD10.17) per megabyte, South African SMSs are almost certainly the most expensive data-based communication method in the world. Local cellphone networks gloat at Christmas and New Year…
Telecoms
ORASCOM TELECOM PULLS OUT FROM TELECOM BID
The Egyptian communication company Orascom Telecom (OT) pulled out from the contest over 70 percent of Serbian Mobi 63 Company that the Serbian government has marked for privatization. The move…
Telecoms
Telecoms News - In Brief
- Joseph Ndong, the Senegalese Minister in charges of telecommunications has assured that the call for tender for a third new operator will soon be announced. The minister explained further…
Internet
TELKOM CLEARS UP SAT-3 EXCLUSIVITY EXTENSION SPECULATION
Telkom’s 5 year exclusive rights to on-sell SAT-3 bandwidth capacity in South Africa will come to an end in April 2007, sparking speculation of a possible extension. This speculation was…
Internet
MALI: BAMAKO UNIVERSITY INTRANET PROJECT IN CRISIS
USAID has invested more than FCFA1 billion in an intranet project to connect 10 University sites in Bamako but thus far with few results, writes Assetou Diarra of Mali NTIC.The…
Internet
WIMAX GAINING MOMENTUM IN SOUTH AFRICA
More South African ISP’s and broadband providers are looking at using WiMax as a way of reaching their customers and bringing new services to the market. iBurst has joined various…
Internet
TELKOM STRUGGLES TO COPE WITH BROADBAND DEMAND
Telkom is failing to cope with soaring demand for corporate and residential broadband. Sensing blood, wireless operators, including iBurst and the cellular network providers, are moving quickly to take advantage…
Computing
ONE LAPTOP PER CHILD ORDER REPORTS 'INCORRECT'
Reports that Brazil, Nigeria, Argentina and Thailand have each committed to buying a million laptops from the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) programme are "incorrect", a spokesperson for the project…
Computing
RWANDA IS SELECTED AS MODEL FOR E-TOURISM
Rwanda Office for Tourism and National Parks (ORTPN) has been selected to be a model for executing e-tourism in Africa. This development followed a long-term partnership between the United Nations…
Computing
NEPAD TO LAUNCH E-SCHOOLS INITIATIVE IN UGANDA
The New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD) will launch the first demonstration of the Africa e-school project at Kyambogo College School in Kampala. The initiative aims at equipping African schools…
Computing
ETHIOPIA IN OPEN SOURCE PUSH
Since the inception of the Ethiopian Free and Open Source Network* (Efossnet), in February 2005, the open source software movement in Ethiopia has picked up strong momentum. It is showing…
Computing
Computer News - In Brief
- Microsoft has made its Setswana Language Interface Pack (LIP) for Windows XP available. The product, which forms part of the company's worldwide Local Language Programme (LLP), transforms the operating…
Telecoms, Rates, Offers and Coverage
TELECOMS, RATES, OFFERS AND COVERAGE
- The Zanzibar based-mobile phone company Zantel has substantially reduced its international tariffs by 68%. The international calls will now fall to as low as Tanzania shillings 320 (US$ 0.32)…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
MOBINIL 1H PROFIT SLIPS, DESPITE STEADY REVENUE GROWTH; DELAYS 3G DECISION
The Egyptian Company for Mobile Services (ECMS), which offers services under the brand name MobiNil, has reported a 3% fall in net profit for the first half of 2006, down…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
VOXTELECOM BIDS FOR LEADERSHIP OF VOICE SOLUTIONS MARKET AFTER ACQUISITIONS
VoxTelecom, the specialist voice carrier of telecommunications group DataPro, will use two recent acquisitions to position itself as "a significant player in the booming voice service provision arena", says Managing…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
UGANDAN MINISTER WANTS PHONE TAX REVISED
Doctor Ham Mulira, the ICT minister, wants parliament to revisit taxes on mobile phone airtime and fixed lines. Telecom companies pay a 12% and 5% duty on mobile phone airtime…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
SA IT TO OUTPACE GLOBAL GROWTH
South African IT budgets are expected to grow faster than their international counterparts this year, a Gartner conference has heard. Globally, IT budgets are expected to grow at 2.7% this…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
On The Money - In Brief
- The Chairman of the National Investment Commission (NIC), Richard Tolbert, has challenged Liberian business entrepreneurs to forge partnership with multilateral financial institutions in the United States and Africa, especially…
Digital Content
SOFTWARE ON THE WEB SET TO REVOLUTIONISE IT SECTOR
Hi-Tech companies seeking the next big thing in the IT sector to enliven their sluggish revenues finally seem to have found it: the ability for customers to access the software…
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PEOPLE
* Eyal Copitt has been appointed as the District Manager (Africa) at Network Appliance Inc. (NetApp), a unified storage solutions provider. Copitt will be leaving his position as Gilat Satcom's…
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EVENTS
- THIRD ANNUAL AFRICAN VOIP FORUM 21-23 August 2006, Muson Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos, Nigeria The event offers a high-powered educational opportunity for Africa’s ISPs, telecom operators and corporate VoIP…
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JOBS AND OPPORTUNITIES
* MGW O&M ENGINEER – KENYA The company is currently looking for an MGw O&M Engineer with at least 2 years proven Media Gateway (MGw) Administration, MGw activities in telecoms…
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CONTRACTS: WHO'S SELLING WHAT TO WHO?
* TOSHIBA AND AL FUTTAIM TECHNOLOGIES - EAST AFRICA Toshiba recently appointed Al-Futtaim Technologies, a member of the Al-Futtaim Group’s electronics division, as distributors for its notebook PCs product range…
