Issue no 323
Top Story
EASSy parties in disconnect over end of the beginning– negotiations continue
The road to concluding the agreements leading to the implementation of EASSy was unlike the project’s name never going to be easy. There are 23 Governments that NEPAD’s e-Africa Commission is trying to get to sign a protocol called Policy and Regulatory Framework for NEPAD ICT Broadband Infrastructure. Many of those countries have one or more parties already involved in the EASSy consortium. In addition, there are the DFIs (like the World Bank) and beyond them commercial financial institutions that might seek to get involved. And outside of this rather crowded “magic circle” are a range of potential small and…
Telecoms
ETHIOPIAN TELECOMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION LOOKS EAST
The Ethiopian Telecommunications Corporation (ETC) last Wednesday signed a memorandum of understanding with three Chinese telecom companies on a telecom infrastructure development project. ETC has designed a four-year expansion project…
Telecoms
SEVEN FIRMS IN RACE TO COMPETE AGAINST TELKOM IN KENYA
Seven telecommunication firms have now been short-listed to vie for the second national operator licence. This means that one firm has been dropped from the list of eight that Communication…
Telecoms
ILLEGAL TRADE IN CELLULAR LINES STILL RIFE IN ZIMBABWE
The Posts and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (Potraz) has been accused of failing to tame the illegal trading of mobile phone lines despite banning the activity. Underhand trading of…
Telecoms
BABANGIDA’S SON’S NAME APPEARS ON SOME GLOBACOM OWNERSHIP DOCUMENTS
The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC) Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, has explained that his commission has not yet concluded the investigation into the share ownership of one…
Telecoms
SA’S VODACOM NOT LIABLE FOR DROPPED CALLS BUT ICASA TO TAKE UP QUALITY ISSUE
Vodacom may have won the right not to be held liable for dropped calls by the Johannesburg High Court last Friday, but it has a new adversary to deal with…
Telecoms
Telecoms News - In Brief
- The introduction of number portability in South Africa has been postponed until 10th November. The decision was made by the Independent Communications Authority of SA (Icasa) after pressure from…
Internet
GVF SUMMIT ASKS: DOES BROADBAND SATELLITE MAKE SENSE FOR WEST AFRICA?
This is one of the many questions that the GVF West Africa Satellite Communications Summit will try to answer in Abuja, 31 October to 2 November. With a welcoming address…
Internet
TELKOM 'OUTAGE' LEAVES MWEB CLIENTS STRANDED
Thousands of businesses and consumers were unable to access the Internet and their e-mail last week morning after a "critical outage" suffered by internet service provider MWeb. The network failure…
Internet
INDIA WIRES AFRICA TO BEAT CHINA
The government of India is awarding millions of dollars in grants to African countries for a cross-continental communications network, in the hopes of selling some telecom gear -- and sticking…
Internet
AFRICA VIRTUAL HERITAGE MANAGEMENT PROJECT IS LAUNCHED
Tralliance Corporation, the .travel Registry, working with the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) today announced the establishment of the Africa Virtual Heritage Management Project (VHMP) before an audience of…
Internet
Internet News - In Brief
- Telkom Kenya has announced that work has started on laying the cable linking Nairobi to the border down of Malaba. The Nairobi-Malaba cable will be laid alongside the oil…
Computing
NIGERIA'S ATM MARKET IS FASTEST GROWING IN AFRICA
Nigeria in the last few years has recorded technological advancements against all odds. First was the tsunami like rapid growth of the GSM technology which in the last five years…
Computing
AFRICANS NEED TO DEVELOP OPEN SOURCE SOFTWARE
Jollitte, who was presenting a paper at the Highway Africa conference, said countries like South Africa have developed a lot of software in different areas using open source, but have…
Computing
NEW INITIATIVE TO PROVIDE COMPUTERS FOR ALL IN GHANA
A new enterprise between the Ghana government and multinational computer microchip maker Intel, is expected to bring affordable computer ownership within reach of thousands of Ghana households and small business…
Computing
Computer News - In Brief
- The Government of Liberia has announced the introduction of computer skills training program in several public high schools across the country aimed at making high school graduates computer-literate. About…
Telecoms, Rates, Offers and Coverage
TELECOMS, RATES, OFFERS AND COVERAGE
- Zimbabwe mobile operator NetOne announced its aims to boost its subscriber base from 560,000 in 2006 to 1,500,000 by the end of next year as the mobile phone provider…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
BOTSWANA’S BTC POSTS USD23 MILLION PROFIT
Botswana Telecommunications Corporation (BTC) has announced a profit of P139 million (USD23 million), 18% more than the P118 million the corporation made in 2005. BTC is extremely pleased with its…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
DIALOGUE TO RAISE USD7M AHEAD OF ALTX LISTING
Call-centre specialist Dialogue Holdings aims to raise R51m (USD7 million) in a private placement of 51-million shares ahead of its AltX listing on September 19. Institutional investors in SA have…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
SOUTH AFRICA’S INTERCONNECTIVE SERVICES RISES ON BIGGER OFFERING, MARGINS
Voice and data specialist Interconnective Solutions has inched its way further into profitability by broadening the range of services it offers and concentrating on those with a fatter profit margin.…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
On The Money - In Brief
- Algerie-Telecom will issuefrom 17 September to 17 October 2006 a 20 billion dinar public bond (nearly US$350 million), the company's chairman, Slimane Kheirdine, announced. The issue of bonds is…
Digital Content
NEW GLOBAL FORUM FOR MOBILE ONLINE USERS
An industry forum working to improve the take-up of Internet services on mobile devices has opened its membership to any company in the sector. The dotMobi advisory group is inviting…
Digital Content
BLOGGING AFRICA - A REVIEW OF AFRICAN BLOGS
The following is a summary review of African blogs from around the globe. African Bullets & Honey (http://bulletsandhoney.blogspot.com/2006/09/is-digital-indaba-internet-berlin.html) takes issue with the Digital Indaba on Blogging taking place in Johannesburg…
Web and Mobile Data_old
DSTV'S MONOPOLY CRASHES IN NIGERIA
Last month, the Federal Government decided to break the monopoly of Digital Satellite Television (DSTV) over the broadcast of some programmes in the country, notably the English Premiership League (EPL).…
Web and Mobile Data_old
DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES - COMING SOON ON YOUR DESKTOP AND MOBILE PHONES
In the session dubbed "Television: yesterday, today, tomorrow", Devan Naidoo, of South Africa's Department of Communication, said that in a world where two billion people are mobile phone subscribers, with…
Web and Mobile Data_old
NO POLICY SHIFT ON BROADCASTING LICENCES IN ZIMBABWE
There has been no change of Government policy in barring foreign ownership of broadcasting licences in terms of the Broadcasting Services Act, Acting Minister of Information and Publicity Munyaradzi Paul…
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PEOPLE
* Jackie Manche, CEO of the Independent Communications Authority of SA (Icasa), returned to her office after a 10-month suspension, but still faces a disciplinary hearing about allegedly violating the…
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EVENTS
- REGIONAL SEMINAR ON BROADBAND WIRELESS ACCESS FOR RURAL AND REMOTE AREAS IN AFRICA 18th-21st September 2006, Yaoundé, Cameroon The seminar will examine the technological, economic and regulatory factors that…
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JOBS AND OPPORTUNITIES
* CUSTOMER PROJECT MANAGER, ERICSSON – SOUTH AFRICA A customer project manager is required with a stong Ericsson background. Managing Core and Service Layer projects, you will have a background…
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CONTRACTS: WHO'S SELLING WHAT TO WHOM?
* GLOBACOM, FIRST BANK PIC AND INTERSWITCH – NIGERIA The second national operator Globacom, and Nigeria's foremost bank, First Bank PIc, in conjunction with the country's frontline switching company, Interswitch,…
