News update Telecoms and ICT in Africa - Issue no 329 on 17 November 2006
Top Story
South Africa’s coming convergence may hold lessons for rest of the continent
There has been a recent set of developments in South Africa that bring convergence between the worlds of telecommunications, media and broadcast much closer. Three things in particular – media liberalisation, new technologies to deliver media and yet another project that promises cheap bandwidth – all make it likely that South Africa will become the first fully converged market on the continent. Russell Southwood has spent the last two weeks talking to the players and trying to understand what lessons these developments might hold for the rest of the continent. When trying to illustrate the difference between a content deliverer…
Telecoms
BATTLE LOOMS IN TELECOMS INDUSTRY IN ZIMBABWE
An attempt by the government to rescue TelOne from collapse by forcing other mobile cellular operators to share their international traffic revenue could result in renewed legal battles in the…
Telecoms
CHINA SUPPORTS SECOND PHASE OF NIGERIA RURAL TELEPHONY PROJECT WITH $300M
In an address to the 'Connecting Rural Communities Africa 2006' conference in Abuja-Nigeria, new Nigerian communications minister, Dr. Obafemi Anibaba, and Director of the National Rural Telephony Program, Mr. S.S.…
Telecoms
KENYA AWARDS SNO LICENCE TO DUBAI’S VTEL
Kenya on Friday awarded a long-delayed second national telecommunications (SNO) licence to a consortium led by Dubai-based VTEL, hoping to lower prices and boost competition against the state-owned operator. VTEL,…
Telecoms
Telecoms News - In Brief
- Telecom companies from Egypt, Italy, India, Saudi Arabia and the UAE plan to build a submarine cable linking Europe to India through the Middle East, Reuters reported citing a…
Telecoms
NEW MTL MANAGERS UNVEIL RECOVERY PLANS IN MALAWI
New managers from Detecon of Germany—the technical partner in the Press Corporation Limited (PCL) led consortium that bought the privatised fixed phone operator Malawi Telecommunications Limited (MTL)—said on Thursday they…
Telecoms
AFRICAN OPERATOR HELPS PIONEER USE OF BIOFUEL AS POWER SUPPLY
South Africa’s MTN Group, the GSM Association and Ericsson have teamed up to establish biofuels as an alternative source of power for wireless networks in the developing world. The three…
Telecoms
VODAFONE FREES UP VODACOM TO COMPETE ACROSS ALL OF AFRICA
In a breakthrough that will finally allow Vodacom to compete with rival MTN on the African continent, Vodacom's 50%-owner, UK-based Vodafone, has given an "in-principle" commitment to alter its shareholders'…
Internet
SOUTH AFRICAN GOVT TO CREATE OWN BROADBAND PROVIDER IN SOUTH AFRICA
Government planned to create a broadband infrastructure company based on the long-distance, fibre-optic network developed by Eskom and Transnet, Public Enterprises Minister Alec Erwin said last week in a written…
Internet
INTERNET ACCESS ON THE INCREASE IN MOZAMBIQUE
The number of Internet Service Providers (ISPs) in Mozambique has grown dramatically, implying an enormous increase in the past few years in the number of companies, institutions and individuals with…
Internet
WILL LOCAL ADVERTISERS FOLLOW SA INTERNET USERS OVERSEAS?
South African Web users are flocking to international social networking sites such as MySpace and YouTube, which means that these Web sites offer local marketers a host of exciting new…
Internet
Internet News - In Brief
- The South African wireless ISP iBurst says it is still considering its options for using its WiMAX spectrum. The firm currently uses proprietary technology to provide wireless broadband services…
Computing
ENGAGING POLICY-MAKERS AND REGULATORS IN AFRICA - THE CATIA EXPERIENCE
For the past three years the Catalysing Access to ICTs in Africa programme (CATIA) has worked towards strengthening the context for the vibrant adoption and use of ICTs in Africa.…
Computing
DIGITAL FINGERPRINT RECORDS READY SOON IN SOUTH AFRICA
The home affairs department has almost completed the conversion of about 30-million hard-copy fingerprint records into digital images, says Deputy Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba. The digital format will allow…
Computing
MPS TO INVESTIGATE SHS2 BILLION NAKASEKE TELECENTRE PROJECT IN UGANDA
Parliament is to investigate the circumstances under which the government handled the procurement of the multi-million Nakaseke Telecentre project. The chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee on Information and Communication Technology…
Computing
ELECTRONIC COMMERCE SHOW POTENTIAL IN MOROCCO
The development of electronic commerce in Morocco is dependent upon increasing the number of merchant sites, improving internet access and the active involvement of banks. While still in its early…
Computing
RWANDA'S KIGALI INSTITUTE IN FINANCIAL DIFFICULTIES
Rwanda's oldest science institution is facing a cash crunch due to a considerable debt — allegedly the result of embezzled funds. According to the Rwandan newspaper The New Times, the…
Computing
BOOST TO NEPAD FROM THE GATES FOUNDATION
A US$600,000 grant to the science and technology office of the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) will help improve the advice it gives to the African Union and the…
Computing
Computer News - In Brief
- The Nigerian Federal Executive Council on October 25 approved $10m for the immediate take-off of the Computer for All Initiative, a government programme in partnership with Microsoft and Intel…
Telecoms, Rates, Offers and Coverage
TELECOMS, RATES, OFFERS AND COVERAGE
- Netone in Zimbabwe is set to commission its second Mobile Switching Centre in Bulawayo mid-next month among other moves the cellular services provider is embarking on to improve service…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
GHANAIAN SHAREHOLDER TUSSLE - AREEBA BATTLE TO BE JOINED
Ruling on arguments to set aside an action against Areeba by a Ghanaian businessman, Richmond Aggrey, over the sale of the company for $5.83billion to MTN Incorporated of South Africa…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
SAFARICOM IN SKYHIGH GROWTH IN KENYA
Low denomination scratch cards and growing subscriber base have boosted Safaricom's income levels considerably. East Africa's largest mobile phone provider, Safaricom, has made a record pre-tax profit of KES 12.2bn…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
SHAREHOLDERS GET IN TELKOM'S WAY IN SOUTH AFRICA
Telkom CEO Papi Molotsane and chairman Nomazizi Mtshotshisa couldn't have looked more uncomfortable when an elderly shareholder bustled to the podium after an exhausting two-hour annual shareholders meeting on Friday…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
On The Money - In Brief
- The Kenyan government raised Sh2.5 billion (about US$35) from airtime charges in the first seven months of the year, according to the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK). Airtime revenues…
Digital Content
MEDICS TO USE CELL-PHONES IN DISEASE CONTROL
Health workers are soon to start using their cell phones to track and control the spread of HIV/Aids and other diseases countrywide.This is due to a mobile phone application that…
Digital Content
Web And Mobile Data News - In Brief
- The newspaper, les Dépêches de Brazaville reported that the Congolese Ministry of Post and Telecommunications has launched its website. At www.postelntic.gouv.cg Congolese can find information regarding the telecommunication sector…
Web and Mobile Data_old
18 COMPANIES APPLY TO COMPETE WITH SA’S PAY-TV PROVIDER DSTV
South Africans are about to get hit with an avalanche of pay TV options from next year -- some of them delivered to your cellphone. Until now MultiChoice -- which…
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CALL FOR TENDERS
REQUESTS FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST IN CONSULTANCY WORK FOR THE SUBMARINE (EASSY) SEGMENT OF THE NEPAD ICT BROADBAND INFRASTRUCTURE NETWORK FOR EASTERN AND SOUTHERN AFRICA. The NEPAD e-Africa Commission has…
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PEOPLE
* Nomazizi Mtshotshisa, chairman and non-executive director at Telkom South Africa resigned from both positions. The fixed-line operator's 2006 annual report states term of office is due to expire in…
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EVENTS
- REGIONAL REGULATORY SYMPOSIUM 30th October – 2 November 2006, KIST, Kigali, Rwanda Regulators are creations of statute. They have policy objectives to fulfil. However, in the execution of their…
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JOBS AND OPPORTUNITIES
* CS 3.0 ENGINEER – MADAGASCAR At least 3 years proven Network Management with emphasis on Back Office activities in Telecom operation's environment. The person requires a highly developed customer…
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CONTRACTS: WHO'S SELLING WHAT TO WHOM?
* POST, TELECOMM & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY COMPANY AND SIRTI –LIBYA Italian telecommunication equipment producer Sirti was awarded a 68 million Euro telecommunication network construction contract by the Libyan Post, Telecomm…
