Issue no 336
Top Story
MTC Namibia signs push-to-talk trial with police
Push-To-Talk has come to Sub-Saharan Africa this week with an agreement by the Namibian police to test MTC’s Push-To-Talk service over the festive season. Until now, the only Push-To-Talk service on the continent was operated by Maroc Telecom and sceptics were wondering whether the service would ever gain traction in Africa. Whether it will perform well in “mission critical” circumstances like policing. we will have to wait until the end of the trial to find out. The trial is the precursor to a full launch of a Push-To-Talk service in the New Year. At the official hand-over of the test…
Telecoms
3G FORUM CAMPAIGN FOR FAIR PRICE FOR LICENCE IN NIGERIA
Nigerian operators have begun to lobby to ensure that the price for the new 3G licences is not too high and that the GSM operators do not dictate policy on…
Telecoms
CELTEL KENYA LOWERS CALL CHARGES
It will now be cheaper to call Safaricom or Telkom Kenya using the Celtel Kenya's network. This follows a surprise move by Celtel to introduce two new and cheaper tariffs.…
Telecoms
AREEBA LOSES AGAIN, ¢10M COST AWARDED IN GHANA
The mobile phone service operator, Scancom Limited, operators of Areeba mobile telecommunications last Friday had its application to stay proceedings before the Commercial Division of an Accra Fast Track High…
Telecoms
NIGERIAN COURT DECLINES REQUEST FOR ARBITRATION IN THE CELTEL CASE
A Lagos High Court Judge, Justice Adesuyi Olateru -Olagbegi has declined to appoint arbitrators to determine the issues in the dispute between Econet Wireless Limited (EWL) and Vee Networks Limited…
Telecoms
Telecoms News - In Brief
- The government of Benin has put in place a recovery plan for the Benin Telecom Ltd, which it said has been suffering from gross mismanagement and acute liquidity problems.…
Internet
CABINET DECISION REGARDING VSAT LICENSING IN NAMIBIA
The Namibian Cabinet authorised the Minister of Information and Broadcasting to proceed with the signing of the licensing and tariff regimes for the opening of the VSAT satellite market for…
Internet
OPENING OF ANGOLAN IXP BRINGS THE TOTAL TO 17 AND MORE PLANNED
Silvio Almado of Nexus signalled the opening of the Angolan IXP with a message to the AfrISPA mail-list:” Multitel already connected and running. We have now 3 ISP connect to…
Internet
ONLINE BETTING SOON AVAILABLE IN SOUTH AFRICA
Online and cellphone gaming will become legal for the first time in SA if a draft amendment bill adopted by the cabinet last week is finally passed into law. The…
Internet
EGYPTIAN BLOGGER ARRESTED FOR CRITICIZING ISLAMIC CLERICS
Watchdog groups are pressing for the release of an Egyptian blogger, arrested last month for posting articles critical of Islam on his Web log (blog). They say Abdel Karim Nabil…
Internet
TSHWANE MUNI NETWORK PROVIDES WIRELESS IN ETHEKWINI
While customers in Tshwane are browsing and downloading to their hearts’ content, residents within the eThekwini municipality can expect a service that will offer broadband access and domestic voice calls…
Internet
Internet News - In Brief
- Stellenbosch in South Africa now offers motorists the chance to pay traffic fines over the Internet, as well as verify the fines by viewing online pictures from speed and…
Computing
SOUTH AFRICA ANNOUNCES BOLD PLAN TO GET 400,000 TEACHERS SURFING
Youngsters now stand a slightly better chance of an education fit for the future through an Intel initiative to boost access to information technology. On Monday, Intel chairman Craig Barrett…
Computing
NIGERIA’S OMATEK DELIVERS 10,000 CANI PCS UNDER COMPUTERS FOR ALL INITIATIVE
Florence Seriki ,the Managing Director of OMATEK Computers, has disclosed that her company has commenced the delivery of 10,000 computers under the federal government's Computers for All Nigerians Initiative (CANi).…
Computing
IFAP TO DIGITALISE AUDIO-VISUAL CONTENT IN THE SAHEL
To preserve various media resources in the Sahel and make them available to future generations, UNESCO, through its Information for All Programme and Kent State University in Ohio, USA, will…
Computing
MAURITIUS LAND REGISTER TO GO ELECTRONIC
A land register is at long last in preparation. Its aims are two fold: to eliminate corruption in the lease of state lands and to permit implementation of the National…
Computing
Computer News - In Brief
- OpenOffice.org has managed to squeeze in a third release before the end of 2006. Superficially the same as version 2.1 it has five more languages, interoperability improvements and better…
Telecoms, Rates, Offers and Coverage
TELECOMS, RATES, OFFERS AND COVERAGE
- Uganda Telecom (UTL) has signed a roaming agreement for the United Arab Emirates with Etisalat. This brings UTL's total roaming destinations to 267. -As Christmas shopping gathers steam, cellphone…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
GT PAYS OFF MALAYSIANS $100M
Government is set to regain 100 per cent ownership of the national biggest telecommunications company ahead of a privatisation targeted for June 2007. After an arbitration settlement, government agreed to…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
UNEXPECTED RESPONSE TO CELLPONE BANKING INITIATIVE IN NAMIBIA
Bank Windhoek's latest initiative to make banking more affordable to its clients has registered over 4000 clients since it was launched slightly more than a week ago. The bank says…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
DIVIDED BOARD BACKS TELKOM OVER BCX TAKEOVER
The share prices of Telkom and Business Connexion rose last week after a "long and difficult" debate saw Business Connexion's board resolve to keep supporting a R2.4bn takeover bid by…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
ETC MANAGEMENT TERMINATES PROCUREMENT WORTH 250M BR
The management of the Ethiopian Telecommunications Corporation (ETC) has cancelled procurements worth over 250 million Br, after the foreign procurement section of the Corporation submitted those selected from the tender…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
NEOTEL RAISES R2 BILLION IN LOCAL LOAN FINANCE
Three months after its official launch, the new national operator Neotel has raised loans of R2bn to begin extending its network to supply its long-awaited services to more customers. Neotel…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
SAFARICOM SHARE ISSUE - VODAFONE CHANGES RING TONE
The eagerly awaited Safaricom initial public offer (IPO) may not after all happen as soon as had been expected. The EastAfrican has learnt that Vodafone Plc of the United Kingdom,…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
On The Money - In Brief
- The Johannesburg Stock Exchange went live with the first phase of Project Orion, a massive IT systems overhaul that replaces the majority of the JSE's legacy systems, some of…
Digital Content
EXAM RESULTS TO BE AVAILABLE BY SMS IN NAMIBIA
For the first time, Namibian exam candidates will this year be able to obtain their results by SMS, the Ministry of Education has announced. The new service will be available…
Digital Content
VOTE FOR SA'S BEST E-COMMERCE SITES
Nominations for the South African e-commerce Awards closed at the end of November and the shortlist of nominees has been announced. The awards have been spearheaded by Albert Bredenhann of…
Digital Content
Web And Mobile Data News - In Brief
- The IT Policy Compliance Group says that it has launched a Web site - www.ITPolicyCompliance.com. The Web site is said to feature research findings, guidance, and contributions from compliance…
Web and Mobile Data_old
NIGERIAN FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO BROADEN BROADCAST SPACE
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Frank Nweke Jnr., has restated the Federal Government's commitment to broaden the broadcast space in Nigeria. He made this affirmation yesterday at his…
Web and Mobile Data_old
LINUX RADIO SUITE POWERS INDEPENDENT BROADCASTERS
Community radio stations in Sierra Leone and in other emerging democracies may well soon be powered by Campcaster 1.1, free and open source software that turns a PC running the…
Web and Mobile Data_old
Convergence News - In Brief
- Intelsat has renewed and expanded its agreement with the National Basketball Association (NBA) for international distribution of the league's games. The NBA distribution network will now include full-time and…
More
CALL FOR TENDER
Three major tenders together worth billions of Rands will be published early next year to replace the core software systems used by government departments in South Africa. The first tender…
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PEOPLE
* Valerie D'Costa will be joining infoDev as Program Manager, effective January 8, 2007. Ms. D'Costa was selected via an intensive international recruitment process. She currently serves as Director of…
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EVENTS
- BROADBAND SUMMIT 2007 26-27 February 2007, Southern Sun, Grayston, South Africa South Africa faces a huge broadband demand, from all sides. However, the broadband access media and business strategies…
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JOBS AND OPPORTUNITIES
* ERICSSON SITE ENGINEER – SOUTH AFRICA The ideal candidate must have at least 3 years experience on Ericsson equipment. The ideal candidate will have previous Ericsson installation experience. Strong…
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CONTRACTS: WHO'S SELLING WHAT TO WHOM?
* MTEL AND MOTOROLA - NIGERIA Telecommunications supplier, Motorola has announced that it has signed a $75 million GSM network expansion contract with Mtel, a mobile communications operator in Nigeria.…
