News update Telecoms and ICT in Africa - Issue no 337 on 5 January 2007
Top Story
Vivendi goes into Sub-Saharan Africa with Onatel purchase
Over the Christmas holiday French media conglomerate Vivendi has headed south into Sub-Saharan Africa with the purchase of Onatel by its North African subsidiary Maroc Telecom. Francophone Africa was until relatively recently France Telecom’s “backyard” but it is now the subject of a wide range of investor interest as the names of the losing bidders demonstrates. Vivendi also owns a 54% share in Mauritania’s Mauritel and is set for further expansion on the continent. Maroc Telecom paid US$290 million for 51% of Burkina Faso’s fixed line and mobile operator Onatel. The rest of Onatel is owned by: the Government (23%),…
Telecoms
NEW TELECOMS LICENSING REGIME LAUNCHED IN UGANDA
The Uganda Communications Commission's new licensing regime has started. This means MTN and uganda telecom's (utl) five-year duopoly as national operators of telecommunication services has come to an end,…
Telecoms
QUICKTEL TO MODERNISE GILGIL PHONE PLANT IN KENYA
The Egyptian telecommunications company Quicktel that won the bid to jointly manage Telkom Kenya's subsidiary Gilgil Telecommunications Industry (GTI,) is expected to modernise the Gilgil-based complex and make it a…
Telecoms
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES SET THE STANDARDS, SAYS NEW ITU SECRETARY-GENERAL
Developing countries led by India, China, Brazil are now taking the lead in setting global standards in the rapidly transforming telecommunications sector due to convergence of hitherto separate communications and…
Telecoms
ZTE HANDSET FACTORY CLOSES SHOP IN NIGERIA
The only handset factory in Nigeria is now gathering dust as the Chinese equipment vendor, ZTE has stopped production for more than eight months. According to reports, the company had…
Telecoms
BILLIONS OF BEEPS USHER IN NEW YEAR IN SOUTH AFRICA
South Africans have become a nation of electronic greeters, with more than 1,5-billion cellphone text messages sent over the recent holiday season. MTN alone handled 1.17-billion SMS messages over Christmas…
Telecoms
MTNL LAUNCHES INTEGRATED TELECOMS SERVICE IN MAURITIUS
Indian state-run fixed line incumbent Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd (MTNL) has launched nationwide mobile services in Mauritius, completing a full portfolio of telecoms services in the country, including local and…
Telecoms
Telecoms News - In Brief
- Two international call licences will be offered by Egypt's National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority by the end of February, reported the Daily Star, Egypt. The release of the licences has…
Internet
CANAR INTRODUCES 3G WIRELESS BROADBAND INTERNET SERVICE TO SUDAN
Canar Telecommunication, the nationwide provider of fixed lines, data and internet services in the Sudan has announced the commercial launch of Sudan’s First 3G wireless broadband internet services for individuals…
Internet
MTL TO DISPOSE 36% STAKE IN MALAWINET
Fixed line incumbent Malawi Telecommunications Limited (MTL) has announced that it intends to sell its 36% stake in internet service provider Malawinet because it plans to set up its own…
Internet
IBURST IN AGGRESSIVE BROADBAND PUSH IN SOUTH AFRICA
Wireless broadband provider, iBurst has revealed an aggressive growth strategy, ahead of an anticipated boom in data services in the local market. “We anticipate a capital expenditure rollout of R350…
Internet
UGANDA TO BUILD NATIONAL BACKBONE
The Ugandan government is planning to build a national backbone throughout the country after securing a $106 million loan from the Exim bank of China but this has not gone…
Internet
E-COMMERCE THE WAY FORWARD FOR KENYA
The way we do things has changed in the last few years mobile phones became more affordable. Take, for example, the short message service, or SMS as it is popularly…
Internet
Internet News - In Brief
- Trustfund Pensions Plc, Nigeria’s biggest pension fund with over N60 billion fund under its management has launched Trustfund On-line and Trustfundmobile to enable customers to access to access their…
Computing
NIGERIAN FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SIGNS THREE YEAR AGREEMENT WITH MICROSOFT
The Nigerian Federal Government in line with its avowed commitment to deploy information and communications technology to accelerate economic growth has signed a three year agreement with Microsoft. The partnership…
Computing
GOVERNMENT OF RWANDA PROMISES LAPTOPS TO PRIMARY PUPILS
The government of Rwanda has committed itself to provide a laptop to every Rwandan primary school pupil within five years, the education minister has said. Dr Jeanne d'Arc Mujawamariya said…
Computing
A LITTLE METHANOL GOES A LONG WAY WITH LAPTOP FUEL CELL
Over the holidays, TopTechNews.com and MobileCrunch reported on a new fuel cell technology by Samsung that might have a direct impact on the digital divide. Essentially, what they've done is…
Computing
LOW COST LAPTOP PROJECT SOON TO BE LAUNCHED IN NIGERIA
The first batch of computers built for the One Laptop Per Child project could reach users by July this year. The scheme is hoping to put low-cost computers into the…
Computing
Computer News - In Brief
- China has offered Guinea a US$9-million "preferential loan" to help computerise the West African country's system of administration. - UAE based IT distributor EMPA is predicting that Egypt could…
Telecoms, Rates, Offers and Coverage
TELECOMS, RATES, OFFERS AND COVERAGE
- Batelco has signed a mobile roaming agreement with Orascom Telecom in Algeria. Batelco mobile customers can now make and receive calls while in the North African country. - Mobile…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
MTN CONCLUDES $70 MILLION VGC DEAL
MTN Nigeria has concluded plan to purchase VGC Communications Limited (VGCCL) to the tune of $70 million (N9.3 billion). Sources close to VGC informed our correspondent that the deal was…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
ZAMBIAN OPERATOR RAISES LARGEST EVER LOCAL CURRENCY DEBT
Celtel Zambia says that it has raised US$105 million from a syndicate of banks, to assist in repaying existing loans and fund further network expansion. This landmark transaction is the…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
KENYA GOVT MAY LET VTEL OFF 30% LOCAL STAKE AS IT CONSIDERS RULE CHANGE
The government of Kenya is considering abolishing the rule that stipulates that foreign companies investing in the telecommunication sector must allocate at least 30 per cent shares to nationals. It…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
TELKOM SOUTH AFRICA TO BUY INTO UGANDA TELECOM
Telkom South Africa is in final stages of buying into Ucom, the consortium that owns 51% shares in uganda telecom. Uganda telecom's corporation secretary Donald Nyakairu said the two entities…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
CONFERENCE PLEDGES TO BRIDGE THE CONTINENT’S BANKING DIVIDE
Africa’s financial sector aspires to world-class systems and standards that match best practices in developed economies. But at the same time, they have to seek growth in the region’s vast…
Digital Content
NEW MOBILE DATABASE AND IMAGE GALLERY GOES LIVE
On 1st January, kiwanja.net launched two new website services - an online mobile database and a gallery of images. The mobile database is a resource designed to provide information on…
Digital Content
KENYAN PUPILS GET SCHOOL RESULTS THROUGH THE INTERNET AND MOBILE PHONES
For the first time in KCPE history, candidates and their parents yesterday received details of their results directly on their cellphones and through the Internet. The results were accessible through…
Digital Content
Web And Mobile Data News - In Brief
- Nokia users can access Egypt Yellow Pages through Nokia Mobile Search, after the mobile phone maker released a search plug-in. The device connects users to yellowpages.com.eg. It can be…
Web and Mobile Data_old
MORE ACTION EXPECTED IN THE BROADCASTING AREA IN NIGERIA IN 2007
Some had given up on the problem ever being solved. The lopsidedness in the broadcast industry or to use a more naked word, anti-competition, was mostly pronounced in the DSTV…
Web and Mobile Data_old
140 RADIO, TV STATIONS FACE CLOSURE IN UGANDA
Over 140 radio and television stations face closure for failure to register with the Media Council as required by the Electronic Media Statute 1996. Alfred Wasike reports that there are…
Web and Mobile Data_old
WHO’S OFFERING THE BEST DEAL IN PAYTV?
Imagine paying as little as R60 (US$8.31) a month for multi-channel television. At the moment, the lowest you’ll pay for DStv, which is currently the only company offering PayTV, is…
Web and Mobile Data_old
Convergence News - In Brief
- In Uganda, Nation TV (NTV) is on air promising to give rival stations a run for their money by broadcasting programmes that will cut across an audience of all…
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PEOPLE
Marten Pieters, CEO of Celtel International, has announced his departure from the operator as of January 2007. Moez Daya, currently Celtel’s Chief Technical Officer, will replace Pieters and will assume…
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EVENTS
DIGITAL BROADCASTING SWITCHOVER FORUM 2007 29th January – 1st February 2007. InterContinental Sandton Sun & Towers, Sandton, Johannesburg, South Africa Hosted by ICASA and organised by the CTO the digital…
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JOBS AND OPPORTUNITIES
INFORMATION SYSTEMS & TECHNOLOGY DIRECTORATE MANAGER: E-GOVERNANCE – SOUTH AFRICA Reporting to the Director of Information Systems & Technology, the successful candidate will be responsible for driving the implementation of…
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CONTRACTS: WHO'S SELLING WHAT TO WHOM?
URA AND UTL - UGANDA Uganda Telecom Ltd (UTL), a communications and information services provider has won a five year contract worth four million pound sterling ($7.6m) to provide and…
