News update Telecoms and ICT in Africa Issue no 340 on 5 January 2007
Top Story
Four African countries try to turn back the clock by creating monopoly international gateways again
Licences for international gateways are the strategic heights of African telecoms competition. Some countries have liberalised access to them and will reduce licence fees (see Telecoms News). However four countries (Benin, Central African Republic, Sierra Leone and Zimbabwe) have tried to turn back the clock by creating a single monopoly gateway, taking away licences from other operators. A 19th January Benin Counsel of Ministers communiqué announced that it was “determined to clean the telecoms sector in Benin once and for all. To do this the Government has no option but to return to basics”. It said that the majority of…
Telecoms
MTN TO PURCHASE CI’S AROBASE IN ANOTHER “BELOW-THE-RADAR” DEAL
Industry sources in Cote d’Ivoire say that MTN has made another acquisition, buying Ivorian SNO Arobase Telecom. Its licence gives it the right to operate all type of national and…
Telecoms
SONATEL AWARDED THIRD MOBILE OPERATOR LICENCE IN GUINEA-BISSAU
France Télécom-owned Senegalese incumbent Sonatel has won the tender to operate the third mobile phone network in Guinea-Bissau, beating off rival bids from four other firms, including US firm Global…
Telecoms
RELIANCE GETS SHOT AT SNO LICENCE DEAL IN KENYA AFTER VTEL CANCELLED
The Communications Commission of Kenya (CCK) has cancelled the tender for a second national operator (SNO) awarded to the Vtel Consortium. Commissioner General John Waweru on Friday said wrangling between…
Telecoms
LIBERIA GOVERNMENT TO REVIEW GSM CONTRACTS
Information Minister Lawrence Bropleh has disclosed that the Liberian government is at the moment reviewing all contracts entered into with GSM companies operating in the country. The Information Minister said…
Telecoms
AFRICAN TELECOM GATEWAY LICENCE COSTS TO COME DOWN AFTER UNCTAD INTERVENTION
The cost of acquiring international gateway licenses by private mobile service providers in Africa is likely to come down following the intervention by UNCTAD, according to senior government officials. Ministry…
Telecoms
TELKOM KENYA TAKES SECOND STEP TO STOP FINANCIAL BLEEDING BY CUTTING 6,500 STAFF
At the stroke of a pen, Telkom Kenya has laid off 6,500 workers in one of the biggest retrenchment exercises under President Kibaki's Government. When The Standard visited Teleposta Towers…
Telecoms
RESCUE ATTEMPT ON POORLY PERFORMING TELECENTRES IN SOUTH AFRICA
Dozens of telecentres set up to take telecommunications services to rural areas have been an absolute waste of time and money, says an organisation trying to salvage them. Of 133…
Telecoms
Telecoms News - In Brief
- The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has confirmed the receipt of full payment of $400 million by Mubadala Development Company (MDC) of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for its unified…
Internet
MOROCCO, TOP OF THE LEAGUE WITH CLOSE TO 400,000 ADSL CONNECTIONS
The Moroccan regulator, the ANRT has just released its quarterly statistics about the telecoms and internet sectors in the country. With close to 400,000 ADSL connections at the end of…
Internet
JINX NOW SUPPORTS VOIP PEERING
The Johannesburg InterNet eXchange (JINX) is now able to support VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) interconnection between ISPA (Internet Service Providers' Association of SA) members. JINX enables ISPA members to…
Internet
CASINOS EYE LEGAL ONLINE GAMBLING JACKPOT IN SOUTH AFRICA
The legalisation of online gambling in SA in the near future is expected to send gaming and entertainment companies into frantic jostling for position. An amendment to the National Gambling…
Internet
EAST AFRICAN COUNTRIES CALL FOR MORE EFFECTIVE E-TRADE LAWS
Stakeholders in the ICT sector have observed that there is need for cyber laws for EAC member states to operate effectively. All the states currently do not have laws on…
Internet
Internet News - In Brief
- Cameroon needs to invest about 800 billion CFA francs to set up eight million new Internet compatible telephone lines, Posts and Telecommunications Minister, Maïgari Bello Bouba, has said to…
Computing
NIGERIAN OMATEK TO OPEN GHANA FACTORY IN MARCH
Omatek Computers is set to open its Ghana factory in March. It reiterated that the opening of the Omatek factory in March would officially mark the start of business by…
Computing
'MICROSOFT IS IMPERIALISTIC' SAYS OPEN SOURCE ADVOCATES
Microsoft Corporation's products have been locked out of the on-going World Social Forum (WSF) in Nairobi Kenya. With over 300 computers provided for participants and the press, organizers of the…
Computing
COURT BATTLES LOOM AS PARTNERS FALL OUT IN SOUTH AFRICA
The joint owners of a software development house have become bitter enemies, with six separate court cases in play as each accuses the other of reneging on agreements and flouting…
Computing
TANZANIAN POLICE STATIONS COMING ON BOARD IN COMPUTERIZATION
Police stations in Arusha region, and probably in the whole of Tanzania are one of the few places where clumsy clicking sounds of archaic manual typewriters could be heard. In…
Computing
KENYA TO ASSEMBLE CHEAPER COMPUTERS
Kenyans will soon have a cheaper, locally assembled computer. Three local universities and a tertiary institution yesterday signed a memorandum of understanding that will result in Kenya joining nations assembling…
Computing
Computer News - In Brief
- Mandriva Linux, the global editor of Linux distribution has incorporated a subsidiary, Mandriva Linux West Africa Limited with headquarters in Lagos. The objective behind the establishment of ICT firm's…
Telecoms, Rates, Offers and Coverage
TELECOMS, RATES, OFFERS AND COVERAGE
- Zimbabwe fixed telecommunications network operator TelOne will raise its tariffs with effect from next month. The increases will encompass Internet, trunk and international call services as the parastatal seeks…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
AFRICAN TELECOMS WINS AFRICAN LAKES BID WITH INCREASED CASH OFFER
Last Friday African Telecoms Company announced that its increased cash offer had secured it control of 52.66% of African Lakes. The revised offer of £18.50 in cash per share values…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
MTC TARGETS 70 MILLION SUBS AND US$6 BILLION EBITDA BY 2011
Twenty operations of the MTC Group are this week meeting in Tanzania to discuss the operator’s new growth strategy – ACE (acceleration, consolidation, expansion). ACE will be the group's driving…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
MAROC TELECOM’S ANNUAL REVENUES UP 10.1%
Maroc Telecom 2006 consolidated revenues increased 10.1% to 22,615 MAD due to the good performances of all its business activities. 2006 fourth quarter consolidated revenues increased 5.1% to 5,532 MAD…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
DBSA GRANTS R484M LOAN TO NEXUS TO HELP ROLL OUT NEOTEL
Neotel has received additional funding of R484 million to add to the R2 billion loan granted last month to the second national fixed-line telephone operator. The new loan was secured…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
NASPERS SOARS ON NEWS OF BIG RUSSIAN INTERNET DEAL
Naspers' stock powered to a new record yesterday, as the media company struck it third time lucky in Russia by nailing down a $165m deal to buy into the country's…
Digital Content
MWEB ONLINE CHRISTMAS SHOPPING UP BY 800% IN TWO YEARS
South Africans are shopping up a storm online, and particularly over the Christmas season. Figures from MWEB's 320 SafeShop-enabled Web sites show that for the period 1 November to 31…
Digital Content
'MADE FOR MOBILE' MOVIES GET SPONSORSHIP FROM ROAMWARE
A project to develop short films specifically for viewing on a cellphone has won the sponsorship of Roamware, a global leader in mobile roaming technology. Roamware will finance the short…
Digital Content
KENYAN MUSIC FANS TAP INTO THE POWER OF THE NET
The scene is a familiar one all over Nairobi radio stations at around 10am - an artiste walks into the station, waits patiently in line before dropping his album at…
Digital Content
Web And Mobile Data News - In Brief
- The Nairobi Water and Sewerage Company (NWSC) has launched its website. Water consumers will now be able to check their bills online at www.nairobiwater.co.ke. They will also be able…
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PEOPLE
* Datatec has announced the appointment of Stephen Davidson as a non-executive director with effect from 1 February 2007. * Morshid Mohamed has been appointed as the new CEO of…
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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…
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JOBS AND OPPORTUNITIES
* CUSTOMER PROJECT MANAGER – SOUTH AFRICA The company requires the skills of a Senior Customer Project Manager, with expertise in the following fields: CPM Broadband access equipment, Knowledge in…
