News update Telecoms and ICT in Africa - Issue no 345 on 9 February 2007
Top Story
Somalia’s civil war hides steady growth of internet services
Despite continuing unrest, Somalia has taken the first tentative steps towards establishing a national government and AU peacekeepers have begun to arrive. It’s too early to say whether some sort of peace will take hold but behind the seemingly endless news of civil war, the Internet has been developing apace. Somalia was one of the last African countries to get connected to the Internet after the country established its first ISP in 1999. But today the country has internet connectivity to almost 53% of the whole area of the country and the Internet business is mushrooming in the country and…
Telecoms
TCRA REPORTS FALLING NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL RATES IN TANZANIA
Tanzania’s telecoms regulator the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA) has published data showing a significant reduction in the cost of both national and international calls in the country over the…
Telecoms
CABINET PLACES SEMI-RESTRICTIONS ON TELECOM NAMIBIA’S FIXED WIRELESS SERVICE
The Namibian cabinet has placed a local restriction on Telecom Namibia’s fixed wireless product, restricting it to a town or settlement area. Rather surprisingly the Namibian Cabinet seems to stand…
Telecoms
NIGERIAN COMMUNICATION COMMISSION REVIEWS LICENSING POLICY
In a bid to facilitate entry into the telecommunications market in the country and ensure that Nigeria becomes an information-rich society, the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, has reviewed its licensing…
Telecoms
GAMBIA’S GAMTEL COMMISSIONS NEW EARTH STATION ANTENNA
President Yahya Jammeh commissioned two antennae donated by the Global Voice to Gamtel at the Abuko Earth station. Speaking at the commissioning of the antennae at the Abuko Earth Station,…
Telecoms
LAGOS STATE LOSES CASE AGAINST TELECOM OPERATORS
Justice Ibrahim Auta of the Federal High Court, Lagos last week held that the Lagos State government has no right to impose on telecom operators in Lagos, the Lagos State…
Telecoms
Telecoms News - In Brief
- The government of Benin has nominated the members of the new transitional council for the regulation of the telecommunications sector in the country. The president of the new regulation…
Internet
KDN’S WULFF EXPRESSES DOUBTS ABOUT EASSY PROJECT
Many consumers, African Governments and companies are pinning their hopes on the East African Submarine System (EASSy) to lower international bandwidth costs allowing for cheaper broadband services. But is the…
Internet
AMBITIOUS BROADBAND PLANS FOR JOHANNESBURG TAKE SHAPE
An ambitious plan to cover Johannesburg with a broadband voice and data network is taking shape, with hi-tech companies attending a briefing session next week to help thrash out the…
Internet
NEW CALL SERVICE EASES PRESSURE ON JAMBONET IN KENYA
This year promises to be a busy one for firms offering Internet services. Telkom Kenya, now out of the comfort zone after its monopoly went out the window, says the…
Internet
VDT TO INVEST N1BN IN BROADBAND PROVISIONNING IN NIGERIA
Biodun Omoniyi, the Managing Director of VDT communications has disclosed that VDT is investing about one billion naira in Lagos targeted at restructuring its operations in order to deliver mass…
Internet
NEW OFFERS SPUR COMPETITION ON BROADBAND SERVICES IN SOUTH AFRICA
Telecommunications operator, Sentech, has announced three offerings on its MyWireless Internet platform: MyWireless Plus, MyWireless Lite & MyWireless Family. In support of the new product offerings, Sentech says that its…
Internet
CYBERTIGI” PROJECT IS LAUNCHED IN MALI FOR DESERT COMMUNITIES
Geekcorps in partnership with USAID has launched a mobile computing kiosk program called Cybertigi aimed at Mali’s desert areas. “Cybertigi” is a mobile computing kiosk program aimed at empowering local…
Internet
Internet News - In Brief
- The Postal Corporation of Kenya (PCK) last week signed a two-year contract, for the provision of Internet services by Safaricom. The contract is valued at Sh8.4 million, but payment…
Computing
INTEL, MICROSOFT, ZINOX PARTNER ON PC PRICE IN NIGERIA
In a landmark partnership geared at massively reducing the price of personal computers, Microsoft Inc, Intel Corporation, and Zinox have formed an alliance geared at bringing the price of acquiring…
Computing
ZAMBIA ANNOUNCES ICT TRAINING CENTRE FOR SCIENTISTS
Zambia will establish a centre to train researchers in information and communication technology skills. The centre, based at the National Institute for Scientific and Industrial Research (NISIR) in Lusaka, is…
Computing
INDIA INCREASES LOCAL SPONSORSHIP IN BOTSWANA
Up to 50 Batswana nationals will be sponsored to train in India under the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC), the Indian High Commissioner to Botswana Vishnu N. Hade has…
Computing
PLANS NOW ON FOR AFFORDABLE IT TRAINING IN TANZANIA
A cheap info-tech training scheme for both individual and corporate skill needs has been established in Tanzania. Promoters claim that it would provide comprehensive and cost-effective training for users who…
Computing
EYESSUWORK ZAFU SAYS PRIVATE SECTOR FAR BEHIND IN ICT USE IN ETHIOPIA
The private business sector in Ethiopia appears at present to be falling far behind its public sector counterpart in making use of advanced Information and Communication Technology (ICT), it was…
Computing
Computer News - In Brief
- The introduction of new information and communication technologies (ICT) in teaching mathematics in ten primary schools in Algiers and Ghardaïa, has given "very positive" results, according to managers in…
Telecoms, Rates, Offers and Coverage
TELECOMS, RATES, OFFERS AND COVERAGE
- Mobile telecommunications network service provider NetOne has rolled out a new mobile switching centre base station in Bulawayo The switching centre, which will cater for the southern region in…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
On The Money - In Brief
- Hutchison Telecommunications International Ltd., a majority shareholder in Kasapa Telecommunication Company in Ghana, said it will invest $5 billion from the sale of its Indian unit in new and…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
EGYPT’S ORASCOM BIDS FOR BRASIL TELECOM
Orascom Telecom, a branch of a large Egyption conglomerate, this week made a bid for shares held by controllers in Brasil Telecom Participacoes, Brazil's third largest telecom, said the local…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
INTERCELLULAR'S $137M TELECEL DEAL COLLAPSES
The planned $137 million deal to sell 51 per cent equity of Intercellular Plc to Telecel of South Africa has failed. The Director of Corporate Communications of Intercellular, Fidel Otuya,…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
CELTEL SECURES FOREIGN, LOCAL LOAN FACILITIES FOR EXPANSION
Celtel Nigeria Ltd ("Celtel Nigeria") announced last week the signing and financial closure in Lagos and London of its US$1.43bn syndicated term loan facilities and US$189m bilateral facilities. The facilities…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
MAROC TELECOM ACHIEVES OVER USD 2.67 TURNOVER IN 2006
Maroc Telecom, reported a turnover of MAD 22.6Bn (over USD 2.67Bn) in 2006, i.e. a 10.1% increase, revealed, here Friday, Moroccan telephony operator chairman, Abdeslam Ahizoune. Ahizoune told press that…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
SENTECH 'SURE IT WILL GET SHARE OF R3BN RESERVE'
State-owned signal broadcaster Sentech is convinced its cash crunch will end when Finance Minister Trevor Manuel lets it raid a R3bn contingency reserve declared in last week's budget. Sentech has…
Digital Content
GULU HOST FIRST ONLINE MEETING IN UGANDA
Gulu has been the first rural town in Africa to host an online community conference. The conference convened by Omidyar.net, an international humanitarian organisation brings donors face-to-face with the people…
Digital Content
COMESA DESIGNS $8 MILLION WEBSITE ON AGRICULTURE
COMESA has developed a website aimed at improving agricultural marketing and trade in the 20-member countries. The website, called Food and Agricultural Marketing Information System is being funded by the…
Digital Content
Web And Mobile Data News - In Brief
- The campaign organisation of former President of the Nigeria Labour Congress. NLC and governorship aspirant in Edo State, Adams Oshiomhole, has launched a website geared at ensuring the dissemination…
Web and Mobile Data_old
TUNISIAN PRIVATE TV CHANNEL TO BE LAUNCHED FROM ABROAD BY END OF 2006
Tunis October 14, 2006 A private TV channel dubbed "Nessma TV" (Breeze TV) will start airing its programs from abroad at the end of 2006, it was announced this week…
Web and Mobile Data_old
UGANDA'S MPS TO INVESTIGATE NTV’S SWITCHING OFF
A committee of Uganda's National Assembly has been directed to investigate the reasons that led to the switching off of Nation's TV station in Kampala. Speaker Edward Sekandi asked the…
Web and Mobile Data_old
BOTSWANA TV ACQUIRES LOCAL PROGRAMMES
The Director of Broadcasting Services Bapasi Mphusu last week Thursday signed contracts worth over P5 million with two local film companies for the production of four television programmes. According to…
Web and Mobile Data_old
Convergence News - In Brief
- An Egyptian state-owned satellite company has stopped broadcasts of a controversial Iraqi television station that was showing insurgent videos and denouncing the Shi'ite-led government of Iraq. The move comes…
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PEOPLE
* The fourth general assembly of the association of telecommunications regulators of West Africa (ARTAO) selected Nnamdi Nwokiké from Nigeria as its executive secretary. * State IT Agency (SITA) CEO…
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EVENTS
- SMB ROADSHOW 2007 - MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA 26th March 2007, Nile Hilton, Cairo, Egypt. IDC's SMB Roadshow provides a comprehensive and trustworthy platform for discussing strategic IT issues…
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JOBS AND OPPORTUNITIES
* BSCS O&M / ADMINISTRATION CONSULTANT –SOUTHERN AFRICA The company is looking for an experienced BSCS Consultant. Must have at least 3 years experience operation and maintenance and administration of…
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CONTRACTS: WHO'S SELLING WHAT TO WHOM?
* TELECOM NAMIBIA AND ALVARION – NAMIBIA Wireless broadband technology provider Alvarion has announced that Telecom Namibia has selected its BreezeMAX system to upgrade its wireless in the local loop…
