News update Telecoms and ICT in Africa - Issue no 357 on 1 June 2007
Top Story
Two new fibre contenders – this time it’s Southern Africa
One new major fibre project came into the light of day last week and further details emerged about another. The first is an ambitious initiative to create a Southern African fibre network on the back of the South African Power Pool transmission network: for Expressions of Interest for building it see the Jobs and Opportunities column at the bottom of this week’s issue. The second is WAFS, a Telkom South Africa-managed project that seeks to connect South Africa to Nigeria to relieve capacity problems on SAT3. Russell Southwood investigates. African Dark Fibre Communications Ltd is at an advanced stage of…
Telecoms
NEW FIXED LINE PHONE OPERATOR APPROVED IN MALAWI
Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA) has issued a licence to Access Communications Limited as the country’s second national operator (SNO) to provide fixed public telecommunications services in competition with the…
Telecoms
LIBERIA: NEW BILL AUTHORISES RAISING LTC FROM THE DEAD
There is a growing debate in many quarters as to the fate of the Liberia Telecommunications Corporation (LTC) in the new Telecommunications Act 2006 submitted to the National Legislature for…
Telecoms
MTN RWANDA, SAFARICOM IN REGIONAL ROAMING TALKS
Telecom operator, MTN Rwandacell will soon be the latest affiliate in the regional free-roaming zone bonanza. If concluded, the deal will allow nationals in Rwanda and the rest of the…
Telecoms
PHONE-TAPPING TO BE LEGALISED IN UGANDA?
Government security agencies will start tapping phones freely should the Bill seeking to legalise interception of information get approval from Parliament. The Regulation of Interception of Communication Bill 2007, which…
Telecoms
GLO AND RIVERS STATE TO SPEND N.3BN ON RURAL TELEPHONY
The administration of the immediate-past Governor of Rivers State, Dr Peter Odili committed N.3billion to rural telephony in collaboration with Nigeria's Second National Carrier, Globacom. Under the state's sustainable development…
Telecoms
COPS CRACK DOWN ON BTC CABLE THIEVES IN BOTSWANA
The Cat and Mouse game between cops and BTC cable thieves might be coming to an end as police cracks down on the syndicate that has ripped off the government…
Telecoms
Telecoms News - In Brief
- Orange Bissau, the mobile unit set up by France Télécom through its 42.33% owned Senegalese subsidiary Sonatel, launched services in the country making it the third operator in the…
Internet
UGANDA BEGINS LAYING 2,500KMS OF FIBRE
The Uganda Government has secured a US$106m (about sh180b) loan from the Chinese government to construct a national data transmission backbone infrastructure to foster the development of information and communication…
Internet
AFRICA ONLINE TO EXPAND WIRELESS BROADBAND SERVICES IN GHANA
Africa Online, an Internet service provider in Ghana has announced that it would extend its services, particularly wireless broadband infrastructure throughout the country to optimize its network capabilities for the…
Internet
ACCESSKENYA GROUP LAUNCHES “BUSH” A VSAT SOLUTION FOR REMOTE SITES
The AccessKenya Group last week launched a new Direct Out VSAT solution for remote users. Through this product christened Bush, remote users will now be able to get connected from…
Internet
E-MAIL CAN GET COMPANIES INTO TROUBLE, SAYS SA’S DELOITTE
Email may be an easy way to keep in touch but it's also an easy way to get into trouble -- especially at work. Recent scandals -- such as the…
Internet
Internet News - In Brief
- Togo’s internet users will from now on enjoy broadband with the launch by Togo Telecom of its ADSL service branded “Helim”. The service is currently available in Lomé and…
Computing
NEW ICT LAWS TO BE INTRODUCED IN UGANDA
The Government is in the process of establishing the legal infrastructure to support the e-social/economic environment. The infrastructure to support the rapid growth of the information and communication technology (ICT)…
Computing
OMATEK LAUNCHES COMPUTERS FOR ALL FOR CROSS RIVERIANS IN NIGERIA
Omatek Computers Limited in conjunction with the Governor Duke led Cross Rivers State government and Afribank last Thursday officially launched the Computer for All 'Crossriverian' Initiative. This is on the…
Computing
CISCO WITHDRAWS FROM MBEKI'S INTERNATIONAL TECHNOLOGY ADVISORY GROUP
The world's largest networking company, Cisco Systems, has pulled out of President Thabo Mbeki's international technology advisory group, it emerged last week. The think-tank was launched in 2001 so Mbeki…
Computing
VIRGIN NIGERIA BEGINS E-TICKETING IN NIGERIA
Ahead of the December deadline for airlines to commence e-ticketing, Virgin Nigeria Plc says it has started the process on all its domestic routes. Larry Agose, the airline's Director of…
Computing
NEW COMPUTER SOFTWARE FOR EXAM MANAGEMENT IN RWANDA
The Rwanda National Examination Council (RNEC) has adopted a GBP164,000 (approx. Frw176 million) computer software programme for examination management system. The new software 'Faim' replaces the out-of-use Microsoft Excel and…
Computing
Computer News - In Brief
- This week the PCLinuxOS community have brought out the final release of PCLinuxOS 2007 which comes with all the latest versions of several popular open source programs. - The…
Telecoms, Rates, Offers and Coverage
TELECOMS, RATES, OFFERS AND COVERAGE
- Mobile telecommunications Econet Wireless Zimbabwe has completed the installation of GPRS on its network which will enable its customers and visitors roaming in Zimbabwe to use the Blackberry-enabled cellphones…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
MOBITEL ENTERS US$363 MILLION FUNDING AGREEMENT IN SUDAN
MTC Group has inked a US$363.3 million development deal for its Sudanese venture Mobitel. The facility, called Murabaha, has been supplied by both regional and local financial institutions including Kuwait's…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
STATE BID TO ATTRACT CALL CENTRES TO SOUTH AFRICA FALLS FLAT
A Government scheme to lure international call centre operators to SA has not elicited a single application, it emerged last week, dashing high hopes that up to 100,000 new jobs…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
NIGERIAN FIRM IN BT'S $20BN DEAL
British Telecom has entered into a US$20 billion partnership deal with a Lagos-based wireline telecoms firm, 21st Century Technologies. Within the partnership agreement, 21st Century Technologies will manage the Nigerian…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
AUDIT REPORT CASTIGATES ETC IN ETHIOPIA
The audit report of the Ethiopian Telecommunications (ETC) revealed that there were several flaws with different procurements made by the corporation. The purchases of broadband internet, CBAC data network, and…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
On The Money - In Brief
- South African cellular group Vodacom has reported a 22.9% increase in full-year operating profit to ZAR10.9 billion (USD1.5 billion), with revenues up 20.9% to ZAR41.1 billion. The group’s customer…
Digital Content
YOUTUBE SITE BLOCKED FOR MAROC TELECOM SUBSCRIBERS
Reporters Without Borders has voiced concern about the blocking of access to video-sharing website YouTube by the Moroccan Internet server (ISP) Maroc Telecom since May 25 2007. The ISP failed…
Digital Content
SOUTH AFRICAN BLOGGERS TO MEET PEERS IN REST OF AFRICA
Proof that blogging is going mainstream comes with a decision by 25 South Africans to attend the African leg of an international conference. The Technology Entertainment Design conference will be…
Digital Content
Web And Mobile Data News - In Brief
- Nigerian company Gold-Sphinx Technologies, an Information Technology services provider has introduced a professional directory, the largest online locator of real estate properties and professionals nationwide. - Algeria mobile operator…
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PEOPLE
Telkom South Africa announced that Sandi Linford will replace Vincent Mashale as its Company Secretary with immediate effect. Tina Byaruhanga, the PR manager of MTN Uganda, is leaving the telecommunications…
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EVENTS
- ICTS FOR CIVIL SOCIETY CONFERENCE June 2007 – South Africa The conference and exhibition organised by SANGONeT will be aimed at increasing NGOs’ awareness of the strategic importance of…
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JOBS AND OPPORTUNITIES
REQUEST FOR EXPRESSION OF INTEREST FOR PRE-QUALIFICATION PROJECT: INSTALLATION AND OPERATION OF FIBER OPTIC NETWORK REGION: SOUTHERN AFRICA SUMMARY OF OPPORTUNITY Africa Dark Fibre Communications Ltd (“ADFC”), an international consortium…
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CONTRACTS: WHO'S SELLING WHAT TO WHOM?
GV TELECOM, PRESTEL AND HUAWEI – NIGERIA GV Telecom,Prestel and Hauwei have signed a $250 million equipment contract for a CDMA 1x & EV-DO network rollout.The project will be implemented…
