Issue no 360 24th June 2007
Top Story
Vyke introduces VoIP retail calls to Africa at near to wholesale rates
A new VoIP reseller called has entered the African market unobtrusively over the last few months and is now selling in some quantity in eight countries. So what you might say? Aren’t they a dime a dozen? Yes, but this one is offering retail prices to key destinations that almost match wholesale prices and claims to be offering high quality calling. Furthermore this is a company that has developed a free SIP plug-in for a Nokia phone and has an ambition to sell minutes to mobile users. Russell Southwood spoke to Havar Bauck, VP-Sales, Africa of Vyke about a company…
Telecoms
SOMALI GOVERNMENT SEEKS END TO TAX-FREE BUSINESS FOR TELCOS
Years of tax-free business that have turned anarchic Somalia into a surprising hub of free-market enterprise may be coming to an end as the government targets the lucrative telecommunications trade.…
Telecoms
THE SH7 BILLION MYSTERY - WHO OWNS MOBITELEA IN KENYA?
The identity of those behind Safaricom's mystery shareholder continues to confound Kenyans many months after a parliamentary investment watchdog began to look into the matter. Nevertheless Nairobi gossip has for…
Telecoms
NCC SANCTIONS MTN NIGERIA FOR POOR SERVICE
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has slammed its hammer down on MTN Nigeria for poor services on its network after several warnings. Henceforth, MTN should submit to the commission on…
Telecoms
ETHIOPIAN TELECOMMUNICATIONS AGENCY SIMPLIFIES SPECTRUM LICENSING
The Ethiopian Telecommunications Agency on Wednesday announced a procedural restructuring to enable it to live up to customer demands. The Basic Procedure Restructuring, technically termed as BPR, is said to…
Telecoms
M-CEL APOLOGISES FOR DEFACING WORLD HERITAGE SITE IN MOZAMBIQUE
Mozambique's main mobile phone company, M-Cel, has apologised for defacing the walls of historic monuments on Mozambique Island, off the coast of the northern province of Nampula.The island was the…
Telecoms
IN BRIEF:
- Following numerous public complaints regarding poor quality of communication services experienced at certain locations and times within Ghana, the National Communications Authority (NCA) has intensified its monitoring and evaluation…
Internet
VODACOM PLANS TO OFFER SOUTH AFRICAN BROADAND USERS A SINGLE ACCOUNT TO COVER MOBILE, DSL AND HOT-SPOTS
Vodacom is working on an innovative new broadband account which may allow their subscribers to have a single account across all broadband services. Vodacom is aggressively targeting the broadband market…
Internet
TELECOMS SHIFT BATTLE GROUNDS TO INTERNET IN UGANDA
Uganda's mobile telecommunications market is widely acknowledged as having grown at a terrific speed--at least by sub Saharan African standards. From almost insignificant numbers a decade ago, now more than…
Internet
HOW DO TELKOM SOUTH AFRICA’S WIMAX OFFERINGS COMPARE ON PRICE?
Telkom announced that they will launch their commercial WiMax offering last week week, and that the prices will fall in line with their current ADSL offerings. Telkom’s will use WiMax…
Internet
ZIM ONLINE INTRODUCES WI-FI HOTSPOTS IN HARARE, BULAWAYO AND MUTARE
ZOL, in conjunction with various coffee shops and hotels that have been labelled ZOLspots, is now offering services whereby customers can access the Internet using laptops and hand-held devices (cellphones)…
Internet
IN BRIEF:
- Malawi incumbent telco Malawi Telecommunications Ltd (MTL) has launched MTL FreeNET, a dial-up internet service for its fixed line customers in the capital Blantyre, via the company’s own ISP…
Computing
FIVE COMPANIES BID FOR GHANA STOCK EXCHANGESE AUTOMATION
Five companies, one local, have submitted bids for the contract to automate the Ghana Stock Exchange (GSE). A team constituted by the Exchange will start the evaluation of the companies…
Computing
NEW TUNISIAN AGENCY SET UP TO BOOST E-COMMERCE
A new agency has been recently set up to supervise, guide and advise small and medium enterprises, as well as other enterprises in their e-trading dealings. The agency which is…
Computing
BANKS, ICT FIRMS, OTHERS TO CONTRIBUTE 1 PERCENT PROFIT TO IT FUND IN NIGERIA
A new law has compelled all banks, insurance, informa-tion and communication technology companies to dedicate one percent of their profits before tax to the National Information Technology Development Fund (NITD…
Computing
KILIMANJARO AIRPORT NOW GOES DIGITAL
The Kilimanjaro International Airport is getting more 'cute.' KIA is in the process of becoming the first air terminal in the country to be installed with the state-of-the-art, Common Use…
Computing
IN BRIEF:
- Algeria’s Minister of Labour, Employment and Social Security Tayeb Louh called, on to generalise the use of the chip card "Chifa" in all the provinces of the country by…
Telecoms, Rates, Offers and Coverage
TELECOMS, RATES, OFFERS AND COVERAGE
- Mozambique's publicly owned mobile phone company M-cel has announced that it is slashing the cost of calls from the M-Cel network to fixed phones by 50 per cent. This…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
SAUDIS UNVEIL US$1BN PLAN FOR AFRICA
Saudi Arabian company HiTs Telecom is making a major push into Africa, with an acquisition under its belt and a $1 billion investment plan. HiTs wants to set up eight…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
UGANDAN MPS QUERY CHINESE FIBRE OPTIC LOAN
Members of Parliament are furious that the government has signed a memorandum of understanding with a Chinese firm to construct fiber optic network before the legislature approves a US$30 million…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
SAFARICOM SETS NEW RECORD WITH SH17 BILLION IN PROFITS IN KENYA
Record profits at Kenya's leading mobile phone company will see Sh4 billion in dividends paid out to its shareholders, even as Sh18 billion is ploughed back into new investments. Safaricom…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
Nigeria's NASDRA seeks $100M to buy stakes in RASCOM
The National Space Development and Regulatory Agency of Nigeria (Nasdra) has asked for $100 million from the Federal Government to buy shareholding in the Regional African Satellite Communications Organisation (RASCOM),…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
D50 MILLION NEEDED FOR GAMTEL AIRSPAN PROJECT
Mrs Neneh Macdouall-Gaye, Secretary of State for Communications and Information Technology has revealed to the National Assembly that Gamtel still needs D50 million for the completion of the roll-out of…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
TELEPASSPORT TO LIST ON JSE'S DEVELOPMENT CAPITAL BOARD
A veteran player in a relatively new aspect of the telecoms industry is going public with a listing on the JSE's development capital board. TelePassport is the country's oldest provider…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
IN BRIEF:
- Mauritius Telecom has announced a Rs 6.3 billion turnover and a Rc 1.9 billion profit after tax for 2006, an increase of 19% compared to the previous year. Sarat…
Digital Content
UCT’S BUSINESS SCHOOL OFFERS FIRST COURSE ON SHARING BUSINESS INFO ONLINE
Many South Africans have only a vague notion of what wikis, blogs, internet-based social networks and cellphone applications are, but these technologies are changing the way people communicate.A few South…
Digital Content
ZIMBABWEAN EXILES TURN TO THE WEB
Inflation in Zimbabwe is soaring, and its citizens abroad are pitching in to help relatives at home -- giving part of their earnings in South Africa, for example, to Zimbabwean…
More
PEOPLE
Désiré Adadja has been appointed Minister of ICT in Benin replacing Venance Gnigla.Incumbent TelOne managing director Wellington Makamure is leaving after three years at the helm of Zimbabwe's sole fixed…
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EVENTS
- SATWIBB AFRICA: AFRICAN SATELLITE & WIRELESS BROADBAND CONFERENCE & VOIP FORUM EAST AFRICA: Safari Park Hotel, Nairobi, 11-13 July 2007 WEST AFRICA: Muson Centre, Lagos, 21-23 August 2007 Theme:…
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JOBS AND OPPORTUNITIES
SERVICE LAYER INTEGRATOR – CONGO DRCThe company is urgently looking for a Service Layer integrator with knowledge of SUN, Oracle, HP Core and Service layer. For further information please contact…
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CONTRACTS: WHO'S SELLING WHAT TO WHOM?
KENYA WILDLIFE AND UUNET – KENYAKenya Wildlife Service (KWS) has signed a Sh65 million agreement with Internet access provider, UUNET, to provide a converged business communications solution for eight national…
