News update Telecoms and ICT in Africa - Issue no 368 on 10 September 2004
Top Story
Tourist destinations the latest places to join Egypt’s hot-spot roll-out
The tourist destinations of Sharm el-Sheikh and Luxor are the latest cities to get on board Egypt’s fast-moving roll-out of Wi-Fi hot-spots. Although prices in these places will be expensive, they are considerably cheaper than the current alternatives in local tourist hotels. Under a USAID-sponsored project, “While in Egypt Stay Connected,” tourist destinations in Sharm el-Sheikh and Luxor are serving as pilot cities for Wi-Fi deployments. In each city, sixteen Wi-Fi access points swathe tourist areas. Visitors purchase prepaid Internet access cards for about US$6.74 an hour. Although hotels in Cairo have been offering Wi-Fi, there has until this point…
Telecoms
Senegal’s ARTP finally invites bids for a unified licence to compete with Sonatel
After a three year wait, Senegal’s regulator ARTP has finally announced the tender for bids for a unified licence to compete with the present incumbent, France Telecom-owned Sonatel. The incumbent…
Telecoms
Exit Algeria’s SNO claiming unfair competition pushed it out – regulator ARPT denies the charge
Algeria’s Post and Telecommunications Regulation Authority (ARPT) has denied accusations that it has helped cause heavy losses at the country’s second national fixed line licensee, Lacom. Lacom’s part-owner, Telecom Egypt,…
Telecoms
Rwanda’s Government is Looking for Buyers for Rwandatel
The government of Rwanda is planning to sell 70 percent of its stake in the now state owned phone operator Rwandatel after taking back ownership from Terracom."Privatisation Secretariat invites internationally…
Telecoms
Lebanese-owned Spectrum invests in Gamtel and puts in Detecon to manage
Gambia’s Department of State for Communications and Information Technology has approved an investment in the country’s incumbent Gamtel and its mobile subsidiary Gamcel.Little is known about the Lebanese-owned Spectrum that…
Telecoms
IN BRIEF:
- In Kenya, the Government will introduce a rural access fund to speed up telecommunication growth. The percentage has not been decided yet but an IDRC study it was suggested…
Internet
Ghana: Huawei to build north-south fibre cable
Chinese vendor Huawei will build the first phase of Ghana’s planned national backbone.President John Agyekum Kufuor has officially commissioned the construction of phase One of Ghana's fibre optic backbone from…
Internet
Interstella sues NCC for breach of exclusive licence to operate Internet exchanges in Nigeria
Interstella Communication Ltd. has sued the Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC), demanding N10 billion damages for allegedly interfering with its exclusive licence for Internet Exchange Gateway.The suit is before a Federal…
Internet
Namibia plans to link up to SAT3
Namibia is considering broadband connectivity through Angola to cut the high cost of telecommunications.Cabinet this week announced that Government would enter into discussions with Botswana and Angola to secure a…
Internet
IN BRIEF:
- In South Africa, the department of communications is demanding that the international owners of Seacom, the $500 million (R3.6 billion) undersea fibreoptic cable project intended to link South Africa…
Computing
Secondary Schools to Be Networked in Bostwana
About 100 secondary schools will at the beginning of next term be linked together through the computerised school Internet connectivity project.This was revealed through a Savingram circulated to all the…
Computing
Five Nigerian universities selected to compete in Microsoft’s finals for the “Imagine Cup”
Microsoft Nigeria has launched its global software development contest in the country, known as Imagine Cup.Imagine Cup was designed by Microsoft to encourage students to apply their imagination, passion, and…
Computing
Durban's citizen-friendly, OSS site
The official website for Durban, otherwise known as the Ethekweni municipality, has undergone a facelift. The site, which switched from Microsoft to Plone roughly two years ago, has had some…
Computing
IN BRIEF:
- In Cameroon, the Ministry of Justice has signed up for the roll out of the Integrated Computer System for the Management of State Personnel and Pay Roll (SIGIPES). The…
Telecoms, Rates, Offers and Coverage
TELECOMS, RATES, OFFERS AND COVERAGE
- Uganda's subscriber base has grown by more than 1.5 million new contracts in the last one year reaching a total of 3, 575,263. "This is a net addition of…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
AccessKenya Gets the Nod to Bid for Rival Company in Kenya
Internet Service Provider AccessKenya has received the regulator's nod for its first takeover bid for a rival firm since it was listed in the Nairobi Stock Exchange.AccessKenya wants to acquire…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
Celtel Goes for 80 Percent of Westel in Ghana
Information gathered by the Business Chronicle from a source at the Ministry of Communications indicates that the Government of Ghana and Celtel Communication based in The Netherlands have agreed on…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
Netcom Buys Rival ISP, Accelon in Nigeria
Netcom Africa Limited has acquired rival Internet Service Provider (ISP), Accelon Africa Limited, in a deal sealed at an unconfirmed price as the Internet services sector comes under severe competition…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
Mali’s Sotelma reports loss for 2006 and fails to hit half year revenue targets
Sotelma, Mali’s telco incumbent has reported a loss of 5 billion CFA francs (US$10 million) for the year 2006. As of June 30th , the company has generated 34 billion…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
IN BRIEF:
- Egypt's Orascom Telecom is likely to sell its Iraqi subsidiary, Iraqna, following its failure to secure one of three 15 year mobile licences being offered last week by the…
Digital Content
Online Newspaper Editor's Libel Trial Turning Into Farce After Second Postponement in Tunisia
Reporters Without Borders said the trial of Omar Mestiri, the editor of the online newspaper "Kalima", for libel was turning into a "farce" after a Tunis criminal court on 16…
Digital Content
Website for Job Seekers Launched in Ghana
A state of the art online career website that will offer millions of jobseekers around the world an equal opportunity to search for jobs in Ghana, has been launched in…
More
PEOPLE
- Technology services company EDS has appointed Kam Chetty as its new local MD to replace its current American head, amid fresh plans to revitalise its local business. He will…
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JOBS AND OPPORTUNITIES
CALL FOR NEW PAYROLL SYSTEM FOR THE PUBLIC SERVICE MINISTRY - UGANDAThe public service ministry wants a payroll system that will be used for all public enterprises, a website has…
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CONTRACTS: WHO'S SELLING WHAT TO WHOM?
MTN AND SITA – SOUTH AFRICAA partnership signed yesterday between MTN Business and SITA will offer secure mobile and network solutions to government departments. Buckley McGrath, Executive of MTN Business,…
