Issue no 379 9th November 2007
Top Story
Marching to a different drum – Africa enters the age of mobile content
News Update concentrates all its coverage on what happens in Africa. But this week we have to describe events elsewhere because as all too often happens, key decisions that will affect the continent are happening elsewhere. Unless something fairly radical happens in the next 12-18 months, the development of mobile content revenues on the continent will be shaped by the “hand-me-down” attitudes and technologies of others. Russell Southwood seeks to explain. Last week saw two more salvoes fired in the war for mobile operating systems. American advertising and search engine company Google launched its Android operating system in partnership with…
Telecoms
ETC Still Losing Millions from Illegal Call Terminations in Ethiopia
Ethiopia’s incumbent ETC is losing over 80 million Br (US$8.9 million) to grey market operators despite the periodic crackdowns and arrest of these operators. In other words, even under a…
Telecoms
Court Awards N14bn Damages Against NITEL in Nigeria
Nitel’s rather arbitrary attitude to service on SAT3 got its come-uppance in the Nigerian courts this week. The court ordered NITEL to pay N14 billion as damages to Interstella Communications…
Telecoms
Thuraya and Inmarsat battle for satellite phone customers in Kenya
Thuraya now has some competition as Inmarsat seeks to enter the East and Central African markets. This is the first real competition for Thuraya, whose devices have enjoyed unrivalled acceptance…
Telecoms
Sky Vision launches new low cost “day-only” service aimed at telcos
Whenever telcos plan their IP capacity requirements, they encounter a common problem: their customers' daytime usage is invariably far greater than their night-time capacity use. Based on this, many have…
Telecoms
Telecoms News - In Brief
- Following Celtel and MTN, Orange has launched its borderless network in West Africa enabling customers to keep their phone number and harmonising calling rates when they travel in the…
