News update Telecoms and ICT in Africa - Issue no 409 on 23 May 2008
Top Story
Triple play and broadband will power the next stage of growth for Africa’s Internet
With dial-up, the experience of Africa’s Internet has been like trying to eat a meal by sucking it through a straw. It’s been slow and expensive for the individual user so it’s hardly surprising that it has thus far only attracted a relatively small band of users compared to mobile phones. By the middle of next year, much cheaper international fibre prices will come to East Africa and their impact will spread out across the continent starting in South Africa. Cheaper International prices will mean downward pressure on national backbone prices. All this lays the foundation for much faster retail…
Telecoms
Zain Seeks More African Markets
Cellular operator Zain is planning to raise $5bn through listing on a European stock market to help fund its entry into three more African countries within a year. Zain, one…
Telecoms
TDM Prepares to Face Competition in Mozambique
Mozambique's publicly-owned telecommunications company, TDM, is preparing to guarantee its survival in the market place in the face of possible competition, following the end of its monopoly on the fixed…
Telecoms
Lower call rates introduced by the Mauritius regulator
Mobile phone subscribers will no doubt welcome the latest decision of the Information and Communication Technologies Authority (ICTA). The ICTA has issued a determination to mobile phone operators to lower…
Telecoms
Wana launches national mobile service in Morocco
Moroccan CDMA network operator Wana launched nationwide mobile voice roaming services, reports Telecompaper. Since launching limited mobility and fixed-wireless CDMA-based services to the consumer market in February 2007 (under the…
Telecoms
Telecoms News - In Brief
- Executive Vice Chairman, Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC) Mr. Ernest Ndukwe, has reaffirmed the agency's resolve to protect consumers right, stated that there would soon be put in place a…
Internet
Fibre Optic Rollout Set for 2009 in Rwanda
The rolling landscape of Rwanda is poised to be levelled by communication technology through broadband network set to start in December 2009. The cyber framework basics such as optic fibre…
Internet
MTN's Reported Verizon Deal Faces Headwind in South Africa
An uncomfirmed deal for MTN to pay R1,4bn for networking firm Verizon Business is heading for the Competition Commission -- if the deal takes place -- as rival internet companies…
Internet
Ghana Lags Behind In Internet Connectivity
Ghana has been overtaken by Nigeria as the leading provider of internet service in West Africa according to a Ghana Internet Service Providers Association (GISPA)/USAID Communications Policy and Research/Advocacy Report.…
Internet
Internet News - In Brief
- WiMAX equipment supplier Aperto Networks has announced that it has deployed a wireless broadband network for the Algerian ISP Icosnet. Icosnet is targeting its new WiMAX service at corporate…
Computing
Computer Thieves to Be Tracked Down by Technology in South Africa
The Khanya Project, a project of the Western Cape Department of Education, is to install software to track the thieves who steal computers and computer parts from schools in the…
Computing
Uganda is to Set Up Plant to Recycle Computers
Under the national industrialisation policy, Uganda and Microsoft are to sign a deal, allowing the country to refurbish used computer, state minister for industry and technology Prof. Ephraim Kamuntu has…
Computing
New Software Clears Hotel Booking Hurdles in South Africa
The travel industry is increasingly seeing the importance of smaller, independent hotels and guesthouses in meeting demand from a growing tourism sector. Online travel group Global Online Hospitality Holdings will,…
Computing
Computer News - In Brief
- The Kenya Power and Lighting Company will introduce the Electronic Fund Transfer (EFT) system to enable its customers pay their electricity bills more easily. The service will initially be…
Telecoms, Rates, Offers and Coverage
Telecoms, Rates, Offers and Coverage
- Celtel Nigeria has introduced special payphone or fixed cellular phones into the market. Fixed payphones are aimed at Nigerians especially those who live or work or in places where…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
ICT Gets Large Bite of Budget in Kenya
Players in the Information, Communication and Technology sector emerged as the biggest winners after the Government announced a raft of incentives meant to create more jobs to the youth. Among…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
MTN Want Taxes on Airtime Abolished in Uganda
As Uganda approaches the 2008/09 budget reading, the telecommunications industry wants the Finance Minister Dr Ezra Suruma to broaden the tax revenue base and make the tax burden be shared…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
ACTowers Revenue Leaps in South Africa
Buoyant conditions in the cellphone industry, and forays into the rest of Africa and other emerging markets have continued to pay off for AltX- listed Africa Cellular Towers (ACTowers). The…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
Parliament Team Wants to Probe Safaricom IPO in Kenya
A parliamentary watchdog committee wants to investigate the Safaricom initial public offering, claiming that a foreign company was allowed to buy its shares fraudulently. The Public Accounts Committee chairman, Dr…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
On The Money - In Brief
- It has been reported that the proposed merger of South Africa's MTN with India's Reliance Communications would then seek a secondary listing on the London Stock Exchange. The London…
Digital Content
FNB Launches Cellphone Business Banking services in South Africa
First National Bank (FNB) is banking on small businesses to secure its position in cellphone banking and also to provide another important revenue stream. The bank is the first in…
Digital Content
Cash in On Local Content urges official in Kenya
The web content market offers a great opportunity for Kenyans to make money, a government official has said. The PS in the Ministry of Information and Communication, Dr Bitange Ndemo…
More
People
* Eng. Charles M. Sibanda has been appointed substantive Director General of POTRAZ, the regulator in Zimbabwe. * MTN Ghana announced the appointment of Mrs. Beryl Amma Benneh-Amponsah as its…
More
Events
* EURO-AFRICA ICT AWARENSS WORKSHOP 17 & 18 June 2008, Premier Hotel - 573, Church Street Acadia, Pretoria, South Africa The workshop aims at supporting the involvement of sub-Saharan African…
More
Jobs and Opportunities
* ICT Manager – Benin Africa Rice Center (WARDA) seeks a highly qualified individual to fill the position of ICT Manager at the Internationally Recruited Staff level at its temporary…
More
Contracts
* BTC and Tech Mahindra - Botswana Indian telecoms solutions provider Tech Mahindra (TechM) says it has been awarded a three-year multi-million dollar deal by state-owned national fixed line operator…
