Issue no 466 7th August 2009
Top Story
AppLab launches new SMS services after testing use and take-up with potential users – promising early use figures
AppLab Uganda has been testing and rolling out a range of new mobile information services. It has been experimenting to find out what it is potential users actually want before launching a full service and the early numbers seem to show that they have found some interesting markets, including weather, health and agriculture. Russell Southwood spoke to Eric Cantor, AppLab Uganda Manager about what seems to be working. AppLab is a Grameen Foundation Initiative that was launched in 2007. It works in partnership with MTN Uganda and Google put up initial funding and technology. The choice of partners was important…
Telecoms
Angolan Government Sells Majority Stake in Movicel
The Angolan government has announced the sale of 80% of the country's second largest phone company, Movicel to several companies in one of the country's biggest post-war privatisations. The Reuters…
Telecoms
Supreme Court backs WAT in dispute with the Liberia Telecommunications Authority
The prolonged legal battle involving the state-owned Liberia Telecommunications Authority (LTA) and West African Telecommunications (WAT) over the legitimacy of WAT’s frequency has ended with the Supreme Court of Liberia…
Telecoms
Goverment Clears Sudan to Use Uganda's Code
The government has cleared South Sudan to continue using Uganda's country code (+256) amid protests from a some MPs, pushing for an end to what they described as impunity. Gemtel…
Telecoms
URA, Warid Lock Horns Over Sh160 Million Court Suit in Uganda
The Commercial Court has stopped the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) from collecting over sh160m and enforcing other tax collections from Warid Telecoms, pending the final determination of its main suit.…
Telecoms
Telecoms News - In Brief
- Communications and Transport Minister, Geoffrey Lungwangwa has said that Government's decision to sell Zamtel is final and cannot be rescinded. He was reacting to the calls by Patriotic Front…
Internet
SAT-3 Cable Cut - 70 Percent Internet Capacity Threatened, MTN, Suburban Count Losses
Last week Monday, there was a fault at the Benin landing station of the SAT3 cable which hit both traffic sent direct from Lagos and Suburban Telecom’s terrestrial route to…
Internet
KDN Dials Up Rates Slash as Internet Pricing Wars Intensify in Kenya
Pressure to reduce the price of communication intensified on Tuesday after national data solutions provider, Kenya Data Networks (KDN), lowered its connectivity rates by 90 per cent. But consumers are…
Internet
Controversy on Uganda’s national backbone construction
The $106m national data transmission backbone has been hit by controversy, with the Uganda National Road Authority (UNRA) and the information and communication technology (ICT) ministry accusing each other of…
Internet
Internet News - In Brief
- Zamtel has spent about US$20 million connecting provincial centres to the optic fibre network. Zamtel public relations manager Charles Kachikoti said the company had made progress on the project…
Computing
Vodacom to offer hosted computing services in South Africa
Vodacom promises to transform hosted computing landscape in SA through partnership with Microsoft South African businesses will soon have access to business software services on a pay-as-you-go basis, thanks to…
Computing
Nextzon Set to Implement N2.8 Billion E-Cross River Initiative in Nigeria
Nextzon Business Services Limited, in partnership with Cisco and Dimension Data, is set to implement the proposed e-Government Initiative of the Cross River State Government. The programme, aimed at deploying…
Computing
ICT gap drags Kenyan universities down in global ranking
Hampered by unreliable Internet access, limited funding for research and brain drain, Kenyan universities have slipped in their global rankings, new research shows. In ranking by Spanish research firm Webometrics,…
Computing
Computer News - In Brief
- Microsoft Nigeria has launched a language interface pack for Windows Vista in three major Nigerian languages; Hausa, Yoruba and Igbo as part of its Local Language Programme (LLP). The…
Telecoms, Rates, Offers and Coverage
Telecoms, Rates, Offers and Coverage (briefs)
- Etisalat Nigeria network is now available in Niger, Katsina, Plateau and Jigawa, the company said. This is aside the seven cities where it initially started operations in October, 2008.…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
MTN South Africa Extends Negotiations With India’s Bharti
MTN says shareholders are referred to the cautionary announcement and to the renewal of cautionary announcement released on SENS on 25 May 2009 and 6 July 2009 concerning discussions regarding…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
Egypt Rejects France Telecom’s Mobinil Bid Appeal
France Telecom SA’s appeal was rejected in its bid to buy the remaining shares of the Egyptian Co. for Mobile Services, said Khaled Seyam, deputy head of Egypt’s financial regulator.…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
Essar eyes merger with Warid in Uganda
The Ruias-owned Essar Group is looking at merging its telecom licence for Uganda with the Dhabi Group’s operations in that country. The Essar Group will hold a majority stake in…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
Nigerian Starcomms Q2 net loss trebles, revenue up 7%
Nigerian fixed-wireless operator Starcomms has posted its fiscal results for the six months ended 30 June 2009, recording a 7% rise in revenue year-on-year to NGN16.9 billion (USD107.8 million). The…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
On The Money - In Brief
- Kasapa Telecom Limited on Thursday signed onto the Ghana Business Code (GHBC) becoming the only telecommunication service provider to do so since the set of rules to guide ethical…
Digital Content
Uganda’s Kasese Maize Marketed Globally
Kasese farmers have started marketing maize grain globally using computers. Starting this month, the farmers were directly linked to the buyers. With the Government's assistance, Nyakatonzi Growers Co-operative Union constructed…
Digital Content
South Africa’s mobile UGC market to double in 3 years
South Africa’s User Generated Content (UCG) market is expected to double within the next 3 years reaching $476 million; this is according to report released today by JBB Research. The…
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People
- South Africa basedVox Telecom has shuffled its board to bring it in line with the provisions of the Corporate Laws Amendment Act and the revised corporate governance requirements in…
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Events:
* 11th EAST AFRICAN POWER INDUSTRY CONVENTION 11-13 August 2009, Kilimanjaro Hotel Kempinski, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania Tanzania is proud host of the 11th EAPIC, which is the strategic regional…
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Jobs and Opportunities
O&M Senior Manager – Burundi The company is looking to recruit an O&M Senior Manager. The main duties and responsibilities are as follows: - Plan the BSS ,SSS, VAS activities…
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Contracts
Mundo Startel and Alvarion - Angola Israel-based technology provider Alvarion has partnered Mundo Startel to expand the Angolan telco’s wireless broadband services using WiMAX equipment operating in the 3.6GHz frequency…
