Issue no 508 11th June 2010
Top Story
Creating the right weather for Africa’s services and applications entrepreneurs – new money and opportunities open up
With huge amounts of international bandwidth becoming available on the continent, Africa will shortly have enough new economy petrol but it has not really yet got the cars. The wave of services and applications that the new bandwidth can support are currently not yet available in huge numbers. Mobile operators have innovated but they are not really seed-beds of innovation in this area. This week sees two key announcements that may help change the weather. Nigeria’s Adlevo Capital Africa has closed a US$52 million fund aimed at “technology-enabled business models across Africa. And Seedcamp is putting its toe in water,…
Telecoms
India’s Bharti Airtel Finally Acquires Zain Africa
India’s Bharti Airtel last week completed its $8.97 billion acquisition of most of Zain's African assets. The Indian telecom firm has successfully acquired Zain Africa, excluding Sudan and Morocco.The deal,…
Telecoms
AAG Demands Telecel Stake in Zimbabwe
The Affirmative Action Group, an empowerment lobby group headed by Supa Mandiwanzira, is demanding reinstatement of its shareholding in Telecel Zimbabwe, which it claims to have been allocated when the…
Telecoms
ZDA unveils LapGreen Networks as Zamtel majority stake winner
Libya’s LapGreen Networks has had its US$257 million bid accepted for a 75% stake in Zambian fixed line incumbent Zamtel, Dow Jones Newswires reports. The Zambia Development Agency (ZDA) announced…
Telecoms
Telecoms News: In Brief
*Swedish technology provider Ericsson has begun a new phase of a network expansion project for Econet Wireless Zimbabwe to allow the cellco to increase its capacity to approximately five million…
Internet
France Telecom, Alcatel-Lucent ink agreement for new 17,000km ACE submarine cable
Africa is set to receive a significant broadband boost with the news that France Telecom (FT) has signed the construction agreement with Alcatel-Lucent for the new Africa Coast to Europe…
Internet
Vodacom gets nod to take 100% stake in Africonnect Zambia
The Zambia Competition Commission (ZCC) has approved the 100% takeover of Africonnect Zambia by Vodacom Gateway Mauritius, itself owned by the UK’s Vodafone Group, The Zambia Post reports. The regulator…
Internet
AfriNIC pilots public key infrastructure resource project
The Africa Network Information Center, the regional Internet registry also known as AfriNIC, is moving ahead on a pilot project designed to give ISPs security measures along with IP address…
Internet
Nigeria’s Linkserve claims big hit for its Broadband Blast service with homes and SMEs
One of Nigeria’s key ISP players Linkserve has announced that its new product, Blast Broadband Blast was designed to meet the connection needs of homes, small and medium sized businesses…
Internet
Internet News: In Brief
* According to a Cisco report, IP traffic in the Middle East and Africa will reach one exabyte per month by 2014 at a rate of 45 per cent. Monthly…
Computing
Microsoft, Intel, World Bank team on Africa project
The rollout of a regional e-learning program and the need for IT supplies in African schools has led Microsoft, Intel, Cisco and the World Bank Institute to form a consortium…
Computing
Used, Refurbished Computers Rule Market in Nigeria
Despite regulations by the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), and the Basel Convention on the Control of trans-boundary movements of hazardous wastes and their disposal, large numbers of refurbished desktop…
Computing
Zambian elections go digital
The Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) has gone digital, following the acquisition of 1,000 digital registration kits, worth $5 million, through the United Nations Development Programme.The kits, also known as…
Computing
Computing News: In Brief
* Tunisia: A working session devoted to the management of space within the technology centers was held on Wednesday in Tunis. The meeting focused on the need to create a…
Computing
U.S.$5 Million Boost for ICT Development in Sierra Leone
The minister of Information and Communication has received an approval letter from the World Bank for a US$5 million grant to facilitate the preparation of a project that will constitute…
Telecoms, Rates, Offers and Coverage
In Brief:
* Econet has become the first Zimbabwean mobile operator to provide prepaid roaming services. ECONET, the country's mobile giant has sealed roaming agreements with four regional mobile operators for its…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
MTN Nigeria Receives N318 Billion Loan from 17 Banks
MTN Nigeria got a boost last week when it received fresh loan facilities from a consortium of banks to enable the company further expand its network across the country.The medium…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
Neotel shows massive loss, but not unexpected
Neotel shows a loss of around R1.5-billion according to results from shareholder Tata Communications, but analysts say it is not surprisingTata Communications, which has a 49.1% shareholding in Neotel, recently…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
On the Money News: In Brief
* Nigerian telecoms operator Starcomms has reported that its revenue for the three months ended 31 March 2010 fell 6.8% year-on-year to NGN7.94 billion (USD51.6 million). Turnover was hit by…
Digital Content
CBK Licenses Another Cash Transfer Service Firm in Kenya
Competition in the mobile money transfer business is heating up with the entry of a new money transfer system which allows transactions across Safaricom, Yu, Orange and Zain.MobilePay, the information…
Digital Content
Phones to Assist with World Cup Emergencies in South Africa
Eighty thousand mobile phones have been handed over to the Health and Police Ministries to enable the departments to deal effectively with emergencies during the FIFA World Cup.The phones were…
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People
*In a press statement, Bharti has announced that the long-standing disputes with the Otudeko family in Nigeria have been resolved. Mr Otudeko will also be appointed as the Chairman of…
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Events
WEST AND CENTRAL AFRICA COM16-17 June 2010, Le Meridien, Dakar, SenegalFollowing 2 incredible years in Nigeria, West & Central Africa's ONLY dedicated event telco returns to Senegal. Join 700+ decision…
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Jobs & Opportunities
Job Title: CISCO Voice EngineerJob ID: 999971Location:JohannesburgMain Role:• Our client is a Cisco Systems Technology Development Partner offering advanced software solutions for the fast-growth IP communications market.• They focus on…
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Contracts
*Vodacom and Openwave Integra – South AfricaOpenwave Systems, a global software provider delivering context-aware mediation and messaging solutions, today announced that Vodacom, SA's leading mobile operator, has selected Openwave Integra…
