Issue no 529 5th November 2010
Top Story
AfricaCom: Africa’s mobile industry needs to re-invent itself to meet tomorrow’s challenges
Four thousand people are slated to attend the industry’s biggest continent-wide talk-fest AfricaCom next week, which has been given the upbeat title of Driving the Next Stage of Telecoms Growth in African Telecoms. However, the mobile masters of the universe face tough challenges ahead with growing competition and the levelling off of market growth. Operators face a slalom of obstacles that will begin to separate those who have the skills from those who have simply been lucky to have been in the right place at the right time. Russell Southwood looks at whether the mobile operators have the courage to…
Telecoms
Nokia launches Ovi Life Tools in Nigeria as it seeks to turn market share into strategic high ground
Nokia this week launched its emerging market information service, Ovi Life Tools in the biggest Sub-Saharan mobile market, Nigeria. The question is whether Nokia can turn its undoubted lead in…
Telecoms
South Africa: Icasa drops call rates bombshell – interconnect rates that favour Cell C, Neotel and 8ta
The Independent Communications Authority of SA (Icasa) has introduced a wholesale call termination rates regime that benefits smaller market players, including Cell C, Neotel and Telkom’s 8ta.The authority hopes the…
Telecoms
LAP Green Network buys Chad’s SOTEL
Reuters is reporting that Libyan state-owned investment vehicle LAP Green Network has signed a deal to buy a 60% stake in fixed line telco Societe des Telecommunications de Tchad (SOTEL)…
Telecoms
Nigeria: The curse of Nitel strikes again – NGN fails to meet US$750 million payment deadline
The approval for the payment of 30 per cent security sum of the $2.5 billion given to the buyers of Nitel expired yesterday, as fear lingers over the ability of…
Telecoms
Telecoms News - In Brief
*Ghana’s National Communications Authority (NCA) has been called upon to investigate a number of so-called ‘text and win’ promotions being run by Ghanaian telecoms operators amid concerns they may contravene…
Internet
Ecoband is the first ISP in Ghana on Main One
Ecoband activated an STM-1 service on the new Main One submarine fibre optic cable connecting Nigeria and Ghana with the Internet backbone in Europe. This makes Ecoband the first ISP…
Internet
Mobitel Inaugurates WiMAX Broadband service in Nigeria
Last week Mobitel unveiled its WiMAX- based services, with the statement that the future of information technology is here in Nigeria and it will provide 4G enabled broadband and voice…
Internet
South Africa: Icasa knew of dodgy Sentech deal
Questions have been raised about the South African telecommunications and IT regulator’s complicity in allowing Global Web Intact (GWI) and Screamer to lease spectrum, apparently illegally, from Sentech.This follows the…
Internet
Internet News - In Brief
* Zimbabwe’s Econet says it has connected more than 100,000 subscribers within just a week. Econet published new tariffs for its mobile broadband services in the press. On the new…
Computing
Africa has to start collecting data, conference hears
South Africa is spearheading activities to collect and curate research data about the African continent in an effort to shrug off its data-poor image. A prototype of the World Data…
Computing
RSAWebAcquires New Data Centre to Accommodate Increased Demand for Cloud
Internet service provider RSAWeb last week announced the acquisition of their second Data Centre facility, located in Cape Town, South Africa. The new facility was strategically purchased to accommodate increased…
Computing
Solar-Powered Computer Lab Brings Internet to North of Kenya
From the grazing fields to the mobile cyber cafe - this seems to be the new thing awaiting the youth in Northern Kenya who want to communicate with the "outside…
Computing
Computer News - In Brief
* The Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) is to organise a three-day training workshop for its members in the North East geopolitical zone on e-governance. According to a…
Telecoms, Rates, Offers and Coverage
Telecoms Rates, Offers and Coverage (briefs)
*South Africa-based telcoms group MTN has announced that its consolidated subscriber base increased to 134.47 million as at 30 September 2010, up 4% from the 129.21 million reported at the…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
Liberia’s smallest operator Libercell is snapped up by Kuwait’s Hits Africa Inc
Hits Africa Inc, a Kuwait based Telecom Company has acquired a majority shareholding in Atlantic Wireless Liberia and its brand Libercell as part of a deal to extend and improve…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
Econet Profit Surges 39 Percent
Econet Wireless' half-year profit to August rose 39 percent to US$64,2 million after the group added about a million new subscribers on its network. The group spent US$122 million on…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
Safaricom's Share Price in Gradual Rise
Safaricom's share price has slowly been rising ahead of next week's announcement of the firm's half- year earnings following the drop in the share price since August when the tariff…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
Icasa rate cuts lead to R745m Vox impairment
Vox Telecom is writing down goodwill and intangible assets to the tune of more than R745m. The news comes just hours after the Independent Communications Authority of SA announced it…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
On the Money – In Brief
* Broadband provider Kenya Data Networks (KDN) has announced that it is ready to begin work on its long-delayed fibre-optic network, in conjunction with local company Green Future. Chief Marketing…
Digital Content
Mobile Technology Doubles HIV Treatment Rate in Babies
Kampala — HIV-infected babies have had their diagnosis time cut from three months to two weeks thanks to a mobile phone-based technology.Infants with HIV need to begin medication as soon…
Digital Content
sing E- Business Potentials to Reduce Internet Fraud
The need to expose Nigerians to legitimate job opportunities on Internet has been stressed by Nigeria Internet Group (NIG) at its maiden exhibition of business proposals on Internet for Jobs…
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People
*There is growing uncertainty among senior Telkom officials about the future of the group’s chairman, Jeff Molobela. Senior Telkom sources say Molobela’s contract as chairman expired at the end of…
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Jobs&Opportunities
Java/J2ME DeveloperVerna JohannesburgPermanent position in the Information Technology sector in Gauteng in South Africa (Gauteng).Location: Pretoria and RosebankSalary: NegotiableRole details:Do you have 2 – 3 years solid Java J2ME Development…
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At Last, INEC Awards DDC Machine Contracts - Haier Declines to Sign Agreement Papers
Abuja — The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has finally awarded contracts for the supply of 102,000 units of the direct digital data capture (DDC) machines needed for the January…
