Issue no 571 9th September 2011
Top Story
More African mobile operators embrace dynamic billing for their voice services as they look to differentiate themselves from the competition
In most African countries, mobile users are spoiled with attractive mobile promotion on voice services. In Kenya and Uganda, a price war has however left the mobile operators dubious on this approach being the right on. While African mobile operators try to retain their mobile users attention, differentiating their mobile offering from the competitors’ ones remains vital tool for them. Isabelle Gross spoke to Kevin Coleman, Business Development Director EMEA at Digitata and Hilton Goodhead, CTO at Rorotika Technologies about their dynamic billing product/platform for mobile voice services and theirs plans to launch a similar product/platform for data services.The launch…
Telecoms
Bharti Airtel Granted 3G License in Rwanda
India's Bharti Airtel has announced that it has been awarded a GSM and 3G license in Rwanda, expanding its African continental footprint to 17 countries.The company added that it plans…
Telecoms
South Africa: Minister of Communication reaffirms privacy of communications
Communications minister Roy Padayachie has downplayed recent statements by his deputy, Obed Bapela, that government may seek to allow law enforcement agencies, through the courts, to get access to the…
Telecoms
MTN takes steps to end Uganda’s price war
After criticising the direction of the telecoms industry in Uganda, South Africa-backed MTN Uganda has increased its on-net and off-net tariff to UGX4 (USD0.0014) per second. MTN Uganda’s chief executive…
Telecoms
Swaziland; SPTC, MTN in war of words over blackout
The recent cellphones blackout has given birth to a fresh war of words between giant companies, the Swaziland Posts and Telecommunication Corporation (SPTC) and Swazi MTN.The two companies are currently…
Telecoms
Telecoms News - In Brief
- Government has mooted a change to legislation to allow the South African Police Service to get access, through the courts, to the records of people using Research in Motion's…
Internet
Kenya to get fourth undersea fibre optic cable next year
Kenya will soon be hooked to yet another undersea fibre optic cable following the near completion of the laying of a France Telecom funded Lower Indian Ocean Network 2 (LION2).The…
Internet
South Africa: FNB Connect offers free Youtube
FNB Connect has announced that it will be offering its ADSL customers free access to YouTube. This means that customers who are registered for FNB Connect Surf can now browse…
Internet
Rwanda: Broadband Commission to Convene in Kigali
President Paul Kagame will, this week, host members of the Global Broadband Commission for Digital Development, to a two-day event that starts September 8, in Kigali.The broadband commission brings together…
Internet
Internet News - In Brief
- Google has announced that they rolled out their popular Google Maps service for 40 new countries, of which six are on the African soil. The latest African countries to…
Computing
Kenya unwraps multi-million data centre
Kenya Data Network (KDN) has unveiled a multimillion-dollar state-of-the art data center to be used for hosting data and software applications.Speaking at the launch this week, KDN Chief Executive Officer…
Computing
Sierra Leone: Using Technology to Close the Gender Gap
Admire Bio has the reassured presence of a successful businesswoman, with an edge that reveals she is still hungry for more. Bio, 28, a single mother living with her parents,…
Computing
The OLPC Programme Will Breed the IT Expertise that Rwanda Needs.
With this new approach to learning, the children will become more creative and innovative as the laptops help enhance what they are taught in schools in a more practical way.The…
Computing
Computer News - In Brief
- South Africa’s PC distributor Mustek has become the only local distributor to be registered as an accredited service provider for Acer products purchased from its registered dealer network. The…
Telecoms, Rates, Offers and Coverage
Telecoms Rates, Offers and Coverage
- In South Africa, First National Bank has launched a new service called Pay2Cell that allows its accountholders to make payments to other FNB accountholders using only the recipient’s cellphone…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
France Telecom closer to acquire Congo Chine Telecom
The government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has confirmed that France Telecom (FT) is the only bidder for its 49% stake in Congo Chine Telecom (CCT). Already in…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
Kenya’s Government goes ahead with partnership to build out LTE infrastructure
The government expects consumers and smaller operators to benefit from the formation of a new private/public organisation that will build and manage Long Term Evolution (LTE) infrastructure, commonly known as…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
Orange said to be in talks to buy Business Connexion
Is French telecommunications giant Orange, the mobile subsidiary of France Telecom, buying JSE-listed IT services company Business Connexion (BCX)? Three separate industry sources, none of whom is employed by either…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
Airtel Settles Interconnect Dispute with Uganda Telecom
Airtel Uganda has suspended plans to stop accepting inbound calls from Uganda Telecom following intervention from the government.Airtel has been in dispute with Uganda Telecom for some time over a…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
Money News - In Brief
- India’s ICT businessmen will tour the African continent in pursuit of new African ICT investment opportunities from 12 to 22 September 2011. The ICT businessmen will be visiting Nigeria…
Digital Content
Google plans cheap smartphones for Africa
Technology company, Google, plans to reduce the cost of smart phones in Africa to an affordable range in order to boost the use of the internet.The company intends to sell…
Digital Content
South Africa: Vodacom takes customer service to social networks
Social media has moved incredibly quickly from a specialist tool to a must-have channel of engagement with customers.Building on the unique one on one conversation that social media makes possible,…
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Events
Nigeria Com20 - 21 September, 2011, Lagos, NigeriaThe 2nd annual Nigeria Com returns to Lagos. Gain unique market perspectives and insights from a 40 strong speaker-line up including 25+ Operator…
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People
- Rene Meza has quit as CEO of Airtel Kenya after a three year stint at the second largest mobile phone service provider locally. Meza who joined Airtel Kenya on…
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Jobs & Opportunities
IT- Account Management Reference Number: AJS0011422Preferred Degree: Relevant QualificationsJob Type: Permanent/Full TimeJob Country: South AfricaJob Location: Pretoria-South AfricaExperience (Years): 2-4Job Description Title: IT Advisory AnalystBusiness Unit: IT AdvisoryReporting to: ITA…
