Issue no 586 6th January 2012
Top Story
Making best use of international cable capacity: a real wind of change for Africa in 2012?
When the WACS and ACE submarine cables are commissioned in 2012, in theory the African continent will have access to more international capacity than it knows what to do with. In reality however this is only true for coastal countries, and even here, the distribution network often goes no further than the capital city. Liberia's capital, Monrovia, which has recently been connected to the submarine cable ACE, is a typical example. The arrival of submarine cable links therefore leaves infrastructure providers with the task of accelerating the deployment of national backbones and cross-border links between coastal countries and landlocked countries…
Telecoms
Algeria: 3G to launch by end June 2012
According to the Algerian Minister of Post and ICT, Moussa Benhamadi, 3G will be launched in Algeria at the latest by the end of June 2012."We want 3G to be…
Telecoms
Rwanda: LAP Green Now Wants Rwandatel Back
The long awaited liquidation process of Rwandatel's assets that are to be put up for sale in order to pay off its debts has attracted a number of big players…
Telecoms
Nigeria: NCC Sets Two Percent Call Drop for Operators
Nigerian regulator NCC has set a 2 per cent call drop rate as limit that telecommunications companies must work towards as part of the condition they must meet in the…
Telecoms
MTN goes green in Zambia
Zambia's second-largest mobile telecoms service provider, MTN Zambia, has launched its first solar green site in the country to provide efficient telecommunications services to people living in rural areas.The site…
Telecoms
Celcom constructs tower at its Blantyre site
Mobile phone service operator Celcom Limited, which was given a licence to start its operations in October this year, has said its technical projects are progressing according to plan and…
Telecoms
Uganda: SIM card registration kicks off in March
The registration of SIM cards countrywide commences on March 1 2012, the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) has revealed.The registration follows the enactment of the Interception of Communication Act which provides…
Telecoms
Nigerian Regulator Refutes Rumours of BlackBerry Ban
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has issued a statement refuting rumours that it is preparing to ban the use of BlackBerry's in the country.The NCC said that its attention had…
Telecoms
Telecoms News - In Brief
- According to the latest statistics from the National Communications Authority (NCA), Vodafone Ghana has overtaken Millicom International Cellular’s Tigo Ghana unit as the country’s second largest mobile operator by…
Internet
Zimbabwe: NetOne opens mobile broadband to prepaid subscribers
Back in October, NetOne announced to its postpaid (some call them contract) subscribers that its mobile broadband tests, which had been running before that date, had come to an end. …
Internet
AMOS-5 Communications Satellite Launched
Spacecom, operator of the AMOS satellite fleet, today announced that its AMOS-5 satellite has been launched from Baikonur, Kazakhstan. AMOS-5 soared upward aboard a Proton Breeze-M launcher Sunday 11 December…
Internet
Rwanda: Tigo Closes in On Rwandatel's Stranglehold of Data Services
Rwandatel's market leadership of the data segment is under severe test from its competitors such as Tigo as the latter woos clients with free offers of Internet connectivity at its…
Internet
Internet News - In Brief
- President Goodluck Jonathan has come under serious attack with many Nigerians taking to the president's Facebook page to vent their anger against the removal of fuel subsidy by the…
Internet
Kenya: Teams Cable Users to Experience a 12-Hour Downtime, Safaricom Notifies Customers
The TEAMS submarine cable, which runs from the Kenyan coast to Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates, carries a significant proportion of Safaricom's internet and international voice traffic.It was the…
Internet
Nigeria: Nigcomsat-1r Begins Commercial Service February 6
Following the successful launch of NigComSat-1R into space on Monday, December 19, 2011, and its successful landing in its orbital position in space on Tuesday December 27, 2011, which was…
Computing
South Africa: Global Partners Join Forces On Square Kilometre Array radio telescope
The world's biggest telescope project has taken a crucial step forward, with its international partners joining forces and agreeing funding for the detailed design of the Square Kilometre Array (SKA).The…
Computing
Uganda: Govt Initiates ICT At A-Level
Starting next term, all students at A-level will be taught either information and communications technology (ICT) or mathematics. Grace Baguma, the deputy director of the National Curriculum Development Centre (NCDC),…
Computing
Nigeria: Ekiti Teachers, Students to Get Laptops
Ekiti State Government is to equip both teachers and students with laptops, even as the state has received textbooks worth N40 million from a US-based Non Governmental Organisation.The state commissioner…
Computing
Computer News - In Brief
- South Africa - As a special offer until 31 January 2012, Quark has announced that its current QuarkXPress customers can upgrade to QuarkXPress 9. The offer applies to all…
Telecoms, Rates, Offers and Coverage
Telecoms Rates, Offers and Coverage
- Telecoms regulator the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has said it expects the introduction of number portability (NP) to take place from August this year. Last October the regulator announced…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
Telecom firm injects $100m for facelift
Dar es Salaam. Vodacom Tanzania managing director Rene Meza has said his firm plans to invest more in building mobile data business, network operations, and financial distributions to boost and…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
Cote d'Ivoire: Opinions Divided On Mobile Banking
With the introduction of 'mobile banking', mobile phone users can now do more than exchange information on their handheld devices: they can also perform financial transactions. The new mobile service…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
Zambia: CSO Switches to New Inflation Technology
The Central Statistical Office (CSO) will start using new technology to calculate the national inflation rate to improve efficiency and transparency, director John Kalumbi has said.Mr Kalumbi said the new…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
MTN to boost service quality with USD1bn investment
Nigeria’s largest mobile operator by subscribers, MTN Nigeria, has confirmed it plans to invest USD1 billion in its wireless network during 2012 to improve the quality of services, citing MTN…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
On the Money – In Brief
- The United Bank for Africa (UBA), the-pan African banking group, has introduced Africard in Zambia to promote online shopping and payments in the southern African country. The product is…
Digital Content
Eritrea: Postal Service offering Internet services
Along with the introduction of new information technology system to deliver and receive messages and packages, the National Postal Service is providing standard and speedy service, according to the Acting…
Digital Content
Uganda: Warid launches mobile money (WaridPesa)
Warid telecom has launched its own money transfer service, adding to the revolution of transacting money in Uganda. The mobile firm launched its WaridPesa product, and, unlike its competitors’, customers…
Digital Content
TMG Apps: Apps to transform everyday life
The duo of Omosa Muyiwa and Bolade Okeowo teamed up to form Me-Naissance Group Limited, the company responsible for TMG, a platform of applications specifically designed for the Nigerian user.It…
More
People
World's Highest Paid African Soccer Star Launches Cellphone CompanySamuel Eto’o, a Cameroonian striker and the world’s highest paid African soccer star, is now trying to become Africa’s newest telecoms tycoon.Soccer…
More
Jobs & Oppotunities
Team Lead 2 / Senior 3G RNO EngineerParaCellPosted date: Fri, 6th JanLocation: Western AfricaParaCell is searching for a Team Lead 2 / Senior 3G RNO EngineerRequirements:· Team Lead Responsibility (…
