Issue no 599 5th April 2012
Top Story
Welcome to the Future: A world of big data, voice without revenue and shared infrastructure for Over-The-Top services
At the end of March, Gateway Communications invited a panel of people and a selected industry audience to look at the “Future of African connectivity”. With the exception of a small amount of disquiet over shared infrastructure, there was almost universal consensus about the three items picked out in the headline above. Russell Southwood mulls over the long-term view.The future of telecoms in Africa is always a funny thing because it consists of two stereoscopic images that don’t’ always come into focus: what the developed world is doing and what Africa does differently. The same things that happen elsewhere inevitably…
Telecoms
Namibia: Way Cleared for Leo Takeover
Mobile operator Leo will be granted its service licence in the coming days after it was cleared as having met all regulatory requirements. Leo could not get a licence because…
Telecoms
Nigeria: Telcos May Drag FG to Court Over N46 Billion Expenditure
Nigerian telecommunication operators may drag the federal government to court by December 2013 if it fails in its promise to improve public power supply. The operators, who have been bearing…
Telecoms
Liberia: One Million Subscribers for Lonestar MTN
Lonestar Cell MTN Liberia has disclosed that it has exceeded one Million Customers mark as MTN Group announces strong growth performance across its entire Group.The Chief Executive Officer and President…
Telecoms
Telecoms News - In Brief
On the back of the successful launch of the R5 recharge voucher, and with the reduction in airtime margins and prepaid tariffs, MTN has launched a R2 airtime voucher, in…
Internet
New map overlays conflict, climate change and aid in Africa
A pilot version of an online mapping tool has been launched in Africa which enables researchers and policymakers to identify how climate change vulnerability, conflict, and aid intersect.Researchers from the…
Internet
Africa to get dot africa domain?
Dot Africa (.africa) is set to become the continent’s top level domain and the African Union recently selected South African registry operator, UniForum SA to administer the soon to be…
Internet
AMOS-5 Communication Satellite Adds $11 Million Multi-Year Extension for African Client
Spacecom, operator of the AMOS satellite fleet, has announced that a current client on its AMOS-5 satellite servicing Africa exercised a contractual clause to extend services on the satellite for…
Internet
No surprises from Google’s ‘Insights Africa: Internet Usage’ statistics
Google, in a partnership with Basis Research Ltd, has released an interactive data set based on survey data from 2010 and 2011. Google explained the basics behind the methodology on…
Internet
Tanzania: TTCL Strikes 10.7 Billion Rwanda's Cyber Deal
Tanzanian incumbent TTCL has won a 6.7 million US dollars contract to supply 1.244 gigabytes of internet bandwidth to Rwanda for 10 years.TTCL Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Mr Said Amir…
Internet
Internet News - In Brief
- The Times of Zambia and Sunday Times of Zambia are now on Facebook.-The Egyptian Minister of Communications and Information Technology Mohamed Salem and his Ugandan counterpart Ruhakana Rugunda on…
Computing
Liberia: Internal Affairs Ministry to Create On-Line Library Soon
The Ministry of Internal Affairs in collaboration with the Krao Association in the Americas is expected to create an On-line Library shortly.According to a press release, The Krao Association is…
Computing
Rwanda: MTN Inaugurates 'ICT School Project' in Rusumo
MTN Rwanda on Thursday inaugurated the 'ICT School Project' at Rusumo High School in Eastern Province. It consists of a computer lab equipped with 36 internet-connected computers set up by…
Computing
Uganda: Mulago to Computerise System
David Nuwamanya the Assistant Commissioner for Support Services at Mulago National Referral Hospital says the hospital is in the process of transforming the whole supply chain system from a manual…
Computing
Computer News - In Brief
-Nigeria The State government-owned Gateway ICT has awarded scholarship on ICT training to 300 youths.- On the 1st - 4th of March 2012, the Kuyu Project in partnership with the…
Telecoms, Rates, Offers and Coverage
Telecoms, Rates, Coverage and Offers in Brief
- Kenyan mobile giant Safaricom has promised to double 3G broadband speeds to 42Mbps, Business Daily Africa reports. Although the operator has not explicitly confirmed the exact technical specifications behind…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
Nigeria: Cashless Lagos - Penalty On Cash Limits Starts
Banks in the nation's commercial centre, Lagos State, have started charging penalty from customers who withdraw or deposit cash above the limits stipulated by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
South Africa’s network readiness index below par
The Global Information Technology Report 2012 has been released by the World Economic Forum, examining the success of 142 countries in using information and communications technology to boost economic competitiveness.The…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
Kenya’s tech incubator, iHub receives $150,000 in funding from Google
Kenya’s technology incubator and innovation hub, iHub recently received about $150,000 in funding from Google.The hub formally announced the funding news and according to them will be using the new…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
Money News - In Brief
MTN and Stanbic IBTC Bank- a member of Standard Bank Group- have signed an agreement on the provision of mobile money services to Nigerians.
Digital Content
Water monitoring 'easier' with free mobile phone app
A mobile phone application that enables users of low-cost phones to submit water quality results quickly and easily is having a positive impact among users.The Water Quality Reporter (WQR) application…
Digital Content
Techpreneurs to benefit as M:Lab gets Sh1.31 billion financial boost
The Finnish government and Nokia have partnered through infoDev, a programme within the World Bank Group which works to promote technological innovation and entrepreneurship to create opportunities for growth, job…
Digital Content
North Africa: UNHCR Launches New Global Arabic Website
Dubai, United Arab Emirates — The UN refugee agency has launched a new website to inform a global audience about UNHCR's operations in the Middle East and North Africa and…
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People
In May this year, kLab, the open innovation space located in Kigali's ICT Park in Telecom House will open its doors to young innovators and entrepreneurs.Recently, the firm held a…
