Issue no 647 22nd March 2013
Top Story
Africa’s race for data – making sense of the transition through everyday services today
There’s a growing acknowledgement that the all-data future is upon us but much less idea what the road looks like between here and there. MTN has announced that it will launch Triple Play at some point in the near future and become a “services company”. Russell Southwood looks at the sequence of changes that will need to be made by any successful operator.In business terms, the mobile operators’ lot is not a happy one. In most of Africa’s big markets there is now an intense level of competition. Average Revenue Per User (ARPU) is down below the US$10 mark and…
Telecoms
Ethiopia: Ethio-Telecom to Upgrade to LTE
Ethio-telecom announced that it will upgrade its current 3G telecom infrastructure networks to LTE. Dr. Mesfin Belachew, e-government directorate director at the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, told reporters…
Telecoms
Nigerian Networks to Launch MNP Services Next Week
The Nigeria's telecoms regulator NCC has announced that Mobile Number Portability will go live in the country next week, and also a day earlier than originally planned.Reuben Muoka, Head, Media…
Telecoms
Libya Delays Tender to Manage State-Owned Telco
The Libyan government has put a halt to a process to award a management contract for its state-owned telecoms network, the Libyan Post, Telecommunication and Information Technology Co (LIPTIC).Citing Etisalat's…
Telecoms
Telecoms – In Brief
- The leading telecom operator in Ghana, MTN has announced it is investing a total of GH¢105 million to expand and upgrade its network in order to deliver quality services…
Internet
10KWEB Moves into French West Africa
Internet start-up, 10KWEB, is pleased to announce the addition of Burkina Faso in French West Africa to its global family network. This marks the latest country in Africa to join…
Internet
UN Broadband Commission sets new gender target: getting more women connected to ICTs ‘critical’ to post-2015 development agenda
Commissioners gathered for the 7th meeting of the Broadband Commission for Digital Development, held today in Mexico City, have agreed an ambitious new target designed to spur female access to…
Internet
US Embassy, Mobile Web celebrate Internet freedom
The US Embassy and Mobile Web Ghana (MWG), a community of mobile technology entrepreneurs, has held a forum to discuss innovative ways in which Ghana can take advantage of the…
Internet
O3b Networks announces capacity deal with unnamed DRC ISP
Channel Islands-based satellite service provider O3b Networks has announced what it describes as a major long-termo3b-networks-ltd capacity deal providing highly resilient and affordable capacity to ‘the leading ISP in the…
Internet
Loggu 4G to provide affordable uncapped internet access in Ghana
Ghanaian start-up, Loggu 4G Ghana Limited is gearing up to start offering uncapped, unmetered and affordable high speed internet service in Ghana.Founder of Loggu 4G, Gershon Adeklo told Adom Business…
Internet
Internet – In Brief
- Kenya will adopt digital signature systems for online transactions by October this year, if the roll out exercise goes according to plan. The Kenya ICT board deputy chief executive…
Internet
Pamoja launches vision to cultivate cloud services market for Africa
In what is a step closer to establishing a premier Cloud services marketplace for Africa, Pamoja, the Cloud services business unit of Pan-African ICT enabler SEACOM, has launched its go-to-market…
Computing
Solar-powered mobile health centre rolls into Cape Town
Solar truck equipped with remarkable range of facilities could revolutionise healthcare in rural parts of sub-Saharan AfricaAt the back of the truck is a small soundproof booth with a chair,…
Computing
Computing – In Brief
- The Ministry of Education has handed over a total of 7,200 laptop computers to basic schools in the Ashanti region to support the teaching and learning of Information Communication…
Telecoms, Rates, Offers and Coverage
Nigeria: NCC Crashes Voice Tariffs, Favours New Entrants
Nigerian subscribers' demand for the cost of voice tariffs to be lowered has been answered with a new mobile termination rates (MTRs) also known as interconnect rates introduced yesterday night…
Telecoms, Rates, Offers and Coverage
Airtel Tanzania unveils affordable off-net calls offer
Mobile network operator Airtel Tanzania has launched a new service that enables its customers to make off-net voice calls and SMS at savings of up to 75% compared to previous…
Telecoms, Rates, Offers and Coverage
Orange Kenya Launches Nisort – Pay4Me Service
Orange has launched a reverse charge call service dubbed ‘Nisort’ that will allow callers to make reverse charged calls. This service will allow callers to make calls and have the…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
Kenya to Secure Online Transactions
The government has set up an online identity and verification system in order to create a secure online transaction environment.Kenya ICT Board Project Manager Evans Kahuthu said that the digital…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
Sudan: Zain Sudan Repatriated Part of Its Profit Abroad in 2012
Zain Sudan has been able to repatriate a portion of its operating profit abroad in 2012, a senior banking official told Sudan Tribune today.The official who spoke on background said…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
Signalhorn Completes Installation of Over 400 Point of Sale Sites in South Africa
Signalhorn has completed the rollout of over 400 point of sale (PoS) sites which service a global fuel retailer’s South African network. This global fuel retailer benefits from Signalhorn’s hybrid…
Digital Content
Angola: Writers Union to Sell Books Through Website
Lovers of literature have the opportunity, anywhere they live in the world, to buy books by Angolan authors, through the site of the Angolan Writers Union (UEA), which contains the…
Digital Content
South Africa's Vodacom Starts Offering Mobile Heath Services
South Africa's Vodacom Business division has announced the launch of a number of mHealth initiatives together with its partner Mezzanineware.Based on a centralised mobile/cloud environment, Vodacom's Mezzanine mHealth services allow…
Digital Content
Rwanda: More Companies Adopt .rw Domain
Within a period of four months since Rwanda's Country Code Top Level Domain (ccTLD), ".rw" was formally re-delegated from Belgium, more companies/individuals have started registering their websites under the '.rw'…
Digital Content
Referendum crowdmap live in Zimbabwe
A crowdmap is live in Zimbabwe allowing citizens to report on cases of intimidation and corruption in tomorrow’s constitutional referendum, in spite of government attempts to crack down on monitoring.The…
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Events
2nd Annual Cloud World Forum Africa23rd-24th April 2013Sandton Sun Hotel, Johannesburg, South AfricaCombining the Cloud Computing World Forum Africa and Cloud Africa, this two day conference and exhibition covers every…
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Jobs & Opportunities
The 2013 Development Leaders Scholarship - worth £15,200 - is available for developing country applicants to the one-year MSc ICT4D programme; creating ICT4D champions. It is also tenable on the…