Issue no 693 21st February 2014
Top Story
Nigeria – Dancing around the threshold of a real broadband take-off
Nigeria is poised to move decisively into a better bandwidth future. As Sub-Saharan Africa’s second data largest market and maybe one day its largest, what happens in Nigeria is crucial to the rest of the continent. It has the size of home market to make all sorts of things happen smaller countries do not. Russell Southwood takes a tape measure to the distance between dream and current reality.It’s just over a year since I was last in Lagos and things change so fast. Things that looked as though they might be transformative a year ago are now dead and gone.…
Telecoms
Tanzania Improves Communications Link Between Mainland and Zanzibar
The government of Tanzania has made a swap on the new microwave link designed to better the communication between the Island of Zanzibar and the country’s main land.The link adds…
Telecoms
South Africa: Are Vodacom and MTN too greedy?
Cell C has launched a marketing campaign with a new video on its YouTube channel which has South Africans sharing their views on MTN’s court application against Icasa’s call terminate…
Telecoms
Vietnamese military owned Viettel ‘postpones’ Cameroon launch.
Vietnamese military owned mobile operator Viettel has again postponed a plan to launch in Cameroon, according to a report.Viettel planned to launch in the West African country in late 2013…
Telecoms
Zambia's Government to Boost Rural Mobile Phone Coverage
Zambia s government says that it plans to spend US 24 million building more mobile phone towers in rural areas to boost coverage where the networks currently lack servicesThe project…
Telecoms
Telecoms – In Brief
- State-backed telco Tunisie Telecom (TT) has signed a three year deal with French-US vendor Alcatel-Lucent to upgrade the provider’s network, as part of plans to develop TT’s voice and…
Internet
Broadband the major challenge in Nigeria, not payments – Njoku
Jason Njoku, founder of iROKO, has identified the speed and cost of broadband as the major challenge the company is battling in Nigeria.Speaking during the opening session of this year’s…
Internet
‘Down with slow internet’: A new Egyptian revolution?
The campaign encourages members to complain about internet providers in Egypt such as Vodafone, Mobinil, TE Data, Etisalat Egypt, and Link DSL. An Egyptian youth group has launched an “internet…
Internet
Teraco optimistic about data centre growth
Despite uncertain economic times globally, Teraco, Africa’s first vendor neutral data centre, celebrated excellent growth during 2013. CEO Lex van Wyk says that Teraco is the fastest growing colocation provider…
Internet
Internet – In Brief
- Lagos: Tom Obey, the Information Communication Technology consultant of National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), has urged Nigerians to embrace the use of social media platforms to prevent disasters in…
Computing
Kenya: Seacom's Pamoja Africa and Symantec Partner to Enhance Public Cloud Solution Rollout
Pamoja Africa, the Cloud services business unit of SEACOM, has entered into a partnership with Symantec - the security technology solutions provider - to distribute Symantec's suite of Cloud services…
Computing
Who needs textbooks? 'Zambian iPad' goes to school
Whether it's learning how to read and write or setting up your own farm, a Zambian computer tablet -- known as the ZEduPad -- is trying to open up the…
Computing
American citizen and EFF sue Ethiopian government for installing British spyware on laptop
A US citizen had government-grade spyware placed on his laptop by the Ethiopian government, who proceeded to monitor his Skype calls, instant messages, and his whole family's Internet use. Finspy,…
Computing
Computing – In Brief
- Kenya - Plans by the government to roll out laptops to class one pupils across the country might be hampered by lack of power in most schools. In a…
Money Transfer
Airtel Rwanda launches ATM cardless withdrawals
Airtel Rwanda and I&M bank in partnership with R-Switch have launched an ATM cardless withdrawal service in Rwanda. This enables Airtel Money customers to withdraw money from their I&M bank…
Money Transfer
Kenyan Payments Startup, PesaPal, Expanding into Zimbabwe
Kenyan internet payments startup PesaPal is expanding into Zimbabwe. Agosta Liko, the founder of the company told TechZim recently that their focus for the Zimbabwe entry is eCommerce, Tourism, Hotels,…
Money Transfer
CableKiosk now accepting Bitcoin
Cape Town-based e-commerce startup CableKiosk has announced it can now accept Bitcoin as a method of payment, which the company believes will further improve its customer service.CableKiosk was one of…
Money Transfer
dotFNB debuts smart storefront
Using Microsoft's Kinect technology, dotFNB’s new smart storefront allows consumers to apply for accounts with the wave of the hand.Using Microsoft's Kinect technology, dotFNB’s new smart storefront allows consumers to…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
Monaco Telecom finalises sale of Algerian unit Divona
Monaco Telecom, a subsidiary of UK-based telecoms company Cable & Wireless Communications (CWC), has reportedly completed the sale of Algerian satellite communication unit Divona to Algerian broadband and WiMAX operator…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
MWEB Selects Ruckus Wireless for National Smart Wi-Fi Service Across South Africa
Ruckus Wireless, Inc. has announced that it has been selected by MWEB, one of South Africa's largest Internet service providers (ISP), to supply its Ruckus Smart Wi-Fi products and technology…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
Bharti loses Airtel Nigeria appeal
An appeals court in Lagos has ruled that Econet Wireless International remains a shareholder in Airtel Nigeria, dealing a blow to the mobile operator’s majority owner Bharti Airtel, which may…
Digital Content
Free MTN Wikipedia access fine print
MTN recently announced that it will provide free Wikipedia access to all its subscribers, but the fine print revealed that it will only be free when using Opera Mini.MTN’s free…
Digital Content
Zimbabwe: Baba Jukwa page still live despite closure threat
The Facebook page of Zimbabwean online whistleblower Baba Jukwa remains live in spite of the anonymous poster saying over the weekend he would close the page due to having been…
Digital Content
Solving BIG problems using little technology in Ghana
In January, the Meltwater Entrepreneurial School of Technology (MEST) in partnership with UNICEF Ghana launched the MEST-UNICEF Hackathon, a three-day product development competition to find new technologies to serve the…
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People
ZA Central Registry appoints Masilela as new CEOThe ZA Central Registry (ZACR) has appointed Mokgabudi Lucky Masilela as its new CEO. Masilela will accelerate transformation within the South African DNS…
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Events
eGov Kenya 20-21 March 2014Brackenhurst Conference CentreNairobi, KenyaeGov Kenya will provide an intensive two-day briefing for CFOs and CIOs from each county to empower them with the insights and knowledge…
