Issue no 697 21st March 2014
Top Story
Alliance For Affordable Internet wants to get Internet prices down to 5% of per capita income or below, focused on several African countries
In terms of widening Internet use, Africa faces several challenges including lowering the cost of both data use and device costs. The Alliance for Affordable Internet has sunk its teeth into getting developing country Internet prices down, Russell Soythwood spoke to its Executive Director Sonia Jorge about the challenges and how she will tackle them.The Alliance for Affordable Internet (A4AI) was set up as a coalition of private sector, public sector, and civil society organizations to focus on bringing down the cost of Internet use globally, particularly in poorer countries. Its Honorary Chairperson is Dr Bitange Ndemo, former Permanent Secretary,…
Telecoms
GSMA, Mobile Operators Partner to Improve Mobile Access in Africa
Major mobile operator groups, serving 506 million customers across Africa and the Middle East, are making plans to partner with GSM Association (GSMA) on network infrastructure sharing initiatives.The initiative, which…
Telecoms
Ghana Telecoms ordered to repeat Sim-registration
Telecom operators in Ghana have been ordered to repeat the SIM card registration process after they were accused of engaging in fraudulent activities around the scheme.The government says that there…
Telecoms
Smart Telecom Launched In Uganda
Smart Telecom is the latest telecommunications company to enter Ugandan Market.Smart Telecom is under Industrial Promotion Services (IPS) Kenya, a subsidiary of the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development (AKFED)The…
Telecoms
Algeria to Launch Fixed LTE In May 2014
Algeria’s state-owned telco Algerie Telecom (AT) is planning to launch fixed-wireless Long Term Evolution (LTE) technology in May 2014, while mobile 4G will be introduced in late 2015. Zorha Derdouri,…
Telecoms
Zambian Networks Face Lose of License if Quality is Not Improved
Zambia's government has issued a warning to the mobile networks and threatened to revoke their operating licenses if they do not improve the quality of their service.The out-going minister of…
Telecoms
Telecoms – In Brief
- Nigeria's MTN has announced an expanded managed services agreement with Aviat Networks.- Indian-backed cellco Airtel Gabon has launched the West African country’s first commercial UMTS-based 3G mobile data services,…
Internet
Google’s Project Link offers Ugandans unlimited internet access
Google’s Project Link initiative is offering Ugandans unlimited internet access in a unique way courtesy of its microfibre network, according to Jennifer Haroon, principal, access strategy and operations at Google.HumanIPO…
Internet
Somalia: Mogadishu to Get High-Speed 4G LTE Network
Glocall Telecoms plans to provide 4G LTE high-speed internet connection for mobile phones to Mogadishu residents, government offices, schools and businesses, implementing partner company Tazca Connects announced Wednesday (March 18th)."Deploying…
Internet
Internet – In Brief
- Algeria’s state-owned telco Algerie Telecom (AT) is planning to launch fixed-wireless Long Term Evolution (LTE) technology in May 2014, while mobile 4G will be introduced in late 2015, Agence…
Computing
Why Pamoja says Cloud cover is good for Africa
Cloud is ready for your business in 2014, but is your business ready for the Cloud? This was the question put to delegates at an information session on the impact…
Computing
IBM Set 10-year Plan to Address Cognitive Computing in Africa
The International Business Machine (IBM) has come up with a 10-year business model that will address cognitive computing in Africa. This, according to the company, will help develop data for…
Computing
South Africa's Western Cape launches free Wi-Fi pilot
South Africa's Western Cape government has launched a free Wi-Fi pilot project at The Hague Primary School, in Delft, and plans to extend it to Atlantis, Robertson and the Garden…
Telecoms, Rates, Offers and Coverage
Telecom, Rates, Offers & Coverage
- Orange hopes to launch a range of new products using Wi-Fi in South Africa this year, and will elaborate further on its plans within the next two weeks, reports…
Money Transfer
Brussels Airlines to fly with MTN Cameroon’s Mobile Money
The Belgian airline, Brussels Airlines, and the leader of the Cameroonian cellular phone industry, MTN Cameroon (59% market-share with 8.7 million subscribers on December 31, 2013), just signed a partnership…
Money Transfer
Western Union Expands Mobile Money Transfer Network in Nigeria with Paga
The Western Union Company (NYSE: WU), a leader in global payment services, today announced the launch of a new mobile money transfer service to Nigeria, which increases the reach of…
Money Transfer
Uganda telecom upgrades mobile money platform
Uganda telecom, a partially state owned telecommunication service provider, has signaled it will embark on upgrading its mobile money banking platform, M-Sente, in the next two weeks to enable their…
Money Transfer
Mahindra Comviva launches digital wallet solution
Mobility solutions provider, Mahindra Comviva has announced the launch of mobiquity, its digital wallet platform.Mobiquity is a fully integrated digital wallet platform which supports Near Field Communication (NFC), Quick Response…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
Lap GreenN eyes Orange Uganda
A subsidiary of Libya’s sovereign wealth fund, Lap GreenN, is said to be interested in bidding for Orange Uganda, which owner Orange has hired Lazard to assess strategic option for,…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
WeChat throws hat in African ring
Instant messaging platform WeChat has risen to prominence over the last year, and with the dominance of WhatsApp and BBM on the continent, the company is well aware of the…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
Workers acquire 10% stake in Mozambique’s TDM
According to unconfirmed local press reports, management, technical personnel and other workers at state-owned Telecomunicacoes de Mocambique (TDM) have acquired 10% of the state-owned company’s share capital. Under the terms…
Digital Content
Stanbic Botswana turns to tablets to boost sales
Stanbic Bank Botswana, a subsidiary of South African headquartered Standard Bank Group, has launched sales application tablet technology, through Apple’s iOS software platform, to help sign up new customers.Lerato Chana…
Digital Content
Smart app to help fight Malaria
Capitalizing on the penetration and massive growth of Android-based smartphone and tablet devices throughout Africa, Mobilium Global has announced the launch of its Smart Health application in seven African countries…
Digital Content
How to spread Rwandan propaganda, and intimidate opponents? Twitter, of course.
Last week, a few unfortunate clicks revealed to the world that the Twitter account of Rwandan President Paul Kagame is run by the same person who spews pro-Rwanda propaganda under…
Digital Content
Google snubs South Africa with Movies & TV update
Search giant Google has rolled out an update to its Google Play Movies & TV app. This recent update includes support for over 40 new countries – including Burkina Faso,…
Digital Content
Rwanda Bans Internet Marketing Company
Rwanda has banned PLI Telexfree Rwanda Ltd, a multi-level internet marketing service company, after investigations linked it to alleged money laundering in the country.A Brazilian court of Acre State has…
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Events
AITEC Banking & Mobile Money15 - 16 July 2014Eko Hotel, Lagos NigeriaDear Colleague,For a number of reasons, including the recent dismissal of the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria,…
