Issue no 749 20th March 2015
Top Story
Zimbabwean MVNO Viva! wants to take on the dominant mobile operator on price and service innovation
As we noted in Issue 747, the MVNO wave in Africa seems finally to be moving as regulators open up this space as a way of providing innovation and competition. Zimbabwe looks set to create an MVNO opening and a new operator called Viva Mobile Network is keen to be one of the first on the start line. Russell Southwood spoke to its CEO and founder Dzidzai Chidumba.Chidumba used to work on Post Paid and VAS with Vodacom in South Africa and one of its billing sub-contractors Artec Isis. On coming home to Zimbabwe, he noticed that a lot of…
Telecoms
Zimbabwe: The Government of Zimbabwe Orders Telecel to Stop Operating in the Country
The Government of Zimbabwe has directed mobile phone operator, Telecel Zimbabwe to stop operating in the country, saying that the company has no license and is also not complying with…
Telecoms
ANRT grants 4G licences to all three operators
Moroccan telecoms regulator, the Agence Nationale de Reglementation de Telecom (ANRT), has announced that it had awarded three 20-year Long Term Evolution (LTE) licences to the country’s mobile operators –…
Telecoms
Mobile phone users rise to 14 million in Angola
Mobile phone users in Angola amounted to some 14 million, almost doubling the number of five years ago amid the development of the telecommunications and information technologies, one of the…
Telecoms
Telecoms – In Brief
Chief Executives of the world’s leading satellite operators have net in Washington at the Satellite 2015 Conference to announce that ESOA, the world’s only CEO-driven satellite organisation, is expanding to…
Internet
NAPAfrica peering boosts cross border business
Africa’s largest Internet exchange(IXP), NAPAfrica says that the digital divide still exists and new innovative approaches such as peering should be better utilised if Africa is to ever have full…
Internet
Senegal's internet penetration passes 50% mark
Senegal had 6.86 million internet subscribers in December 2014, up 2.7 percent in three months and up 60.5 percent on a year, according to the country's telecom regulator, the ARTP.…
Internet
Wi-Fi Forum of South Africa Launched
An inaugural conference of the Wi-Fi Forum of South Africa (Wi-Fi Forum SA) was held on 12 March 2015 in Johannesburg, officially establishing the Forum as an active player in…
Internet
Outernet installs CubeSat facilities in Kenya to provide free internet
Outernet, is a service aimed at proing CubeSat facilities in Kenya to provide free Wi-Fi service for use by Kenyans, at a low cost.Using a network of small satellites dubbed…
Internet
Zipnet to Boost the ICT Sector in Ghana with Alepo Policy and Charging Control
Friday, March 20, 2015, Austin, TX – Alepo, a provider of network and IT software solutions for global communications service providers, announced today a new partnership with Zipnet – an…
Computing
With MTN’s Help, One of South Sudan’s Oldest Schools Now has a Computer Lab
At a public school, one of the oldest in South Sudan, pupils mill around a newly built computer lab, taking a peek at a new technology they can hardly comprehend.“We…
Computing
Nigeria: Microsoft, Jobberman Partner On Aiki.ng Employability Portal
Microsoft Nigeria has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Jobberman, Nigeria's leading recruitment website. The purpose is geared towards addressing unemployment and unlocking youths potential in Nigeria and other…
Computing
Computing – In Brief
IWayAfrica Zimbabwe has been awarded its Cisco Select Certified Partner status after demonstrating the technical ability and product knowledge necessary to sell, install and support Cisco solutions.
Money Transfer
Matatus 1, Google 0: A sobering lesson on digital payments from Africa
Just a few months ago, Kenya's infamously chaotic transport sector, populated by swarms of matatu minibus taxis know for their thumping music and anarchic driving, was all set for a…
Money Transfer
Orange and Airtel join forces to enable international money transfers between Côte d’Ivoire and Burkina Faso
With “Orange Money International Transfer”, Orange Money customers can easily use their mobile phones to transfer electronic money in real-timeABIDJAN, Côte d’Ivoire, March 13, 2015/African Press Organization (APO)/ – As…
Money Transfer
MPESA goes regional
Safaricom’s M-PESA customers will be able to send and receive money from Tanzania, in a move that is aimed at deepening financial inclusion and give a further boost to the…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
Government steps in to resurrect Togo Telecom
The government of the tiny African nation of Togo has pledged to intercede to rebuild its ‘bankrupt’ state-owned national operator Togo Telecom and subsidiary Togo Cellulaire (Togocel), pumping in funds…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
Breaking: OLX buys out competitor in Nigeria & Shuts it down
OLX Nigeria Naspers’ backed general classifieds listings site OLX, has acquired Shibsted’s TradeStable and shut it down redirecting all new visitors to its OLX Nigeria website with immediate effect.This is…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
Morocco raises MAD 2 billion in LTE auction
Moroccan telecom regulator ANRT has approved the bids for LTE licences submitted by the country's three mobile operators, Maroc Telcom, Medi Telecom and Wana Corporate. ANRT said they were three…
Digital Content
How Nigerian Bloggers, Writers, Activists Wrote a Book in Five Days
Barbara Ruehling, a filmmaker and Book Sprint facilitator, talks to us about a Book Sprint in Nigeria, which brought together Nigerian bloggers, writers and activists to write a book in…
Digital Content
The battle for Kenya – Uber vs. Easy Taxi
Africa Internet Group (AIG)-owned taxi hailing app launched in Kenya in April 2014, following successful roll outs in Nigeria, Ghana and Egypt. Queue the entry of Uber to Kenya in…
Digital Content
iROKOtv.com announces free movie download service
Nollywood VOD service, iRokotv.com has today announced a movie download feature to allow subscribers get their movies to watch them later offline.The firm annouced, “Movie downloads have arrived. You can…
Digital Content
Nigerian Writers, Publishers Debate Future of Publishing in Age of Social Media
Nigeria ranks 35th worldwide in number of Facebook users and is the third-largest generator of tweets in Africa. Meanwhile, the Nigerian publishing industry struggles to find readers. Nigerian publishers and…
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Opportunities
MozFest EAWhat is MozFest East Africa?MozFest East Africa is an annual event that brings together educators, innovators, learners and makers from East Africa and beyond to share experiences and build…
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Events
Africa IT & Telecom Forum 201526 -27 March 2015 AbidjanHow Africa will manage its digital transformation?Share the experience and success of policy makers in the development sector.For further information click…
