Issue no 753 17th April 2015
Top Story
Mozilla brings low, low-cost smartphones to Africa – Looking forward to 50-80% smartphone ownership
One of the most interesting players helping provide cheap smartphones is Mozilla. With its Firefox OS it both offers a route to a much cheaper smartphone and an OS that is not the dominant “dark star”, Android. Russell Southwood spoke to Mozilla’s VP, Planning and Ecosystem Rick Fant about what it’s doing and how it will impact Africa.The rational for Firefox OS is that Mozilla felt that it had to follow its users on to mobile or risk losing out. Also as an organization that was “dedicated to keeping the power of the Web in people’s hands” it wanted to…
Telecoms
Confusion over phase 2 of Zambia's tower project
Confusion has erupted between regulator ZICTA’s awarding of phase two of the rural communication tower project.Zambian president Edgar Lungu this month signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with China on…
Telecoms
Orange and USAID join forces to boost mHealth innovations across Africa
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and global telecommunications operator Orange announced a new alliance to develop innovations in mobile health (mHealth) at the Global mHealth Forum in Washington,…
Telecoms
Safaricom activating 200 new 4G BTS
Safaricom, Kenya’s largest mobile operator by subscribers, is poised to extend its 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) network footprint this week, with the deployment of 200 new base transceiver stations…
Telecoms
Liberia: Cellcom Breaks All Barriers With New Mega Campaign
Cellcom's Chief Corporate Communications Strategist Dr. Kimmie Weeks has announced that Cellcom has launched a new mega discount campaign that will bring major financial relief to mobile users in Liberia.…
Telecoms
Telecoms – In Brief
The East African One Area Network initiative which seeks to reduce the cost of telecom services between partner states plus South Sudan has registered success with voice calls and now…
Internet
Seacom completes link to Kampala
Seacom, the submarine cable operator with a network of submarine and terrestrial high speed fibre-optic cables, has completed its link from Nairobi to Kampala through Tororo. This continues its bid…
Internet
Rocket Internet’s Jumia Launches in Senegal
Following its launches in Tanzania and Angola, Rocket Internet’s online retailer Jumia last week launched in Senegal, the 12th country the e-commerce site is active in.In a statement, Patrick Farnole,…
Internet
Internet – In Brief
Q-KON has recently boosted its footprint into Africa by establishing its partnership with the global Newtec Business Partner Program (bePART), and is therefore an official distributor of Newtec satcom products.…
Computing
Cote d'Ivoire starts One Citizen, One Computer programme
Cote d'Ivoire's government has provided the first 208 computers and tablets to 32 organisations, universities and schools one month after announcing its 'One citizen, one computer plus an internet connection'…
Computing
SA slips in global ICT index
Johannesburg - Falling lower down the World Economic Forum (WEF) global information and communication technology (ICT) rankings is becoming an annual occurrence for South Africa.The WEF this week released its…
Computing
Computing – In Brief
Accra — Business owners and new businesses in Ghana can now register their companies online following the launch of an e-registrar portal aimed at streamlining business registrations in the country.…
Money Transfer
Zim's mobile money subs reach 5.3mn
There are now 5.3 million mobile money subscribers in Zimbabwe, with the total number of transaction values rising by 80% to $1.4 billion in 2014 compared to the previous year,…
Money Transfer
Safaricom to switch M-Pesa off for migration, upgrade
Safaricom plans to completely shut down its popular money transfer service for about half a day this weekend to allow for an upgrade as it begins “the journey to bring…
Money Transfer
Moov Togo extends Flooz mobile money beyond borders
Moov Togo has extended its mobile money service ‘Flooz’ to offer cross-border transactions to Benin, Cote d’Ivoire and Niger. Launched in September 2013, Flooz allows Moov Togo users to carry…
Money Transfer
Money Transfer - In Brief
United Bank for Africa (UBA) Cameroon has emerged the winner of the prepaid innovative product of the year award at the Prepaid Summit Middle East event in Casablanca Morocco, sponsored…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
NATCOM Consortium Completes Payment for NITEL/MTEL
The preferred bidder for Nigerian Telecommunications Limited (NITEL) and its mobile arm (Mtel), NATCOM Consortium, has paid the 70 per cent outstanding balance of the $252,521,000 bid price for the…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
Telecel negotiating its future with POTRAZ
Telecel, the struggling Zimbabwean mobile provider which is 60%-owned by Vimpelcom of Russia via holding company Global Telecom, has written to the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ)…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
Dos Santos shows further interest in Telecel stake - report
Businesswoman Isabel dos Santos is firming up her interest in the telecommunications sector as she recently sent her representatives to discuss investment opportunities with government officials, Zimbabwe Independent reported. Her…
Digital Content
NollyLand Now Available on Roku in USA & Canada |Releases Chromecast-Ready Android App
Launched in November last year, the African movie platform NollyLand has announced the availability of its Roku channel to audiences in the United States and Canada.The Roku Channel had been…
Digital Content
Nigeria gets localised website that helps you locate leisure spots
Several months ago, Oyewole Kayode was in Ibadan, the ancient yet trend-setting Nigerian city located in the Yoruba-dominated southwestern part of the country. While he was there, a female friend…
Digital Content
African superheroes take flight in video games
The fantasy for Eyram Tawia began, as it has for millions of children before him, thumbing through comic books."When I saw Superman fly, I'm like: 'How can I see myself…
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Opportunities
Andela Is Accepting Applications To Its Paid 4-Year Fellowship Class in LagosAndela, the talent accelerator that trains software developers and matches them with global employers has begun accepting applications to…
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Events
Connected Africa26–27 May 2015The Sandton Convention CentreJohannesburg, South AfricaAfrica’s telecommunications sector is booming!Enterprises, ISP’s telcos and partners are under huge pressure to capitalise on the vast opportunities in the African…
