Issue no 756 8th May 2015
Top Story
Equatorial Guinea: Government signs with US company GridlineXstreme to roll out a national fibre network and data centre
One of the biggest clusters of high-price monopoly fibre providers is to be found in Central Africa. Things are changing but not as quickly as they should be for these countries to remain competitive. This week Equatorial Guinea announced that it had signed up for a JV to create a national fibre network. Russell SouthwoodIn issue 688 I wrote about how the battle to liberalise fibre markets and get lower prices for the continent had moved to Central Africa. The reason this Central African battle matters is that there is likely to be more movement on prices and market structure…
Telecoms
Vodacom sinks $100m in Tanzania for rural expansion
Vodacom Tanzania is set to spend Sh 200 billion ($100 million) on a rural expansion scheme in order to harness the market potential in remote areas and increase its mobile…
Telecoms
Me&you mobile goes live
South Africa’s newest mobile virtual network operator, me&you mobile, has gone live.South Africa’s newest mobile virtual network operator (MVNO), me&you mobile, has gone live, launching services through its website.The company’s…
Telecoms
Zimbabwe to Revamp State owned Telco NetOne
The government of Zimbabwe is expected to replace much of the top management at the country’s state-owned mobile operator NetOne as it looks to improve performance and grow the company.Advertisements…
Telecoms
Telecoms – In Brief
Microwave networking system specialist Aviat Networks has signed a new three-year turnkey agreement with MTN South Africa, part of the MTN Group, an existing tier one customer. Aviat will modernise…
Internet
Alcatel-Lucent and Algerian Ministry of Post, Information Technology and Communications to build Orval undersea cable system
Spanning more than 560 km, Orval will link Algeria to Spain address increasing demand for high-speed, high-quality broadband connectivityAlcatel-Lucent and the Algerian Ministry of Post, Information Technology and Communications, have…
Internet
SEACOM IP/MPLS network upgrade completed
SEACOM’s upgrade of its global IP and MPLS network has been completed. This project consolidates the pan-African company’s position as the continent’s leading data network service provider.The investment aligns with…
Computing
Airtel Gabon, Unesco launch USD 4 mln schools IT programme
Airtel Gabon has signed a XAF 2.4 billion (approximately USD 4 million) cheque to the 'Former ma generation – Gabon 5000' programme, which is also backed by the education ministry…
Computing
WTEC to train Nigerian girls on internet, social media
Lagos-based Women’s Technology Empowerment Centre has expressed its preparedness to train girls in public schools on the use of social media and the internet.In a statement signed by the Executive…
Money Transfer
WorldRemit appoints new mobile money analyst
Online mobile money transfer service WorldRemit has appointed Alix Murphy, a former GSMA Market Intelligence analyst, as its senior mobile money analyst.While with GSMA, Murphy analysed trends in mobile money…
Money Transfer
Ooredoo Qatar reveals free calls with Mobile Money transfers
Ooredoo Qatar has announced that its Mobile Money service will give 20 free international minutes, with all international transfers to selected African countries, until 25 July 2015.According to the company,…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
Eaton Tower Raises $350 million for Expansion Across Africa
Eaton Towers, an independent telecom tower company in Egypt, has announced it has raised $350 million in new equity resources from shareholders to fund expansion and acquisitions across Africa.According to…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
Minister under fire as Masawara set for Telecel take-over
INFORMATION Communication Technology Minister Supa Mandiwanzira will force Telecel Zimbabwe’s largest shareholder, VimpelCom, to sell their shares to London-listed investment vehicle, Masawara, New Zimbabwe.com understands.Masawara is registered in the tax…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
Nigerian billionaire Mike Adenuga’s Globacom makes $600M bid for Ivorian mobile phone company
Nigerian mobile operator Globacom‘s founder, Mike Adenuga, has told shareholders that he has made a bid to buy Comium Cote d’Ivoire for USD 600 million including debt, according to people…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
WorldRemit calls on regulators to block Western Union’s MoneyGram acquisition
WorldRemit founder and CEO, Ismail Ahmed, has commented on the potential acquisition of MoneyGram by its largest competitor – Western Union. According to reports by Bloomberg and Reuters, Western Union…
Digital Content
Tanzania: Facebook, Tigo Partnership Gives Tanzanians Free Access
Tigo Tanzania has announced a partnership with Facebook in which all its customers in the country will get free access to Facebook services in English and a new Kiswahili version…
Digital Content
Africa: 'Not Ghosts but Human Beings - ' UN Rights Office Launches Website On Albinism
The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) launched today a website dedicated to the issue of albinism aimed at debunking the myths of the rare condition…
Digital Content
Getting Africa's jobseekers online and into employment
Computer says yes: Online recruitment platforms are changing the way people in Africa find work"Throughout my four years at university, my friend and I used to go dropping off application…
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People
SEACOM’s Willem Marais appointed CEO Liquid Telecom South AfricaWillem Marais, SEACOM’s Chief Commercial Officer and formerly in senior positions with the Siemens Group of Companies has been appointed as the…
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Opportunities
She Leads Africa’s Entrepreneur Showcase Opens for ApplicationShe Leads Africa (SLA) has announced the second edition of its annual Entrepreneur Showcase to select the most outstanding female entrepreneurs in Africa…
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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…
