News update Telecoms and ICT in Africa - Issue no. 870 – 31 March 2017
Top Story
African regulation for the coming digital future – getting beyond the mobile paradigm for more competition
31 March 2017
African telecoms regulation is at a crossroads. A combination of changing business models and a downturn in economies across Africa is impacting on the competitive dynamic in all markets. Incumbent mobile operators are slowing down innovation and the transition to digital. Russell Southwood looks at how regulation has to change to get to Africa’s digital future. I’ve visited two African countries recently – Benin and Kenya – which are at very different ends of the competitive market spectrum. But both serve to illustrate the kind of dead ends regulators now find themselves in. In Benin, MTN and Etisalat are effectively…
Telecoms
Nigeria: How One Million Phone Users Dropped Out in One Month
31 March 2017
Ever since the country's telecommunications revolution began in 2001, the mobile growth has experienced steady upward movement until recently when the number of active users dropped by one million within…
Telecoms
Regulators to address international spectrum issues at DSA Global Summit as policy makers look to define universal service in the 5G world
31 March 2017
Cape Town, South Africa, 27 March 2017: Regulators from around the world are set to attend the fifth annual Dynamic Spectrum Alliance Global Summit, to continue discussions on effective spectrum…
Telecoms
Interview with Shivani Sardesai, Director-Africa, Alepo Technologies.
31 March 2017
Q What are the key trends shaping the telecoms future in Africa? Telecom as an Industry is ever evolving and Africa being an emerging market has great potential. The market…
Telecoms
Libyana Mobile Phone goes 4G LTE
31 March 2017
Libya, March 2017: Mobile operator 'Libyana Mobile Phone' has launched Libya’s first 4G-LTE network.
Telecoms
Govt said to have reduced Telkom SA’s shareholding to below 50%
31 March 2017
The South African government’s direct and indirect shareholding in domestic network operator Telkom has reportedly dropped to below 50%, TechCentral writes. As of September 2016 (latest published data by the…
Telecoms
In brief
31 March 2017
Canar telecommunications Company the major fixed line operator in Sudan, became the new operator to acquire the new fourth-generation (4G) internet services license after signing an agreement with the National…
Internet
Avanti partners Tigo Senegal to expand Wi-Fi project
31 March 2017
Avanti Communications Group announced a partnership with Millicom to bring the Avanti ECO initiative to sub-Saharan Africa. The companies will provide Wi-Fi services to schools and communities, addressing the digital…
Internet
BCX aims to be Africa’s premier ICT provider
31 March 2017
BCX, formed from a partnership between Telkom and Business Connexion, aims to become Africa’s premier end-to-end information communication technology provider. The “new” BCX was announced in February, following Telkom integrating…
Internet
Move aside .com: Africa will soon have its own top-level domain
31 March 2017
Africa will soon have its very own top-level domain on the internet. ICANN, a non-profit better known as the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names & Numbers, has this week finalised…
Internet
Legend to provide High-Speed Wi-Fi Hotspot Network to Abuja Residents
31 March 2017
A multimedia company, Legend, said it has deployed a municipal Wi-Fi network in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to enable it join over 100 cities across the world in enjoying…
Internet
Routed launches first vendor neutral cloud platform
31 March 2017
Routed, a cloud service provider, has launched its vendor neutral cloud platform to offer what the company believes South Africa needs: a cloud platform that is reliable, scalable and secure.…
Computing
Rack Centre in Another First, Selected as the only African Finalists in the UK Data Centre Solutions (DCS) 2017 Awards
31 March 2017
Rack Centre, Africa’s premium Data Centre, is a finalist in two categories in the internationally acclaimed Data Centre Solutions (DCS) awards in the UK, the only African based Data Centre…
Computing
Rwanda's technology contest Ms Geek goes continental
31 March 2017
Designed to inspire Rwandan girls to be a part of problem solving for the country using technology, and pursuing careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), Ms Geek Rwanda…
Money Transfer
Kenyans Abroad are Biggest Users of Digital Remittances to Mobile Accounts
31 March 2017
Kenyans living abroad has been described as the biggest sender of digital remittances to mobile accounts. This was disclosed in a statistics made available by WorldRemit, – a digital payment…
Money Transfer
Nigeria: Instant Payment Hits N38.2trn Transactions Milestone in 2016 – NIBSS
31 March 2017
The Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System Plc (NIBSS) has said total volume of Instant Payment (NIP) transactions recorded 154.5 million with value of N38.2 trillion in 2016. This is an increase…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
Econet rights issue flop- was this not what Masiyiwa wanted from the start?
31 March 2017
Econet boss Strive Masiyiwa was yesterday reported to have pumped $100 million into his Zimbabwean operation after a $130 million rights offer only got 25 percent support from investors.The offer,…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
Zambia’s IMF loan no longer conditional on Zamtel sale
31 March 2017
A sale of Zambia Telecommunications Company (Zamtel) is reportedly no longer a condition of the USD1.3 billion loan which the country is seeking to support its economic recovery programme. According…
Digital Content
MTN Group appoints local content delivery solution provider
31 March 2017
South Africa-based multinational mobile operator MTN has appointed PeerApp as the local content delivery solution for operations in a few of its global regions. The move is in a bid…
Digital Content
"Mother of the world" – Egyptians and Sudanese fight over who has contributed most to world culture
31 March 2017
Egyptians and Sudanese are rowing online over which country holds more pride in its history. During a recent visit to Sudan, the Qatari emir's mother Sheikha Moza bint Nasser allegedly…
Digital Content
Inspired by a Pioneering Nigerian Author, Yorùbá Language Advocate Takes to the Internet
31 March 2017
Yoruba meme created by Ọmọ Yoòbá for the Mother Language Meme Challenge In 1938, the late Nigerian professor and author Daniel Olorunfẹmi Fagunwa penned the novel “Ògbójú Ọdẹ nínú Igbó…
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People
31 March 2017
Global-IP Brings Outstanding Sales Team On Board to Serve its African Markets GEORGE TOWN, Cayman Islands--(BUSINESS WIRE/ME NewsWire)-- Global-IP Cayman, the innovative satellite communications company with the mission to bring…
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Opportunities
31 March 2017
Apply for business mentorship from the Cherie Blair Foundation The Cherie Blair Foundation for Women is calling for applications for its next year-long mentorship programme, which starts in May and…
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Events
31 March 2017
Building Rural LTE Networks - a Webinar from WTL May 11, 2017 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM BST Would you like to learn how to extend LTE coverage to remote…