News update Telecoms and ICT in Africa - Issue no. 885 – 14 July 2017
Top Story
West Africa Com 2017: A sobered mobile industry takes stock of the scale of the coming digital transformation
14 July 2017
100% of delegates at West Africa Com 2017 said they were optimistic about their industry’s future but there is a developing understanding of the scale of what’s happening. Less blaming it all on those nasty OTTs and more getting down to what can be done to change the business model. Russell Southwood reports on highlights from the conference. Birago Diene Moctor Beye, Head of Wholesale and Carriers Division, Sonatel gave the welcoming address in which he said the company had rolled out 360 4G sites in Dakar, Touba and Saly and opened a Tier 3 data centre last June. He…
Telecoms
Dialling in on spam call research in three key African markets- Report
14 July 2017
Annoying and unwanted spam calls are on the rise around the globe, including African countries which are not excluded from the increase in spam calls and SMSs. Truecaller’s Truecaller Insights:…
Telecoms
Orange Liberia extends LTE outside of capital Monrovia, to Kakata
14 July 2017
Orange Liberia (formerly known as Cellcom) has announced the launch of ‘Liberia’s first 4G LTE network outside of Monrovia’, switching on its network in Kakata, the capital of Margibi County,…
Telecoms
Etisalat Nigeria changes brand name to 9Mobile
14 July 2017
Following the tales and woes of Etisalat Nigeria’s $1.2 billion loan owned a consortium of 13 Nigerian banks, finally, the troubled telecoms firm has changed its brand name to 9Mobile.…
Telecoms
World Telecom Labs Helps Algerian Operator Provide SMS Services
14 July 2017
World Telecom Labs (WTL) has announced that it has helped Icosnet, an established operator in Algeria, to rollout an A2P (Application to Person) SMS service that will primarily be used…
Telecoms
In brief
14 July 2017
Gambia’s Ministry of Information & Communication Infrastructure (MOICI) has announced that from 7 July 2017 the government has reverted direct control of the country’s sole international voice gateway to state-owned…
Internet
Yahsat and Interactive Group sign MOU to offer integrated ICT solutions
14 July 2017
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, 09 July 2017 – Interactive Group – a Pakistan based integrated IT solutions provider – signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Yahsat to combine…
Internet
“In ten years, the digital economy will probably weigh 10% of African GDP”- Mobilitas Group
14 July 2017
The ADIE (the state agency in charge of the information technology policy) (https://www.ADIE.sn) has formalized today the dematerialization of two procedures of the urban planning services: obtaining the certificate of…
Internet
Angola Cables extends its European network to Interexion facilities to enhance interconnection between Africa and Europe
14 July 2017
Interexion Holding NV, a leading provider of carrier and cloud-neutral colocation data centre services in Europe, and Angola Cables S.A., a multinational telecoms wholesale operator, today announced that Angola Cables…
Internet
PCCW Global lands new Asia Africa Europe-1 cable system in Hong Kong
14 July 2017
HONG KONG, July 13, 2017 – PCCW Global, the international operating division of HKT, Hong Kong’s premier telecommunications service provider, today announced the landing of the high-capacity Asia Africa Europe-1…
Internet
Kenya to have 2nd level .ke domain
14 July 2017
The Kenya Network Information Centre (KeNIC) has announced that it will offer second level .ke domains for Kenyans looking to personalise their Internet domain registrations. KeNIC, authorised by the Kenyan…
Internet
Kenya: Kwale County launches free street Wi-Fi and online portal Staff Writer
14 July 2017
Kwale County is this month launching free street Wi-Fi in Baraza Park and Ukunda and an online services portal, KwalePay, using high-speed Internet from Liquid Telecom Kenya. The county is…
Internet
Somalia investigates ongoing Internet outage
14 July 2017
The Somali government has launched an investigation into the ongoing Internet outage in the war-torn Horn of Africa nation, the attorney general said Thursday. The internet outage hit 11 out…
Internet
In brief
14 July 2017
Hellas Sat, a premium satellite operator offering services in Europe, Middle East and Africa, has announced the opening of its new sales office in Johannesburg, South Africa, strengthening its presence…
Computing
Microsoft’s data centre investment to boost SA cloud adoption
14 July 2017
Microsoft’s announcement that it plans to build hyperscale datacentres in Cape Town and Johannesburg to deliver a range of cloud services, is set to give a massive boost to enterprise…
Computing
Huawei, Cloud Exchange sign West Africa partnership deal
14 July 2017
Cloud Exchange West Africa has signed an exclusive partnership agreement with global information and communication technology solutions provider, Huawei International as the global firm’s only Tier 1 Value Added Partner…
Computing
Tech Giant Amazon May Build a Data Centre in South Africa
14 July 2017
Amazon, one of the world’s largest tech companies, is looking at opening a data centre in South Africa to service its large customer base, its chief technology officer, Werner Vogels,…
Computing
Angola Cables breaks ground for its Brazilian Data Centre
14 July 2017
FORTALEZA, Brazil, July 10, 2017/ -- Multinational telecommunications company, Angola Cables (www.AngolaCables.co.ao), announced today that construction had begun on its South American data centre, located in Fortaleza, Brazil. The data…
Money Transfer
Safaricom goes for photo IDs to block M-Pesa fraud
14 July 2017
Mobile money agents will soon start using photos to identify those withdrawing or depositing money on the popular M-Pesa platform in a new push to curb fraud. Safaricom said it…
Money Transfer
Mobile cash reduces hunger, boosts local economies in Kenya
14 July 2017
An innovative, mobile phone-driven cash programme has helped prevent nearly 250,000 people from slipping into severe food insecurity in drought-ravaged Kenya. The Kenya Red Cross Society has given monthly grants…
Money Transfer
Huawei partners with WorldRemit to accelerate growth of low cost mobile-to-mobile money transfers to Africa
14 July 2017
Leading digital money transfer service WorldRemit(www.WorldRemit.com) and Huawei (www.Huawei.com/en) have announced a partnership making WorldRemit’s international money transfer service available to all partners of Huawei’s mobile money service platform across…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
#GuptaLeaks: SAP to appoint interim CEO following Africa execs' suspension
14 July 2017
SAP has refused to explicitly name the executive team that was suspended, following allegations that the South African subsidiary of the German-based software giant paid a Gupta front R100 million…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
SCPT calls for USD4 million investment to clear bottleneck
14 July 2017
The director of state-owned telco the Congolese Society of Post and Telecommunication (Societe Congolaise des Postes et Telecommunications, SCPT), Patrick Umba, has said that the company needs an injection of…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
Tanzania Opens Telecom IPOs to Foreigners
14 July 2017
Tanzania will allow foreign investors to buy shares in telecommunications companies listing on the domestic stock exchange, after an initial public offering by the country’s biggest mobile operator stalled. Changes…
Digital Content
First Digital Television in Ghana launched mobile TV app
14 July 2017
First Digital Television has gone mobile with an application that can help users to access its programmes anytime, anywhere, everywhere in the world. The FD Mobile App, allows its users…
Digital Content
Africanews channel its launches iOS app
14 July 2017
The African channel of Euronews, Africanews launched an iOS app, offering free access to all news published on the africanews.com website and live TV. The app which will be available…
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People
14 July 2017
Coriant Appoints Khaled Zeidan as Managing Director, Middle East and Africa CAIRO, Egypt, 11 July 2017 – Coriant, a leading supplier of packet optical, IP, and SDN solutions…
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Opportunities
14 July 2017
Free programming workshop for womenLearn the basics of programming and build your first website at DjangoGirls Warri! Would you like to learn how to build websites, but don’t know where…
