News update Telecoms and ICT in Africa - Issue no 927 – 25 May 2018
Top Story
Nigeria’s BCN will use its new NW Infraco licence to become more of a national player – fibre roll-out starts Q1, 2019
25 May 2018
In March 2018, Nigerian connectivity company BCN was awarded the Infraco licence for the North West Zone of Nigeria. Russell Southwood spoke to BCN’s CEO Ibrahim Dikko about how this changes the company from an Abuja operation to a national connectivity provider. Nigeria’s regulator NCC has been slowly rolling out Infraco licences to incentivize the development of fibre infrastructure across the whole of Nigeria. The licences are meant to address two priorities. Firstly, ensuring that there is sufficient metro connectivity in the country’s major urban areas and secondly, ensuring that less well connected regions of the country get better fibre…
Telecoms
Vodacom Lesotho builds on Schools Connectivity Programme with “Pay School Fees with M-Pesa Campaign”
25 May 2018
Vodacom Lesotho is building on its established history of supporting education through the School Connectivity Progamme with the “Pay School Fees with M-Pesa Campaign”. In a handover ceremony in Maseru…
Telecoms
Ghana: $89m Telecom Deal Entirely Different From Subah, Afriwave Among Others
25 May 2018
The Ministry of Communications refuted claims by IMANI Africa that its contract with KelniGVG for the provision of oversight and revenue assurance monitoring is a duplication of roles. A statement…
Telecoms
World Telecom Labs To Provide Power as well as Telephony to Rural Africa
25 May 2018
21 May 2018 – World Telecom Labs (WTL) today announced that it can now provide electricity to villages in rural Africa. The provision of power is a natural extension for…
Telecoms
Cellphone surveillance in South Africa – We should all be afraid
25 May 2018
Professor Jane Duncan has released a new book titled Stopping the Spies: Constructing and resisting the surveillance state in South Africa. In the book, Duncan argues that the Rica process…
Telecoms
Swahili makes history as first African language recognized by Twitter
25 May 2018
Most African languages for the past decade and over of social media platform Twitter’s existence have been referred to as Indonesian in terms of translation. That has changed with Twitter’s…
Telecoms
Kenya: Cellphones With Less Than 8 Hours Battery Banned
25 May 2018
It is now illegal to import a mobile phone that does not offer a battery life of at least eight hours talk time or lacks a physical manual in new…
Telecoms
South Africa: Your Cellphone Records and the Law - the Legal Loophole That Lets State Spying Run Rampant
25 May 2018
There are laws in place preventing intelligence services from intercepting communications unless a specially designated judge scrutinises each case. But, on estimate, 95% of court orders related to telecoms interception…
Telecoms
Zambia fast approaching mobile saturation - ZICTA
25 May 2018
Intensive customer acquisition campaigns initiated by MTN Zambia, Airtel Zambia and Zamtel have pushed the Southern African country's market towards saturation point, according to the Zambia Information and Communications Technology…
Telecoms
5G trials to roll out in South Africa by Comsol, Verizon and Samsung
25 May 2018
Comsol Networks has promulgated a collaboration with technology giants Verizon and Samsung, to launch 5G wireless trials in South Africa. This partnership aimed at distributing a wireless solution that rivals…
Telecoms
In brief
25 May 2018
The Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) has warned mobile network operator (MNO) Africell that it faces the suspension of its operating licence if it does not comply with regulations forcing it…
Internet
South Africa’s big entry-level broadband pricing surprise
25 May 2018
Calling for lower broadband prices in South Africa is nothing new, with the government and other stakeholders punting the benefits of affordable connectivity services. While mobile data prices and high-speed…
Internet
Paratus Botswana now offers Quality Molex Cabling solutions
25 May 2018
Paratus Botswana has launched a new initiative that is aimed at equipping employees with the skills needed to meet the challenges of the fast-evolving technological world. It has launched an…
Internet
In brief
25 May 2018
Angola Cables, S.A. a rising African IP carrier’s carrier, has announced that the company is entering into a reseller relationship with DE-CIX, the world’s leading Internet Exchange (IX) operator,…
Computing
POPI set to be a 'rude awakening' for SA businesses
25 May 2018
South African businesses are in for a rude awakening once the country's Information Regulator (IR) takes up its role as enforcer of the Protection of Personal Information (POPI) Act. This…
Computing
Vox Telecom to extend virtual data centre to channel partners
25 May 2018
South Africa's Vox Telecom is extending its Virtual Data Centre (VDC) offering to its channel partners. Since the launch of its Virtual Data Centre offering in 2017, Vox said it…
Money Transfer
MoMo Interoperability Records Over GHC1.8 Million Mobile Money Transactions Within 6 Days
25 May 2018
About 23,000 transactions worth GH¢1.8 million have been done via mobile money interoperability platform since the launch on May 10. The figures represent customers who successfully sent out money to…
Money Transfer
South Africa’s First Cryptocurrency ATM Improves Access To Bitcoin In Johannesburg
25 May 2018
South Africa’s first cryptocurrency ATM has officially launched in Johannesburg, making it possible for South Africans to purchase various cryptocurrencies via the machine. A South African blockchain firm called Vendibit…
Money Transfer
Shoprite Money launches in South Africa
25 May 2018
Access to banking services has just got easier in South Africa with the introduction of Shoprite Money – a new mobile transactional banking service. Using a Shoprite Money mobile wallet,…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
Court defers Inwi's competition case against Maroc Telecom until 02 July
25 May 2018
A lawsuit brought by Moroccan telecoms company Inwi against the market leader Maroc Telecom was due to start on 21 May but has been postponed until 02 July to enable…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
Telecom Egypt secures $200 million Afreximbank financing for ICT infrastructure
25 May 2018
The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) will commit up to $200 million to Telecom Egypt (TE) to enable the telecommunication company finance working capital and investments in its infrastructure under a…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
In brief
25 May 2018
Zimbabwe’s state-owned cellco NetOne is close to securing a USD71 million loan to help finance the upgrade and expansion of its mobile network. A report from The Herald says the…
Digital Content
Kenyans need a license to post videos online
25 May 2018
A new law is set to come into effect from 28 May 2018 in Kenya regarding the publishing and broadcasting of any videos for public consumption. Specifically, the Kenya Film…
Digital Content
Africa Check’s Promise Tracker reveals how little your government has done
25 May 2018
Governments, like potential Bumble matches, will say anything to get you to swipe right on that election ballot paper. And often, those promises made during the campaign trail are never…
Digital Content
Nigeria’s NebulaPay enables recurring payments through Messenger
25 May 2018
Nigerian startup NebulaPay has built a secure conversational payments service that enables users to make recurring payments for things like airtime, electricity and DStv using Facebook Messenger in their own…
Digital Content
Tastemade and TYT Network of YouTube TV available in South Africa now
25 May 2018
Youtube TV is bringing two digital-first media companies, Tastemade and TYT Network into the pay-TV realm and both will be available in South Africa. Google’s internet-TV service is adding 24-hour…
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Opportunities
25 May 2018
Google starts first Impact Challenges in Africa Google has launched the first African Google Impact Challenges in Kenya, South Africa and Nigeria. The company is offering USD 2 million…
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Events
25 May 2018
ICASA join hands with the Wireless World Research Forum (WWRF) to host the 5th Annual 5G Forum in Durban Johannesburg – The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) is…
