Africa Telecom articles from February 2002

Africa Telecom archives from February 2002

VoIP traffic by regional destination.(computer-telephone integration services)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... VoIP Traffic by Regional Destination Asia Pacific 41% Latin America 32% Europe 20% US 6% Africa 1% Source: Telegeography Note: Table made from pie chart

South Africa to invite fixed-line bids in March. (Top Story).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... South Africa's delayed invitation to foreign telecoms operators to bid for a fixed-line license will be issued in March, which should enable the Telkom rival to start operating this year, a minister said. The monopoly of state-controlled...

Orascom telecom launches "Djezzy GSM". (Algeria).(Global System for Mobile Communication)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Orascom Telecom, an Egyptian mobile operator, has launched its "Djezzy GSM" subsidiary in Algeria, continuing to expand its footprint across the Middle East and North Africa. Orascom said it expected mobile network operator Djezzy to be...

New mobile telephone network to be launched. (Benin).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... A new digital network is to be established in Benin. Benin, which has one of the world's lowest teledensity rates (phone lines per inhabitant), will develop a new mobile telephone network called Benin Cell, with support to the tune of US$8.06...

World Bank institutions to fund mobile phone project. (Cameroon).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Telephone communications in Cameroon is to be improved this year, the World Bank institutions funding the project has reported. An enhanced nationwide digital cellular network is to be developed in Cameroon. The International Finance Corp....

Ericsson receives order from Egypt telecom. (Egypt).(LM Ericsson Telephone Co.)(Telecom Egypt)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Ericsson has received an order from Telecom Egypt for its multi-service Engine product worth 200 million euros over five years. Engine allows operators to combine fixed-line, mobile and Internet and data services in a single system.

KenCell signs roaming deal with Cingular. (Kenya).(KenCell Communications Ltd.)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... KenCell Communications Ltd. has secured a roaming services deal with a US wireless company - Cingular Wireless (Pacific Bell Network). Following the partnership with Singular, KenCell now has access to roaming facilities in more than 70...

UUNet Unveils service for global network access. (Kenya).(UUNet Kenya)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Internet solutions provider UUNet Kenya has launched an Internet service that will enable corporate companies to have fast access to their global network. The company's managing director, Henry Njoroge, said UUDirect service is able to...

InterVoice-Brite to provide Safaricom with intelligent network prepaid calling and prepaid international roaming to wireless subscribers. (Kenya).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Safaricom Ltd., a mobile telephony provider, has selected iVB Network Solutions, a division of InterVoice-Brite (INTV), to provide an intelligent net work (IN) prepaid calling solution, Omvia Payment, offering full international roaming to...

Kenya internet exchange revived. (Kenya).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... The Kenya Internet Exchange Point (KIXP) is reportedly live with four Internet service providers (ISPs) exchanging traffic and several more expected online soon. KIXP was operational for less than a month toward the end of 2000 before...

Maroc telecom rejects Telefonica criticism. (Morocco).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... State-run telecoms firm Maroc Telecom (IAM) rejected criticism of its competitor, led by Telefonica-led group, on new tariffs and billing rules for telecoms carriers to connect each other's calls. IAM, in which France's Vivendi Universal...

Nigeria extends payment period for Nitel's privatization. (Nigeria).(Nigerian Telecommunications Ltd)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Nigerian officials tried to save Africa's largest-ever privatization by giving their chosen bidder six more weeks to pay the $1.3 billion it had offered for state telecoms company Nitel. Bureau for Public. Enterprises deputy director Hassan...

Nitel network expansion to be completed in February. (Nigeria).(Nigerian Telecommunications Ltd)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Congestion currently being experienced by subscribers to Nigerian Telecommunications plc (Nitel) telephone service will soon be a thing of the past, as the network expansion project being undertaken by Siemens is expected to be completed by the...

Second internet provider for Mogadishu. (Somalia).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... The NationLink Telecommunications Company of Somalia has established a second Internet company in Mogadishu. Telecom Somalia, better known as Olympic Telecommunications, was the first company to restore Internet services to Mogadishu after...

Ericsson selected by Transtel to provide first multi-service network. (South Africa).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Ericsson announced the first Engine contract in with Transtel, the telecommunication division of Transnet, providing services in South Africa and across 17 other African countries. Ericsson's Engine multi-service network will be rolled out...

FiberCore announces joint venture with IDC. (South Africa).(FiberCore Africa)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... FiberCore Inc., a manufacturer and global supplier of optical fiber and preform for the telecommunication and data communications markets, announced that it has entered into a joint venture with the Industrial Development Corp. (IDC) a...

Telkom South Africa selects InnoWave to supply fixed wireless access solutions. (South Africa).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... InnoWave ECI Wireless Systems Ltd. has been selected by Telkom SA to provide fixed wireless access telecommunications services throughout South Africa. Under the supply frame agreement, signed between Telkom SA and Grintek Telecom,...

Siemens in US$ 11.5 million empowerment deal. (South Africa).(New Africa Millennium Telecommunications buys 13% stake in Siemens South Africa)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Siemens Southern Africa has announced the sale of a 13 percent stake in the company to empowerment partner New Africa Millennium Telecommunications, also known as Africom. The US$ 11.5 million cash sale is the second empowerment deal for...

UUNet lets customers manage e-mail over the phone. (South Africa).(partners with Intelleca to offer new service)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... UUNet SA has partnered with Intelleca to offer SpeechMail to its employees and customers. The service provides remote, voice-enabled e-mail access, allowing users to listen and reply to e-mail messages over the phone. "The introduction of...

UUNet, SmartCom and TeraiTech bring South Africa's first wireless ASP to market. (South Africa).(Application Service Provider)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... UUNet SA, SmartCom and TeraiTech announced a partnership that brings South Africa's s first wireless ASP (W-ASP) solution to market. Named "TeraiTech over the Air," the end-to-end solution for corporates allows mobile applications to be...

Telkom/ICASA case postponed. (South Africa).(Independent Communications Authority of South Africa)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... The Pretoria High Court granted a postponement in the Telkom/ICASA case, with argument by the two parties to be heard on March 5. ICASA, the Independent Communications Authority of SA, is challenging the Telkom tariff hike in January, which...

Siemens exercises sietel option. (South Africa).(Siemens Telecommunications)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Siemens Ltd. has increased its stake in local company Siemens Telecommunications (Sietel) to 60 percent by exercising an option to buy 12,600 shares held by JSE-listed Reunert. The US$ 10.7 million deal sees 9 percent of Sietel change...

MTN selects Logica's multimedia messaging technology. (South Africa).(MTN South Africa)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Logica announced that its new advanced multimedia messaging technology has been selected by MTN South Africa for its multimedia messaging trials over the newly launched GPRS network "Using Logica's products has allowed us to deliver new...

Vodacom to use speech design's solution to launch SMS-to-voice service. (South Africa).(Speech Design Carrier Systems, short message services)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Bogen Communications International Inc., announced that Vodacom, a mobile phone company, selected Speech Design Carrier Systems' Thor solution and Compaq Global Services to deliver mobile SMS (short message services) to any fixed-line...

World Online offers anywhere, any time e-mail access. (South Africa).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Local ISP World Online has introduced a range of services that allow its 150,000 subscribers to access their e-mail regardless of their location. The services include: -- A single national dial-up number at local call rates; --...

InnoWave to establish fixed wireless access network for SPTC. (Swaziland).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Inno Wave ECI Wireless Systems Ltd., a global leader of fixed wireless access (FWA) solutions, and an ECI Telecom Ltd. company have won a contract to supply the MultiGain Wireless system (MGW) to Swaziland Posts and Telecommunications Corp....

Seven foreign firms interested in Tunisia's GSM tender. (Tunisia).(Global System for Mobile Communication)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 1, 2002... Seven foreign telecoms companies have shown interest in Tunisia's s relaunched GSM cellphone tender, a Telecommunications Ministry official said. He declined to name the firms but industry and bank sources say they are aware that a consortium...

Zimbabwe among the top in African internet users. (Zimbabwe).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Zimbabwe is one of 11 African countries with substantial Internet usage, although limited telecommunications infrastructure hampers the penetration of information technology in the country, according to a report by the United Nations. The...

Exponential prepaid growth in Africa. (Regional).(subscriber statistics for cellular services)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 1, 2002... A new report by IT and telecommunications research house BMI-TechKnowledge says the growth of prepaid cellular in Africa is massive, increasing at a rate of up to 50 percent a year. The report says around 90 percent to 95 percent of...

Banks in Africa continue to purchase STM wireless' VSAT products. (Regional).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... STM Wireless Inc., a worldwide supplier of VSAT networks, has received recent orders in excess of $3.0 million from several customers in Africa. These include Standard Trust Bank Ltd. (STB), one of the five largest banks in Nigeria with 76...

AITEC West Africa in may. (Conference).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... AITEC will launch its 6th West Africa Computing, Communications and Broadcasting Exhibition and Conference from May 16-18, 2002, at the Accra International Conference Center. Under the theme: "Developing a knowledge society for West Africa,"...