SkyscraperCity Forum banner

African ICT News

340K views 2K replies 154 participants last post by  MarciuSky2 
#1 ·


Africa's ICT sector is in an exciting phase. Several governments around the continent have made commitments to the development of ICT in their country. Some countries are planning to build ICT Technology Parks to help carry out these commitments.

This thread can be used to post and discuss news in this rapidly growing sector! In the following posts, I will detail the plans that some countries have drawn-up.

I'll start the thread by posting the continent's current top 10 ICT leaders:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Africa's ICT Leaders

1. Tunisia

2. South Africa

3. Mauritius

4. Botswana

5. Ghana

6. Egypt

7. Morocco

8. Namibia

9. Uganda

10. Tanzania

Data collected by the World Economic Forum and other economic organisations shows that Tunisia was Africa's information communication and technology leader.

Tunisia was afforded this based on the level of competition, number of fixed and mobile lines per 1000 people, mobile telephony coverage and cost for handsets, number of broadband and narrowband Internet users, and school connectivity rates.

Tunisia had 120 fixed lines, 373 mobile connections and 83 Internet users per 1000. Ninety-five percent of the population was covered with mobile telecoms with 25 percent of schools connected.

South Africa, which came in second, had 104 fixed lines, 471 mobile connections and 81 Internet users per 1000. Population and school connections were slightly higher at 96 percent and 27 percent respectively.

School connectivity should probably be higher in South Africa, but Telkom, the country's effective fixed line monopoly, has failed to provide school Internet connections at the required 50 percent discount. Similarly, high fixed line and broadband costs have slowed growth.
 
See less See more
1
#161 ·
This is why I've left FB
SA tweets its way to tenth place in world

South Africa has become the 10th largest user of Twitter in the world, while the country has the most Facebook users on the continent, even surpassing Egypt.

The figures speak for themselves. Research company Sysmos claims that South African Twitter users make up 0.85 percent of total online Twitter interaction.

Twitter receives about 55 million visits a month, generating a whopping 467 500 visits a month. In visited site terms, next best is SABCnews.com (60 730).


Research data processing organisation Startup Africa states that there are 1.4 million Facebook users in South Africa, the highest number on the continent.

MXit has 20 million visits - 35 000 messages sent a second in peak times - 15 million users.

But as people continue to flock to them (a recent report found nearly one in four Britons uses Facebook for an average of six hours a month, up four hours from this time last year, while Twitter has gone from 100 000 users to 2.6 million in the past year) and as most corporate websites are akin to brochures with a library attached, it's little wonder social networking sites are increasingly being seen as the bread and butter of customer relations management.

Gurus go so far as to predict they will have superseded corporate websites in terms of influence and power in two years' time.

"Businesses should be using social media because their customers are all using it," says Nancy Williams, managing director of the social media marketing consultancy Tiger Two.

"More and more people are going online to converse, be entertained and research purchases. The fact is, conversations are already happening online about their business or product, so they need to be involved with that."

Because social media is a conversation rather than a broadcast, it's a hugely effective marketing tool, she says - and what's more, it's free.

"Most people will respond more positively to a two-way conversation with a brand instead of being shouted at with yet another marketing message."

The result can be your supporters evangelising your brand in their own communities and thus delivering the holy grail of personal endorsement.

"Social media also provides brands with the ultimate focus group," says Gavin Sheppard, development director at the communications charity Media Trust, who believes the rise of social media is taking businesses by surprise just as much as the internet did a decade ago.

"Social networking enables companies to discover not just the answers to their questions, but the answers to questions they'd never thought of asking."

Virtually any kind of business can benefit, insists Robert Epstein, head of small and medium businesses at Microsoft.

"Take a restaurant, for example. They could use YouTube or MySpace to take customers behind the scenes visually. They could use Twitter to provide regular updates and Facebook and LinkedIn to enable people to post electronic versions of their CVs and to connect to other people to get ideas about how to improve."

Matt Rhodes, head of client services at social media experts FreshNetworks, says the starting point for any business is ensuring you know what you want to achieve - increased brand awareness, customer retention, a feedback mechanism and so on.

"Next, establish who you want to engage - new or existing customers, a certain part of your customer group or more general. Then work out where these people congregate and what will engage them best."

Rhodes also encourages brands to create their own online communities. "Ask people to upload their memories of a particular experience with a brand or to work with you to develop a product."

Always facilitate genuine dialogue. A survey by the Global Web Index found people think better of brands that provide a page on a social network where you can ask questions.

Audi recently used this to its advantage by using Facebook to help gather views as part of its product development cycle.

Don't forget the power of social networking for recruitment, adds Lucie Bickerdike, account executive at the Hoffman Agency.

"I was recruited exclusively through Twitter. My line manager was searching profiles for people looking for PR jobs, and my profile matched the criteria. We set up a meeting through Twitter, and I was offered the job." - The Independent
source : http://www.ioltechnology.co.za/article_page.php?iArticleId=5207669#
 
#164 ·
AccessKenya beats target for home Internet connections



Published on 08/11/2009
By Macharia Kamau

Increase demand for data services has seen Access Kenya achieve its target for the year, two months ahead of its deadline.

The company’s Managing Director, Jonathan Somen, said the data services provider had signed up 3,000 customers on its residential broadband service, Access@Home, and contracted over 3,100 customers on its corporate broadband service, Broadband Max.

"Growth in customer numbers have been spurred on by, among other factors, the increased speeds following the arrival of the international fibre optic cables, Seacom and the East African Marine System (Teams)," he said.

"We have now broken the 3,000 residential customer barrier, ahead of our target of 2,800 residential customers, and moved past 3,100 corporate customers, our original target for this year."

Resilience and flexibility

He added that the company would connect to the Tata point of presence (POP) in Kenya, in the course of this month.

Tata Communications is setting up a POP, which is expected to give service providers further resilience and flexibility, as well as more efficient speeds and routings around the world.

It is configured to automatically offer redundant paths for Internet traffic going north towards Europe and southwards to South Africa well as to Asia and India.

Somen said there is a strong uptake in services from the different categories of customers, and noted that the market has a lot of potential, given that only 3.6 million of the country’s 40 million population had access to Internet services.
 
#165 ·
EA dealers to benefit from Microsoft distributor’s relocation

East Africa Microsoft dealers can now negotiate for credit terms directly from distributors following the relocation of Impact from Namibia to Nairobi.

This means they can now access training and negotiate their credit terms faster.

The Impact distribution East Africa director, Ms Wanja Muriithi, said that under the deal the company will supply products and train resellers.

“Our role as one of the two Microsoft prime distributors will be to support Microsoft and its channel partners in timely acquisition of licenses, securing credit lines to support the growing business as well as extending credit terms required by partners,” said Ms Muriithi.

The company intends to invest Sh280 million in building their operational capacity, accounting and logistics systems, capacity building initiatives, and human resource development in East Africa.

Microsoft has a two-level distributorship of its services that involves prime distributors who buy products from them directly and pass them on to resellers who deal directly with the end users.

Distribution rights

The move follows Impact’s being awarded Microsoft distribution rights for the region that covers seven countries which include Kenya, Uganda, Burundi, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Eritrea and Tanzania.

The relocation of its head office to Nairobi is in line with Microsoft’s decision to locate its regional head office for East and Southern Africa in Kenya.

Impact targets $20 million sales in the East Africa region.

The company says it will rely on its valued network of associate distributors and resellers to support not only the penetration of Microsoft products and solutions, but also those of its other vendors including Adobe systems, Kapersky anti-virus, CorelDraw, and Symantec into East and Southern Africa.

Impact chief executive officer Glen Matswetu said their entrance into the region is not meant to create competition with existing associate distributors.

Rather, it will ensure more face to face relationship that will speed up the process of obtaining pricing, product delivery and information, and technical advice.

“Kenya’s market growth potential and highly skilled partners ecosystem played a crucial role in choosing the country as our hub,” said Mr Matswetu.
 
#166 ·
Seacom scoops best African telecoms initiative award

A user connects to the Internet via the Seacom fibre optic cable during its commissioning in July, 2009. Photo/FILE
By NATION ReporterPosted Tuesday, November 17 2009 at 15:11

Seacom, a privately funded submarine fibre optic cable system, has been named Best Pan African Initiative at the AfricaCom Awards 2009 ceremony held in South Africa.

The award recognises an initiative taken by an organisation or a group of firms to improve telecommunications services at a regional or continental level.

“Seacom is honoured to have been recognised for its effort in bringing much needed bandwidth connectivity to East and Southern Africa,” said the firm’s CEO Brian Herlihy.

“With more countries getting connected to the rest of the world via the Seacom system, it is only a matter of time before we see the direct socio-economic benefits that cheap and readily available bandwidth will have on the region,” he added.

From inception to the final launch of its services, the optic cable has demonstrated that given an enabling environment, the private sector can efficiently mobilise the resources required to deliver complex and expansive projects for the benefit of all African people, added Mr Herlihy.

The event in Cape Town forms part of the AfricaCom Congress, a yearly two day pan-African communications event attended by leading African operators, service providers, ministries, regulators and equipment and solutions providers in Africa.


http://www.nation.co.ke/business/news/-/1006/687356/-/iekkkbz/-/index.html
 
#167 ·
KDN, Family Bank deal to avail free Internet access

Updated 23 hr(s) 39 min(s) ago
By Standard Reporter

A local telecommunications network firm has partnered with a bank to increase access to the Internet.

The joint venture between Kenya Data Networks (KDN) and Family Bank Limited, will allow the bank’s customers, and the members of the public, to use the free Wi-Fi connections to the internet, within a radius of one kilometre of each of the bank’s 50 branches.

Wi-Fi, wireless fidelity in full, allows computers and handheld devices, like mobile phones, MP3 players, and personal digital assistants (PDAs), to connect to a wireless network.

The devices must be Wi-Fi enabled, and within range of a wireless network connected to the Internet. The interconnected access points for the Wi-Fi network are called hotspots.

Family Bank will also finance entrepreneurs, as well as groups and organisations that wish to set up Internet and data related services or businesses, KDN and Family Bank said in a statement to newsrooms.

The joint venture follows the recent revision of industry regulations by the regulator, Central Bank of Kenya.

"With the amendment of the Banking Act to allow Agency Banking, banks can appoint agents to conduct banking business, partnerships on product technology, and connectivity, which is crucial in making banking services available at the grassroots," said Family Bank CEO Peter Kinyanjui.

Credit facilities

Family Bank will offer credit facilities to entrepreneurs and communities to set up digital villages and Internet hotspots in areas covered by the bank’s network. KDN recently announced the quadrupling of bandwidth for all its new and existing clients.

"Our commitment to serve our customers better remains unchallenged," says Family Bank CEO Peter Kinyanjui.

"We are enabling Kenyans at large to access information at their convenience, without incurring any extra cost," he added.

"The demand for increased bandwidth is being driven by our customers, who have started to embrace the broadband culture," said Kai Wulff, CEO of Kenya Data Networks.

The joint venture will boost KDN’s broadband reach, made possible by the landing of undersea fibre optic cables that substantially increased the available bandwidth for wireless Internet services.
 
#168 ·
Digital TV a reality in Kenya

Digital TV a reality in Kenya

President Kibaki unveils a plaque during the launching of the Digital TV at the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation in Nairobi, December 9th, 2009. He is with Assistant minister for Information George Khaniri. Photo/STEPHEN MUDIARI
By LUCAS BARASAPosted Wednesday, December 9 2009 at 13:40

Kenya became only the second African country to switch to digital television on Wednesday.

President Kibaki led the country in migrating from analogue to the digital terrestrial television broadcasting signal.

"We have now moved to another world," said the President during the launch at the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation.

"In Africa, only South Africa has fully embarked on the transition, which is partly driven by the Fifa World Cup.

"The International Telecommunications Union requires all countries to move to digital by 2015. However, Kenya will fully migrate by 2012, " said President Kibaki.

The Communications Commission of Kenya had said that KBC, the licensed signal distributor, has completed installing equipment.

Digital Television provides better picture and sound quality as opposed to analogue. It also offers multiple programming called multi casting, and interactive capabilities.

Under multi casting, while a station broadcasting in analogue on, say channel 7, can only offer viewers one programme, a station broadcasting in digital can air a digital programme on channel 7-1, a second digital programme on channel 7-2, a third one on channel 7-3. This means more programming choices for viewers.

Viewers with analogue TV sets will connect an inexpensive receiver (a converter box) to receive digital signals.

KBC has been licensed to relay digital signals starting Wednesday for Nairobi, while the target for a full switch over will be June 2012, three years earlier than the worldwide deadline of 2015.

Some Sh152 million has been set aside to kick-start the migration to digital.

Before the 2010 World Cup, Kenyans in Webuye, Nyeri, Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru, Eldoret, Meru, Kisii and Malindi will be able to watch the games on digital channels.
http://www.nation.co.ke/News/-/1056/819994/-/vnlh64/-/index.html
 
#169 ·
Zain unveils Internet offer

Published on 09/12/2009
By Standard Reporter

Zain Kenya has introduced two Internet packages for prepaid customers following a recent high increase in demand for data services.

Customers will be able to download up to 500MB for Sh1,250, while a 1 GB download will cost Sh1,750.

The two bundles will be accessible using a new slimmer and sleeker modem.

Other prepaid bundles include 25MB, 70MB and 150MB which attract charges of Sh100, Sh250 and Sh500 respectively.

In a statement, Zain Kenya Managing Director Rene Meza said since the arrival of the fibre optic cable in Kenya, there has been a sharp increase in awareness of data opportunities.

"Zain Kenya has recognised this demand and is offering Kenyans a wide variety of flexible mobile data products to choose from" he said.

New data products have largely centred around the prepaid sector which comprises almost 90 per cent of Kenya’s telecommunications subscribers.

Zain Kenya is holding discussions with the Communications Commission of Kenya with a view of launching 3G next year.
 
#170 ·
South Africa’s Telkom snaps up Kenyan ISP

By James Anyanzwa

The local Internet scene could be headed for major realignments as South Africa’s largest fixed-line phone operator, Telkom, silently sneaks into a territory it has long been yearning for.

A complex web of share-purchase transactions among telecom operators in Africa’s richest nation, has ended up with the acquisition of a local satellite data transmission services company, Afsat Communications Limited.

After failing to secure a 51 per cent stake in Telkom Kenya late 2007, Telkom SA Ltd opted to court an Internet Service Provider, MWEB Africa, a subsidiary of South African media and communications conglomerate Naspers for a take-over bid.

Interestingly, the deal was successfully concluded in April this year, with the firm paying a massive $63 million (Sh4.7 billion) for 100 per cent and 75 per cent shareholding in MWEB and MWEB Namibia respectively.

The value of the transaction, which ostensibly excluded the South Africa’s MWEB unit, has since been kept underwraps.

Incidentally, MWEB, the Internet solutions arm of Naspers — the company that also owns Multichoice Africa and popular magazine arm Media 24 — had bought Afsat Communications, including its subsidiaries in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Nigeria and Zambia in October 2007.

This implies the local Internet firm, Afsat Communications, is now part and parcel of Telkom South Africa.

"AFSAT is now fully part of Telkom South Africa," Mr Job Ndege, General Manager, Afsat Services Ltd told The Financial Journal Last week.

"This is an implied acquisition," he said. So far, South African Telkom owns Nigeria's Multi-Links and Kenya's Africa Online, with plans to aggressively fund both units.

The latest acquisition is part of the company’s strategy aimed at reducing dependence on domestic revenues, while expanding further into Africa to offset dwindling profits at home.

It is widely argued that the acquisition, together with the company's investment in Africa Online will increase the value proposition of its product and service offerings to all customer segments in Sub-Saharan Africa.

The acquisition gives Telkom South Africa a foothold in 28 African countries, making it the biggest satellite-based ISP on the African continent.


Value preposition

"We think our value preposition is so powerful that the current terrestrial services cannot match," says Ndege.

He says the value prepositions of the company’s products and services include reliability, consistency, speed, availability, cost effectiveness and strong support.

Afsat Communications offers direct satellite access services to its clients by utilising all communications requirements such as backbone access, backhole access and last mile access.

In Kenya, Afsat is known for its satellite Internet connectivity solutions to residential and business customers.

It also supplies corporate and state owned customers with reliable and secure corporate data network solutions. This service is provided through VSAT connectivity using the popular iWay brand, which has its regional headquarters in Nairobi.

"The response in the market for our products has been very good. We have had an unprecedented growth," says Ndege.

Amongst the company’s main competitors and who are hoping to utilise the fibre optic cables to provide international Internet connectivity include Access Kenya Ltd, Kenya Data Network and UUNET Kenya.

"The fibre optic will provide much capacity. The demand for capacity is growing, but there have not been enough satellite capacity to provide international connectivity," says Ndege.

Satellite bandwith

Kenya’s average Internet usage grew by 230 per cent to 700MB last year from the previous years 304 MB. The fibre optic networks are expected to supplement satellite in boosting the capacity, since satellite bandwidth demand in Africa far outstrips the supply from the highly consolidated satellite fleet operator industry.

Indeed, Afsat Communications has announced a five-year (2010-2014) strategic pan aimed at improving and expanding its infrastructure within East Africa, with a view of ensuring steady and reliable supply of its products and services. The next phase of the company’s growth will involve setting up additional hub infrastructure to cover the region of the Sub-Saharan Africa between 2011 and 2015. Already, the company has built five satellite hubs in Africa.

Afsat serves Kenya through a distributor network of ISP's such as Callkey Networks and Virtualsat, by providing last mile connectivity to remote locations such as Lokichoggio, Mandera, Lamu, Homa Bay, Garissa, Dadaab, Wajir and Namanga.

Network size

The company also has a large number of VSATs in Nairobi.

There are over 485 iWay VSAT terminals in Kenya. iWay services are available in 28 countries in Africa, and its partnership network consists of 32 distributors, with four subsidiaries in East Africa and Nigeria. Afsat Communications was formed in 1992 to offer communication solutions to corporates in East Africa.

In 2001, the company changed its focus with the re-launch of iWay Brand targeting the whole Sub-Saharan Africa.

Telkom SA Limited aims to become a Pan-African integrated service provider that offers international communications and Internet connectivity, hosting and managed data services, as well as wireless voice and mobile broadband solutions.

Strong growth

Over the long term, it plan to provide international data connectivity to major cities in Africa through regional hubs. It also seek to position Telkom as a wholesale facilities and infrastructure enabler for regional incumbents.

With regards to existing subsidiaries, Tekom SA is focusing on achieving strong growth through both organic and acquisitive business development strategies, as well as by leveraging synergies across the Group.

For Africa Online, this includes leveraging its available international capacity to deploy satellite based Internet access, and using Africa Online as the main vehicle in which Telkom will deliver Internet services outside of South Africa.
 
#172 ·
Rwanda: SA Provincial Leaders Hail Country on ICT
Ivan R Mugisha, 18 December 2009

Kigali — A visiting team from the South African Province of Limpopo has applauded Rwanda Information Technology Authority (RITA) for its successful implementation of policies and projects aimed at achieving vision 2020.

The delegation headed by the Director General of Limpopo Province Hlamalani Nelly, Manzini, toured the ICT Park, KIST and other data centres like Kigali Wireless Network and the SMART-GOV application centre.

"In the rural areas we were fascinated by the ICT bus that delivers internet services to people who have never seen a computer. The sight of a child deep in a village manipulating a computer inside a bus cheered me very much," Manzini said in an interview on Thursday.

She said the South African team came to Kigali as a follow up visit triggered by a forum that was held in Maputo in 2007 that discussed how ICT could be used to enhance public sector performance in Eastern and Southern Africa.

"We visited Rwanda in particular because it shares a great similarity with Limpopo in that, the central town Kigali is surrounded by mainly rural areas, just like Limpopo." she added.

"Therefore we want to analyze the policies that Rwanda has used to launch ICT facilities to the villages so that we can implement the same policies in our province."

Manzini further stated how she was impressed by the pilot projects such as "One-laptop-per-child" that enable children to develop computer knowledge and skills from a tender age.

She praised the government for creating a central coordination of workable plans through RDB-IT as the implementing agency that guides the programmes.

"If this trend can be sustained with improvement and still be accorded the same attention in the future, then Rwanda will indubitably achieve its 2020 ICT goals revolution." Manzini added.
Link.
 
#174 ·
^^i don't know if we are copying from Rwanda:colgate: but the buses and digital villages are being roll out in every constituency in Kenya. they one million computer or laptop campaign is also ongoing:) what i like development in Africa is that if one initiates projects others feel the pressure and they copy:lol: call it healthy competition:lol:
 
#176 ·
Internet & Mobile Stats: Africa Grows Fastest in the World (2009)

Each year the International Telecommunications Union puts out statistics on the state of mobile and internet data around the world. Here are some key takeaways - Without North Africa (probably classed under Middle East N.Africa)

By the end of 2008, Africa had 246 million mobile subscriptions and mobile penetration has risen from just five per cent in 2003 to well over 30 per cent today. The high ratio of mobile cellular subscriptions to fixed telephone lines and the high mobile cellular growth rate suggest that Africa has taken the lead in the shift from fixed to mobile telephony, a trend that can be observed worldwide. The number of Internet users has also grown faster than in other regions.”








Source: http://www.itu.int/publ/D-IND-RPM.AF-2009/en
 
#180 ·
Kenya home to seven per cent of region’s mobile phone subscribers



Published on 31/12/2009
By Macharia Kamau

Kenya’s mobile telephony industry now accounts for seven per cent of mobile phone subscribers in sub-Saharan Africa.

The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) report, released last week, says Kenya has the third highest number of subscribers, after Nigeria and South Africa that respectively account for 26 per cent and 19 per cent of mobile cellular subscriptions in sub-Saharan Africa.

Kenya had 17.4 million mobile phone subscribers by end of June this year, translating to 45.7 per cent penetration.

Tanzania and Ghana have also contributed a significant share of subscribers, with five per cent each, and Cote d’Ivoire joins the fray with four per cent.

The report titled ‘Information Society Statistical Profiles 2009 – Africa,’ otes that the average annual growth rate of 47 per cent in Africa’s ICT sector has boosted the distribution in usage of ICT services. At the turn of the decade, South Africa alone accounted for 74 per cent of the mobile phones on the continent.

"Growth in Nigeria has been very strong. Kenya, Ghana, Tanzania and Cote d’Ivoire have also accounted for the change in distribution of mobile connections," said the report.

The report, by the United Nation’s telecoms arm, also notes mobile telephony growth over the last five years has defied all predictions and lauds Africa as the region with the highest mobile growth rate.

Take the lead

"By the end of 2008, Africa had 246 million mobile subscriptions. Mobile penetration has risen from just five per cent in 2003 to well over 30 per cent today," said the report.

"The high ratio of mobile cellular subscriptions to fixed telephone lines and the high mobile cellular growth rate suggest that Africa has taken the lead in the shift from fixed to mobile telephony, a trend that can be observed worldwide."

Despite rapid growth, however, Africa’s ICT penetration levels in 2009 are still far behind the rest of the world, and very few African countries reach ICT levels comparable to global averages. According to ITU, less than five per cent of Africans use the Internet, and fixed and mobile broadband penetration levels are negligible.

Both end-users and industry players still face significant challenges in increasing ICT uptake levels.

"These include the lack of full liberalisation of markets and the limited availability of infrastructure. In addition, prices for ICT services remain very high, compared to income levels, and broadband Internet services are out of the reach of most Africans," said ITU in the report.
 
#181 ·
BPO operators forecast robust activity after landing of fibre

By JEVANS NYABIAGE
Posted Thursday, January 7 2010 at 18:00

The outsourcing sector in Kenya will see exponential growth this year, players in the sector have said.

Ms Peres Were, managing director Cascade Global, says landing of the fibre optic cables last year has provided the sector with capacity to provide mission-critical IT-enabled services (ITES) from Kenya.

“In previous years, the business processing and outsourcing (BPO) sector in Kenya has suffered many challenges, because most serious international outsourcing companies were not willing to give the country a chance, unless we had fibre optic capacity,” she says.

However, since the cables landed last year, the sector has witnessed a lot of interest from top international companies that want to either outsource to Kenya or set-up call centres in the country.

For instance, she says, Cascade Global has entered into a Strategic Alliance Partnership with a USA-based firm, a provider of data infrastructure, technology and outsourcing services.

The firm having seen the potential in Kenya with the fibre optic cable, will now be providing its hosted call centre technology to Kenyan call centres through Cascade Global, she adds.

“Our partner is also currently acquiring three onshore call centres in USA, which have annual BPO projects worth $35 million, and looking at outsourcing some of these contracts to Kenya. The contracts will include areas of customer service, IT outsourcing, finance and accounting among others, to provide a blended solution of both onshore and offshore services,” Ms Were says.

Many Kenyan entrepreneurs hope that with the fibre optic cable in place, plus cheap labour, clear accents, and customer fatigue with Indian call centres, the country could hook into the burgeoning call centre and outsourcing industry, worth $130 billion worldwide.

India still dominates the global BPO market at 55 per cent. In the five years to 2008, the country had a cumulative total of 241 foreign direct investment (FDI) projects in customer contact centres and shared services centres.
 
#183 ·
Microcom, the largest ISP in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), has signed a multi-year...

Date: Monday, January 12 2009

* O3b Networks to provide low-latency fibre quality Internet backhaul to the DRC

ST. JOHN, Jersey, Channel Islands -- O3b Networks, the developer of a new fibre quality, global Internet backbone, announced today that Microcom DRC has signed a multi-year, multi-million dollar contract for O3b

Networks's Quick Start service. O3b's Quick Start carrier managed service provides high-bandwidth, low-latency Internet access directly to Microcom. Once connected, Microcom will offer more affordable, high speed Internet access to its customers.

O3b Networks, funded by Google Inc., Liberty Global, Inc. and HSBC Principal Investments, is building the world's first ultra-low-latency, fibre-speed satellite network. The network is designed to improve Internet access for the millions of consumers and businesses in emerging and developing markets. Activation is scheduled for late 2010.

"As the largest wireless ISP in the DRC, we have successfully addressed customer access to our network; for us, the challenge is to provide a low-latency connection back to the global Internet," said Leon Ntale, CEO Microcom. "With O3b's Quick Start service, we have access to a fibre quality service without the overhead of a fibre network. With the O3b backbone, we look forward to providing high speed Internet access to the 60 million people of the DRC."

"Microcom, like many emerging market operators, has significant opportunities to provide new data services," said John Finney, EVP Sales and Marketing for O3b Networks, Ltd. "In most markets,the reliable low latency backhaul does not exist. This is where O3b comes in. Our solutions allow operators to provide an Internet experience similar to developed markets."


Microcom, founded in 1982, is the leading Wireless Internet Access service provider (WISP) in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Congo Brazzaville . From its establishment, Microcom has gathered experience in telecommunications with the deployment of its private satellite network in twelve cities in DRC. In each city, Internet access is provided by a Wimax broadband wireless access network designed for providing high speed-data to the Internet users. Microcom built the first African WiMax network. Today, they have more than 5000 CPE'S installed. In 2009 and 2010, Microcom will expand its fixed network to provide a new Mobile Wimax Network and use the capacity from O3b Networks to provide a low-latency connection to the Internet.
 
#184 ·
Zambians get faster internet thanks to fibre-optic link.
Zambia’s internet service provision is set to enter a new era as the country will now be using a fiber-optic link with Namibia to improve access to the web.
According to media reports, Zamnet Communications System, a Zambian ISP, has set up an Internet gateway to Europe using a fiber-optic link from Zambia to Namibia.
Computerworld said, the link was set up in partnership with the Zambia Electricity Supply Corp. (Zesco), a power utility company, Namibian Telecom and the South Atlantic West Africa Submarine (SAT3) cable that runs under the Indian Ocean on the West Coast of Africa to Europe.
Zamnet Communications System acting Managing Director Raphael Maseka said at a media briefing in Lusaka, Zambia, that the end-to-end optic connection from Zamnet’s server room to Europe was the first such link and will revolutionize Internet service provision in Zambia.
Zesco is a government-run power utility company that has installed its power lines across the country. The Zesco fiber cables that will be connected to networks in Botswana and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) provide Internet coverage and digital transmission for radio and television communication operators in Zambia.
Zamnet leveraged on Zesco’s fiber-optic infrastructure and cross-border interconnections with Telecom Namibia at the Katima Mulilo border. This will be the first time that Zambia is hooked to the outside world through a fiber-optic cable connection.
The Zambian government is planning to have 5, 000 kilometers of fiber cable by 2010 to ensure coverage throughout Zambia and it’s nearby countries.
 
#185 · (Edited)
Zambia gets new mobile manufacturing plant.
Zambian President, Rupiah Banda urged his countrymen to invest in local businesses, in order to boost the country’s economy, and encourage foreign investment.

President Banda made the comments at the opening of manufacturing plant for mobile handsets. M Mobile Telecommunications, a wholly owned Zambian company, invested US$10 million in the new plant. Banda said: “This is what Zambians should be doing to attract foreign investors. Zambians should themselves lead the way by investing in their country,”

The president also said that the new investment would lead the way to earning much needed foreign currency, as well as supply mobile handsets for the local Zambian market.

The plant, situated in Lusaka, will also employ about 200 local people, including engineers and technicians, and will produce a wide range of handsets from entry-level to state-of-the-art.




:cheers::cheers: to the SADC brothers. lets flex the muscles in tech world.
 
Top