Bharti Airtel contemplates mobile service launch in South Africa and Cameroon (Africa)
India’s leading telecommunications operator Bharti Airtel may be planning to expand its network in South Africa and Cameroon, as learned through industry sources. Airtel is a dominant player in the mobile industry with operations in 19 countries across Asia and Africa.
Mobile penetration has steadily been increasing in African countries, and with most of the global markets being saturated, emerging markets such as Africa provide mobile operators with new opportunities to increase their subscriber base and enhance their revenue.
Currently Airtel offers services in Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Chad, Congo Brazzaville, Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Madagascar, Niger, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia. By adding South Africa and Cameroon, two of Africa’s fastest growing mobile economies to the list, Airtel aims to strengthen its position in Africa.
Airtel is the leading mobile operator in India and is well known for its innovative and competitive tariff pricing. The operator’s entry into these new markets is expected to take the mobile industry by storm and introduce an unprecedented level of competition.
Airtel presently offers services in 15 cities in India and with the population of one Indian city being similar to that of one African country, South Africa and Cameroon have the potential to be extremely lucrative for Bharti Airtel.
Further, sources claim that rival operators currently offering services in these economies such as MTN, Vodacom and Orange are already working on strategies to maintain their market share and offer stiff competition to Airtel.
Bharti Airtel signs deal with Nokia to expand 3G services in Africa
Bharti Airtel, a leading telecom operator has signed a contract reportedly worth $ 700 million with Nokia Siemens Networks to expand its 2G network and deploy and manage 3G services in Africa.
As per the agreement, Nokia Siemens Networks will manage all network operations as well as provide energy-efficient base stations for Airtel in seven African countries including Madagascar, Malawi, Zambia, Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda and Congo Brazzaville. In an attempt to increase its subscriber base, Airtel has been expanding its presence in Africa’s rural regions.
According to reports, Manoj Kohli Airtel’s CEO (International) and Joint Managing Director said that this partnership will further enable them to rapidly expand their network coverage and provide high-speed wireless internet connectivity to their customers. Further, Nokia Siemens Networks, Chief Executive Officer, Rajeev Suri said that they look forward to working closely with Airtel to expand its network rapidly and deliver the right innovative products and services to help meet user demands.
Malawi court overrules G-Mobile’s licence cancellation
Malawi’s High Court has reportedly quashed the revocation of Global Advanced Integrated Networks (GAIN’s) mobile licence.
According to Judge Godfrey Mwase, the decision by the public authority may be quashed where the authority acted without jurisdiction or exceeding its jurisdiction or failed to comply with the rules of natural justice where such rules are applicable.
The Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA) cancelled the wireless concession belonging to GAIN, which intends to offer services under the G-Mobile banner, in September 2010 for failing to roll out services under the terms of its licence.
I is not the first time that GAIN has successfully appealed a decision by MACRA; last November a court overturned a US$6.95 million fine issued to the company for missing quality of service targets and failing to roll out services, stating that MACRA had overstepped its authority.
Celcom gets licence, plans network launch in 2012 (Malawi)
Celcom has formally received a licence from the Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA) and expects to roll out their network in 2012.
According to CEO Ted Sauti-Phirisaid, it planned to start operations by 2012, hiring over 200 people with another 10,000 working as agents to provide full coverage nationwide.
He added that Celcom would share towers with other network operators.
Celcom to invest $270 million network spend (Malawi)
Celcom is planning to invest about US$270 million to install its network and start operations in the country as it looks to become the country’s leading operator by 2014.
According to Mulli Brothers MD Leston Mulli, whose company controls 100 percent of Celcom, operator wants to make mobile phone services affordable and accessible to all, especially in rural areas. They want Celcom ‘s goal is to see at least one person in each household having a mobile phone.
Rwanda completes $95m fibre network
Rwanda has reportedly completed construction of a 2,300 kilometre fibre optic network that links the country to undersea cables running along the east African coast.
The project which was commenced in October 2009 at a cost of $95 million, was set up to increase access to broadband services and attracts foreign investment through business process outsourcing.
According to Ignace Gatare, Minister of Information and Communication Technology, the fibre optic project will initially be operated by an independently-managed government entity on an open access model to accommodate infrastructure sharing with the private ICT services providers. The ultimate goal is to progressively transfer the business to a private business.
Rwanda is a land-locked country with Internet penetration of only 12%. However, Minister Gatare states that the ICT sector in the country generated revenues of US$143 million in 2009, rising by 12% in 2010.
The fibre network connects to undersea cable system at Mombasa in Kenya and Dar es Salam in Tanzania.
The Minister added that initiatives to activate the links have been launched and discussions between Rwanda telecommunication operators that include MTN Rwanda, Tigo Rwanda and Rwandatel and regional cable operators are ongoing.
At a Senate meeting, the minister was asked to increase the awareness to the population on the importance of the use of ICT and made several recommendations, including to extend ICT infrastructure, especially in rural areas; to put more effort in the use of ICT in all sectors and services; to sensitize the population on cyber security of individual data; and to emphasize the quality of education in ICT.
Elsewhere, Google has extended its Gmail SMS chat functionality to add three more African countries to its growing coverage list. Mobile users in Uganda, Tanzania and Malawi can now use Google’s email service via SMS texting.
Gmail users can send and receive SMS messages for free using the service. Non-Gmail users can reply via SMS for regular text charging rates. The networks supporting the service are MTN, Uganda Telecom and Orange (Uganda), Vodacom (Tanzania), and Airtel and TNM (Malawi).
VWV introduces Airtel brand across Africa
South Africa’s VWV Group, an experiential communications agency, was recently appointed to produce the launch of a new mobile telecommunications network into Africa.
Bharti Airtel commissioned VWV to launch the brand into 16 African countries, through events that ran simultaneously.
Airtel’s launch was conceptualized, produced and managed by VWV. The launch consisted of an interactive production which saw a tie between pre-recorded video and live theatrical presentations.
These events were staged in Burkina Faso, Chad, Democratic Republic of Congo, Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Madagascar, Niger, Nigeria, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.
G-Mobile to sue Information Minister over bribery claims (Malawi)
Malawi’s oft-delayed mobile network operator, G-Mobile has stated that it will sue the country’s Minister of Information Symon Vuwa Kaunda after he alleged that the company tried to bribe him to get reductions in fines from the telecoms regulator.
G-Mobile has come under pressure to deploy its network and faced fines from the regulator for the delays. Kaunda has alleged that the company had offered to pay him US$33,000 to get the fines dropped – a claim the company strongly refutes. The company was facing a US$6.9 million fine from the regulator, which has also attempted to get the company’s license terminated.
According to the company, it is not their intention to fight public officials, but Minister Kaunda has forced them to think otherwise. They have no choice but to seek the protection of the courts of law since their image and name is being spoiled.
Minister Kaunda has also come under criticism in the country for not reporting the alleged bribery attempt to either the anti-corruption bureau or the police, within 48-hours are required by law. He now claims he will cooperate with any subsequent investigation that takes place.
G-Mobile was granted a license in April 2009, and was due to have launched its network by the end of that year. The regulator has imposed fines on the company and repeatedly extended the launch deadline. The company was given until the end of 2010 to launch its network.
Court rules for MACRA in interconnection dispute (Malawi)
The High Court of Malawi has reportedly upheld a decision by telecoms regulator Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA) to introduce a new interconnection law governing calls across both fixed and mobile networks.
Two mobile operators, Airtel Malawi (formerly Zain/Celtel) and Telekom Networks Malawi (TNM), had attained an injunction against the introduction of the Sender Keeps All (SKA) interconnection regime, in which the operator originating the call keeps all of the revenues it collects. However, having heard arguments from MACRA and the operators, the court has now lifted the injunction.
According to a statement from MACRA following the 23 December 2010 ruling, this means therefore that the court’s decision vindicates the legality and rationale of MACRA’s decision to intervene in the interconnection dispute that currently exists among operators. The regulator has now instructed all fixed and wireless operators to abide by the new interconnection law.
