South Africa

Zimbabwean telco NetOne aims 1.5m subscribers by mid 2010

On 03.17.10, In Mobile, By Editor

www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Expansion of network capacity has been carried out by Zimbabwean state-owned mobile operator NetOne to five million subscribers. The company also hopes to more than triple its active customer base to over 1.5 million by end-May 2010.

A subscriber capacity of around 1.2 million and half a million subscribers was there with NetOne before the expansion work commenced. According to managing director Reward Kangai, most of the base stations being installed in this expansion drive are solar energy-powered and this reduces service disruptions arising from erratic power supplies besides switching capacity has also been greatly increased to accommodate five million subscribers.

The aim of the up gradation of pre-paid platform was also to accommodate three million subscribers from a previous limit of one million.

South African giant MTN Group and NetOne, the country’s smallest cellco by users are in negotiation with each other over a possible strategic partnership. The result can be the acquiring of minority stake in the Zimbabwean operator by MTN besides the injection of up to USD600 million in fresh capitals.

Vodafone contracted by DPDHL for MPLS network (Germany)

On 03.15.10, In Mobile, By Editor

www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Deutsche Post DHL’s (DPDHL) five year contract to provide a fully managed MPLS network in 67 countries has been won by Vodafone. Vodafone will connect over 400 sites across Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa. Vodafone Global Enterprise will also provide an international Wide Area Network (WAN) across the three regions and a domestic WAN in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Through this solution, DPDHL would be enabled to provide improved tracking capabilities. This capability in return will allow employees to quickly and easily access the vital bespoke applications, as well as provide critical connectivity to DPDHL’s data centres in Czech Republic and Malaysia.

Gateway Business Services and Vodacom Business South Africa, which are Vodafone’s country business, have combined with Vodafone Global Enterprise to provide complete connectivity and management between the international networks.
This will also provide comprehensive project management support throughout besides ensuring that all regions benefit from its global reach and expertise.

Telefonica was selected by DPDHL’s parent company, Deutsche Post World Net last January to manage its mobile and fixed-line services across 28 European countries, also for five years.

Tagged with: ASIA • Czech Republic • Eastern Europe • Germany • Malaysia • Middle East • MPLS • South Africa • Telefonica • Vodacom • Vodafone

Zain’s legal dispute with Nigerian assets might delay Bharti deal

On 03.06.10, In Mobile, By Editor

www.WirelessFederation.com/news: The pending legal dispute over the ownership of Zain on its Nigerian assets might lead to the delay in the selling of the African assets by the company to Indian telco, Bharti Airtel. Econet Wireless Holdings and Zain have been undergoing a long dispute and the former has claimed a right of first refusal when a collection of shareholders sold their stakes to Zain in 2006.

5% of Vee Mobile which trades as Zain Nigeria is still owned by Econet and since the sale of the network first suggested back in 2003, it has been fighting attempts to bypass its claimed rights to buy out shareholders. In 2003 itself, due to Econet’s pressure, South Africa’s Vodacom retreat its decision to buy a controlling stake in the company.

After that, Delta State and First Bank along with various shareholders sold their stakes to Celtel Wireless which is now a Zain subsidiary, in September 2005 and since then the sale has been in dispute ever.

Tagged with: Bharti Airtel • Celtel • Econet Wireless • India • Nigeria • South Africa • USA • Vodacom • Zain Nigeria

MTN refuses to comment on Dubai rumors

On 02.22.10, In Mobile, By Editor

www.WirelessFederation.com/news: No comment has been made by ¬South Africa’s MTN on the rumors regarding the moving of its headquarters from the country to the Middle East. The refusal came after it was reported that the company plans to move its group operations out of the country and eventually delist its shares from the Johannesburg Securities Exchange.

According to MTN executive director Nozipho January-Bardill in late January, the planned relocation of the technical services support team to Dubai is part of the group’s ongoing response to the challenges of the changing global telecommunications industry and it is also intended to address the logistical challenge of supporting the group’s networks in the Middle East in particular, and certain parts of Africa.

Using Dubai as a regional hub offers significant benefits to the company for tax and transport options even though MTN doesn’t have any operations in the UAE.

Tagged with: Dubai • Global Telecom • Middle East • MTN • South Africa • UAE • USA

MTN, FIFA launch ‘1Goal: Education for All’

On 02.19.10, In Mobile, By Editor

www.WirelessFederation.com/news: ‘1Goal: Education for All’, a mobile campaign has been started by South African operator MTN in partnership with FIFA, ahead of 2010 Fifa world Cup to enable millions of mobile users to participate in advancing global education. Under this campaign, MTN and its partners will collect names and support from the public, footballers, and celebrities to petition all governments to meet their Education for All targets by 2015.

The aim behind this campaign has been classified as providing good quality public education to all children and adults by 2015 and prioritizing those who are currently missing out on an education, getting them into school, and making sure that once they’re in school, they get the chance to learn with qualified teachers.

An international communications campaign will also be run by the operator to harness public support for 1Goal, coordinated by the Global System for Mobile Communications Association. The association will enable millions of people to sign up via a host of mobile response mechanisms

Tagged with: FIFA • fifa world cup • Global System for Mobile Communication • mobile campaign • MTN • operator • South Africa

South Africa’s Telkom pays R3.9bn to DOC

On 02.19.10, In Mobile, By Editor

www.WirelessFederation.com/news: R3.9 billion has been gained by the Department of Communications from the sale of Vodacom by Telkom. “Extraordinary” dividends have been paid by SA’s fixed-line operator after it sold off its 15% stake in Vodacom last year.

R22.5 billion were earned by Telkom’s 15% stake of which the bulk was paid out to its majority shareholder, government, which has a 39.8% stake.

It was said in the company’s annual report that it had unbundled its stake in Vodacom on April 20 and distributed half of the after-tax profits of the R22.5 billion, which was R19 a share.

Tagged with: DoC • operator • South Africa • Telkom • Vodacom

Vodafone introduces ultra low cost handsets

On 02.16.10, In Mobile, By Editor

www.WirelessFederation.com/news: To enable millions of people in the developing world to experience the connectivity a mobile phone can offer, two new ultra low cost handsets has been launched by Vodafone.

Vodafone 150 and the Vodafone 250 offer voice and SMS services, polyphonic ringtones, 2 integrated games, a vibrating alert, memory for up to 100 phonebook entries, a 500mAh battery (up to 400 hours standby and up to 5 hours talk time) and it will operate on GSM 900/1800.

The handsets will be launched in India, Turkey, The Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Mozambique, Qatar, South Africa and Tanzania at a price of US$15 and US$20 respectively.

According to Patrick Chomet, Vodafone’s Group Director of Terminals, the cost of mobile handsets can be one of the most significant barriers for people in accessing and benefiting from the growing number of socially valuable mobile services.

Tagged with: Africa • ASIA • Congo • ebook • Ghana • India • Kenya • Launch • Lesotho • Mozambique • North America • South Africa • Tanzania • ultra low cost handsets • Vodafone

MTN’s EASSy lands in Mtunzini (Africa)

On 02.16.10, In Mobile, By Editor

www.WirelessFederation.com/news: The landing of East African Submarine System at Mtunzini on the north coast of Kwa-Zulu Natal in South Africa has been confirmed by South African mobile group MTN. Broadband capacity will be boosted by EASSy which will also facilitate ongoing efforts to provide its customers with more affordable access to broadband. The network will be commercially launched in the second quarter of 2010.

According to MTN Group’s Trevor Martins, who is also the EASSy management committee chairman, over the past years MTN has been a pioneer in pursuing opportunities by investing in technologies, businesses and licenses which enhance the delivery of services in data and internet protocol connectivity and EASSy is one of such investments.

The investments in these submarine networks will increase the bandwidth and it will also capacitate both ISPs and mobile operations in markets largely serviced by costly satellite bandwidth, thus enabling MTN to open up large-scale access to international broadband to the firm’s valued customers.

Tagged with: EASSy • East Africa • Launch • MTN • Mtunzini • South Africa

Zain denies the sale of its African assets

On 02.09.10, In Mobile, By Editor

www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Reports that Kuwait operator Zain was in talks with Vivendi, France Telecom and Vodafone to offer a possible sale of the former Celtel networks has been denied by the telco. It was reported by a newspaper that Zain had been in talks with the other operators for the past couple of months and is seeking US$11-US$12 billion for its African assets.

Last year, Vivendi’s plan to buy the African networks, for a reported US$12 billion was said to be an all-share based transaction, with Zain taking 20 percent of Vivendi, in exchange for 10 percent of Zain Africa.

However, Vodafone recently increased its holdings in South Africa based Vodacom to 65%,

Tagged with: Celtel • France Telecom • Kuwait • operator • South Africa • Vivendi • Vodafone • Zain

Zamtel to receive fibre pairs of Zesco by Zambian govt

On 02.08.10, In Mobile, By Editor

www.WirelessFederation.com/news: In a move to make Zambia Telecommunications Company (Zamtel) more attractive to potential buyers, Zambian government might offer a number of fibre pairs to the operator which are currently controlled by state-owned power company Zesco. Seven of twelve fibre pairs that Zesco has will be transferred.

Of the remaining five, two are used by Zesco to manage its power network; one is used by South Africa-based MTN, which owns a mobile operator in Zambia, while the last two are not currently in use.

Currently, Huawei is in the process of rolling out a fibre backbone for Zamtel, but it remains incomplete and by comparison to Zesco’s existing infrastructure is significantly less expansive.

Tagged with: Huawei • MTN • operator • South Africa • Zambia • Zamtel • Zesco