Uganda

MWC2010: Zain wins ‘Mobile Money for the Unbanked Service’ award

On 02.18.10, In Mobile, By Editor

www.WirelessFederation.com/news: The inaugural GSMA’s 2010 ‘Mobile Money for the Unbanked Service’ award at the Mobile World Congress has been won by Zain, a leading mobile network operator in the Middle East and Africa. The Global Mobile Awards in this category has been given for Zain’s mobile commerce service called ‘Zap’.

To recognize innovative mobile banking around the world, the Mobile Money for the Unbanked Service has been established, pioneering the roll out of low-cost financial services to millions of people, in countries where traditional financial services are either not within easy reach or unavailable.

Launched exactly one year ago on February 16, 2009, Zap, is the biggest Mobile Commerce service in the world accessible to approximately 200 million potential customers in Kenya, Malawi, Niger, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Uganda and Ghana. It provides the most comprehensive and accessible package of m-commerce features currently available anywhere in the world.

Zain’s money transfer service reaches West Africa

On 01.08.10, In Mobile, By Editor

www.WirelessFederation.com/news: After a huge success of the concept of mobile money transfer in East Africa and particularly Kenya, Zain has announced to expand its mobile commerce service Zap to Niger, Sierra Leone and a full commercial pilot project in Malawi.

With this move, six African markets would be covered by the service with a combined population of 150 million people. The concept launched in February last year would complement the financial services sector in the continent as the mobile phone users will be able to send and receive money, pay for services as well as interact with their bank accounts using the service.

According Saad Al Barrak, Zain Group chief executive, the expansion of the service is an important step in pushing the boundaries of mobile communications and with the kind of impact the Zap had in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, similar impact is hoped by Zain in Malawi, Niger and Sierra Leone, where formal banking services are largely restricted to urban hubs.

Zain has entered into a partnership with the National Bank of Malawi (NBM) and NBS Banks in Malawi, EcoBank in Niger and Zenith Bank in Sierra Leone besides working with Citibank and Standard Chartered in East Africa.

Tagged with: Africa • East Africa • Kenya • Malawi • mobile money • Mobile Money Transfer • Niger • Sierra Leone • Tanzania • Uganda • West Africa • Zain Group

MTN Uganda raises USD 100 Mn for network expansion

On 10.13.09, In Mobile, By Editor

MTN in Uganda has raised USD 100 Million for network expansion with Absa Capital as the lead arranger.

Stanbic Bank, Standard Chartered, Kenya Commercial Bank, Barclays, DFCU and Orient bank participated to raise the amount. Isaac Nsereko, chief marketing officer of MTN Uganda confirmed the development to Reuters.

Uganda has a total of 6 telecom players: Uganda Telecom (UTL), Zain, Orange, Warid, I-Telecom and MTN. MTN is the largest with 60% market share and just under 5 million subscribers, according to Isaac Nsereko.

Tagged with: Absa • Barclay • Barclays • DFCU • I-Tel • I-Telecom • Isaac Nsereko • Kenya • Market Share • MTN • MTN Uganda • Network • Network Expansion • Orange • Orient • Stanbic • Stanbic Bank • Standard Chartered • telecom • Uganda • Uganda Telecom • UTL • Warid • Zain

MTN & IMI announce partnership

On 10.02.09, In Mobile, By Editor

Millions of mobile and online content users across Africa and the Middle East will reap the benefits of a landmark tie-up between MTN and IMImobile – an India-based software and managed services provider linked to 350 content providers worldwide.

The two companies have teamed up in a bold move to address the growing demand for content in emerging markets. This strategic partnership will entail providing MTN’s 21 markets access to a repository of current and globally popular content through enhanced delivery platforms. Content categories will include music (with local and international flavour), sports, games, entertainment, news and much more.

It will also enable MTN to launch new income-generating voice and data services across its global footprint, with revenues from mobile content and services estimated at around US$150.2 billion in 2011, up from US$89,3 billion in 2006, worldwide. (more…)

Tagged with: Africa • Airtel • ARPU • ASIA • Botswana • Congo • Cote d'Ivoire • Cyprus • Essar • Ghana • India • Latin America • Middle East • Mobile Advertising • Mobile Content • MTN • Niger • Nigeria • Rwanda • South Africa • Syria • Technology • Uganda • Virgin Mobile • Vodafone • Zambia

Zain brings mobile banking to over 100 million East Africans

On 09.23.09, In Mobile, By Editor

Leading mobile telecommunications provider Zain today announces the revolutionary enhancement of Zap, its rapidly expanding mobile banking service currently available to over 100 million people in East Africa and run in partnership with CitiBank and Standard Chartered Bank. From today Zap customers can swiftly and securely receive money from any bank account around the world and easily send money to any bank in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. This is the first time in the world any mobile bank account has been configured so that its users can receive funds from anywhere in the world directly to their mobile handset as well as send funds directly to their Bank accounts.

In addition Zap allows customers to use their mobile phone 24 hours a day to:

Manage their bank accounts
Pay for goods and services and settle their utility bills
Receive Zap money – and send Zap money to their friends and family
Top up their airtime account – or top up someone else’s
Check their balance and keep on top of their payments

(more…)

Tagged with: Africa • Banking Service • Chief Executive Officer • Citigroup • Credit Transfer Service • East Africa • Kenya • M-Banking • mBanking • Middle East • Middle East and Africa • Mobile Banking • Mobile Banking Service • One Network • Partnership • Standard Chartered Bank • Tanzania • Uganda

UTL introduces solar-powered handsets (Uganda)

On 09.07.09, In Mobile, By Editor

www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Uganda Telecom has introduced a solar-powered mobile phone in the market. The new phone is named Kasana, that runs on solar-powered mobile phone after an initial charging on electricity grid power. According to Uganda Telecom, it agreed an exclusive distribution deal for the phone with its designer ZTE. The handsets are manufactured from recycled materials and has a built-in solar panel that charges the phone using the sun’s rays. After an hour of exposure to the sun, the solar phone provides up to 12 hours of talk-time. It comes with a travel charger.

Tagged with: Kasana • mobile handsets • Solar-powered handsets • Uganda • UTL • ZTE

MTN launches Voice SMS service in Uganda

On 08.13.09, In Mobile, By Editor

www.WirelessFederation.com/news: MTN, one of the leading mobile carriers in Uganda, has launched Voice SMS service across the country, based on pioneering Voice SMS technology from Kirusa, the world’s leading vendor of Voice SMS and a leading developer of mobile value added services. MTN Voice SMS offering in Uganda is bolstered by additional innovative features like Scheduling and Dynamic Group Voice SMS.

Voice SMS allows the subscribers to send messages by voice, eliminating the need to type. It enables the subscribers to communicate faster, easier, and with added personal touch by conveying emotions, to their friends, relatives and colleagues. The Voice SMS service has achieved a vast acceptance across the globe for its benefits in surpassing the limitations of text messages.

MTN subscribers need to dial ‘*’ followed by the number of the person they wish to send the message to, and speak a short message for up to 30 seconds in any language. A recipient on MTN network gets a notification message from the sender and can click on a DirectListen(TM) number for direct access and reply to the Voice SMS left for him. He can also dial *0* to hear new voice messages, or retrieve previously listened voice messages by dialing *1*. Voice SMS messages can be replied to, forwarded, saved, or deleted. (more…)

Tagged with: Land Mobile Radio • MTC • Net Additions • Telstra Corporation Australia • Uganda

Essar seeks to combine forces with Warid (Uganda, Congo, Rep.)

On 08.04.09, In Mobile, By Editor

www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Essar is reportedly looking forward to merge its telecoms licence in Uganda with the operations of Warid Telecom. Essar, which bagged a Ugandan wireless network operator concession in June 2009, wants to combine forces with Warid and take a majority stake in the merged entity. The report also suggested that Essar is planning a similar tie-up with Warid in the Republic of Congo.

Tagged with: Congo • LG touchscreen GD910 watch phone • State Tax • Uganda • UTV Radio

Zain posts revenues of $4.014Bn in H1′09 (Kuwait)

On 07.23.09, In Mobile, By Editor

www.WirelessFederation.com/news: – Year-on-year customer base increase of 37% to 69.5 million

- Company revenues jump 24% to KWD 1.16 billion (US$4.014 billion)

- Net income up 4.4% to KWD 154.5 million (US$533.5 million) translating into earnings per share of US$0.14

Zain, the leading mobile telecommunication operator in the Middle East and Africa with a commercial presence in 24 countries, is pleased to announce its consolidated financial results for the half-year ending 30 June 2009. The results showed significant growth in many key indicators.

For the first half of 2009, Zain Group recorded impressive consolidated revenues of KWD 1.16 billion (US$4.014 billion), an increase of 24.1% compared to H1-2008. The company’s consolidated EBITDA increased by 46.3% for the same period to reach KWD 512.2 million (US$1.77 billion).

Consolidated net income reached KWD 154.5 million (US$533.5 million), an increase of 4.4% on H1-2008. The earnings per share for the six month period were US$0.14. Year-on-year customer growth on the two continents across which Zain operates was 37%, while serving 69.5 million managed active customers as of 30 June 2009. (more…)

Tagged with: 2008 Mobile Marketing • ASIA • Asiacell • Bouygues • Cameroon • Charges • CVG Telecom • Germanos • Ghana • Globacom • Illimythics Plans • kajeet • Kenya • Lacell SU Burundi • Maryland • Mobile Advertising India • New Zealand Communication • Nigeria • Operational Results • Pakistana • Paramount • PCCW • Postpaid Susbcribers • Saudi Arabia • SEOUL • Tanzania • TeliaSonera • TV • Uganda • VDSL2

MTN, Warid Telecom & UTL raise mobile tariffs Uganda

On 07.16.09, In Mobile, By Editor

www.WirelessFederation.com/news: The Ugandan mobile operators, MTN, Warid Telecom & UTL, as it was earlier anticipated, have raised their mobile tariffs. MTN announced a 9% increase in tariffs for callers on PayGo Standard, Yellomax, YelloGo, Yellopersecond, MTN LateChart and MTNZone.
This move was followed by a raise in tariff by Warid Telecom which launched a permanent tariff service named as Pakalast. “We have been very responsible not to over- burden Ugandans. The average increment is 9%,” he said. He said the rates of other services like Internet would remain unchanged. Zul Javaid, the Warid CEO, also cited increasing costs of operations to justify the increase.

“The cost of running the network has increased by much more than what we have passed onto the consumers,” Javaid argued.

According to Han Paulsen at UTL, the tariff have gone up by between 8-10% for calls to own network and other as well.

Tagged with: ango Telecom • China Voice Holdings • CLI • Digitel Philippines • Free Airtime • iAX SMS • internet subsidiary • MTC • Retail Agreement • Shanghai Telecom • Uganda • Zain Madagascar