Broadband

Jul92020 by Lynn WandiaNo Comments

Google launches Telkom 4G internet balloon service across Kenya

Telkom Kenya and Google subsidiary Loon have launched their internet balloon service, providing internet to rural areas of Kenya. The project has been some two years in the making and effectively provides a series of floating cell phone towers with a 4G internet connection. “The Internet-enabled balloons will be able to offer connectivity to the many Kenyans who live in remote regions that are underserved or totally unserved, and as such remain disadvantaged,” said Mugo Kibati, Telkom Kenya’s CEO. Tests of the balloons in late June resulted in download speeds of almost 19 Mbps and uplink transfers of 4.74 Mbps, with the connection tested for email, web browsing, WhatsApp video calls and YouTube. Not just hot air The Loon balloons will start by covering a region of some 50,000

Apr22020 by editorNo Comments

Zuku back on top reclaiming fixed internet spot from Safaricom

Broadband, Business

Fixed internet connections in Kenya crossed the 500,000 mark for the first time in the quarter ending 31 December 2019 boosted by growth of the major service providers. Overall, the total number of customers of fixed internet connections rose by 10% from 454,840 in September 2019 to 500,888 as at December 2019. ZUKU reclaimed top spot from Safaricom Home Fibre by adding 23,885 new subscribers to end the period with 175,433 connections. Meanwhile, Safaricom added 11,207 new subscriptions to bring their total to 165,810 connections. This now means that Zuku has a 35 percent market share compared to Safaricom’s 33.1 percent. Jamii Telecommunication’s is third with 17.1 percent market share. Source: Communications Authority Safaricom had overtaken Zuku for the first time in Q1 2019

Apr12020 by Lynn WandiaNo Comments

Peter Ndegwa takes over as CEO at Safaricom succeeding Bob Collymore

Broadband, Business, Technology

Peter Ndegwa is Wednesday set to take over as Chief Executive Officer at Safaricom to succeed Bob Collymore, who died of cancer on July 1, last year, a move that will make him the first Kenyan to run the giant telco. He will be taking over from founding CEO Michael Joseph, who has been holding the position in an acting capacity since. Mr Ndegwa, an alumnus of Starehe Boys Centre and former East African Breweries finance director, will be betting on M-Pesa, data business and Safaricom’s likely entry into Ethiopia to shape the leading telephone services company’s growth in profitability. The 51-year-old incoming CEO takes the reins at a time when businesses have been hard hit by the coronavirus global pandemic, meaning that he might have to work from home on his first

Nov132015 by editorNo Comments

MTN Telecom CEO quits after $5.2bn Nigerian fine

Broadband, Business, Mobile

The CEO of Africa's largest mobile telecoms company, MTN Group, has resigned following two weeks of wrestling with the Nigerian authorities over the imposition of a massive fine. In a statement to the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, the company announced that Sifiso Dabengwa will leave with immediate effect, to be replaced temporarily by non-executive chairman Phuthuma Nhleko. Chief executive Sifiso Dabengwa tendered his resignation with immediate effect, saying it was "in the interest of the company and its shareholders". The fine, which amounts to double MTN's profit last year, was for failing to cut off unregistered mobile users. The firm was given until 16 November, just two weeks, to pay the penalty. The fine amounts to ₦200,000 ($1,000) for every customer who should have been disco

Nov112015 by editorNo Comments

SEACOM targets African enterprise market with fibre Internet and cloud services

Broadband, Business

SEACOM has entered the enterprise market, promising best-in-class connectivity and Cloud services that bring business customers lightning–fast bandwidth at highly competitive prices. It aims to shake up the enterprise connectivity space by offering businesses high-speed connectivity and quality bandwidth at an affordable price. Reports Businesstech SEACOM’s Business division is already signing up more than 20 corporate and SME customers a month, since a soft launch of its enterprise offering a year ago. It has also appointed more than 20 business partners to support its drive into the new market. Its fibre Internet access services have been available since January 2015, and have received positive feedback from the marketplace. Last-mile fibre is a major focus for SEACOM in the corpora

Oct272015 by editorNo Comments

Facebook to Use Israeli AMOS-6 satellite to Beam Internet to Africa

Broadband

Social media giant Facebook will help communities living in remote regions in Africa, in the sub-Saharan region access fast internet connectivity using an Israeli satellite. Announcing the new development, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg said he was partnering with Eutelsat, a European satellite operator, to connect millions of people in sub-Saharan Africa with internet. Satellite networks are well suited to economically connect people in low to medium density population areas. The AMOS-6 satellite, built by the Israel Aerospace Industries, will be ready for launch next year, according Zuckerberg. AMOS-6 SATELLITE "We are going to work with local partners across the regions to help communities begin accessing internet services provided through the satellite," said Mr Zuckerberg. Read mor...

Aug112015 by editorNo Comments

Nigeria ICT Turmoil: Telecommunication dominance wars brewing in Africa

Broadband, Business, Internet

African telecommunication companies have hit the headlines hard this week as MTN Nigeria and the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) are set to face Etisalat in a Federal High Court battle in Lagos. Reports itnewsafrica.com The battle commenced after Etisalat claimed that the NCC had allegedly given its competitor MTN Nigeria a market advantage over it. MTN joins NCC in the suit as co-respondent. Etisalat is seeking a review of a decision by NCC to allow a 30 percent differential between MTN’s off-net and on-net retail mobile voice tariffs. According to Etisalat, this differential enables MTN to create a ‘calling club’, an example of which is its ‘Family and Friends’ promotion, which offers a rate of NGN 0.11 per second to eight MTN subscribers and two non-MTN subscribers. Etisal

Jun222015 by editorNo Comments

South Africa among countries to miss crucial digital migration deadline: ITU

Broadband, Internet

A recent ITU report ITU lists South Africa among nations that have failed to even start a digital migration process. South Africa then joins non-starter digital migration countries which include Armenia, Bangladesh, Belize, the Central African Republic, Comoros, Egypt, Eritrea, Guinea-Bissau, Jamaica, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, Moldova, Morocco, Namibia, Sao Tome and Principe, Sierra Leone and Turkey. According to an article by TechCentral, Consequences for countries that have missed the ITU digital migration deadline include having to deal with signal clashes between analogue and digital, said Sanjay Acharya — who is the chief of media relations and public information at the ITU. “They will have an obligation to immediately resolve any harmful interference that may occur, eith

May282015 by editorNo Comments

Africa’s mobile broadband access below 20% says ITU report

Broadband, Internet, Mobile

Despite increasing access to cheaper smartphones, Africa's mobile broadband penetration still remains below 20%, report indicates The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) released its ICT Facts & Figures report, which revealed that the continent is the only region where mobile broadband access is less than 20%. The ITU's report examines the global development of ICT over the past 15 years from the year 2000 to 2015.And acco rding to the report Africa's mobile broadband subscriptions currently stands at 17.4%. The report notes that mobile-broadband penetration levels are highest in Europe and the Americas, at around 78 active subscriptions per 100 inhabitants. A report by the Pew Research Center released earlier this year revealed that smartphones (those that can access the

Mar182015 by editorNo Comments

Paris UNESCO: Sophia Bekele Speaks on Access Divide & Applauds #InternetStudy

Broadband, Internet

March 9, 2015 - PARIS, France -- The event was held from 3 - 4 March 2015 in UNESCO's Headquarters in Paris France. The objective of the conference was to discuss the first draft of the Comprehensive Study on Internet-related issues as part of UNESCO's response in support of the decision taken by its 195 Member States, to examine current and emerging inter-related trends, challenges and opportunities around access to information and knowledge, freedom of expression, privacy, and ethical dimensions of the information society. Four Keystones namely Access to information and knowledge, Freedom of Expression, Privacy, and Ethics on a Global Internet; were identified under UNESCO's mandate, which is to promote international cooperation in education, the sciences, culture, communication and i...