Broadband Archives - tandaabiashara

Jun242019 by editorNo Comments

Safaricom, Airtel and Telkom Kenya to split their telecom and mobile money business units if new bill passes

Safaricom, Airtel and Telkom Kenya will be required to split their telecommunications business from their mobile money transfer and lending units if a Bill set to be presented for debate in Parliament is passed into law. The Kenya Information and Communications (Amendment) Bill 2019, which is sponsored by Gem MP Elisha Odhiambo, is seeking to compel mobile phone companies to form separate arms to manage any other business they engage in outside telecommunications services. In a move that could complicate the business environment for the telcos, the Bill says they will have to apply for licences "from the respective regulators of any industry or sector ventured into". They will also be required to "legally split or separate the telecommunciations business from such other business. ...

May302019 by Alex ReeceNo Comments

Cisco Supports Digitization in Africa through Its NetAcad Program

Broadband, Startups, Technology

Speaking at the Cisco Connect conference, the company promises to support the digitization in African communities, businesses, and governments through its initiatives for development, innovation, and job creation on the continent. David Bunei, the Country General Manager for Cisco East Africa and Indian Ocean Islands, said: “We are living in a world that is changing faster than ever imagined. We are inspired by the prospect of an economy with abundant jobs, a place where entrepreneurs can thrive. Our goal is to enable small and medium businesses to accelerate their growth by helping them access our world-class technology.” One of the initiatives is the Networking Academy (NetAcad) program that aims at providing students hands-on digital skills to better prepare them for their

May62019 by editorNo Comments

Kenya debuts new mobile numbering prefix 01xxx with Machine-to-Machine capabilities

Broadband, Internet, Mobile

The Communications Authority of Kenya released a new mobile numbering prefix 01xxx in addition to the currently existing 07xxx. According to CA Director General Francis Wangusi, the new prefix – which is expected to take effect immediately – was necessitated by increased demand for SIM cards, mobile data and Machine-to-Machine (M2M) communications. According to the National Numbering Plan developed in 2002 by the authority, each prefix provides for a capacity of 100 million numbers, at the moment the prefix 07xx is exhausted. Mr. Wangusi, in a statement to newsrooms, said leading telecommunication giants Safaricom and Airtel had already been issued with 2 million (0110, 0111) and 3 million (0100, 0101, 0102) numbers respectively under the new prefix. “In view of the emergence of

Feb142019 by Nasha HarperNo Comments

Third Google’s Project Loon Sets up in Nyeri after Nairobi & Nakuru

Broadband

Loon, a balloon-powered Internet firm run by Google has announced the installation of a new set of ground stations in Nyeri, it’s third town after Nairobi and Nakuru in a move aimed at seeing it deploy the service commercially in Kenya in collaboration with Telkom Kenya. With the installation, Loon aims to kick off testing of the stratospheric balloons in a few months. Ground stations are strategically located to support balloon access to an Internet connection. They are located in places that already have access to Internet and data services. Loon works by beaming an Internet signal from these ground stations to a balloon 20km overhead. That signal can then travel across multiple balloons and long distances, allowing Loon to provide service far from where the groun

Feb82019 by Nasha HarperNo Comments

Telkom & Airtel binding merger agreement to named Airtel-Telkom comes to force

Broadband, Business, Technology

Rumours have been running for over a year that Telkom and Airtel were planning to merge their operations in a bid to augment their product and service offerings to match the services of Safaricom. Safaricom had also been mentioned in the competition clause by both Telkom and Airtel that highlighted their inability to grow based on Safaricom’s lion’s share of the local mobile operator business. India's Bharti Airtel anouncement on Friday reut.rs/2SyMMhc that its unit, Airtel Networks Kenya Ltd, has agreed to merge with Telkom Kenya Ltd, the East African nation's smallest telecom operator is now active. A report that investigated the claims is yet to be fully examined by the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) and parliament, and there is a likelihood it will be discarded