African telecom landscape looks towards landscape

number of factors have contributed to Africa’s increasing adoption of mobile phones for internet use over PCs — cost and lack of ethernet infrastructure for two. The cost of computers versus the lower prices of mobile phones in addition to the lack of physical internet cable implementation has spurred the growth of mobile devices in Africa — a trend that is now of global proportion. But Africa’s mobile scene presents unique challenges, and the recently reported interest in the continent’s digital communications from Mideast and European telcos has spun a larger conversation over the future of the continent’s growth.

MidEast telcos have been developing their presence in North Africa for a while. Etisalat — an Emirates-based telco — took over France’s Vivendi’s stake in Maroc Telecom in July, heightening its presence in West Africa. (Maroc Telecom was also Morocco’s largest operator, according to reports.) And European companies such as Orange have been increasing their investments in various countries to get a foothold in the developing markets. These growing investments from operators have accumulated throughout the year, and made for conversation at AfricaCom 2013 — a telecom conference held in Cape Town, South Africa earlier in November which calls together global technology leaders.

An executive from Gemalto — a digital security company — spoke after the conference and called for operators to take advantage of the unique communications landscape in Africa in order to bypass 3G implementation and escalate quickly to 4G. While attaining high speed wireless seems unlikely in regions that have barely reliable 2G, Sherry Zameer, head of Africa and Middle East telecommunications for the company, described the lack of regulation and restrictive platforms actually make Africa ripe for the buildout of 4G.

Naturally, this lofty goal still seems out of reach given the general lack of connectivity around the continent in the face of obstacles like cable theft and the availability of spectrum. But some regions have made more hefty moves in the 4G direction than others; Rwanda made significant progress in late October signing a deal with Korea Telecom to deliver 4G to its citizenry over the next three years. And Alcatel-Lucent just partnered with YooMee Africa to bring LTE to Cameroon and other countries.

As foreign investors and native companies alike band together to develop high-speed wireless in Africa — despite the tangible results from work in 2013 likely being years away — the continent will still see increasing web traffic as more mobile devices connect to the internet through these new, spreading networks.

blogs.bloiun.com

voice calls are dying in south africa

 A report on the state of the mobile ecosystem in South Africa has found that voice is in decline, especially among younger demographics.

According to the Mobility 2014 research study, conducted by World Wide Worx with the backing of First National Bank, people in the 19 - 24 age group are abandoning spending on voice calls in favour of data.

The results show that voice declined to 56% of the group's cellphone expense, down around 10% from 2012, while spending on data increased from 17% to 24%.

But it's not only young people: Spending on voice calls declined to 65% as a share of mobile expense across all demographics, down from 77% in 2010.

Data spend, on the other hand increased from 12% to 16%.

Spectrum

"Older users continue to spend far more overall, but the powerful shift in spend from voice to data will work its way up the age segments in the coming years," said Arthur Goldstuck, managing director of World Wide Worx.

Mobile operators have noticed the shift and there have been a variety of data offers to encourage consumers to utilise the service.

source: news24.com

telecoms sector in Africa , mideast offers huge potential

The telecommunications sector in Africa and Middle East (AME) region offers enormous potential for operators, vendors and investors alike as it reaches a new stage in its growth, according to the latest findings by Pyramid Research, which provides market analysis and consulting services to the communications industry.

“Capturing the untapped potentials in the region is not an easy task if the diversity of the region is not recognised and the individual markets are not treated with respect to their particular necessities,” said Kerem Arsal, Africa and Middle East Manager.

PR’s  ‘Telecommunications in Africa and the Middle East: Unique Opportunities in Diverse Markets’ report', released Tuesday, evaluates some of the unique opportunities and challenges in a region that hosts economies ranging from the wealthy states of the Gulf to the populous sub-Saharan nations.

According to PR, mobile Internet revenue will maintain an explosive growth rate in the AME region and it will double in size to represent a US$25 billion opportunity by 2018.

Today, there are slightly more than 5 million households with FTTH (Fiber-to-the-Home) broadband in AME. By 2018, this figure will have risen to more than 16 million.

FTTH is able to deliver a multitude of data, voice and video services to the home.

In 2018, one in every two subscriptions will be running either on LTE (Long Term Evolution) or on 3G networks. Today, it is one in every four subscriptions.

“It is no doubt that AME is a region of high risks and high returns, and therefore in its markets, information is the most valuable resource,” said Arsal. 

source: africanmanager.com

Airtel Ghana donates to state school of deaf

As part of celebration of World Children's Day, Airtel Ghana donated items to the State School for the Deaf at Ashiaman, a suburb of Tema in the Greater Accra Region. The items included a 10kva generator set, football jerseys, student mattresses and funds exclusively raised by Airtel employees towards the upkeep of the pupils of the school. 

Presenting the items on behalf of the Director of Human Resources, Maame Dufie Cudjoe, HR Manager in charge of Corporate Social Responsibility and Employee Engagement at Airtel Ghana explained that the gesture was part of the company's pledge to support the under-privileged in the communities in which it operates, especially in the area of education. 

"Airtel Ghana sees education as a key area of development in any society, in particular primary education, and so we are always on the lookout to support any initiative that will make learning easier and fun for children", she stated.

The project was an initiative of one of Airtel Ghana's employees, Benonia Laryea, whose visit to the school last year prompted her to seek the company's support. "I saw such brilliance in the pupils I met. In spite of their obvious challenge, they were studious and ready to make the best out of their situation. I found that very moving and so I decided to get Airtel involved to touch their lives", she explained. 

Accepting the donation, the headmaster of the school, Michael Cudjoe, expressed his appreciation for the support. He was especially grateful for the generator, which he said will help provide constant electricity to the school and so aid teaching and learning.

State School for the Deaf is a public special school for the deaf in the Greater Accra region of Ghana established in 1965 with a pupil population of about 325. 

About Bharti Airtel Limited

Bharti Airtel Limited is a leading global telecommunications company with operations in 20 countries across Asia and Africa. Headquartered in New Delhi, India, the company ranks amongst the top 4 mobile service providers globally in terms of subscribers. In India, the company's product offerings include 2G, 3G and 4G wireless services, mobile commerce, fixed line services, high speed DSL broadband, IPTV, DTH, enterprise services including national & international long distance services to carriers. In the rest of the geographies, it offers 2G, 3G wireless services and mobile commerce. Bharti Airtel had over 281 million customers across its operations at the end of October 2013. To know more please visit, www.airtel.com

nigerians telecom engineers to get quality of service training

More than 50 engineers from Nigeria’s major telecommunications firms have signed up for training to enable them meet the ‘Quality of Service’ (QoS) mandates of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).

Backup Network, a local representative of Switzerland’s Ascom Network Testing, is conducting the training.

Engineers from network operators are planned to be trained on ‘best-in-class’ skills they need to boost service delivery for their company network subscribers.

Speaking at the formal commencement of the training programme in Lagos, Monday Ogbe, chief executive officer at Backup Networks Limited, said the QoS in Nigeria is far behind other countries.

He said that the telecoms operators were doing their best but that more still needed to be done.

Last year, the NCC fined four of the country’s largest mobile operators for poor QoS.

“Operators are doing everything they can to ensure that service is delivered to the subscribers because as long as the subscribers are not happy with the service delivery, it will be difficult for operators to recoup their investment. At the end of the day everybody loses,” he said.

Ogbe added, “The quality of experience tools that we are offering the operators will help them perceive the network exactly the way subscribers are experiencing service on the network and through that, they can see
exactly what the bottlenecks that are affecting the network performance are for them to make strategic adjustments where necessary.”

He said with the integration of new wireless transport technologies such as internet protocol transmission via 3G and LTE into the operator network, the complexity of network end-to-end network visibility has become key to ensuring acceptable customer satisfaction.

source: itwebafrica.com

Alcatel-lucent focusing on LTE, divesting in 2G and 3G

Dave Geary, president of wireless at Alcatel-Lucent, told the Alcatel-Lucent Technology Symposium in New Jersey, United States, that LTE networks were “growing in unanticipated ways” and the company was focusing its attention on LTE in order to beat its competitors to a larger share of the growing market.

“Operators are investing in ultra broadband to get a competitive advantage,” he said. To those of us that use LTE it is undeniable that the quality of service is much better. It is undeniable that the adoption of the technology is growing and is exceeding expectations.”

He said that this translated into the opportunity for profitable growth, with a particular opportunity for those that are first to market. For this reason, he said Alcatel-Lucent was cutting investment in 2G and 3G and looking to the future.

“You don’t want to be spending money on old technology, you want to be spending it on the future,” Geary told HumanIPO on the sidelines of the conference. “2G and 3G have not been strongholds for us. It is in our advantage to cut investment there as soon as we can. Why invest in something that is well through its growth phase?”

The manufacturer and network specialists launched West Africa’s first commercially available LTE network in Ghana in July this year, in partnership with Surfline Communications, while it has also been working on 4G services with Smile Communications in Tanzania and completed superfast broadband trials with Tunisie Telecom in North Africa.

HumanIPO reported last week Alcatel-Lucent had partnered with data-only specialists YooMee to provide Cameroon with its first LTE network in the first quarter of 2014.

Geary said these investments formed part of Alcatel-Lucent’s broader strategy.

“Opportunities are moving to LTE and whoever gets there first has the opportunity to do very well,” he said. “We have single purpose on this, and that is around LTE, and scaling that.”

He said though there was still a long way to go, Alcatel-Lucent was in a strong position in terms of obtaining a strong position in the LTE market.

“I think we are getting better placed, and you have to make that judgement based on what you see,” Geary told HumanIPO. “The game is far from over. We are in the third innings here. There is a long way to go. That is going to take a long time, so we are not declaring victory, we know we have work to do.”

LTE networks are on the increase globally, with HumanIPO reporting in July a report compiled by the Global Mobile Suppliers Association (GSA) expected another 18 countries to obtain LTE networks by the end of 2013, although it is not clear whether any of those will come from Africa.

It predicts that by the end of the year there will be 260 live networks across 93 countries.

HumanIPO also reported in July earlier this month Huawei had already built 44 LTE networks in Africa, although the majority of those lie dormant, with operators holding back on going live until market conditions are right.

source: humanipo.com

Africa can take advantage of LTE leapfrog

Zameer was speaking after AfricaCom 2013, held in Cape Town earlier this month, and he said depending on how well telecommunications regulators use spectrum, the high-speed mobile data technology could be rolled out quickly and effectively, despite Africa’s LTE penetration rate currently only standing at 0.003 per cent.

“Africa is largely unrestricted by legacy platforms and onerous regulations, and so has the capacity to leapfrog standard 3G migrations, to embrace LTE and all the benefits of better quality service and content possibilities that the next generation platform provides,” Zameer said.

“Africa has a track record of innovation and being first to market in many instances (e.g. M-Pesa and dynamic tariffing) and I expect that the implementation of 4G LTE will be no different.”

HumanIPO reported in July Huawei alone had already built 44 LTE networks across the continent, although the majority were yet to go live as network operators wait for the opportune moment for it to be economically viable.

Many operators point to the unavailability of affordable LTE-enabled devices in the African market, meaning even if the infrastructure and technology is deployed, very few people will be able to access the services.

Dave Geary, president of wireless at Alcatel-Lucent, told HumanIPO earlier this month they were focussing their attention on deploying LTE networks with plans already announced for data-only networks with partners in Ghana and Cameroon.

MTC Namibia have already launched its LTE network in the country, while Smile Communications is already live in Uganda and Tanzania, with a network in Nigeria expected in the next few months.

MTN Nigeria should also be going live with LTE in the West African country during the first quarter of 2014.

source: humanipo.com

Africa's GDP to reach $ 300 billion on internet expansion

Considering the massive financial investment ploughed into the deployment of broadband infrastructure across the continent, the Internet, though still in its infancy, could contribute some $300 billion to Africa’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by 2025, according to a recent report by Mckinsey & Company, reports Ben Uzor Jr.

Over the last three years, estimates have shown that about $3.8 billion has been invested in submarine cables across Africa. The report said the Internet’s contribution to Africa’s GDP remains low, at a meagre 1.1 percent – just over half the levels seen in other emerging markets and well below the average of 3.7 percent in developed economies.

Mobile telephony has already had an outsized effect in Africa, connecting people who hitherto had little or no access to telecommunications, due to the scarcity of fixed-line infrastructure. If the Internet matches or exceeds that level of impact, according to analysts at Mckinsey, the result could be a leap forward in Africa’s economic growth and development.

Following a decade of rapid urbanisation and strong economic growth, Africa is gradually transiting into a digital economy, according to Mckinsey. While just 16 percent of the continent’s 1 billion people are online, that picture is changing quite rapidly. This is evident in the rise of greater disposable income of consumers in major African cities.

More than half of them have Internet-capable devices, and 3G networks are up and running. Significant investments in network expansion initiatives have increased access to mobile broadband, fibre connection to households and businesses – combined with the rapid spread of low-cost smartphones and tablets, has enabled millions of Africans to connect to the cyberspace for the first time, the report said.

There is a also growing wave of innovation as entrepreneurs and large corporations alike launch new web-based ventures. Six critical sectors of the African economy will probably experience the greatest impact of the internet, with technology-related productivity gains expected to grow from $148 billion to $318 billion by 2025, according to the report by Mckinsey. Financial services, education, health, retail, agriculture, and government have been identified as the sectors most likely to benefit from the improvements in internet infrastructure, the report said. In the area of financial services, the Internet is likely to be a huge accelerator of financial inclusion as it reduces transaction costs and brings financial services nearer to Africans.

source :businessdauonline.com

Nokia targets low end android competitors with two new asha smartphones

The dual-SIM Asha 502 has the same screen size and camera resolution as the 503, but no 3G, which helps make it $10 cheaper.

When Nokia announced the two phones in October it also added the 500 model to the Asha line-up. That device has a 2.8-inch screen and a 2-megapixel camera. It costs $69 before taxes and subsidies and will start shipping before the end of the year.

The three phones all use an updated version of the user interface Nokia announced on the Asha 501 earlier this year.

Users can swipe on the screen to start the camera; long press to access camera settings, and swipe to switch from the image mode to the video mode or vice versa. A key feature in the Asha user interface is Fastlane, which shows recently accessed contacts, social networks and apps. It can now be personalized by users, who can choose what content they want it to show.

China's Huawei to roll out 4G service in Ethopian capital

Ethiopia's state-run Ethio Telecom  had picked Huawei Technologies Co Ltd, the world's second largest telecom equipment maker, to roll out a high-speed 4G network across the capital Addis Ababa.

The introduction of the service is part of a $1.6 billion deal signed in July and August between the Ethiopian firm, Huawei and ZTE, China's second-biggest telecoms equipment maker, to expand mobile phone infrastructure throughout the Horn of Africa country.

"In terms of allocation, Huawei will be responsible for the expansion of 4G in Addis Ababa, including other mobile services - the 2G, 3G, IP and the like," Abdurahim Ahmed, Ethio Telecom's head of communications, told Reuters.

Abdurahim said the allocation plan was finalized on Wednesday.

"It is expected to benefit more than 400,000 subscribers. Within an eight-month period, the expansion project of Addis Ababa, including 4G, will be completed."

The deal, signed by ZTE in August and Huawei a month before, will enable Ethiopia to double subscribers to more than 50 million by 2015 and expand 3G service throughout the country.

Both firms will split their work along 13 expansion areas.

The contract was awarded under a long-term loan package to be paid over a 13-year period with an interest rate of "less than 1 percent", Abdurahim said.

Africa's rapidly expanding telecoms industry has come to symbolize its economic growth, with subscribers across the continent totaling almost 650 million last year, up from just 25 million in 2001, according to the World Bank.

Ethio Telecom is the only mobile operator in the country of more than 80 million people, among the last remaining countries on the continent to maintain a state monopoly in telecoms.

The government has ruled out liberalizing its telecoms sector, saying the 6 billion birr ($321 million) it generates each year is being spent on railway projects. Ethiopia plans to build 5,000 km of railway lines by 2020.

south Africans spend more on mobile

South Africans spend more on their mobile bill than the global average, new research from the GSMA shows.

According to the “Sub-Saharan Africa Mobile Economy 2013” report by the GSMA, South Africa’s Average revenue per subscriber (ARPU) is recorded at $25.4 (R264) – above the global average of $25 (R260) and a Sub-Saharan Africa average of $13.6 (R141).

It follows a study commissioned by Informa Telecoms & Media in July 2013, which found that smartphone users in South Africa spend on average US$31 (R321) per month on their mobile phone bills.

ARPU levels vary significantly across the SSA region – largely driven by differing GDP per capita and income levels – but remain in line with the developing market average, the GSMA said.

The only exception is South Africa which, of the larger markets, has ARPUs above the global average level – reflecting mainly high average income levels in the country.

source : businesstech.co

East African broadband network

This research service encompasses an analysis of East African broadband market focusing on Ethiopia, Sudan, and Rwanda. The study includes an analysis of key market developments and trends, the market size in terms of revenue and subscribers, demand and competition, and drivers and restraints. It also investigates the deployment of new technologies in East Africa. This study identifies the market forces in the 3 countries and determines the potential growth of these countries. Three big predictions and strategic recommendations are included. The base year used for this research study is 2011 and the forecast period is from 2012 to 2017.


source: digitaljournal.com

political will is key to unlocking free Wi-Fi zones in Africa

Political decision makers have helped ensure the roll-out of free Wi-Fi access in South Africa’s City of Tshwane (Pretoria), says Alan Knott-Craig Jr.

Knott-Craig Jr -- a chartered accountant who was previously the chief executive officer of mobile messaging service Mxit and former CEO of wireless broadband service provider iBurst -- now heads up non-profit Project Isizwe.

This non-profit seeks to bring internet access to Africans by facilitating the roll-out of free Wi-Fi in public spaces in low-income areas. Project Isizwe also believes that internet should be considered an essential service like water or electricity, and that it should be available to everyone, regardless of circumstance.

And the City of Tshwane is the first recipient of Project Isizwe Wi-Fi. Locations with the service include the likes of Church Square in the central business district (CBD), education facilities such as the University of Pretoria (UP) in Hatfield and a community centre in the township of Mamelodi.

No login or password details are required to access the free Wi-Fi while a fair usage policy limits users to a data cap of 250MB. The likes of pornography websites are also blocked by the service to prevent abuse.

Average broadband speeds are planned to be 1 mbps download and 256 kbps upload.

Phase one of the project has been officially launched this week while the second-phase is set to connect an additional 213 free internet zones around Soshanguve, Mamelodi and Atteridgeville by the end of 2014.

Government workers from the likes of Tshwane IT, City Power and the water department have helped implement the Project Isizwe initiative. Private fixed line telecommunications firm Neotel has also supported the project by providing an internet breakout of 200 mbps.

Meanwhile, Knott-Craig told ITWeb Africa on Wednesday that Project Isizwe’ relationships with Tshwane government workers in particular has been key to rolling out such a project.

“There’s no technical reasons why this can’t be replicated everywhere, except political will,” Knott-Craig told ITWeb Africa.

“If you find a key political decision maker...you can get this done,” he said.

Knott-Craig further told ITWeb Africa that the first key requirement to getting this done is setting up a non-profit organisation to carry out the project so as to cut out a “middle-man” and any profit incentives.

source : itwebafrica.com

Intel joins ITU telecom to explore educational transformation

ITU has announced that Intel Corporation, the global leader in silicon chip innovation, will join  ITU Telecom World 2013 as a partner, co-hosting sessions on leveraging the power of information and communication technologies (ICT) to transform education.

The leading networking, knowledge-sharing and innovation showcasing platform for the global ICT community, ITU Telecom World 2013 will be held in Bangkok, Thailand, 19-22 November, bringing together an influential audience of private and public sector leaders from across the world.

Intel Education Solutions, created in recognition of the need for quality education to prepare tomorrow's workforce in an increasingly global economy, will host three interactive panel sessions and a ministerial round table at the event, focused on harnessing investment in ICT to accelerate technology adoption, transform education and advance economies and societies:

Education Transformation: Content that Matters – how traditional educational material must evolve to make the most of broadband delivery and help students acquire 21st century skills

Education Transformation: Financing e-Learning Programmes – exploring the role of governments and public private partnerships in funding technology and multidisciplinary education projects

Education Transformation: From Vision to Action – learning lessons from current national and regional education transformation projects

Ministerial Roundtable on The Importance of ICT in 21st Century Education – bringing together the experiences, best practices and e-education initiatives of ministers from around the world

source : biztechafrica.com

MTN Nigeria partners CBNL to upgrade 3G network

 MTN Nigeria, the largest domestic telecom operator with over 47 million subscribers, has signed a new contract with Cambridge Broadband Networks (CBNL) to upgrade and expand its 3G network facilities in order to meet up with consumer’s demand.

Under the terms of the contract, CBNL will undertake the supply, installation and commissioning of the new VectaStar backhaul equipment to improve the telecom giant’s services. It would also offer programme management, deployment, and support services to ensure efficient, cost effective and timely delivery of the upgraded network.

CNBL is a world leader in the development and deployment of next generation microwave backhaul and access solutions. Its VectaStar platform, one of the most diverse multipoint microwave backhaul platforms utilized in over 41 countries, will be deployed for MTN Nigeria.

CBNL Vice President for Sub-Saharan Africa, Nigel Webb, explained that: “The Nigeria upgrade requires both product expertise and local knowledge to ensure effective transition, with minimal downtime and disruption to MTN’s customers.”

“Our significant local presence enabled us to work closely with MTN planners to model detailed scenarios, prior to deployment. This will deliver a smarter, more efficient and resourceful network to support the traffic needs of today and for future capacity and coverage requirements,” 

British Somalis held over telecom fraud

Gambian authorities have arrested two British nationals of Somali origin over allegations of their involvement in a huge communication fraud in the country, intelligence sources said.

Abdourazak Hazi and Faizal Ahmed Jama were arrested by intelligence officers on Tuesday for the alleged fraud perpetrated on Gambia’s state-run network.

They were apparently able to send vast amounts of information, via the internet and phone calls, for several weeks but avoid any charges, which were instead picked up by the state.

A state security agent said on television that there had been devastating consequences on the network because of their actions.

He said the activities of the suspects are believed to cause massive losses to the national telecommunications operator, though he did not give any specific amount.

“Operatives found two illegal sim card boxes installed, connected and operational at the residence of the suspects who came to The Gambia a few weeks ago,” the security agent who was not identified told state television.

source: midnimo.com

cellcomm launches tower of justice

The company named by the National Excellence Award as the best GSM Company in Liberia - Cellcom Telecommunications, Inc., has once more demonstrated its long standing goal to provide affordable and quality telecommunications to all Liberians.

Over the course of the past month, Cellcom erected and began operating a new tower in Konobo District, Grand Gedeh County, through an innovative partnership with the US based health group Tiyatian Health.

Through the partnership, which is endorsed by the Clinton Global Initiative, the new tower will allow frontline health workers of Tiyatian Health to use mobile telecommunications devices to provide lifesaving health care to thousands of mothers in very remote parts of Grand Gedeh County.

The tower is also the first telecommunications network in the area for close to a decade and is providing much needed communications service to thousands of residents who have been cut off from the rest of Liberia and the world.

Making the announcement at a joint press conference held at the Cellcom Headquarters in Monrovia executives from Cellcom and Tiyatian termed the venture "a tower of justice" and referred to the partnership as a "golden triangle" because it brought together a private company, a civil society NGO and the Government.

Tiyatian Health Executive Director, Dr. Raj Panjabi, reflected that many deaths had happened in Konobo because front line workers had no way to communicate with referral hospitals to call for doctors or ambulances.

He noted that with the establishment of the new tower, mothers and their children would no longer have to die because of the lack of communications.

He noted the challenges of getting this project off the ground, "the challenge was huge... .this was not a place that was a natural place for a Telecom company to go to.

It took courage and it took risk to go there. And Cellcom, under Avishai Marziano's leadership and the leadership of the executive team, really stepped up in trying to help solve this gap.

source: allafrica.com

LIBTECH launches private sector fiber optic window

The Liberia Telecommunication Corporation (LIBTECO) Tuesday opened the Lynch Street Sales Center and private sector fiber optic window for public subscription.

Speaking at the ceremony, the LIBTELCO Board Chairman Francis Horton said the fiber optic cable will put Liberia on the map for faster internet services.

He recalled that the Liberia Telecommunication Corporation, the predecessor of LIBTELCO, provided quality communication services to the Liberian people from the 1960s until the civil war which affected every fabric of the Liberian society.

Chairman Horton lamented that LIBTELCO is today saddled with several problems, including financial constraints.He said with competition from communication companies in Liberia, LIBTELCO must strive to provide services that would gain the public trust and woo them back to it.

Before the Liberian civil conflict, LIBTELCO's predecessor Liberia Telecommunications Corporation had a monopoly of the telecommunication industry.

source: allafrica.com

is Ethopian government stifling in telecommunications

The mobile reception in my neighborhood had been spotty for days preceding my call with Andrew Rugege, the director of the Africa Regional Office at the International Telecommunications Union. I wanted to talk about information communications technology, or ICT, across the African continent -- and here in Ethiopia particularly -- to learn how developing countries are using technology to encourage economic growth. 
 
But just as Rugege began to speak, the line went dead. I called back, but promptly lost the signal again. By the end of our talk, we'd had to reconnect seven times.
 
I had first met Rugege at a conference the week before, when he presented the findings of "Measuring the Information Society," ITU's annual report that tracks and compares ICT progress in countries around the world. Speaking in front of journalists, techies and international diplomats in a ballroom at Addis Ababa's Sheraton Hotel, Rugege had a positive prognosis for the continent. "I'm very optimistic about Africa and the potential that ICT holds for us," he said. "What countries on this continent are doing for e-commerce, for e-agriculture, for e-education -- it's phenomenal."
 
Connectivity across the continent is indeed getting better, and African countries are making some of the biggest leaps in terms of mobile and Internet penetration. But growth is easier when you're starting from a low base -- of the 157 countries surveyed in ITU's ICT Development Index, the worst-ranking 22 are all African. 
 
Ethiopia in particular is lagging behind. Ethio Telecom, the sole telecommunications provider in the country, is owned by the government, which has no plans to open up the sector to private competition. The country came in 40th out of the 46 African nations included in the ITU report and has an Internet penetration rate of less than 2 percent, despite being home to the continent's second-largest population, the biggest economy in East and Central Africa, and a fast-developing capital city that hosts the African Union and a number of international summits.
 
"Although Ethiopia's ranking is very low, there's a lot of activity in Addis, and these issues happen when you have very steep growth," Rugege said during our intermittent phone conversation. "I know the government is making efforts to alleviate these problems."
 source: ibtimes.com

minister of state for telecommunications affair receives djbouti minister of information

Minister of State for Telecommunications Affairs, Shaikh Fawaz Bin Mohammed Al Khalifa received in his office today Ali Hassan Bahdon, Minister of Communications in charge of Posts and Telecommunications, of the Republic of Djibouti, on the occasion of his visit to Bahrain. 


The Djibouti Minister will participate in the Arab Development Regional Forum of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), hosted by Kingdom of Bahrain. 

Shaikh Fawaz welcomed the Djibouti Minister, lauding the good bilateral relations bonding the two friendly countries and peoples, stressing the keenness to support and strengthen joint cooperation horizons, particularly in the area of telecommunications. 

Shaikh Fawaz highlighted the readiness of the Ministry of Telecommunications Affairs to cooperate with the Republic of Djibouti in the fields of training and benefiting from the advanced Bahraini experiences in the area of telecommunications and Information Technology, of which contribute in developing bilateral cooperation between both sides. 

During the meeting, Shaikh Fawaz reviewed the sustainable successes and achievements accomplished by Kingdom of Bahrain in the Telecommunications and Information Technology sector. He pointed out the important role of this sector in strengthening the comprehensive development march witnessed by the Kingdom at all levels. 

Meanwhile, Shaikh Fawaz wished the Djibouti Minister all success in his visit to Kingdom of Bahrain. 

For his part, the Djibouti Minister thanked and appreciated Shaikh Fawaz Bin Mohammed Al Khalifa’s keenness on strengthening the bilateral relations with his country, particularly in the field of telecommunications, showing his admiration of the witnessed progress and development in the Kingdom. 

Huawei appoints new North Africa president as part of committee to development accross the region

Huawei, a leading global information and communications technology (ICT) solutions provider, today announced the appointment of Mr. PAN Fan as the president of Huawei’s North Africa Region, a significant appointment reaffirming Huawei’s long-term commitment and investment in this strategically important region.

As president, Mr. Pan will be responsible for Huawei’s overall business and development in North Africa. Mr. Pan’s appointment will strengthen Huawei’s consumer business in different key areas as the company gains momentum to be a recognized leading global brand in ICT industry. In addition to a key objective to ensure the fulfillment of corporate strategies; take responsibility for the overall business results and customer satisfaction of the region; ensure the achievement of the global business goals and competition goals of the key account departments in the region.

Mr. Pan brings with him significant industry experience including within the African continent, having most recently held the position of General Manager of Huawei Nigeria, based in Lagos, where he was oversaw the management and administration of Huawei’s operations in the country.

“I am honored and excited to be given this opportunity to lead the Huawei team in North Africa. ICT has been identified as one of the key economic growth drivers for the region and many governments have made this a priority sector for strategic investments in the next 3 to 5 years. Huawei believes that the digital makeover of the region’s ICT infrastructure will create significant employment opportunities and spur socio-economic growth and investment, and we look forward to contributing to this sustainable development,” said Mr. Pan.

Huawei’s first office in North Africa was established in Cairo, Egypt in 1998, and today, Huawei has a workforce of over 2,000 employees, of which 70% are local hires, in 20 countries across this region. In all of the markets where Huawei operates, the company develops customer-centric products and solutions to meet the needs of its local customers across the carrier network, enterprise and consumer business. In North Africa, this includes providing innovative solutions to create maximum value for telecom operators including Orascom Telecom Group, Maroc Telecom Group, Algeria Telecom, MTN Sudan, Vodafone, Orange, Mobinil, Etisalat, Sudatel Group and Libyana, Huawei also leverages its global innovation capabilities across multiple business disciplines to introduce next-generation technology to the region and provide competitive ICT solutions for its businesses and consumers. In addition, Huawei provides consulting services to customers across multiple technologies including wireless, core network, application and software, fixed network, terminals and devices, managed services and enterprise solutions.

source: africanbrains.net

new mobile operators for recharge to gambia, indonesia and USA on mobile recharge.com

New mobile recharge operators are now available onMobileRecharge.com for international top ups to mobiles in Gambia, Indonesia and the USA. More specifically, online recharges to Page Plus and Red Pocket are now easy to make, in less than 1 minute directly on the website. Also Africell Gambia and Ceria Indonesia fill in the list of new operators on MobileRecharge.com. This is a great opportunity to send mobile credit gifts to family and friends living in other countries than your own.

Starting October, MobileRecharge.com offers to everyone holding a free account the possibility to send mobile credit to cell phones pertaining to Africell Gambia, Ceria Indonesia or PagePlus and Red Pocket in the USA. They benefit from fast and easy ordering which can be done in less than 1 minute, immediate credit transfer, and sometimes promotional bonus.

Africell Gambia is the second top up operator for this country on MobileRecharge.com, after QCell. The popular Africell is a subsidiary of Africell Holding company, operating not only in Gambia, but Sierra Leone and the Democratic Republic of Congo as well. A fast growing company, Africell reached over 3 million active subscribers only ten months after its launch in 2012.

Ceria is a much expected new option for phone recharges in Indonesia. It has been active on the market since 2006 under the auspices of PT Sampoerna Telekomunikasi Indonesia. What still makes them stand out as an appealing service is the affordability-quality ratio.

Page Plus and Red Pocket are the"new comers" on the mobile recharge map for the USA, along the other four operators already in service: TracFone, AT & T, Net10, SIMPLE Mobile. Page Plus is known for prepaid cell phones and mobile plans, continuous improvement of services and competitive prices. Red Pocket Mobile is a Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO), that offers no contract wireless service throughout the United States, including Hawaii, Alaska, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands. Red Pocket’s product suite includes Unlimited and Pay-As-You-Go plans, all powered by the ultra-convenient Red Pocket Mobile SIM card.

By looking closely at Mobile Recharge.com, there’s no doubt that customers’ feedback has huge influence on product development and new protocols with popular operators.

The mobile recharge process on Mobile Recharge.com takes less than 1 minute. All major credit cards are accepted, and the system guarantees a secure environment, as proved by the certifications on the website.    

source: prweb.com

Uganda readies for new telecom operator

A new mobile operator is setting the stage for the launch of its operations in Uganda and a number of other East African companies. With no name disclosed so far, the upcoming “innovative, socially responsible and maverick telecom operator” is offering internet users the opportunity to participate in the naming process with a campaign dubbed “Give Us a Name”.

With a promise being to raise the bar for subscribers, the new telecom, launching simultaneously in Uganda, Tanzania and Burundi with a creative “Give Us a Name” online and SMS campaign is giving East Africa the opportunity to nominate and vote for the best name.

The first phase of the “Give us a Name” campaign will run up to 4^th-December-2013, on-line, via SMS and on Facebook. In this phase, East Africa is being asked to propose names they would like the new telecom that is a real catalyst of change, a partner of the people and invest in communities to better their lives, to be called.

Rwandan telecom want roaming fees scraped

Regional calls, mostly made by business people, charge both the caller and receivers. After the previous year’s review, RURA introduced new charges where a person calling an operator in the country is charged RWF144.3 per minute from RWF59.

The New Times reports Yvonne Manzi Makolo, chief marketing officer (CMO) at MTN Rwanda, said: “The increase in taxes meant rates for people calling from other countries went up by that additional amount.”

She added the situation was made worse by regulators in Uganda, Burundi and Tanzania imposing the same tax again.

“When I call my suppliers, they charge me and also deduct airtime fees. This is making it hard for us to do business,” said businessman Laments Mugabo.

Uganda and Burundi previously cost RWF60, which was hiked to RWF120 to call Uganda and RWF350 for Burundi, with Kenya the only country that has not imposed high taxes to the EAC.

Enos Bukuku, EAC deputy secretary general for planning infrastructure, however said the secretariat will come up with a model that will make roaming call rates seamless by calling on the operators and governments to discuss the issue.

telecoms industry an investment haven

The Broadband Commission (a joint initiative of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) postulates that the Internet and other Information Communications Technology (ICT) platforms now constitute critical modern resources and are vital prerequisites for participation in today’s growing digital economy.

Eugene Juwah, executive vice chairman of NCC, had said the contribution of the Information and Communication Technology sector to the GDP was anticipated to rise to about 15 percent by 2015. He said this would be achieved by the government’s structured investment and regulatory intervention.

Since the introduction of the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) in Nigeria, it has significantly impacted the economy in a variety of ways, enhanced personal and corporate communications and generally improved the quality of life across the country.

Nigeria’s teledensity

Latest data by regulator of the nation’s telecommunications industry says tele-density has increased from less than 63.11 percent by end of year 2010 to 85.25 percent in June 2013, which represents a 22.14 percent increase. In addition, active mobile subscriptions in Nigeria has grown to over 120 million in the last 12 years.

Teledensity is the percentage of connected lines in relation to the population in a given period of time, and its growth is proportional to the growth in telephone subscriber base.

The Commission said active telecoms subscriber base in the country peaked at 114.1 million as at the end of January 2013, an increase of 18.3 million lines or 19.1 percent, compared with the figure in the correspondent period of last year. According to the NCC, in 2012, the industry ended the year with combined subscriber base of 113.1 million up from 95.8 million in January, 2012.

Highlights of the latest industry data also reveals that telecoms firms continue to spend more on network upgrades to accommodate more subscribers and reduce teething challenges associated with quality of service.

Growing FDI

New Pyramid Research Report on Nigeria taking a five-year look at the country’s communications sector believes the fast-paced growth and the huge population, which exceeds 170.1million, will continue to make the country one of the most attractive markets in Africa and the Middle East.

The study, ‘Pyramid Perspective 2013: Top Trends in the Global Communications Industry’ provides information on top trends in telecoms landscape in Africa and Middle East (AME), Asian Pacific, Europe and Americas.

According to the study, eco nomic growth in emerging markets is expected to nearly quadruple the economic growth in developed markets. Telecom service revenue in emerging markets will increase five times faster than in developed markets.

The report sees massive growth and opportunities in the country’s telecom sector, particularly with the 2012 end subscription base of 113.1 million, which places Nigeria ahead of Egypt’s 95.5 million; and South Africa’s 71.8 million. Giving credence to the report’s assertion, the latest data published by the NCC puts the telecom subscriber base at over 120 million.

source: businesstodayonline.com

intel expands foundry service for outside chip designers

Intel plans to open up its small semiconductor foundry business to more companies as part of a major strategic overhaul under a new leadership team headed by CEO Brian Krzanich.

"We're going to go much further. If we can utilize our silicon to provide the best computing, we'll do that. People who can use our leading edge and build computing capabilities that are better than anyone else's, those are good candidates for our foundry service," Krzanich was quoted as saying by Reuters during the company's annual Analyst Day on Thursday.

Intel has traditionally utilized its state-of-the-art silicon fabrication facilities to manufacture its own x86-based microprocessors on a near-exclusive basis. But a few years ago, the chip giant started sending signals that it was considering selling its manufacturing services to other chip design firms. Early last year, Intel confirmed that it had been quietly offering semiconductor manufacturing services to third-party customers while bringing its state-of-the-art 22-nanometer fabs online.

This all occurred as the company's erstwhile bitterest rival, Advanced Micro Devices, spun off its own manufacturing assets and Intel found itself struggling to compete in the mobile device market with fabless companies like Qualcomm. At the same time, Intel watched as Samsung supplied Apple with foundry services for the chips in iPhones and iPads, even as the South Korean tech giant managed to also compete directly with Cupertino with Android-based handsets and tablets.

MTN Swaziland wins award for most innovative service at Africacom

MTN Swaziland is thrilled after being awarded the Most Innovative Service accolade at the 6th annual AfricaCom Awards in Cape Town last night. The MTN operation won for their MTN XtraTime innovation, a service that allows prepaid customers to get an advance on airtime when their limit is exhausted.

The service is a collaboration between MTN Swaziland and its implementation partner, Mobile Decisioning Holdings.

MTN XtraTime was launched in December 2012, to increase MTN Swaziland's customers' access to airtime. The innovative service caters to a large percentage of the Swazi population. MTN XtraTime also offers customers convenience, as they can easily top up at any time and when conventional methods of purchasing airtime are not available.

"Winning this award reinforces the passion that we have for innovation at MTN. Not just the ideation process, but taking the innovation through to implementation. We want to be the best in class in implementing great ideas," says Ambrose Dlamini, Chief Executive Officer of MTN Swaziland.

"Winning this award reinforces the passion that we have for innovation at MTN. Not just the ideation process, but taking the innovation through to implementation. We want to be the best in class in implementing great ideas," says Ambrose Dlamini, Chief Executive Officer of MTN Swaziland.

The service has been very successful, attracting over 14 000 subscribers on the day it was launched.

"The service adoption has been phenomenal with over 67% of our prepaid base and 99% of the qualified base having used MTN XtraTime at least once since inception. We have an active user base of 42% of our prepaid customers," adds Dlamini.

MTN Swaziland was launched in 1998 and is one of the oldest MTN operations and currently has over 800 000 customers of the 1.1 million people living in Swaziland.

"We have invested extensively in the development of our network and we currently have 96.5% 2G coverage and 71%, 3G Coverage," says Dlamini.

In the future, MTN Swaziland plans to introduce denominations that will accommodate all customer segments as well as extend the grace period for the advance to be repaid.

In addition to Swaziland, the XtraTime service is also available in 7 other MTN markets.

single carrier frequency division multiple access

Single carrier frequency division multiple access technique is a technique which deals with the assignment of multiple users to a shared communication resource. It can be linearly procoded OFDMA scheme i.e it has an additional  DFT processing preceding the conventional OFDMA processing. It has drawn great attention, as it is an attractive alternative to OFDMA especially in the uplink communications where lower peak to average power ratio (PAPR) greatly benefits the mobile terminal in efficiency and it also reduces the cost of power amplifier.

The process of transmission of SCFDMA is very similar to OFDMA.  In this for each user the sequence of bits that are transmitted are mapped in symbols like BPSK, QPSK or M-QOM.

This different users are assigned with different fourier coefficients. This assignment is carried out in mapping and demapping blocks. The receiver side includes one demapping block, one IDFT block and one detection block for each user signal to be received.

In this, multiple access among users is made possible by assigning different users, different sets of non overlapping sub carriers.

                     

The distinguishing feature of SCFDMA is that it leads to a single carrier transmit signal in contrast with multicarrier transmission scheme in OFDMA.