Cameroonian Businessman To Launch First Indigenous Telecom

 Cameroonian businessman and owner of Seme New Beach Hotel, Semme Mineral Water and Climacam, Seme Noungon plans to launch Altylis Seme Telecom, a 7.6 million euro ($10.3 million) lowcost telephony company, into the “uncrowded” Central African market this month.

The first locally-owned telecom operator in the Cameroon, Altylis Seme Telecom said its objective is to “break mobile prices” in the country which has South African telecoms giant MTN and French multinational, Orange as its only mobile network service providers.

Both companies control a combined 11 million subscriber base, which is about half of the country’s population.

In 2012, Vietnamese firm Viettel obtained licences to operate 2G and 3G networks in Cameroon and announced it would go live to the public by March 2014.

According to a study by Pyramid Research, the introduction of 3G services and integrated data could attract more than six million new subscribers in Cameroon by 2017.

source:www.ventures-africa.com

Cameroonian Businessman To Launch First Indigenous Telecom

Cameroonian businessman and owner of Seme New Beach Hotel, Semme Mineral Water and Climacam, Seme Noungon plans to launch Altylis Seme Telecom, a 7.6 million euro ($10.3 million) lowcost telephony company, into the “uncrowded” Central African market this month.

The first locally-owned telecom operator in the Cameroon, Altylis Seme Telecom said its objective is to “break mobile prices” in the country which has South African telecoms giant MTN and French multinational, Orange as its only mobile network service providers.

Both companies control a combined 11 million subscriber base, which is about half of the country’s population.

In 2012, Vietnamese firm Viettel obtained licences to operate 2G and 3G networks in Cameroon and announced it would go live to the public by March 2014.

According to a study by Pyramid Research, the introduction of 3G services and integrated data could attract more than six million new subscribers in Cameroon by 2017.

source: www.cameroon-africa.com

Telefonica launches global wi-fi hotspot service with single sign-on in 110 countries

Telefonica has launched a new global wi-fi product, offering users single billing and sign-on for 1.3 million wireless hotspots across the world.

The new Telefonica hotspot service is aimed at globetrotting execs, and attempts to make it simpler for business travellers to buy minutes from public wi-fi connections across the world.

The service, called Universal Wi-Fi, supports iOS and Android mobile devices as well as Windows PCs and Macs, offering access to hotspots in 110 countries across Europe, Africa, the Americas and Asia.

It follows Telefonica's launch last year of its pan-European 3G plus hardware bundles in partnership with Dell. The packages give users access to Telefonica's 3G networks in 29 countries across Europe. Like Universal Wi-Fi, the NetReady services are pitched as making access, billing and expenses management simpler for businesses, but come with premium pricing.

Telefonica hasn't released any details of the cost of Universal Wi-Fi, but is promoting it as a flat rate service within its mobility portfolio, with single sign-on at various hotspots, which can be used across up to five devices.

source: www.zdnet.com

Africa’s GDP to hit $300bn on internet expansion, says Mckinsey

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.

Over the last three years, estimates have shown that about $3.8 billion has been invested in submarine cables across Africa. The report said 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.

This figure, analysts said, is a vivid indication that the wealth creation and revenue generation potentials of the internet remains immensely untapped across the African continent.

This figure however varies widely across individual countries, from 0.6 percent in Ethiopia to 3.3 percent in Senegal. According to the report entitled, ‘Lions go digital: The Internet’s transformative potential in Africa’, the Internet is likely to take hold on a much larger scale in the coming decade, with previous research showing that its impact is magnified in emerging countries.

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 has 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,

source: www.bussinessdayonline.com

airtel scoops 2013 African operator award

BHARTI Airtel, one of the country’s leading telecommunications service providers with operations in 20 countries across South Asia and Africa, has been recognised as the African Operator for 2013 at the CommsMEA Awards.
Airtel out-shined strong shortlisted contenders, among others the MTN Group, Vodacom and Nedjma, at the eighth edition of the event held at Jumeirah Emirates Tower in Dubai.
The event was attended by over 300 executives from the telecommunications sector, vendors, ministers and regulators.
The award recognises excellence within the telecommunications sector across the Middle East and Africa.
This is according to a statement released in Lusaka yesterday.
The winners were picked from a record number of nominations by a judging panel.
Bharti Airtel managing director and chief executive officer (CEO) (international), Manoj Kohli is elated by the achievement.
“We are humbled by this recognition and the trust that the international industry panel, consumers and other stakeholders have placed on Airtel since our entry into Africa in 2010,” he said.
Mr Kohli said in the past three years, the company has succeeded in serving more communities within countries it operates.
“We also hope to change their lives through not only the voice but also the data and mobile commerce services that we provide,” he said.
Airtel Africa is the largest third generation (3G) and mobile commerce country footprint in sub-Saharan Africa.
The telecommunications company provides 3G services in 14 African countries and Airtel Money services in 17 countries across the continent.
With coverage across Airtel Africa’s operations in the 17 countries, the mobile money platform is poised to serve more diverse communities than any other financial institution in Africa.
Currently leveraging a network of over 100,000 agent locations, Airtel Money facilitates access to financial services for the unbanked population.

source: www.daily-mail.co

Key Telecom Trends for Africa, Middle East Revealed in Upcoming Webinar

he Africa and Middle East region offers enormous potential for operators, vendors and investors alike as it reaches a new stage in its growth, according to Kerem Arsal, Africa and Middle East Manager and Presenter of Pyramid's upcoming webinar: Telecommunications in Africa and the Middle East: Unique Opportunities in Diverse Markets.

• Mobile Internet revenue will maintain an explosive growth rate in the AME region and it will double in size to represent a$25bn opportunity by 2018.
• Today, there are slightly more than 5 million households with FTTH broadband in AME. By 2018, this figure will have risen to more than 16 million.
• In 2018, one in every two subscriptions will be running either on LTE or on 3G networks. Today, it is one in every four subscriptions.
• Thanks to relatively liberal licensing regimes that partly offset the economic uncertainties of the region, commercial LTE services can be found in close to 10 sub-Saharan countries already.

source: www.prnewswire.com

Pyramid Research Doubles Telecom Coverage in Africa/Middle East, Strengthening its Commitment to Region

The Africa and Middle East region offers enormous potential for operators, vendors and investors alike as it reaches a new stage in its growth. According to Pyramid Research, mobile Internet revenue will maintain an explosive growth rate in the AME region and it will double in size to represent a $25 billion opportunity by 2018. Today, there are slightly more than 5 million households with FTTH broadband in AME. By 2018, this figure will have risen to more than 16 million. In 2018, one in every two subscriptions will be running either on LTE or on 3G networks. Today, it is one in every four subscriptions.

"Given the market trends occurring in the region, we are anticipating the demands of our growing client base by now offering 33 countries in Africa spanning the fixed, mobile, media and devices sectors and tracking 150+ operators," says Arathoon. "In theMiddle East, Pyramid now covers 11 countries and tracks 50+ operators, while having contacts with hundreds of regulators, operators and vendors across the region."

"Through our regional research and strategic consulting services, we help our clients enhance their knowledge of their industries, enabling them to create sustainable market-entry strategy and investment decisions while assessing true revenue-generating opportunities," Arathoon explains. "Our membership as well as our consulting services will become even more robust as a result of this continued commitment to one of the industry's most dynamic regions."

source:www.prnewswire.com

Qualcomm cooperates with Egyptian mobile operators

Qualcomm, provider of the processors for many notable mobile brands, tablets and smart-devices as well as developer of internet wireless network in Egypt, attended the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) conference to launch their latest project and showcase their support for the Egyptian technology and communication industry.

The Daily News Egypt spoke with Moheb Ramsis Senior Director of Business Development for Qualcomm in North Africa in order  to discuss Qualcomm’s latest projects in Egypt, their cooperation with mobile operators as well as plans for investment in the future.

Our strategy in Egypt is focused on a variety of things. Qualcomm in has a major interest in two particular things. One is the processors and this is the main business for Qualcomm. Many of the mobiles today are using Qualcomm chips.

Secondly we focus on licensing, for the 3G and 4G technology.  We played a key role in the development of the 3G and 4G networks and as a result earn royalties on these licenses. This is a major revenue stream for Qualcomm.

Egypt specifically is a market that is very price and brand sensitive. At the high-tier of smartphones today, most of the big names are using our chips. These include Samsung, LG, HTC and Song. We are focusing on Smartphones and tablets, which are connected to Egyptian 3G networks. Our strategy has two main focuses. The first strategy is concerned with enabling and empowering more entry level Smartphones, using the 3G network. This is done through the marketing of popular brands to the user. In this effort we are attempting to bring Smartphones to the lowest price possible while maintaining quality.

For example Etisalat recently released a tablet which uses a Qualcomm processor and which draws on a “Qualcomm reference design”. Which is the name of our initiative and it basically concerns selling supplier the chips cells and designs which will save the supplier money, time and resources. Allowing manufacturers to develop design and focus more on user interface and differentiating their technologies. This allows manufacturers to develop products of optimal quality and price.

source: www.dailynewsegypt.com

growing internet use in Africa to lift contribution to economies

internet services have experienced exponential growth in Africa, thanks to the significant investments made in building backbone infrastructure and the roll-out of 3G networks. This has allowed millions of Africans to connect to the internet for the first time.

McKinsey said the continent was now in a better position in terms of international bandwidth, as capacity had been added faster than peak demand had grown.

According to the report, only 16% of the continent’s 1-billion people are online, but the take-up is rising rapidly as mobile networks are built and as the cost of internet-capable devices continues to fall.

More than 720-million Africans have cellphones, about 167-million already use the internet and 52-million are on Facebook.

"The internet is a catalyst for economic growth," said McKinsey director and co-author of the report Saf Yeboah-Amankwah. "In China, India and Brazil, it has contributed more than 10% of total GDP growth over the past five years.

"Its impact in Africa to date has been much smaller, but is likely to accelerate in the coming decade and could have a transformative effect on the continent’s development."

source: www.bdlive.co

Airtel to buy warid Congo

The deal, still subject to regulatory and statutory approval, will make Airtel the largest mobile operator in Congo, ahead of MTN. "This acquisition is in line with our stated strategy of strengthening our market position through in-country acquisitions, as and when suitable opportunities come along, "said Bharti Airtel MD and CEO (International) Manoj Kohli in a news release.

Having acquired Warid Uganda in May, Airtel hopes that the acquisition will strengthen its 2 G and 3 G networks. So far no financial terms have been released by the two telecom companies.

Bharti Airtel which is 32 per cent owned by Singapore Telecommunications Ltd, has since June 2010 bought several firms in Africa.

source :www.allafrica.com

Pyramid research reveals key telecom trends for Africa

 The Africa and Middle East region offers enormous potential for operators, vendors and investors alike as it reaches a new stage in its growth.  Capturing the untapped potentials in the region is not an easy task if the diversity of the region is not recognized and the individual markets are not treated with respect to their particular necessities, according to Kerem Arsal, Africa and Middle East Manager and Presenter of Pyramid's upcoming webinar: Saharan nations. According to Pyramid Research, mobile Internet revenue will maintain an explosive growth rate in the AME region and it will double in size to represent a $25 billion opportunity by 2018. Today, there are slightly more than 5 million households with FTTH broadband in AME. By 2018, this figure will have risen to more than 16 million. In 2018, one in every two subscriptions will be running either on LTE 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," says Arsal. "That is why we would like to invite you to this webinar, where you will find insights drawn from ourAfrica/Middle East research, which has expanded to cover 44 countries, corresponding to 95% of the GDP in the region."

source: prnewswire.com

Pyramid research doubles telecom coverage in Africa/middle

Pyramid Research doubles its telecom coverage of Africa and the Middle East, expanding the number of countries and operators tracked to offer unparalleled insight into market trends to the firm's growing client base in the region. Pyramid showcases its expanded offerings in a new complimentary Research Overview, available now.

The Africa and Middle East region offers enormous potential for operators, vendors and investors alike as it reaches a new stage in its growth. According to Pyramid Research, mobile Internet revenue will maintain an explosive growth rate in the AME region and it will double in size to represent a $25 billion opportunity by 2018.

Today, there are slightly more than 5 million households with FTTH broadband in AME. By 2018, this figure will have risen to more than 16 million. In 2018, one in every two subscriptions will be running either on LTE or on 3G networks. Today, it is one in every four subscriptions.

"Given the market trends occurring in the region, we are anticipating the demands of our growing client base by now offering 33 countries in Africa spanning the fixed, mobile, media and devices sectors and tracking 150+ operators," says Arathoon. "In the Middle East, Pyramid now covers 11 countries and tracks 50+ operators, while having contacts with hundreds of regulators, operators and vendors across the region."

source: www.ciol.com

Capacity demands in Africa: an opportunities for satellite

Africa is served by several satellites and undersea fiber operators – the availability of capacity for communications over the continent is tremendous. This abundance of capacity leads to the creation of a whole new industry for high-speed connectivity from call centers to growing Internet. But most of the capacity available is limited to the capitals, coastal areas and major cities in the countries. There are cities, undeveloped and rural areas still in the dark not only in terms of utilities and infrastructure but also in terms of telecommunications as well. This market presents challenges as well as opportunities for satellite to play an important role; the potential for growth is enormous.

In Africa, the liberalization of the telecom sector, the arrival of multinational conglomerates from the Middle East, Asia, Europe and the Americas coupled with the competition in this sector are contributing to the growth of the demand and opportunities.Today, Africa is served by several satellites and undersea fiber operators – the availability of capacity for communications over the continent is tremendous. This abundance of capacity leads to the creation of a whole new industry for high-speed connectivity from call centers to growing Internet. But most of the capacity available is limited to the capitals, coastal areas and major cities in the countries. There are cities, undeveloped and rural areas still in the dark not only in terms of utilities and infrastructure but also in terms of telecommunications as well. This market presents challenges as well as opportunities for satellite to play an important role; the potential for growth is enormous.

In Africa, the liberalization of the telecom sector, the arrival of multinational conglomerates from the Middle East, Asia, Europe and the Americas coupled with the competition in this sector are contributing to the growth of the demand and opportunities. There may be more than 600 million mobile phones in Africa today but this is still a relatively small percentage to the total population of Africa, which now surpasses 1 billion. Africa’s booming mobile phone market is forecast to almost quadruple in size from a value of $60 billion in 2013 to $234 billion by 2020, according to researchers. With smartphones getting more and more popular, there is a growing demand for data to connect these bandwidth-intensive applications. Mobile operators are in a situation to expand their networks from 3G to 4G and LTE to support the bandwidth-hungry subscribers, which has resulted in more undersea fiber and satellite capacities. Still, satellite is very common and reliable means of backhauling domestic voice traffic in Africa. M-commerce is another area of growth in the region, which demands more bandwidth, be it fiber or satellite.

source: satellitetoday.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

Uganda : Airtel to buy warid congo

The deal, still subject to regulatory and statutory approval, will make Airtel the largest mobile operator in Congo, ahead of MTN. "This acquisition is in line with our stated strategy of strengthening our market position through in-country acquisitions, as and when suitable opportunities come along, "said Bharti Airtel MD and CEO (International) Manoj Kohli in a news release.

Having acquired Warid Uganda in May, Airtel hopes that the acquisition will strengthen its 2G and 3G networks. So far no financial terms have been released by the two telecom companies.

Bharti Airtel which is 32 per cent owned by Singapore Telecommunications Ltd, has since June 2010 bought several firms in Africa.

source : allafrica.com