After seizing equipment, Ethiopia goes ahead with Huawei deal

Despite the incident, Huawei has been picked by Ethio Telecom, a state-owned telecom company, to roll out a high-speed 4G network across the country's capital, Addis Ababa, as part of a $1.6 billion deal signed earlier this year with Huawei Technologies and ZTE.

In October this year, Ethiopian tax authority ERCA said it would confiscate the equipment and slap the company with a tax avoidance charge, after the equipment had been held in a warehouse for almost a year. The equipment was imported into the country toward the end of 2012 after Ethio Telecom made known plans to expand its network in the East African country.

Ethio Telecom is the sole telecommunication services provider in Ethiopia and the only operator in the East Africa region that is still under tight state control. The Ethiopian government has refused to open up its telecom sector to private investors.

According to a Ethiopian government official, Ethiopia and China became involved in diplomatic talks over seizure of the equipment. The two countries are said to have agreed that it was important to maintain good bilateral relations by allowing Huawei to take back the equipment.

However, the Chinese company has also been ordered by ERCA to pay five percent of the total tax due on the equipment as well as warehouse charges incurred over the past one year.

"We had planned to slap the company with tax avoidance charge and confiscate the equipment. But the two countries got involved in the issue and it was agreed that it was important to maintain cordial bilateral relations," an ERCA source said on condition of anonymity. He said China has been a major funder of several ICT projects in Ethiopia, including the $1.5 billion Millennium project aimed at creating a fiber-optic network across the country.

source: www.pcadvisor.co

2G, 3G & 4G Subscriptions, Deployments and Infrastructure Contracts Database Q4'2013

With over 250 commercial network launches and over a thousand LTE-enabled devices available in the market as of December 2013, LTE adoption has considerably gained momentum throughout the globe. Unique market and operator requirements have driven several early LTE launches. Driven by these early launches global LTE subscriptions reached nearly 130 Million in Q4'2013. From an operator viewpoint U.S. operators dominate the market with a 37% market share thanks to the tremendous coverage footprint of tier 1 operators Verizon Wireless & AT&T. The market share of U.S. operators is followed by Japanese and Korean operators NTT DoCoMo, KDDI, SoftBank, LG Uplus, SK Telecom and KT which represent 38% of all LTE subscriptions worldwide. Going forward, the LTE market is set to grow at a CAGR of 56% over the next 7 years and will eventually represent more than 20% of all mobile connections by 2020. From an infrastructure manufacturer perspective Ericsson, Huawei, Nokia Siemens Networks and Alcatel-Lucent are leading the market and account for a combined market share of 85% of all LTE contracts. Ericsson is also leading the market from a technology neutral perspective with a 24% stake in all global 2G/3G/4G contracts.

Covering over 810 operators, 53 infrastructure vendors and 222 countries worldwide the "2G/3G/4G Subscriptions, Deployments and Infrastructure Contracts Database Q4'2013" tracks global cellular network deployments, infrastructure vendor contracts, and subscriptions by technology, data protocol, category (pre-paid, post paid), region, country, and operator.

The report includes: • Infrastructure contracts by technology, data protocol, region, country, vendor and operator • Infrastructure market share by equipment type, region, country and vendor • Network deployments by technology, data protocol, region, country and operator. • Number of cellular network subscriptions (as of Q4'2013) by air interface technology, data protocol, region, country and operator • Five-year subscriptions forecasts by air interface technology, data protocol, region, country and operator • Subscriptions market share data by air interface technology, data protocol, region, country and operator. • Penetration data by region and country • Population data by region and country

source: www.sacbee.com

Huawei, ZTE, Nokia Cleared in Patent Dispute With Interdigital

The U.S. International Trade Commission has ruled against InterDigital in a complaint that alleged Huawei, Nokia, ZTE had infringed the company's patents.

On Thursday, the ITC upheld a previous ruling in June that found Huawei, Nokia and ZTE had not infringed on the seven InterDigital patents named in the complaint. Filed in 2011, the InterDigital case had sought an import ban by the U.S. on older 3G phones from the three handset makers. InterDigital said it was disappointed with the ITC decision, and would appeal it.

It has another petition pending with the ITC that is targeting 3G and 4G products from Huawei, Nokia, ZTE and Samsung. The complaint, filed in January, accuses the four companies of infringing up to seven of its cellular-related patents. InterDigital asked for an import ban into the U.S. on Samsung's Galaxy S III, the Nokia Lumia 920, and other smartphones from the handset makers, which the ITC is authorized to impose in some cases of patent infringement.

InterDigital is a U.S.-based research company that develops wireless standards and holds 20,000 patents. The company, however, has drawn criticism for being a "patent troll," a claim InterDigital rejects, pointing to its 200 engineers that work on new technologies. Not all are convinced. The Chinese government in September launched an anti-monopoly investigation against InterDigital, which the company said was the result of its patent lawsuits targeting Huawei.

InterDigital now alleges that China is threatening to arrest its employees. This week, the company was scheduled to dispatch staff to the country for talks with China's National Development and Reform Commission. But on Friday, the government body said it could not guarantee the safety of employees sent to the country, according to InterDigital spokesman Patrick Van de Wille.

"There are not a lot of ways to perceive this positively," he said on Tuesday. "Even if the NDRC does back track and guarantees their safety, we don't even know if we would believe them.

source: www.allafrica.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 andCameroon.

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: www.humanipo.com

addiis ababa eagerly awaits for 4G rollout

A high speed 4G network, scheduled to be implemented by Huawei, forms a crucial part of the joint venture to expand mobile phone infrastructure nationally.

Abdurahim Ahmed, head of communications at Ethio Telecom, has been quoted as saying, “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.”

Among the expected outcomes of the project are that some 400,000 subscribers stand to benefit, that the country will increase the total number of subscribers and there will be an enhancement of existing 3G services.

In August the acting CEO of Ethio Telecom, Andualem Admassie, was quoted by Ethiopian Radio and Television Agency as saying the Project is important in contributing to efforts to increase telecommunications service access and coverage nationally.

source: www.itnewsafrica.com

vodacom seeks entry into ethiopia's telecom sector

South Africa’s Vodacom Group has opened its first office in Ethiopia in an attempt to establish its presence in the country.

The company, which has a strong presence in several African countries including Lesotho, Mozambique, Tanzania, DRC, Nigeria, and of course South Africa, has described Ethiopia as the “most fantastic telecoms market on the continent.”

“We would invest here tomorrow… One operator, 80 million people, the economy growing at 7% – it’s a great market,” Vodacom Group chief executive officer, Romeo Kumalo told Reuters.

The Telecoms firm says it will soon apply for a license to offer value-added services – all other services aside from standard voice calls. This is seen as an attempt to position itself in anticipation of the government’s opening of the country’s telecommunications sector to private investors.

More than 200 Telecoms companies have applied for similar licenses from Ethiopia’s Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, but only MTN group has been granted the authority to offer value-added services. But MTN is yet to set up shop in the country.

Ethiopia’s state-run Ethio Telecom continues to maintain a monopoly in telecoms and refuses to liberalize the sector saying the USD 321 million generated by the company every year is used to finance infrastructure projects. Foreign investors continue to show great interest in the sector, which Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn has described as a “cash cow”.

Ethio Telecom recently made deals with Huawei and ZTE to expand the mobile phone infrastructure throughout the country. The two deals will see the introduction of a 4G network in Addis Ababa and expansion of mobile phone and 3G internet access throughout the rest of the country.

source : www.zegabi.com

Nawras launches state of the art network operation centre in Bausher

Greg Young, Nawras CEO, said, "We would like to extend our gratitude to the Ministry of Communication and Transport and the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) for their support and guidance during this process. The launch of the NOC is a major step forward in the evolution of telecommunications in the Sultanate. It also underpins the huge investment in our newly Turbocharged network."

The new Nawras NOC controls the nationwide network from Musandam to Salalah. The NOC control spans all sites and technologies, mobile and fixed, 2G, 3G, 4G, WiMAX and FTTX. Every single piece of technology in each site (totalling more than 4500) is controlled from the NOC. This extensive network management is mainly undertaken by Huawei our managed service partner. The NOC is situated on top of our Main Data Centre, which is one of our five such centres, which ensure full geographical redundancy. We have invested in the most advanced testing systems, including test robots from Keynote SiGOS. In addition, probing systems from Nexus and Netscout are deployed across our network and systems that perform hourly health checks of all our main services. These best in class systems enable us to conduct extensive root cause investigations for any service impacting, ensuring swift restoration of the impacted service.

Elaborating on the benefits of the new Main Data Centre, Wolfgang Wemhoff, Nawras Chief Technology Officer, said, "The new data centre provides a state-of-the-art home for our business critical systems. It is a technology masterpiece. It meets all international standards and is future-proof. Out of this building we monitor the quality we provide to our customers and can identify issues even before a customer faces a problem. Here, you feel the heartbeat of our Turbocharging programme."

Also speaking, Ahmed Al Abri, Director - Information and Infrastructure at Nawras , commented on some of the impressive technical features of the Data Centre. "The technical specifications and capabilities are very impressive and include things such as having 7 back-up generators, a 4-chiller cooling system, total commercial power of 6 MVA, and separate back-up systems for the telecoms and IT racks. The facility has a total space of 650 square metres for servers."

source: zawya.com

Vodafone to announe GBP 7bln network investment

Vodafone could soon announce plans to invest GBP 7 billion more into its fixed and mobile broadband networks and support systems in the coming few years, LightReading reported, adding that the company is also shaking up its top group technology team. Group CTO Steve Pusey will likely retain his position. Current Group Networks director Andy MacLeod is seen taking up a new role as head of technology for the Africa, Middle East, and Asia (AME) region, while his counterpart in Europe will be Alberto Ripepi, the current CTO at Vodafone Italy. Vodafone declined to comment. The operator recently launched the Project Spring spending plan, which includes investments in fixed broadband, enterprise services support, and customer experience management (CEM) systems as well as 3G and 4G mobile broadband technology. MacLoed recently noted at a Huawei conference in London that Vodafone will be investing in a number of specialised and emerging technologies such as video optimisation and distributed content management systems, advanced microwave backhaul technology, small cells, LTE-Advanced, and SON (self-organizing networks) systems.

source:www.telecompaper.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

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

ITU telecom world 2013 sets agenda for change in ICT sector

ITU Telecom World 2013 wrapped up this week following a packed programme of networking, knowledge sharing and industry showcasing. The event featured an impressive global line up of showfloor participants, sponsors and partners, including Ooredoo, China Mobile, Huawei, Intel, Alcatel-Lucent, ABS, AT&T, Microsoft Lync, NTT Group, AIS Group, True, DTAC, Telkom South Africa, Rohde & Schwarz & LS Telecom. 

Pavilions from around the world highlighted opportunities for dynamic ICT investments to a global audience, featuring Angola, Argentina, Azerbaijan, Cameroon, China, Gabon, Ghana, Japan, Kenya, Republic of Korea, Lao P.D.R, Malaysia,  Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Thailand (including supporting partners MICT, NBTC and TCEB), Uganda, and Zimbabwe.

“We have enjoyed four busy days of conversations, showcasing and networking at ITU Telecom World 2013,” said ITU Secretary General, Dr Hamadoun Touré. “We welcomed the world’s youngest country, South Sudan, organizations at the cutting edge of our ICT ecosystem as well as young innovators who are already helping shape the future. It has been my privilege to join such a truly broad global debate. As we prepare to return home to different corners of the globe, my overarching hope is that we can take the lessons learnt from our debates here and apply them directly in our lives. Let’s become true agents of change, working to change the world for the better.”

Hosted by the Kingdom of Thailand, ITU Telecom World 2013 convened over 6000 participants from 153 countries worldwide.

“It has been an honour to host ITU Telecom World 2013 and welcome its global participants, showcasing our ICT industry to the world, via all our many activities within the Thai pavilion,” said Group Captain Anudith Nakornthap, Minister of Information and Communication Technology, Thailand. “Utilizing the platform that ITU Telecom World 2013 provides has helped us demonstrate and strengthen Thailand’s position as an ICT hub in the ASEAN region.’’

ITU Telecom world 2013 sets agenda for far reaching changes in ICT sector

ITU Telecom World 2013 closed its doors following a packed programme of networking, knowledge sharing and industry showcasing.

The event featured an impressive global line up of showfloor participants, sponsors and partners, including Ooredoo, China Mobile, Huawei, Intel, Alcatel-Lucent, ABS, AT&T, Microsoft Lync, NTT Group, AIS Group, True, DTAC, Telkom South Africa, Rohde & Schwarz & LS Telecom.

Pavilions from around the world highlighted opportunities for dynamic ICT investments to a global audience, featuring Angola, Argentina, Azerbaijan, Cameroon, China, Gabon, Ghana, Japan, Kenya, Republic of Korea, Lao P.D.R, Malaysia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Thailand (including supporting partners MICT, NBTC and TCEB), Uganda, and Zimbabwe.

"We have enjoyed four busy days of conversations, showcasing and networking at ITU Telecom World 2013," said ITU secretary general, Dr Hamadoun Touré. "We welcomed the world's youngest country, South Sudan, organizations at the cutting edge of our ICT ecosystem as well as young innovators who are already helping shape the future. It has been my privilege to join such a truly broad global debate.

"As we prepare to return home to different corners of the globe, my overarching hope is that we can take the lessons learnt from our debates here and apply them directly in our lives. Let's become true agents of change, working to change the world for the better."

Hosted by the Kingdom of Thailand, ITU Telecom World 2013 convened over 6000 participants from 153 countries worldwide.

"It has been an honour to host ITU Telecom World 2013 and welcome its global participants, showcasing our ICT industry to the world, via all our many activities within the Thai pavilion," said Group Captain Anudith Nakornthap, Minister of Information and Communication Technology, Thailand. "Utilizing the platform that ITU Telecom World 2013 provides has helped us demonstrate and strengthen Thailand's position as an ICT hub in the ASEAN region.'

vodafone Ghana loses case over 11 million debt

Ghana's International Rom has won a High Court order against Vodafone Ghana for the operator's failure to settle a debt awarded against it last May, the Daily Graphic reported. This followed an exparte motion filed by the plaintiff to get Vodafone to settle the debt of over USD 11 million and GHC 170,853.08 with accrued interest.

The High Court also ordered the managing directors of Standard Chartered Bank and Barclays Bank to appear before it on 21 November to show cause why monies standing to the credit of Vodafone should not be applied to settle the judgement debt.

On 19 August 2009, International Rom filed a lawsuit against Vodafone for the illegal termination of a contract, the payment of outstanding bills with interest at prevailing bank rates for contracts executed, as well as special and general damages for breach of contract.

This followed Vodafone's decision not to continue doing business with International Rom, after Vodafone took over Ghana Telecom, and awarded a contract to Huawei. Before the takeover, Ghana Telecom had contracted International Rom to undertake contracts including the delivery, installation, testing, commissioning, maintenance and other support services for the expansion of its business.

That deal was executed, even though from time to time the telecoms company reneged on its side of the contract to provide funds on time for the projects to be executed. This had compelled International Rom to take out commercial loans to continue with the projects.

source: www.telecompaper.com

Huawei embroiled in contract fight in Zimbabwe

Yet another African case involving a Chinese supplier in alleged fraud over a government contract has wound up in court, with Secure Dynamics Zimbabwe charging that Huawei and several other tech companies did not follow proper procedures in a US$218 million telecom tender.

Secure Dynamics, a provider of security and telecommunications technology, has sued the Zimbabwe State Procurement Board, Huawei and operator NetOne over a $218 million telecom tender awarded to Huawei. The suit, filed in an administrative court, seeks to compel the board, NetOne and Huawei to issue a statement detailing how the tender was awarded.

Secure Dynamics says the tender was marred with corruption and wants the court to void the contract. Secure Dynamics also wants the court to compel the country's Anti-Corruption Commission to launch an investigation into how NetOne contracted Huawei to supply equipment for the tender and the manner in which the State Procurement Board awarded the contract.

The tender involves telecom equipment for 2,000 base stations, which would enable NetOne, the state owned operator, to upgrade equipment as well as roll out new base sites to provide broadband services with technology including LTE.

Secure Dynamics also accuses Huawei of inflating the cost of the tender. When the State Procurement Board expressed concerns over price inflation, Huawei decided to lower the cost of the tender to $254 million before lowering it further to $218 million. The reduction puzzled the State Procurement Board and raised suspicion of how Huawei Technologies made a reduction of $80 million from the initial price of $298 million for the same equipment.

Huawei Technologies Zimbabwe officials could not be reached for comment.