Posts Tagged Africa
Ghana to push on with MNP; GT to install SIM phones in 250 communities
Ghana’s Minister-Nominee for Communications Haruna Iddrisu said yesterday he would forge ahead quickly with plans to usher in mobile number portability (MNP) to improve consumer choice and drive down prices. Iddrisu reportedly made the promise when he was being vetted by the Parliamentary Appointments Committee for the position of Minister of Communications. ‘It is time for the regulation regime to make it possible for mobile phone users to be able to migrate from one network to the other with the whole of the phone numbers, including the network code and I think that it is about time the National Communications Authority (NCA) brought MNP on,’ he said.
In a separate story, Ghana Telecom (GT) says its mobile arm GT-OneTouch will install SIM phones in 250 rural communities across the country by July 2009. GT says its new majority shareholder Vodafone has spent the last six months investing heavily in its networks, services and staff to improve telecoms services in the country.
Add comment February 11, 2009
Econet Wireless pushes ahead
Zimbabwean GSM operator Econet Wireless is aiming to increase its network capacity beyond its previously announced target of 1.2 million subscriber lines by the end of this year, reports IT News Africa. Econet’s corporate communications manager, Rangarirai Mberi, said that the company is working closely with its technical partners including Ericsson and ZTE to complete the current phase of expansion, whilst ‘work is already under way for further expansion to drive capacity beyond this level.’
Add comment February 10, 2009
Zimbabwe- VAT reduction for mobile users
As part of a delayed budget announcement, Zimbabwe’s acting Minister of Finance Patrick Chinamasa has included a cut in Value Added Tax (VAT) on mobile phone airtime, reports AllAfrica.com. ‘I propose to standardise the rate by reducing it to 15% [from 22.5%] with effect from 1 February 2009, in line with the prevailing general level of VAT on other products,’ he said last week. Since the country’s three mobile operators – Econet, NetOne and Telecel – were given the nod by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe to bill their services in foreign currency, call tariffs have increased to as much as USD0.33 per minute, which the operators blamed on excessive VAT rates.
Add comment February 3, 2009
Wireless subscribers top 8.2 million (Uganda)
According to the Ugandan ICT minister, the number of wireless subscribers rose to 8.2 million at the end of 2008. While addressing a delegation of member countries of the Common Market for East and Southern Africa (COMESA), Ham Mulira added that mobile penetration stood at around 25%.
At the end of September 2008 MTN retained a position of strength in the Ugandan wireless arena, with a market share of 42% (3.23 million subscribers), though this was down from 57.6% 18 months earlier. Zain was next largest, with 1.86 million customers, while UTL had an estimated 1.65 million. Newcomer Warid claimed a laudable million customers at the end of September 2008, or 13% of the market, just eight months after launch.
Add comment January 29, 2009
MTN launches 3.5G technology in Ghana
Mobile Telecommunications Network (MTN) Ghana, the country’s leading GSM service provider, on Wednesday introduced 3.5G technology onto the Ghanaian market.
The technology represents the next generation of mobile communication systems that supports the effective delivery of a range of data-orientated services and brings with it a new suite of exciting multimedia services such as video streaming, games, music videos, sports and news.
It is based on High-Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA), which is a new protocol for mobile telephone data transmission. Mr Mazen Mroue, Acting Chief Executive Officer of MTN Ghana, who launched the new technology, said it also provided more efficient systems for the transmission of existing services such as voice, text and data and supported far greater speeds than what was available now. ”I am extremely delighted to announce the roll out of the 3.5G technology which puts MTN on the road to providing leading services to our valued customers,” he said.
He said Accra and Kumasi had been selected for initial coverage under the 3.5G technology, adding that the service would be extended to the rest of the country gradually. Mr. Mroue said the 3.5G services would be rolled out in phases, adding that at this phase of the launch, it involved mobile broadband and video calling that would enable fast data speed and allow users to see and talk to people they called in real time.
He said the introduction of the new technology would complement initiatives aimed at improving the overall network quality.
Add comment January 29, 2009
Government may review GT sale (Ghana)
Ghana’s Minister designate for Communications, Hon. Haruna Iddrisu has intimated that his ministry could review the sale of a 70% stake in national PTO Ghana Telecom (GT) to the UK’s Vodafone Group. MyJoyOnline cites an interview between The Ghanaian Chronicle and Iddrisu in which the minister designate said he was hopeful the government would support the idea. Mr. Iddrisu would have to contact the Presidency for approval before his Ministry could implement such a scheme. Clarifying his intentions, Iddrisu said the purpose of the review was not to cancel the Sale and Purchase Agreement that Vodafone made, but rather to ascertain whether the contract was a genuine one. ‘I am not saying that we are going to take the deal from them but we are going to make sure that Ghanaians get value for their money,’ he stated. Whilst in opposition, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) would not endorse the multi-million Vodafone deal in Parliament, on the grounds that though they were not strictly anti- the sale, the ‘secrecy’ under which government was undertaking the sale process raised suspicion that perhaps some procedures did not conform to the Public Procurement Act.
Add comment January 28, 2009
Vodacom post subscriber growth
South Africa’s Vodacom Group has reported a 13.7% year-on-year increase in revenues for the nine months to the end of December 2008. Sales climbed to ZAR40.5 billion (USD4.1 billion) on the back of a 14.3% rise in group subscriber numbers to 37.8 million. In its home market customer numbers were up 4.8% during the final three months of 2008 to 26.5 million, while Vodacom’s international operations in Tanzania, DR Congo, Mozambique and Lesotho saw customer numbers jump 8% quarter-on-quarter to 11.3 million. Vodacom Group CEO Pieter Uys commented: ‘Expanding our African footprint beyond South Africa is one of the pillars of Vodacom’s growth strategy. I’m pleased to say that this quarter we reached an important milestone, with 30% of our total customer base now coming from our operations in Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Lesotho and Mozambique.’
Add comment January 27, 2009
Zain remains upbeat amid financial crisis
The Kuwait-based international cellular group Zain says it expects net profit to increase by over 30% in 2009, with EBITDA predicted to rise by around 40%. A report, which quotes local newspaper al-Watan, adds that Zain is expecting total subscriber numbers at its 22 operations in the Middle East and Africa to reach more than 94 million by end-2009, up from 64 million currently. Zain CEO Saad al-Barrak told al-Watan that the cellco’s financial situation is healthy despite the current global financial crisis.
Add comment January 6, 2009
Zain expects 30% profit rise in 2009
Africa and Middle East mobile operator Zain expects net profit to rise by more than 30 percent in 2009. The firm’s CEO Saad al-Barrak told al-Watan newspaper that EBITDA would rise by around 40 percent this year. A spokesman for Zain, which operates in 22 countries in the Middle East and Africa, confirmed the comments.
In October, Zain said it expected 2009 net profit to rise to around KWD 413 million, or by about 30 percent, buoyed by its overseas expansion strategy. Zain’s financial situation is very healthy despite the global financial crisis; Barrak was quoted in the newspaper, adding the firm had paid back obligations worth USD 1.8 billion in December. This represents about 25-30 percent of the company’s total debt, he told the paper. Zain sees its customer base rising to more than 94 million at the end of 2009, up from 64 million last year. For 2009, Zain would have a cash flow of USD 5 billion, Barrak said, without giving a comparison for last year.
Add comment January 6, 2009
Rwandatel signs up 120,000 subscribers (Rwanda)
After the launch of Rwandatel’s GSM Network, it has signed up 120,000 subscribers in three weeks of its operation. The company holds 2G, 3G, and GSM technology early this month, after its acquisition by LAP Green networks a subsidiary of Libyan African Portfolio.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Patrick Kariningufu, revealed that this figure reflected the level of the ‘active subscribers’ Rwandatel had as of 21th December 2008. Kariningufu, further said that ‘the progress is good so far’, while attributing the unexpected number of subscribers within three weeks of operations to better network and service delivery. ‘Our network is getting better every single day and the call tariffs are low compared to our competitors, not forgetting the 100 percent top-up bonus’, adding that,’our 3G mobile phones sold as low as Rwf19, 000 with a lot of features such as radio and web browsing, and this has also brought about an increase in the number of subscribers’.
At present, Rwandatel’s only rival; MTN Rwandacell has slightly more than 1 million subscribers. It is anticipated that there will be a stiff competition in Rwanda’s Telecom market next year after the regulator named the third national operator after an international competitive bidding of which Millicom emerged the winner.
Add comment January 5, 2009
Phone users in Uganda reach 7Mn driven by liberalisation and competition in the market
The subscriber base of phone users in Uganda has reached the mark of 7million, reports Minister of Information, Dr Ham Mukasa Mulira. The Minister says the growth is driven by liberalisation of communication sector and then coming of competition among the private entrants to the market.
Dr Mulira commended the government for having liberalised fully the communications sector. “I am pleased to inform you that the policy adopted has yielded extremely positive results with penetration growing from 5 to 6 per cent in 2006 to over 20 per cent in just over two years,”.
Over the years, the rise in numbers has been driven by slashing calling rates, aggressive marketing and product innovation by both the existing and latest phone companies. At the start of the year, there were about 5.4 million subscribers but the number tremendously rose with the commercial entry of Warid Telecom on February 7 this year.
Add comment December 29, 2008
Zain Sudan posts a subscriber base of 5Mn, aims 7Mn by 2009 end
Zain Sudan, one of Sudan’s leading mobile operator, has reportedly exceeded the subscriber base of 5million in nearly 22 months of its commercial operations in the country. According to the Managing Director of Zain-Sudan, Elfatih Erwa, the telco aims to raise this number to 7million by 2009 end.
The Sudanese telco has also been a key driver in country’s economy, injecting $3.5 billion in the country over the past three years.
Add comment December 29, 2008
Zain launches 3.5G network in Ghana
Kuwait-based telecoms group Zain yesterday launched a 3.5G network in Ghana, having invested more than USD420 million in the country to realise the speedy deployment of the technology – a first for sub-Saharan Africa, excluding South Africa. Reuters reports that Zain sees potential on the continent where it already has 40 million customers. ‘Although penetration is very, very low, we see it as having very huge potential. A lot of people say Africa penetration is almost saturated, but we don’t because we see that we can optimise our business on the continent,’ Chris Gabriel, Chief Executive Officer of Zain Africa said. Zain, which already operates in 22 countries across the Middle East and Africa, is looking to become one of the world’s top ten operators by 2011 and has already set its sights on four of five acquisitions in the region which Gabriel says will be closed ‘in the next twelve months’.
Add comment December 17, 2008
Mozambique to get third cellco
The government of Mozambique is to launch a tender for the country’s third cellular concession in the first half of next year. ‘There is a market. At the moment we are just putting the bidding documents together; we hope to launch an international tender before June 20, 2009’, government minister Paulo Zucula told Reuters. ‘There are 20 million people in Mozambique and only a fraction have access to the mobile phone network, so there is … space for growth and I’m sure that any company that would get the new licence will flourish soon,’ Zucula added. Mozambique is currently home to two cellular operators: state-backed mCel, which has around 3.5 million customers, and the local subsidiary of South Africa’s Vodacom, with around 1.3 million clients.
Add comment December 17, 2008
Safaricom’s money transfer service probed
Mobile operator Safaricom’s M-Pesa money transfer service, which currently operates outside existing banking regulations, is facing an audit ordered by Kenyan finance minister John Michuki in an effort to allay concerns about the safety of users’ money. Safaricom’s chief executive Michael Joseph told the Nairobi Business Daily that he welcomed the audit, saying it would prove that M-Pesa is a reliable money transfer service. He said, ‘It will verify the concerns and satisfy the regulator that we have put safeguards and the risks are minimal.’ M-Pesa has in the region of four million subscribers and provides a blueprint for the entry of telecoms firms into the mobile finance market in emerging economies in Africa and Asia.
Add comment December 15, 2008
