Connectivity – Page 3

Moroccan telecom prices dropped by a third

Moroccan telecoms regulator ANRT’s latest annual report (Agence National de Réglementation des Télécommunications) found telecommunication service prices dropped by 34% between 2008 to 2011.

Abdeslam Ahizoune, Maroc Telecom Chairman and CEO (image: emarrakech.info)

“Mobile service prices, including pre- and post-paid, came down by nearly 37% over four years, following a series of successive price cuts, notably since 2010,” the report revealed.

The country’s users saw a “perennial double and triple top-up credits from some operators, the alignment of off-net prices to on-net prices, per-second billing and lower international call tariffs”.

ANRT reported fixed voice calls prices dropped by 24% during this period, “due to a regular fall in international tariffs, higher top-up bonuses on capped services, and the offers of new generation fixed network operators”.

ADSL broadband prices dropped by 56% as bandwidth capacity increased.

“The business broadband segment saw its prices fall by 56% and the business fixed voice segment by around 45% over the same period.”

Joseph Mayton

February 16, 2012/by actualize

Orange Tunisia introduces uncapped internet

The youngest telecom operator in Tunisia, Orange Tunisia, rolled out uncapped mobile internet access for all their ‘Internet Everywhere’ customers.

Orange Tunisia increasing their market share. (image credit: Alamy)

Currently users receive a monthly 7.5GB cap on their 3G network.

Now once the limit is reached, internet speed will slow down to 128kb/s, sufficient for internet browsing.

Customers will be alerted once their bandwidth limit is reached the company said in a statement.

Orange Tunisia was launched in 2010 by the local Mabrouk group and France Telecom.

Ahmed al-Hilali

February 15, 2012/by actualize

Connectivity, Originally posted on the GBI Portal

Zimbabwe’s Telecel set to invest US$70 million

Zimbabwe’s Telecel has announced a US$70 million investment in network expansion. John Swain, Telecel Zimbabwe Managing Director, also said its recent rebranding aligned them with Telecel affiliates such as Orascom Telecom Holdings.

Telecel Managing Director John Swain (image: TechZim)

“We are planning, with the assistance of our strategic partners, to invest more than US$70 million in the geographic expansion of our network and improving our core network systems. We are also investing in human capital and in management and technical training to ensure efficiency and improved service delivery,” Swain said.

“We have just introduced an emergency credit service, in response to requests from our customers. This allows active customers, who have been active on our network for at least three months, to access emergency credit,” he added.

Telecel Zimbabwe recently became the first mobile operator in Zimbabwe to offer its subscribers a credit facility.

Charlie Fripp – Online editor

February 14, 2012/by actualize

Connectivity, Legal & Regulatory, Originally posted on the GBI Portal

10% penalty for poor telecoms service

Uganda’s Communications Commission is investigating possible penalties to telecommunications providers delivering poor service quality. New proposed companies could face a 10% of their gross income.

: Uganda might penalise telecommunications providers who deliver poor service quality (image: instablogs)

“We are in consultations with all telecoms to come up with a detailed report indicating how much to be fined for which offense. The law allows us fines of up to 10 per cent in comparison to gross income,” Fred Ottunu, the UCC communications and consumer affairs manager told Uganda’s Daily Monitor recently.

The public outcry about poor service quality sparked discussions the UCC added.

Various telecommunications companies said they are yet to come to an agreement, but do not expect any penalties.

“There is nothing conclusive yet and I hope the commission will first consult widely before it introduces penalties,” said Shailendra Naidu, the Warid chief commercial officer.

UTL’s Jamal Sultan added that “Even as UCC’s recent Quality of Service report placed Utl in the lead in terms of service, we have not tired of laying strategies for improving our services.”

February 10, 2012/by actualize

Connectivity, Originally posted on the GBI Portal

Partnership deal bolsters Nigerian broadband

Nigerian carrier services provider Phase3 Telecom and Dancom Technologies have announced their partnership deal boosting broadband services in the country.

Phase3 Telecom and Dancom Technologies’ partnership will boost broadband in Nigeria (image: stock.xchng)

Phase3 Telecom and Dancom Technologies' partnership will boost broadband in Nigeria (image: stock.xchng)

They said in a joint press statement they would upgrade their respective networks in order to “provide robust transmission services to deliver reliable broadband services to individual end-users and businesses.”

Stanley Jegede, Phase3 Telecom chief executive officer, said both firms “have made extensive investment to deliver transmission services that will enhance and ensure that high-quality broadband services are available to all users and businesses in line with global realities of today.”

Telecom experts are excited about the IT and telecom infrastructure boost in Nigeria. They believe the partnership will lead to others pushing for similar endeavours.

“We realise that there is an increasing requirement for broadband services in Nigeria in line with global development and we at Phase3 Telecom are ready to facilitate the effective delivery of (the) same to businesses and all other users using our reliable aerial fiber optic network. This informs our partnership with Dancom Technologies which has resulted in the development of one of the most robust and extensive fiber optic network coverage in the country. We are ready to lead the broadband revolution and ensure that we help Nigerians enjoy the benefits and comfort of broadband connection,” Jegede said.

Boye Olusanya, Dancom Technologies chief executive officer, stated the companies installed some of the most advanced technologies in their networks to meet customers’ expectations.

“Our aim has always been to provide quality service to our customers. In driving this, we have invested significantly in the latest technologies that can deliver required services to our customers. This investment, coupled with our use of aerial fibre as well as our partnership with Phase3, allows us to meet and surpass the quality threshold we set for ourselves,” he said.

David Eto

February 9, 2012/by actualize

Connectivity, Originally posted on the GBI Portal

NEPAD signs Grant Facility Agreement with AFD for BB Infrastructure

Photo Credit: NEPAD

The New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) Agency has signed a grant facility agreement towards the financing of its information and communication technology (ICT) broadband infrastructure network for West, Central and North Africa project.

The Grant Facility Agreement (GFA) was signed on Thursday, February 2, with French Development Agency (AFD), a French public institution. The grant of one million three hundred and fifty thousand Euros (EUR 1,350,000,00), was made available to NEPAD Agency by the European Union Infrastructure Trust Fund (EU-ITF), a European donor coordinated fund, through the AFD.

The NEPAD ICT Broadband Infrastructure Program – the Umojanet project is a terrestrial network that is expected to link every African country to its neighbors and connect to Uhurunet, to realize the dream of the cross-border continental NEPAD Network. The project will also connect the continent to the rest of the world through broadband fibre-optic submarine cables. It will provide abundant bandwidth, easier connectivity, reduced costs, and help integrate the continent by facilitating trade, social, and cultural exchange between countries.

According to the statement issued Friday, February 3, 2012 from Midrand South Africa, the grant completes the initial funds of 850 000 Euros granted by the AFD to the NEPAD secretary to support the initiative.

Commenting on the grant during the signing ceremony at the NEPAD Agency offices, Midrand, South Africa, Dr. Ibrahim Assane Mayaki, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the NEPAD Agency, said, “This is an opportune moment for us both, AFD and NEPAD, to focus on ICT as a crucial element in developing infrastructure in Africa and we welcome this support to the NEPAD Planning and Coordinating Agency (NPCA) as the development Agency of the African Union.”

For his part, Mr. Yves Boudot, Director of the Sub-Saharan Africa Department of AFD, expressed his satisfaction to proceed with the signature and noted that “as the case with AFD support to NEPAD ICT continental infrastructure developments, AFD is ready to discuss and widen the scope of collaboration to address other continental infrastructure development challenges.”

The French Development Agency (AFD), a specialized development financial institution, funds sustainable development projects carried by government local authorities, public companies, and the private and associative sectors on five continents – with primacy given to Africa.

The New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) is a program of the African Union (AU) adopted in Lusaka, Zambia in 2001. NEPAD is a radically new intervention, spearheaded by African leaders to pursue new priorities and approaches to the political and socio-economic transformation of Africa. NEPAD’s objective is to enhance Africa’s growth, development and participation in the global economy. Read more about NEPAD’s principles, program of action, priorities and desired outcomes.

February 8, 2012/by actualize

Connectivity, Originally posted on the GBI Portal

Nigerian regulator setting sight on fixed lines

Nigeria’s telecommunications regulator said on Monday it hopes to increase the number of subscribers to its fixed-line licenses to boost broadband internet services in the country.

hopes to increase the number of subscribers to its fixed-line licenses in the next year (image: stock.xchng)

Speaking to Bloomberg, Eugene Juwah, Nigerian Communications Commission CEO, said fixed-lines are key to boosting the country’s internet capacity.

“The licenses will be issued to revive the fixed-line telecommunication services that have been comatose and will benefit our broadband initiative,” Juwah said.

The agency wants to provide a “enabling environment” for private investors to expand the country’s broadband infrastructure, he said.

With Africa’s largest population of more than 160 million, Nigeria’s telephone users dramatically increased over the past decade. According to data published by the NCC, users grew from under a million in 2000 to over 90 million at the end of 2011.

Zooming out, fixed-line telephone users make up less than one percent of the total number, leaving room for growth in broadband communication as demand increases for data services, the NCC chief said.

David Eto

February 7, 2012/by actualize

Connectivity, Originally posted on the GBI Portal

Libya’s interim government eyes ICT reform

In February 2011, we concluded that “a regime change will…increase efforts to strengthen broadband infrastructure and to create a national ICT policy, something that Libya is currently lacking.” Well, that time has come. Libya’s interim government shows signs of caring about ICT. However, the nation lacks adequate regulatory laws, is unaccustomed to the private sector, and will be repairing damaged infrastructure for some time to come.

When you live in country where censorship is the norm … the Internet is your only communications mechanism.” – Eric Schmidt, Executive Chairman of Google, after visiting Libya in January 2012

First, some history. Censorship of the Internet, among other factors, has long hindered growth of technology in Libya. Perhaps nothing limited ICT advancement more than when Libya Telecom & Technology (LTT), under the direction of Gadhafi’s government, shut-down the local Internet for over five months last year in an attempt to suppress the rebel movement.

Libya undeniably has better fixed and mobile infrastructure than most African nations. Despite one Internet service provider and only two mobile operators (nine telecoms operators in total), Libya boasts high Internet and mobile access rates (15% Internet penetration rate and a staggering 201% mobile penetration rate!)

In recent months, however, power outages have plagued reliable Internet connectivity. Plus, infrastructure – especially cellular and WiMax – was damaged in the recent civil war. Sentiment from the ground (via Twitter & Twitter, for example) indicates frustration with the level of services. TechnoLibya has reported issues with LTT WiMAX speed and coverage, but experiences stable connections with ADSL.

Libya is looking to Egypt to form ICT policy and regulations:

In January 2012, Egypt and Libya discussed working together to strengthen Libya’s ICT environment. Ministers from both nations exchanged ideas on creating a regulatory framework. More importantly, officials talked of the importance of empowering the people with tech skills. We wouldn’t be surprised if Libya’s regulatory body and processes mirror those found in Egypt. After all, Egypt, like Libya, does not have clean slate when it comes to Internet censorship. Therein lies the opportunity of this relationship.

The e-Libya initiative will strengthen key areas of government, education, and the economy:

The majority of the Libyan workforce has heretofore been employed in the public sector. A drastic privatization of the telecoms companies would be ineffective. Fortunately, the e-Libya initiative aims to create an open and transparent government, strengthen e-commerce, and establish a higher level of e-learning. The construction of a strong SME culture is essential for Libya to grow economic stability.

How effective will the interim government be?

Business Monitor International, a telecoms intelligence firm, is less optimistic about Libya’s future. Their analysis questions the interim government’s ability to reform Libyan policy. Like Khaled el Mufti, the man in charge of e-Libya, BMI is skeptical that Libya is ready for a free telecoms sector.

Click to enlarge. {Libya Telecom & Technology}

February 2, 2012/by actualize

Connectivity, Originally posted on the GBI Portal

What exactly is 3.75G?

Recently, the term ’3.75G’ has been appearing all across Africa. Airtel is most keen on 3.75G branding and plans to soon offer the platform in more nations where the company operates 3G (presumably all eight). Nations currently with 3.75G service include:

South Africa (Cell C)
Congo-Brazzaville (Airtel)
Sierra Leone (Airtel)
Zambia (Airtel)
Ghana (Airtel)
Nigeria (Etisalat)
Egypt (Etisalat)

But, what exactly is 3.75G and how does it compare to 3G or 3.5G?

Airtel, along with other mobile operators, touts HSPA+ service as being 3.75G. Other sources (including 3GPP), consider HSPA+ to be 3.9G. Airtel’s country pages all include a brief description of how they define 3.75G. Sierra Leone’s page states:

3G has evolved through several updates, leading to the very latest release, HSPA+, which is referred to as 3.75G, now available on airtel. 3.75G technology operates at dazzling speeds of up to 14.4 MB/s downlink and 5.7MB/s uplink.”

However, the 3.75G page for Zambia lists a 3.75G top download speed of 21Mbps, thus making Airtel’s cited 3.75G technology speeds incongruous. We deduce that either Airtel is offering 3.75G (HSPA) at a maximum of 14Mbps, they are offering 3.9G (HSPA+) at a maximum of 21Mbps, or they are simply changing out download speed since the handsets sold in Sierra Leone might not have the same chipset as those sold in Zambia.

Either way, the HSPA+/3.75G terms are used solely for marketing purposes. The same goes for the 4G versus LTE versus WiMAX debate. Mobile operators endure fierce competition to attract customers (who drive profits).

Although 3.9G is better than 3.75G and 3.75G is by all means technically superior than 3.5G, there will not be a noticeable transfer speed difference for most customers. Factors like signal strength and coverage mitigate any advertised speeds. African 3G users aren’t about to experience anything higher than even 10Mbps. But, since 21 Mbps speeds are technically possible, they are allowed to be used for advertising purposes.

Often, 3.75G is the first form of 3G service available in a country. Accordingly, the mobile operator skips mention of just “3G” and goes straight to using “3.75G” due to the potential marketing benefits.

In Nigeria, Etisalat was quick to describe the move to 3.75G as a major innovation. They also claimed it was the fastest 3G network in Nigeria. However, reading on, it becomes apparent that the move was mainly impressive since it replaced a 2.5G network with true 3G. It just so happened that the 3G platform was of the 3.75G release.

However, when 3.75G arrived in Congo-Brazzaville in October 2011, Airtel used plain 3G terminology in their news release announcing the arrival of 3G service in the country. There was no mention of 3.75G. Similarly, there is no mention of 3.75G in Airtel’s video spot promoting 3G service beginning in January 2012 (although Airtel’s social media never fails to mention 3.75G).

Mobile competition has increased remarkably in Africa since that time, and 3G operators (mostly Airtel) have begun to increase their efforts to secure customers.

However, customers should be focused on how the latest mobile technologies can ease the strains of life rather than exact technical specs. Bragging rights can be enjoyable, but what matters is not the benchmarks “3.75G” and “14Mbps” or whether 3.75G is really considered HSPA+. Important instead are that 3G is available and that costs are becoming more reasonable. What matters is that 3.75G (or 3.9G) enhances mobile health efforts and provides new educational opportunities.

A rough comparison of recent 3GPP releases and basic features. {Sayy 365}

February 1, 2012/by actualize

Connectivity, Originally posted on the GBI Portal

Mozambique gets a slice of SEACOM

The Mozambican Ministry of Science and Technology has signed a 20 year agreement to access international broadband fibre connectivity on the SEACOM network to Europe and onwards to the rest of the world.

SEACOM Chief Executive Officer Mark Simpson (image: mybroadband)

Beneficiaries of the newly acquired capacity include the Mozambique Research and Education Network (MoRENet) and the Government Electronic Network (GovNet), which are government-led projects established to improve online public service access and capability.

The bandwidth will help MoRENet to deliver reliable and cost-effective, high-speed internet traffic to member institutions whilst creating the platform to share education and research content with other Nationwide Research Education Networks (NRENs) around the world.

Similarly, GovNet will be able to better support its mandate to improve eGovernment performance. GovNet currently interconnects government institutions at both central and provincial levels, with an aim to connect all state and government institutions through a single private data communications network.

SEACOM CEO, Mark Simpson, said: “SEACOM is the ideal partner to provide the international connectivity that will complement Mozambique’s extensive broadband data communications networks initiatives. Over the past three years, we have witnessed how the availability of true broadband at lower prices can accelerate educational initiatives and economic development across the region and we look forward to working with the Mozambican government to help Build a truly African Internet.”

Both MoRENet and GovNet form an important part of the Mozambican government’s ICT Policy Implementation Strategy. The policy covers all major areas of Mozambique’s economy and society; tasked with creating an enabling environment for societal upliftment, improved performance of both public and private sectors and most importantly the ultimate eradication of poverty in the country.

The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Science and Technology, Dr. Evaristo Baquete, said: “The Mozambican government views affordable and high quality data networks as a vital tool to achieve the country’s various developmental goals. SEACOM brought cheaper and faster international connectivity to this country and we believe that they are the partner of choice to continue to bring about positive changes to the country and its people.”

SEACOM believes in a world where the African internet experience is characterised by abundant local content, minimal latency, fast download and streaming speeds, and interconnected African markets. Today, over a dozen countries across the African continent have access to SEACOM’s low cost products and services via its extended network.

Staff writer

January 31, 2012/by actualize

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