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<p class=MsoNormal style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><b><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> Russell Southwood
[mailto:englishlist@balancingact-africa.com] <br>
<b>Sent:</b> Friday, February 12, 2010 2:33 PM<br>
<b>To:</b> Anne-Rachel Inne<br>
<b>Subject:</b> Issue 491: Life in Africas slow lane Congo Telecom and SOCATEL
defend their international voice monopolies, diaspora callers ask why?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><span
style='font-size:7.5pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:white'>Issue
no 491<br>
12th Feb 2010<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<div id="h144_wrap_1">
<p style='mso-margin-top-alt:6.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:3.75pt;
margin-left:0in'><a href="#topstory"><span style='font-size:13.5pt;
font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#000033'>Life in Africa’s slow lane
– Congo Telecom and SOCATEL defend their international voice monopolies,
diaspora callers ask why?</span></a><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:
"Verdana","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<div id="p46_wrap_1">
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<div id="p46_wrap_3">
<p style='margin-bottom:3.75pt'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:
"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#000033'>Two of Africa’s least effective
Government incumbent telcos - Congo Télécom (Congo-Brazzaville) and SOCATEL
(Central African Republic) are using international monopoly gateways run by
international companies. The Governments claims they are cutting down on
fraud but the cost of incoming international calling has gone. The costs of
calling out are also amongst the highest in Africa. Members of the diaspora
from Congo-Brazzaville have already started to protest. Russell Southwood
investigates.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
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id=a95><span style='font-size:10.5pt;color:#000033'>Cash-Strapped IT Body to
oversee Two New Projects in Uganda </span></a><o:p></o:p></span></h4>
<h4 id=h471><span style='font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'><a href="#comp02"
id=a72><span style='font-size:10.5pt;color:#000033'>HIT, Software Development
Firm Sign Deal in Zimbabwe </span></a><o:p></o:p></span></h4>
<h4 id=h473><span style='font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'><a href="#comp03"
id=a74><span style='font-size:10.5pt;color:#000033'>SADC to Start Regional
Stock Trading Soon</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></h4>
<div style='mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-top:solid #666699 3.0pt;
padding:6.0pt 0in 0in 0in'>
<h3 style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.75pt;
margin-left:0in;border:none;padding:0in'><span style='font-size:10.5pt;
font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#666699;text-transform:uppercase'>On
the Money<o:p></o:p></span></h3>
</div>
<h4 id=h4102><span style='font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'><a
href="#money01" id=a103><span style='font-size:10.5pt;color:#000033'>Wireless
Roll-Out Delays in South Africa See Jasco Profit Dip 28 Percent </span></a><o:p></o:p></span></h4>
<h4 id=h4105><span style='font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'><a
href="#money02" id=a106><span style='font-size:10.5pt;color:#000033'>Helios
Towers Nigeria secures extra IFC funding<br id=br107>
</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></h4>
<h4 id=h4108><span style='font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'><a
href="#money03" id=a109><span style='font-size:10.5pt;color:#000033'>Qtel
eyes Iraqi, Algerian markets</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></h4>
<h4 id=h4127><span style='font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'><a
href="#money04" id=a128><span style='font-size:10.5pt;color:#000033'>South Africa:
FNB confirms PayPal talks</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></h4>
<div style='mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-top:solid #666699 3.0pt;
padding:6.0pt 0in 0in 0in'>
<h3 style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.75pt;
margin-left:0in;border:none;padding:0in' id=h3129><span style='font-size:
10.5pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#666699;text-transform:uppercase'>More<o:p></o:p></span></h3>
</div>
<h4 id=h478><span style='font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'><a
href="#telrates" id=a79><span style='font-size:10.5pt;color:#000033'>Telecoms,
Rates, Offers and Coverage</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></h4>
<h4 id=h480><span style='font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'><a href="#data"
id=a81><span style='font-size:10.5pt;color:#000033'>Web and Mobile Data News</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></h4>
<h4 id=h484><span style='font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'><a href="#people"
id=a85><span style='font-size:10.5pt;color:#000033'>People, Events, Jobs and
Opportunities, Contracts </span></a><o:p></o:p></span></h4>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><a name=topstory
id=topstory></a><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'><br>
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target="_blank"><span style='text-decoration:none'><img border=0 width=550
height=80 id=img109
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<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:13.5pt;margin-right:0in;
margin-bottom:1.5pt;margin-left:0in'><b><span style='font-size:10.5pt;
font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:white;text-transform:uppercase'>TOP
STORY <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
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<div id="p92_wrap_1">
<p align=right style='mso-margin-top-alt:.75pt;margin-right:1.5pt;margin-bottom:
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</div>
<h1 style='mso-margin-top-alt:6.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:3.75pt;
margin-left:0in' id=h194><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";
color:#000033;font-weight:normal'><a
href="http://lists.balancingact-africa.com/t/6779/239012/899/0/"
target="_blank" id=a132><span style='text-decoration:none'><img border=0
width=550 height=80 id=img120
src="http://htmlnews.balancingact-africa.com/sky2net.jpg" alt="Sky2net banner"></span></a><o:p></o:p></span></h1>
<h1 style='mso-margin-top-alt:6.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:3.75pt;
margin-left:0in' id=h1141><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";
color:#000033;font-weight:normal'> <o:p></o:p></span></h1>
<h1 style='mso-margin-top-alt:6.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:3.75pt;
margin-left:0in' id=h1121><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";
color:#000033;font-weight:normal'>Life in Africa’s slow lane – Congo Telecom
and SOCATEL defend their international voice monopolies, diaspora callers ask
why?<o:p></o:p></span></h1>
<div id="p115_wrap_1">
<div id="p115_wrap_2">
<div id="p115_wrap_3">
<p style='margin-bottom:3.75pt'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:
"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#000033'>Two of Africa’s least effective
Government incumbent telcos - Congo Télécom (Congo-Brazzaville) and SOCATEL
(Central African Republic) are using international monopoly gateways run by
international companies. The Governments claims they are cutting down on
fraud but the cost of incoming international calling has gone. The costs of
calling out are also amongst the highest in Africa. Members of the diaspora
from Congo-Brazzaville have already started to protest. Russell Southwood
investigates.<br id=br149>
<br id=br150>
On Thursday 4 February the Minister of Post and Telecommunications proudly
announced that it had tracked down “a mafia” that had been operating a call
diversion operation, robbing the company of international call income.<br
id=br151>
<br id=br152>
According to the Inspector of Post and Telecommunications, Julien Epola, the
scam was clearly carried out with inside help from those running the
company’s digital lines but monitoring equipment looking at international
calls had spotted them. According to a report in Les dépêches de Brazaville
the monitoring equipment had been installed in the central exchange at Ouenzé
by “un sujet étranger non encore identifié” (a foreigner not identified) in
August. According to the Minister of Post and Telecommunications Thierry
Moungalla it has enabled the country to save 12 billion Fcfa a year
(approximately US$24 million). <br id=br153>
<br id=br154>
The gateway has been installed by the Global Voice Group which has an
interesting business model. In monopoly countries, it simply takes over all
of the international traffic. In addition, it offers monitoring services of
the kind described above. But it also encourages African Governments to
impose a tax on incoming calls to pay for these services. In more liberalised
countries, it insists that all calls go through its gateway for monitoring
purposes.<br id=br155>
<br id=br156>
The result? The Congo-B Internet site Mwida reports that many of its readers
in France are asking why providers which used to offer a pre-paid calling
card for 90 minutes at 6.50 euros has now cut the amount of calling time to
30 minutes for the same price, a staggering 66% cut in minutes offered. When
asked, one operator said it was caused by the Ministry of Communications
putting a tax on calls. To read the full article (in French) <a
href="http://lists.balancingact-africa.com/t/6779/239012/992/0/"
target="_blank" id=a157>click here</a>:<br id=br158>
<br id=br159>
The same problem exists for those calling out of the country. Calls from
Congo-Brazzaville fall into the most expensive group across the continent. It
is 850 FCFAs a minute (US$1.74) to a mobile in Europe and the USA and 800
FCFAs (US$1.64) to a fixed line for the same destinations.<br id=br160>
<br id=br161>
But having this single anti-competitive service with an unfair tax (that is
almost certainly illegal under international law) seems relatively simple
compared to the situation in Central African Republic where no less than
three companies claim to be offering this service. After a brief period of
liberalisation of the gateway, this service was given by the country’s
Government owned incumbent SOCATEL to Telsoft International, which paid 1.5
billion FCFAs for the privilege.<br id=br162>
<br id=br163>
But the D-G of Socatel then decided to give the contract for the service to
an Israeli company called Daniel Investment. The service was agreed and the
equipment installed at a cost of 750 FCFAs but nothing happened. Under the
contract SOCATEL was supposed to pay back to Daniel Investment 375 million
FCFAs. You won’t be surprised to hear that this never happened either. <br
id="br164_1">
<br id=br165>
Subsequently the Chef of the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications
negotiated a contract with Global Voice who has put its equipment in the
Ministry of Communications, according to a report in Le Confident. In other
words, there is very little separation between Government and its telco.
Three contracts over a relatively short period of time? What on earth can be
happening? Those familiar with the old ways of Africa can join up the dots.
Is it incompetence or is there some other explanation we’re not seeing? <br
id=br166>
<br id=br167>
Meanwhile, SOCATEL, a company that has no filed accounts since 2005, has
reported debts of 13 billion FCFAs (US$26.6 million).<br id=br168>
<br id="br169_1">
This is the old Africa of life in the slow lane, where those in power give
out “rent-seeking” concessions that add nothing to the economic development
of their countries. Neither of these incumbents has either the investment or
the expertise to run a telephone company and their finances are so closely
co-mingled with those of the Government as to be indistinguishable. It is
rather frightening thought that the World Bank sponsored Central African
Backbone project might well end up being partly operated by SOCATEL. There
surely has to be a better way…..<br id=br170>
<br id=br172>
<br id="br173_2">
<b>Two corrections</b><br id=br175>
<br id=br176>
The story in issue 490 titled “ Ghana’s Communications Minister stops mast
building unilaterally despite Committee to address the issues” should
have made clear (as the article did) that it is the Ministry of Environment,
Science and Technology (MEST) that has stopped mast building, not the
Ministry of Communications.<br id=br177>
<br id=br178>
The story in issue 487 titled Regulator penalises leading mobile companies
for QoS issues by shortening licence period: It was the Government, not the
regulator that was responsible for this action.<br id=br179>
<br id="br180_1">
<b>Reader’s Feedback </b><br id=br182>
<br id=br183>
On “ Ghana’s Communications Minister stops mast building unilaterally despite
Committee to address the issues” in Issue 490.<br id=br184>
<br id=br185>
Mast sharing will happen, now that the easy money is gone for the operators
and they have to squeeze every cost down to make money.<br id=br186>
<br id="br187_1">
Just this week Tigo signed a deal to essentially transfer all their masts to
Helios Towers Ghana in exchange for equity in Helios. This means that
Helios can now farm out Tigo's mast space to any of the other operators.<br
id=br188>
<br id=br189>
Check out Legon Hill. The Tower at great hall has been obscured by a
forest of masts. And the university administration stood by and let it
happen.<br id="br190_1">
<br id=br191>
As for the buga-buga style, that's all we know. Persuasion is out of
the question - we have to show where power lies.<br id=br192>
<br id=br193>
Name and address supplied<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
</div>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><a name=tel
id=tel></a><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'><br>
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<p><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'><a
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<p><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'><a
href="http://lists.balancingact-africa.com/t/6779/239012/217/0/"
target="_blank"><span style='text-decoration:none'><img border=0 width=150
height=300 id=img147
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alt="Unificom Banner"></span></a><a
href="http://lists.balancingact-africa.com/t/6779/239012/57/0/"
target="_blank"><span style='text-decoration:none'><img border=0 width=150
height=213 id=img160
src="http://htmlnews.balancingact-africa.com/forecast.gif"
alt="Balancing Act Report on African Voice and Data Bandwidth Forecast (2007-2012)"></span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width=598 valign=top style='width:448.5pt;border-top:none;border-left:
solid #9999CC 1.0pt;border-bottom:none;border-right:solid #9999CC 1.0pt;
padding:0in 9.0pt 0in 9.0pt;font-size-adjust: none'>
<table class=MsoNormalTable border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width="100%"
style='width:100.0%;border:none;border-bottom:solid #666699 3.0pt;
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<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:13.5pt;margin-right:0in;
margin-bottom:1.5pt;margin-left:0in'><b><span style='font-size:10.5pt;
font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:white;text-transform:uppercase'>TELECOMS
NEWS <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
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<p align=right style='mso-margin-top-alt:.75pt;margin-right:1.5pt;margin-bottom:
6.0pt;margin-left:0in;text-align:right'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;
font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";text-transform:uppercase'><a href="#top"><span
style='color:#000033;text-decoration:none'>Back to top</span></a> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<h4 style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.75pt;
margin-left:0in' id=h4139><a name=tel01 id=tel01></a><span style='font-size:
10.5pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#000033'>Nigeria’s NCC Steps
Into content provides dispute with mobile companies over access and revenue
shares<o:p></o:p></span></h4>
<div id="p141_wrap_1">
<div id="p141_wrap_2">
<div id="p141_wrap_3">
<p style='margin-bottom:3.75pt'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:
"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#000033'>Executive Vice Chairman and Chief
Executive Officer of the Nigeria Telecommunications Commission (NCC) Engineer
Ernest Ndukwe has said that the commission was determined to resolve the
lingering differences between service providers and GSM operators in the
country's telecom industry.<br id=br227>
<br id=br228>
He said this in Abuja at the Public Inquiry organised by the NCC on the
proposed guidelines on the Common and Premium short code operation in Nigeria.<br
id=br229>
<br id=br230>
President of the Wireless Application Service Providers Association of
Nigeria (WASPAN) Goke Akingboro said network operators were fond of denying
content providers who constitute membership of WASPAN, access to their
network.<br id=br231>
<br id=br232>
He said in other climates, value added service which include common and short
premium codes was a multi-billion dollar business but that current practice
of network operators leave much to be desired.<br id=br233>
<br id=br234>
Adegbe Ogbe, another content provider said that network operators were
skewing revenue sharing formula (75%/25% ratio) against the service
providers. He also complained of delay in payments of entitlement by the
network providers.<br id=br235>
<br id=br236>
The NCC boss said: "We will look into the revenue sharing formula
because we at NCC are given to encouraging small firms to grow so as to
provide the needed competition. We will also look into delays in payment by
the network operators." He said the event was meant to look into the
proposed guidelines on Common and Premium Short Code Operation in Nigeria.<br
id=br237>
<br id=br238>
Short codes are special telephone numbers shorter than the full telephone
numbers that can be used to address SMS and MMS messages from mobile phones
or fixed lines. They are widely used for value added services such as
television voting, ordering ring tones, charity donations among others.<br
id=br239>
<br id=br240>
"The guidelines are proposed to provide a framework for operation of
common short codes, licensing of content aggregators and protection against
misuse, that meet international standards", Ndukwe said.<br id=br241>
<br id=br242>
Included in the proposed guidelines are the provisions that text messages
sent by consumers must be saved by the network providers for a minimum of six
months for security and regulatory reasons, not to be used to pass obscene
messages while the service providers are to ensure the numbers are used
solely for the purpose for which they are meant.<br id=br243>
<br id=br244>
Network operators present at the inquiry maintained that sharing formulas
between them and service provider is a business decision which should not be
the concern of the NCC. They also complained of the six months minimum period
the messages sent should be saved to be too long.<br id=br245>
(Source: Daily Trust) <o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<h4 style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.75pt;
margin-left:0in' id=h4143><a name=tel02 id=tel02></a><span style='font-size:
10.5pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#000033'>Lack of Power
Hampers Rural Mobile Uptake in Kenya<o:p></o:p></span></h4>
<div id="p145_wrap_1">
<div id="p177_wrap_1">
<div id="p177_wrap_2">
<p style='margin-bottom:3.75pt'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:
"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#000033'>Lack of power is to blame for the slow
expansion of the mobile phone network in rural areas, Safaricom chief
executive, Michael Joseph, said on Monday, adding that although the firm was
committed to expanding its network coverage in these areas, the exercise had
been expensive.<br id=br252>
<br id=br253>
"We are yet to fully penetrate the Kenyan market because of challenges
such as lack of power," he said when he opened a new customer service
centre in Nanyuki town worth Sh27 million.<br id=br254>
<br id=br255>
However, Joseph, whose company holds 80 per cent of market share with a
subscriber base of over 15.3 million, noted that total penetration of the
Kenyan market is still in early stages of development. He added that his
company is planning to open more outlets by the end of the month to bring
quality services closer to the people.<br id=br256>
<br id=br257>
Opening of the Nanyuki retail centre brings to eight the number of such units
already unveiled by the firm across the country in the current financial
year. By April this year when its financial year ends, Safaricom will have spent
some Sh373 million in the retail expansion project. Fourteen new retail
centres will have been opened, bringing the total to 32.<br id=br258>
<br id=br259>
"I am delighted by the opening of the Nanyuki retail centre. This unit
will help us better serve our growing customer base in this region, in an
aesthetically appealing and ambient atmosphere. Backed by our trained staff,
we are bringing Safaricom closer to our customers." The Nanyuki centre
features an airy design bench-marked against international standards.<br
id=br260>
<br id=br261>
It allows subscribers to view new devices available at specially-designed
"demo bars" and experience them to make informed choices about the
devices on sale. The unit will serve the needs of Safaricom's PrePay and
PostPay customers.<br id=br262>
(Source: Daily National) <o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<h4 style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.75pt;
margin-left:0in' id=h4147><a name=tel03 id=tel03></a><span style='font-size:
10.5pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#000033'>Tanzania: Zantel
Records Growth despite economic downturn<o:p></o:p></span></h4>
<div id="p149_wrap_1">
<div id="p149_wrap_2">
<div id="p149_wrap_3">
<p style='margin-bottom:3.75pt'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:
"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#000033'>Zantel has experienced potential growth
in the past 12 months despite the economic downturn. This growth is
attributed to an aggressive expansion programme embarked 18 months ago which
saw the mobile company investing in network expansion and increased national
coverage.<br id=br269>
<br id=br270>
Zantel enjoys one of the largest coverage footprints in Tanzania. The past 18
months has seen more than USD 140m invested to improve quality and coverage
of the network. Its main investor Etisala has increased its investment in
Zantel over the past 18 months.<br id=br271>
<br id=br272>
This has provided the fuel for the growth for Zantel. It is now enjoying
economies of scale as a result of improved access to affordable and modern
technology Etisalat's over 95 milion subscriber base in both Africa, Middle
East and Asia.<br id=br273>
<br id=br274>
According to Norman Moyo, new Chief Commercial Officer, Etisalat group has
confidence in the Tanzanian economy. The increased investment has translated
into improved quality of services for Zantel customers which has seen its
subscriber base rocketing from 900 thousand to 1.4 million in the past 3
months.<br id=br275>
<br id=br276>
In an exclusive interview with the new Chief Commercial Officer, Norman Moyo,
he pointed out t that Zantel's will be focusing on improving customer value,
new innovative products and services into the market.<br id=br277>
<br id=br278>
He highlighted that there is a still a lot of Tanzanians who still need
mobile and internet services and that focus should move to address
underserved communities instead of fighting over a small shrinking market.<br
id="br279_1">
<br id=br280>
Norman Moyo is part of the new leadership introduced to spearhead the
turnaround of Zantel. The 36 year old Chief Commercial Officer comes with a
wealth of experience managing major telecommunications turnarounds.<br
id=br281>
<br id=br282>
He was part of the team that transformed the telecommunications landscape in
Zambia as Marketing Director for Celtel Zambia and Chief Marketing Officer of
Celtel Nigeria which saw Celtel Nigeria growing to a strong number 2 market
leader growing customers from 4.5 million to 17 million customers in 30
months. He started his telecommunication with Econet Zimbabwe in 1998 and
before joining Zantel he was working as Group Marketing Director for Zain
group in Bahrain.<br id="br283_1">
(Source: Tanzania Daily News) <o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<h4 style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.75pt;
margin-left:0in' id=h4173><a name=tel04 id=tel04></a><span style='font-size:
10.5pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#000033'>Ethiopia: France
Telecom wins bid to reform Ethiopia Telecom<o:p></o:p></span></h4>
<div id="p175_wrap_1">
<div id="p175_wrap_2">
<div id="p175_wrap_3">
<p style='margin-bottom:3.75pt'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:
"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#000033'>France Telecom has been selected to
manage ETC, the Government-owned telco incumbent, a government official has
disclosed. ETC attracted many foreign companies when it floated a bid, a few
months ago, inviting firms to undertake its management in a revenue sharing
agreement. However, only the three companies remained for the final selection
process, according to the source.<br id=br290>
<br id="br291_1">
MTN, a South African based telecoms company represented in 21 markets in
Africa and the Middle East, and Bharat Sanchar Nigam (BSNL), an Indian
state-owned telecommunication company, lost the final bid to the French firm.<br
id=br292>
<br id=br293>
Negotiations between France Telecom and ETC are still ongoing, but the former
is expected to sign the deal and take over the management of the latter
within three months, according to the official.<br id="br294_2">
<br id=br295>
Ethiopia’s move to hand over the management of ETC to a foreign company has
been described by many local politicians as a first step towards
liberalisation. The Ethiopian government’s monopoly of, and refusal to
liberalise, the telecoms sector was widely criticized by many of its foreign
partners, including the IMF.<br id=br296>
<br id=br297>
According to the terms of the deal, the French firm will introduce new
schemes to reform the state run telecom’s core operations, ranging from
service provision to infrastructural maintenance. France telecom is also
expected to earn the ETC huge revenues by creating new markets.<br id=br298>
<br id=br299>
ETC is currently embarking on a massive 1.5 billion dollar expansion of all
of its telecom services. Improvements include; the offer of various local and
international language choices; a 997 information service; building a fibre
optic network in order to create an efficient internet connection for the
nation, 90 percent of which should be covered by the increasingly popular 3G
CDMA phones.<br id=br300>
<br id=br301>
France Telecom will not be responsible for the on-going Chinese ZTE-run
projects, which involves the development of Ethiopia’s nationwide network to
cover 14 major cities, the source said.<br id=br302>
(Source: Afrik.com) <o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><a name=int
id=a190></a><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'><br>
<br>
<a href="http://lists.balancingact-africa.com/t/6779/239012/35/0/"
target="_blank"><span style='text-decoration:none'><img border=0 width=550
height=80 id=img203 src="http://htmlnews.balancingact-africa.com/550x80.gif"
alt="Balancing Act Banner"></span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td width=162 valign=top style='width:121.5pt;padding:0in 0in 0in 9.0pt;
font-size-adjust: none'>
<div style='border:solid #9999CC 1.0pt;padding:0in 0in 0in 0in;margin-top:
15.0pt;margin-bottom:6.0pt;-moz-background-clip: -moz-initial;-moz-background-origin: -moz-initial;
-moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;background-attachment:scroll;
background-position-x:0%;background-position-y:50%'>
<h2 style='mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:4.5pt;
margin-left:0in;background:#9999CC;vertical-align:middle'><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:white'>telecoms
briefs<o:p></o:p></span></h2>
<div id="p186_wrap_1">
<div id="p203_wrap_1">
<div id="p203_wrap_2">
<p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:3.75pt;margin-bottom:3.75pt;
margin-left:3.75pt;background:#CCCCFF'><span style='font-size:8.5pt;
font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'>- South African regulator ICASA has given
the green light to cellular operators to cut interconnect rates by 36c from
next month, which it says will benefit consumers. This week, MTN, Cell C and
Vodacom agreed independently with each other to voluntarily cut the peak
interconnect rate from R1.25 to 89c. The off-peak cost remains at 77c. The
agreements were filed with ICASA on Tuesday and, late last night, it approved
the revised proposal.<br id="br316_1">
<br id=br317>
- Kenya’s Permanent Secretary of Information Bitange Ndemo has hinted that
the government may be considering a reduction in the cost of 3G licences,
following sustained pressure from operators. Ndemo has again raised
expectations for a reduction, telling a local radio station: ‘We will do
everything possible to ensure that we have created the necessary competitive
environment, even if it means that we revise the cost to reasonable levels.
If we decide that we are lowering, we would have some mechanisms to ensure
that Safaricom does not lose its money.’ Ndemo added that a final decision
should be made in the next three weeks.<br id=br318>
<br id=br319>
- The Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) said that it would open financial
bids for the privatisation of Nigerian Telecommunications Plc (NITEL) and its
mobile arm, M-tel, on February 16, 2010. Six out of 14 pre-qualified
consortia that submitted bids for the acquisition of 75% stake in Nitel have
been shortlisted by the Bureau of Pubic Enterprises (BPE). They are: Brymedia
(WA) Ltd; AF21/ Spectrum Consortium; MTN Nigeria Communication Ltd; Globacom
Nigeria Ltd; Omen International Ltd (BVI); and New Generation
Telecommunications Ltd (formerly Telefonica Consortium).<br id=br320>
<br id=br321>
- Orange Tunisia has announced that its 3G network has carried its first
call. According to IT website Tekiano the official technical inauguration of
the network meets the new operator's obligation to have the network up and
running within six months of obtaining its licence last August. The full
commercial launch of the mobile network is expected in April. <br id=br322>
<br id="br323_1">
- According to local newspaper, the Nigerian Compass, Singapore
Telecommunications is eyeing acquisitions in Asia and the fast-growing
markets of Africa and the Middle East to boost growth after it reported
quarterly earnings in line with estimates. CEO Chua Sock Koong said the telco
will not close its eyes to the fertile telecoms landscape of emerging
markets. The company earns about three-quarters of its core earnings from
outside Singapore. “Our focus remains in Asia. That’s unchanged. We are also
looking at some adjacent markets including Africa and the Middle East,”Koong
said while speaking about the likelihood of acquisitions to shore up earnings
and operations.<br id=br201>
<br id=br202>
<br id=br279>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'><a
href="http://lists.balancingact-africa.com/t/6779/239012/2/0/" target="_blank"><span
style='text-decoration:none'><img border=0 width=150 height=213 id=img196
src="http://htmlnews.balancingact-africa.com/mobarpu.gif"
alt="Balancing Act Report - African Mobile ARPU and Subscriber Forecasts"></span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width=598 valign=top style='width:448.5pt;border-top:none;border-left:
solid #9999CC 1.0pt;border-bottom:none;border-right:solid #9999CC 1.0pt;
padding:0in 9.0pt 0in 9.0pt;font-size-adjust: none'>
<table class=MsoNormalTable border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width="100%"
style='width:100.0%;border:none;border-bottom:solid #666699 3.0pt;
font-size-adjust: none'>
<tr>
<td style='border:none;background:#9999CC;padding:1.5pt 0in 1.5pt 3.0pt;
font-size-adjust: none'>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:13.5pt;margin-right:0in;
margin-bottom:1.5pt;margin-left:0in'><b><span style='font-size:10.5pt;
font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:white;text-transform:uppercase'>INTERNET
NEWS <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
</td>
<td valign=top style='border:none;background:#9999CC;padding:0in 0in 0in 0in'>
<p class=MsoNormal align=right style='mso-margin-top-alt:13.5pt;margin-right:
0in;margin-bottom:1.5pt;margin-left:0in;text-align:right'><b><span
style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:white;
text-transform:uppercase'><img border=0 width=16 height=16 id="_x0000_i1048"
src="http://www.balancingact-africa.com/email/images/roundcorner_h2.gif"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
<p align=right style='mso-margin-top-alt:.75pt;margin-right:1.5pt;margin-bottom:
6.0pt;margin-left:0in;text-align:right'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;
font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";text-transform:uppercase'><a href="#top"><span
style='color:#000033;text-decoration:none'>Back to top</span></a> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<h4 style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.75pt;
margin-left:0in' id=h4163><a name=int01 id=int01></a><span style='font-size:
10.5pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#000033'>West Africa: Main
One Submarine Cable Project Inches Near Completion<o:p></o:p></span></h4>
<div id="p165_wrap_1">
<div id="p309_wrap_1">
<div id="p309_wrap_2">
<p style='margin-bottom:3.75pt'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:
"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#000033'>The Main One Cable Company has
announced the commencement of the final laying of its high capacity fibre
optic cable from Seixal, Portugal, through the coast of West Africa to Ghana,
and Nigeria.<br id=br345>
<br id=br346>
The cable, which goes live in June 2010, is bringing the much-expected
international capacity into a region whose explosive growth in tele-density
in recent years has been blighted by sub-optimal global connectivity.<br
id=br347>
Click to learn more...<br id=br348>
<br id=br349>
"We are pleased to achieve this major milestone within project
timeline," said Fola Adeola, Chairman of Main One Cable Company.
"We remain focused on delivering the project on schedule." Main
One, in November 2009, successfully completed the installation of the shore
ends of the cable in Lagos, Nigeria, Accra, Ghana, and Seixal, Portugal.<br
id="br350_1">
<br id="br351_1">
The commencement of the end-to-end laying of the full stretch of the fiber
optic from Portugal, signposts the final stages of the ambitious project.
"Now that the 7,000 kilometre trunk of the cable is being installed, we
are pleased that our efforts over the last 18 months are coming to
fruition," said Funke Opeke, Main One CEO.<br id=br352>
<br id=br353>
The Main One Cable Company is wholly owned by African investors - African
Finance Corporation, Nigeria; Pan African Infrastructure Development Fund,
South Africa; FBN Capital, Nigeria; Skye Bank, Nigeria and Main Street
Technologies, Nigeria, which is the project sponsor.<br id=br354>
<br id="br355_1">
In addition to the submarine operations, Main One is building two landing
stations in Accra and Lagos which will be complete next month. Equipment installation
and end-to-end testing of the cable system will then follow, prior to service
launch in June.<br id=br356>
<br id=br357>
Main One will provide open access to 1.92 Terabits per second of capacity to
the West African region at prices less than 50 percent of current wholesale
capacity prices.<br id=br358>
<br id="br359_1">
The international capacity that Main One is bringing into the West African
sub-region will consolidate the explosive growth of telecommunications in the
sub-region in recent years. In addition to providing a major boost to
Internet access, Main One will help to considerably minimise the difficulties
of switching traffic between African countries and eliminate the
inconveniences and added costs of first routing traffic to Europe.<br
id=br360>
(Source: The Ghanaian Chronicle) <o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<h4 style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.75pt;
margin-left:0in' id=h4168><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";
color:#000033'>Fresh Storm Brews Over Uganda’s National Fibre Optic Cable
Project<o:p></o:p></span></h4>
<div id="p170_wrap_1">
<div id="p170_wrap_2">
<div id="p170_wrap_3">
<p style='margin-bottom:3.75pt'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:
"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#000033'>The government has ditched technical
safeguards for proper construction and functioning of the multi-billion
national optic fibre backbone infrastructure, according to a report in the
Daily Monitor.<br id=br366>
<br id=br367>
Our investigations show that the original October 2006 turnkey contract
between the government and Huawei Technologies Ltd, a Chinese Company, has
already been altered three times, the latest being on August 18, 2009 under
which some crucial provisions on quality standards have been removed.<br
id=br368>
<br id=br369>
Key requirements dropped include pre-shipment inspection to certify quality
of cables and other materials in countries of origin and a provision to inter
the fibre cables in ducts conveyed through trenches at least 1.5 metres deep
from road surface. Officials have okayed a trench depth of between 0.8-1
metre.<br id=br370>
<br id=br371>
Payments, which under the original contract, were made in block percentages
after completion of agreed works have been revised to be cleared in phases
per incremental works.<br id=br372>
<br id=br373>
Under the latest amendment, Huawei Technologies has been allowed to use $715,
679 (Shs1.4b) to buy some 3,800 wooden poles on which to run onshore sections
of the National Data Transmission Backbone and E-Government Infrastructure
(NBI/EGI). This, industry experts say, would render the installations
vulnerable to vandalism.<br id=br374>
<br id=br375>
It has emerged that the ICT ministry has overturned a recommendation by its
IT specialists - which Permanent Secretary Jimmy Saamanya had earlier
endorsed - that the higher version, bigger-capacity G.655 96 core cable be
used to network the country in subsequent phases of the project instead of
G.652 24 core cables.<br id=br376>
<br id=br377>
This followed information given to civil servants that the cost of the
lower-capacity 24 core cable, which Huawei Technologies currently supplies at
$3, 200 (Shs6m) per kilometer, has over the past couple of years tumbled on
the world market on the backdrop of rapid technological innovations.<br
id=br378>
<br id=br379>
Daily Monitor understands that another Chinese Company, in May last year,
notified the ICT Ministry that it could sell each kilometer-long 24 core
cable cheaply at $1, 400 (Shs2.6m), enabling government to save $1, 800
(Shs3.4m) per unit. No decision was taken on the proposal.<br id=br380>
<br id=br381>
In an interview on January 21, the pioneer ICT Minister Ham Mulira, whose
team negotiated the first contract, said the lower 2009 price quotations for
the 24-core fibre cable is because technology changes fast and overtime,
earlier products turn cheaper.<br id=br382>
<br id=br383>
"These are different generations of technology and since 2006 (when the
turnkey contract was signed), prices have dropped," he said. He,
however, would not say why a provision was not embedded in the original
contract to accommodate the anticipated price fluctuations. Official records
show that ICT ministry technocrats had warned that phase I cables were laid
in shallow trenches (compromising its safety and lifespan); backfilling was
incomplete and Mark Stones missing to identify routing of the infrastructure
for protection.<br id="br384_2">
<br id=br385>
Dan Alinage, the Uganda National Roads Authority spokesperson, has confirmed
that at the very minimum, all utility/service providers laying underground
infrastructure, should bore trenches 1.5 metres deep from the road, not
ground, surface. "A bitumen road, done well, has a thickness of one
metre. If underground cables are buried in a shallow way, they could be
destroyed during maintenance of the road," he said, adding: "The
trenches should be dug 15 metres from the middle of the road."<br
id=br386>
<br id=br387>
In an October 29, 2009 Internal Memo to PS Saamanya, a copy of which Daily
Monitor has seen, Simon Peter Onyango, then head of the Project
Implementation Unit, wrote: "The sections [of the cable] in the swamps
have not been well entrenched. Secondly, the cable in these swamps is lying
in water. This has a negative effect on the cable. Effort should be made to
keep the cable out of water by laying in two concentric pipes."<br
id=br388>
<br id=br389>
This newspaper has learnt that some Ministry of ICT officials around
September last year abruptly halted their technical staff from carrying out field
surveys to ascertain the appropriate routing, in effect the actual cost, of
the communication infrastructure under phase II to connect the countryside,
except West Nile.<br id=br390>
<br id=br391>
The decision has reportedly strained working relations between technocrats,
who on the one hand feel sidelined/undermined and the decision-makers on the
hand, emboldened by long service and experience.<br id="br392_1">
<br id=br393>
When we tried to reach PS Saamanya to clarify on the emerging issues about
the NBI/ENI, his secretary referred us to the Ministry spokesperson, Geoffrey
David Kiirya, who advised us to e-mail the enquiries.<br id=br394>
<br id=br395>
However when this newspaper telephoned him on January 13, a day after the
e-mail was sent, Mr Kiirya said he had sought, but failed, to get responses
from respective officers and "So, I have no comment".<br id=br396>
<br id=br397>
Dr Mulira, now a presidential advisor on ICT, said in Thursday's interview
that like "all projects", phase I of the NBI/ENI project
constructed under his watch could have had "some flaws" but Uganda
in the first place had no say in choosing the contractor, picked by the
Chinese government; the project's financer. He, however, said he had
confidence Huawei Technologies would do a clean job on the infrastructure to
last 5-100 years.<br id=br398>
<br id=br399>
"When a foreign government gives assistance of that kind, the sourcing
of the contractor and procurements are not done locally here," Dr Mulira
said, highlighting the handicaps of bilateral lending.He added: "The
optic fibre cable is a benefit to the country in this digital age. It's
something that should be welcomed and any mishaps will be dealt with [during
maintenance] but these should not obscure the objectives of the project."<br
id=br400>
<br id="br401_1">
Information gleaned from ICT Ministry website says the project, whose phase
II reportedly commenced discreetly in the wake of a parliamentary freeze, is
to "put in place optic fibre infrastructure countrywide to enhance
connectivity and transmission of data, voice and video communication".<br
id=br402>
<br id=br403>
The government, represented by Communications and Broadcasting Infrastructure
chief, Godfrey Kibuuka and Fan Siyong, the country managing director of
Huawei Technologies Company signed the original $127.9 million (Shs243b),
inclusive of a $21.3 million (Shs40.5b) 'book entry' tax, for installation of
the 2,122-kilometre NBI/ENI facility to boost local Internet capacity.<br
id=br404>
<br id=br405>
The idea being that local bandwidth for electronic communication will be
expanded and access to Internet services made cheaper, faster and more
efficient across the country. This way, government business could be
conducted on line, saving time and costs. Other benefits would include real
time on-line consultancy for things such as tele-medicine or auditing books
of accounts of foreign multinational companies from the comfort of one's room
here.<br id=br406>
(Source: The Monitor) <o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<h4 style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.75pt;
margin-left:0in' id=h4172><a name=int03 id=int03></a><span style='font-size:
10.5pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#000033'>South Africa: MTN to
Match Competitors in Fast Broadband Offering<o:p></o:p></span></h4>
<div id="p174_wrap_1">
<div id="p174_wrap_2">
<div id="p174_wrap_3">
<p style='margin-bottom:3.75pt'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:
"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#000033'>MTN has fallen into step with
competitors Vodacom and Cell C by announcing that it would be rolling out
HSPA+ broadband services at speeds of up to 21 megabits per second (MBps).
MTN said HSPA+ would be "rolled out strategically countrywide".<br
id=br413>
<br id=br414>
But achieving the high connection speeds made possible by the technology
would depend on "various conditions such as transmission, access device
capability and the number of subscribers using the site at that particular
time of day".<br id=br415>
<br id=br416>
Cell C announced plans for an HSPA+ service last month, promising to become
the first operator in SA to offer the technology by the end of this year.
Vodacom followed last week by saying its HSPA+ service would be available in
key areas during the Soccer World Cup.<br id=br417>
<br id=br418>
MTN did not say when its HSPA+ technology would be operational, but said it
had recently upgraded its broadband service to provide download speeds of
14,4MBps - double the previous level. It would not charge a premium for the
higher access speeds.<br id=br419>
<br id=br420>
However, WorldWideWorx MD Arthur Goldstuck said few customers would be able
to take full advantage of the faster network speed. "The end user
equipment is not yet ready for these speeds. "There's been tremendous
disappointment with the roll-out of 7.2MBps speeds, with most people
experiencing speeds of less than 1MBps," Goldstuck said.<br id="br421_1">
(Source: Business Day) <o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div id=div225>
<div id="p226_wrap_1">
<div id="p226_wrap_2">
<p style='margin-bottom:3.75pt'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:
"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#000033'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
</div>
</div>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'><a
href="http://lists.balancingact-africa.com/t/6779/239012/288/0/"
target="_blank"><span style='text-decoration:none'><img border=0 width=468
height=60 id=img224 src="http://www.balancingact-africa.com/ba_mmoney_ad.gif"
hspace=40 alt=M-Money></span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
</td>
<td width=162 valign=top style='width:121.5pt;padding:0in 0in 0in 9.0pt;
font-size-adjust: none'>
<div style='border:solid #9999CC 1.0pt;padding:0in 0in 0in 0in;margin-top:
15.0pt;margin-bottom:6.0pt;-moz-background-clip: -moz-initial;-moz-background-origin: -moz-initial;
-moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;background-attachment:scroll;
background-position-x:0%;background-position-y:50%'>
<h2 style='mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:4.5pt;
margin-left:0in;background:#9999CC;vertical-align:middle'><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:white'>Internet
briefs<o:p></o:p></span></h2>
<div id="p228_wrap_1">
<div id="p244_wrap_1">
<div id="p244_wrap_2">
<p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:3.75pt;margin-bottom:3.75pt;
margin-left:3.75pt;background:#CCCCFF'><span style='font-size:8.5pt;
font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'>- The East Africa Submarine Cable System
is set to land in Mtunzini, on the north coast of Kwa-Zulu Natal this
weekend. This will be the only landing of the EASSy cable in South Africa and
heralds the start of the final stage of the long process of planning,
financing, designing and building this important African East Coast
consortium cable system.<br id=br436>
<br id=br437>
- According to a report on Internet connectivity worldwide, published by
Akamai, a US company specializing in managing Internet, the best connection
in Africa can be found in Morocco, with a connection speed of 3251 kilobits
per second (Kbps). The report, compiled during the 3rd quarter of 2009, also
states that the UK is the country with the fastest connection to Africa.
Rabat (3251kbps), Tunis (2211 Kbps) and Casablanca (2030 Kbps) top the lists
of the cities with the best connections on the African continent. Regarding
Internet penetration, Rabat leads with 26%, succeeded by Casablanca (7.3%),
while Midrand in South Africa comes third. In terms of average speed
connections from 2Mbps upward, Morocco’s Rabat also leads with 61%. Tunis
rated 48% and Casablanca 33%.<br id=br438>
<br id=br439>
- Internet connection speeds, which currently do not exceed 2 megabytes (MB),
will reach 20 MB "from the end of next April" for 100,000
connections in the province of Constantine (431 km east of Algiers), the
local Director of Algeria's telecommunications company
"Algerie-Telecom" announced on Sunday. This "qualitative
leap," said Mohamed Ouadi, is made possible through New Generation
Network (NGN) equipment with a capacity of 100,000 connections granted to
this eastern province in keeping with the renewal of the company's national
network to achieve the "e-Algeria 2013" project.<br id=br440>
<br id=br441>
- The Central Bank of Nigeria, the country’s banking regulator, military
institutions and scores of other government agencies have missed a 2009
year-end deadline to migrate their websites onto Nigeria’s n.g, the nation’s
virtual equivalent of country border on the global Internet. The Federal
Government last year issued a December 31, 2009 deadline to all ministries,
departments and agencies (MDAs) under government to comply with the
directive, citing issues of national identity and security concerns.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<div id="p249_wrap_1">
<p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:3.75pt;margin-bottom:3.75pt;
margin-left:3.75pt;background:#CCCCFF'><span style='font-size:8.5pt;
font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'><br>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'><a
href="http://lists.balancingact-africa.com/t/6779/239012/775/0/"
target="_blank"><span style='text-decoration:none'><img border=0 width=150
height=213 id=img236
src="http://htmlnews.balancingact-africa.com/fibresat.gif"
alt="Balancing Act Report on Fibre and Satellite Markets"></span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width=598 valign=top style='width:448.5pt;border-top:none;border-left:
solid #9999CC 1.0pt;border-bottom:none;border-right:solid #9999CC 1.0pt;
padding:0in 9.0pt 0in 9.0pt;font-size-adjust: none'>
<table class=MsoNormalTable border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width="100%"
style='width:100.0%;border:none;border-bottom:solid #666699 3.0pt;
font-size-adjust: none'>
<tr>
<td style='border:none;background:#9999CC;padding:1.5pt 0in 1.5pt 3.0pt'>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:13.5pt;margin-right:0in;
margin-bottom:1.5pt;margin-left:0in'><a name=comp id=comp></a><b><span
style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:white;
text-transform:uppercase'>COMPUTER NEWS <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
</td>
<td valign=top style='border:none;background:#9999CC;padding:0in 0in 0in 0in'>
<p class=MsoNormal align=right style='mso-margin-top-alt:13.5pt;margin-right:
0in;margin-bottom:1.5pt;margin-left:0in;text-align:right'><b><span
style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:white;
text-transform:uppercase'><img border=0 width=16 height=16 id="_x0000_i1051"
src="http://www.balancingact-africa.com/email/images/roundcorner_h2.gif"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
<p align=right style='mso-margin-top-alt:.75pt;margin-right:1.5pt;margin-bottom:
6.0pt;margin-left:0in;text-align:right'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;
font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";text-transform:uppercase'><a href="#top"><span
style='color:#000033;text-decoration:none'>Back to top</span></a> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<h4 style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.75pt;
margin-left:0in' id=h4189><a name=comp01 id=comp01></a><span
style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#000033'>Cash-Strapped
IT Body to oversee Two New Projects in Uganda<o:p></o:p></span></h4>
<div id="p191_wrap_1">
<div id="p191_wrap_2">
<div id="p191_wrap_3">
<p style='margin-bottom:3.75pt'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:
"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#000033'>Cash-strapped National Information
Technology Authority of Uganda (NITA-U) is to oversee the business process
outsourcing and the district business information centres projects. Aggrey
Awori, the information and communication technology minister, handed over the
projects to Andrew Lutwama, the IT body acting executive director, at the
ministry headquarters in Kampala last week.<br id="br465_1">
<br id=br466>
While handing over the projects, Awori acknowledged that NITA-U was still
cash-strapped as the Ministry of Finance was yet to allocate it adequate operational
funds. The hand over of the two projects follows recommendations by the
parliamentary committee on ICT.<br id="br467_1">
<br id="br468_1">
Last month, NITA-U was also tasked to oversee the controversial national data
transmission backbone infrastructure and e-government infrastructure project,
which was started with a $106m Chinese loan.<br id="br469_1">
<br id="br470_1">
The irony, however, is that while NITA-U takes on these huge projects, it is
yet to recruit operational staff. Awori has since last year claimed that the
ICT ministry had invited human resources consultants to assist in recruiting.
The ministry blames the Ministry of Finance for not establishing a vote to
fund the IT body operations.<br id="br471_1">
<br id="br472_1">
"The handicap has been getting the funds," Awori said when asked
why the authority had no operational staff. Dr. Pat Samaanya the permanent
secretary, however, said, the ministry was mobilising the required resources.<br
id="br473_1">
<br id=br474>
On the projects, Awori said the ministry has developed a guiding strategy and
model for the business process outsourcing (BPO) sector, which is expected to
spur job creation for Ugandan youths through IT enabled services. He added
that the sector had been re-energised into forming an association, the Uganda
BPO Association.<br id="br475_1">
<br id=br476>
According to the ICT ministry website, BPO as the strategic use of a
third-party services provider to perform activities traditionally handled by
internal staff and resources to enable an organisation to focus more on their
core businesses.<br id=br477>
<br id="br478_1">
The most common examples of BPO are customer support services such as call
centres, policy management like human resource, data process services such as
payroll outsourcing and technical support services.<br id=br479>
<br id="br480_1">
Lutwama, the IT Authority boss, said there are only 2.4 million people
employed in the BPO sector globally. "This is a multi-billion dollar industry
and we would like to tap into it. It is a goldmine and will reverse kyeyo
trend," said Awori.<br id="br481_1">
<br id=br482>
In neighbouring Kenya, the BPO market is estimated at an annual revenue of
Ksh400m and has more than 31 players, according to a report on
www.AllAfrica.com.<br id="br483_1">
<br id=br484>
The report added that banks, telecom and insurance companies were the main
clients for the BPO sector in Kenya. However, industry players blame the
relatively slower uptake of outsourcing services among local companies on
lack of awareness and distrust of BPO firms with their operations or data.<br
id=br485>
<br id="br486_1">
The report indicated that Kenya had a huge gap in higher level outsourcing
services like financial analysis, data mining, engineering, research,
development, insurance claims processing, architectural design, education,
publishing, medical diagnostics and journalism.<br id=br487>
<br id="br488_1">
The district business information centres project, which the IT body has also
been tasked to oversee is being piloted in Kamwenge, Mityana, Busia, Lira,
Iganga and Rukungiri districts.<br id=br489>
(Source: The New Vision) <o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<h4 style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.75pt;
margin-left:0in' id=h4193><a name=comp02 id=comp02></a><span
style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#000033'>HIT,
Software Development Firm Sign Deal in Zimbabwe<o:p></o:p></span></h4>
<div id="p195_wrap_1">
<div id="p195_wrap_2">
<div id="p195_wrap_3">
<p style='margin-bottom:3.75pt'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:
"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#000033'>The Harare Institute of Technology and
a local software development company have signed a Memorandum of
Understanding for co-operation in diverse areas of Information and
Communication Technology to bridge the ICT gap between the corporate sector
and the rest of the world.<br id="br496_1">
<br id="br497_1">
Afrosoft Holdings is one of the fastest growing software solutions
development company in Zimbabwe. The agreement between HIT and Afrosoft will
result in co-operation in the areas of research, training activities,
technology development and application, mobile value added tax VAS
integration, and E-commerce services.<br id=br498>
<br id="br499_1">
Afrosoft Holdings group chief executive Engineer John Mberi said the two
organisations though operating on different platforms shared the same view of
transforming the nation in terms of technology.<br id=br500>
<br id=br501>
"As Afrosoft we share the same vision with HIT, that of transforming
Zimbabwe into a mobile base technology, integrating trade and payment system
and common skills.<br id="br502_1">
<br id=br503>
"The economy needs technology especially for the forthcoming Fifa World
Cup soccer showcase in South Africa and all what is needed is for Zimbabweans
to bridge the technological gap to suit the tourists we should host,"
said Eng Mberi.<br id=br504>
<br id="br505_1">
HIT vice chancellor Engineer Quinton Kanhukamwe said that the mobile industry
has not been fully exploited business wise. "Mobile phone penetration
has grown substantially over the past few years. What has not happened is its
full exploitation in industry and commerce in as far as e-business is
concerned."<br id="br506_1">
(Source: The Herarld) <o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<h4 style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.75pt;
margin-left:0in' id=h4258><a name=comp03 id=comp03></a><span
style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#000033'>SADC
to Start Regional Stock Trading Soon<o:p></o:p></span></h4>
<div id="p260_wrap_1">
<div id="p260_wrap_2">
<div id="p260_wrap_3">
<p style='margin-bottom:3.75pt'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:
"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#000033'>Investors are months away from being
able to trade stocks across 10 securities exchanges in the Southern African
Development Community (Sadc) through a common technical interconnectivity
platform - signalling the first significant step towards the integration of
one of Africa's economic regions.<br id="br514_1">
<br id=br515>
The Committee of Sadc Stock Exchanges (CoSSE), which starts a two-day meeting
in Cape Town today, is expected to finalise the agreed hub-and-spoke exchange
interconnectivity model.<br id="br516_1">
<br id="br517_1">
Brokers have sought a vehicle to provide information on companies operating
in the region, monitor their performance and explore opportunities for
clients.<br id="br518_1">
<br id=br519>
Geoff Rothschild, CoSSE chairman and the JSE's director of government and
international affairs, said implementation would "expose our neighbours'
business organisations to local and international investors".<br
id="br520_1">
<br id=br521>
"This hub will allow exchanges to connect to each other's platforms and
ultimately allow investors to trade on all Sadc exchanges through their local
brokerage."<br id="br522_1">
<br id="br523_1">
Rothschild said serious investment was needed to upgrade technology for all
the region's exchanges. Many had expressed willingness to do so but funding
remained a problem.<br id=br524>
(Source: Business Day) <o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'><a
href="http://lists.balancingact-africa.com/t/6779/239012/454/0/"
target="_blank"><span style='text-decoration:none'><img border=0 width=550
height=80 id=img252 src="http://htmlnews.balancingact-africa.com/Atim2en.gif"
alt="BA banner"></span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td width=162 valign=top style='width:121.5pt;padding:0in 0in 0in 9.0pt;
font-size-adjust: none'>
<div style='border:solid #9999CC 1.0pt;padding:0in 0in 0in 0in;margin-top:
15.0pt;margin-bottom:6.0pt;-moz-background-clip: -moz-initial;-moz-background-origin: -moz-initial;
-moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;background-attachment:scroll;
background-position-x:0%;background-position-y:50%'>
<h2 style='mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:4.5pt;
margin-left:0in;background:#9999CC;vertical-align:middle'><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:white'>Computer
briefs<o:p></o:p></span></h2>
<div id="p265_wrap_1">
<div id="p265_wrap_2">
<div id="p265_wrap_3">
<p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:3.75pt;margin-bottom:3.75pt;
margin-left:3.75pt;background:#CCCCFF'><span style='font-size:8.5pt;
font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'>- The Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission, (EFCC) in partnership with Microsoft has identified music as a
veritable tool to tackle the menace of cybercrime in Nigeria. The partnership
has already begun to collaborate with some top young Nigerian artistes to
pass anti-cybercrime messages to youths across the country. The first leg of
the collaboration was unveiled recently in Abuja where a song entitled 'Maga
No Need Pay' was presented to stakeholders and the general public.<br
id=br535>
<br id=br536>
- Ghana Telecom University College (GTUC), a science and technology-oriented
university in the country and beyond, has introduced a new PhD programme in
Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and Telecom Engineering this
month, with 12 pioneering students.<br id=br537>
<br id=br538>
- Microsoft Corporation, maker of the Windows Operating System officially
released its Amharic version for Windows Vista on February 3, 2010, at a
ceremony held at the Sheraton Addis in Ethiopia. <br id=br539>
<br id=br540>
- The European Union (EU) Support to Reforming Institutions Programme (SRIP)
has distributed Information Technology (IT) and office equipment worth 3.7
million euros (about N814 million) to six states of the Nigerian federation
in its renewed commitment to effect reforms in the nation's public sector
finances. <br id="br294_1">
<br>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
</div>
<p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:3.75pt;margin-bottom:3.75pt;
margin-left:3.75pt;background:#CCCCFF'><span style='font-size:8.5pt;
font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
</div>
</div>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'><img border=0
width=150 height=300 id=img272
src="http://htmlnews.balancingact-africa.com/150x300light.gif" alt=advert><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<td width=598 valign=top style='width:448.5pt;border-top:none;border-left:
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padding:0in 9.0pt 0in 9.0pt;font-size-adjust: none'>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'><br>
<br>
<a name=money id=money></a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<table class=MsoNormalTable border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width="100%"
style='width:100.0%;border:none;border-bottom:solid #666699 3.0pt;
font-size-adjust: none'>
<tr>
<td style='border:none;background:#9999CC;padding:1.5pt 0in 1.5pt 3.0pt'>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:13.5pt;margin-right:0in;
margin-bottom:1.5pt;margin-left:0in'><b><span style='font-size:10.5pt;
font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:white;text-transform:uppercase'>ON
THE MONEY<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
</td>
<td valign=top style='border:none;background:#9999CC;padding:0in 0in 0in 0in'>
<p class=MsoNormal align=right style='mso-margin-top-alt:13.5pt;margin-right:
0in;margin-bottom:1.5pt;margin-left:0in;text-align:right'><b><span
style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:white;
text-transform:uppercase'><img border=0 width=16 height=16 id="_x0000_i1054"
src="http://www.balancingact-africa.com/email/images/roundcorner_h2.gif"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
<p align=right style='mso-margin-top-alt:.75pt;margin-right:1.5pt;margin-bottom:
6.0pt;margin-left:0in;text-align:right'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;
font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";text-transform:uppercase'><a href="#top"><span
style='color:#000033;text-decoration:none'>Back to top</span></a> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<h4 style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.75pt;
margin-left:0in' id=h4284><a name=money01 id=money01></a><span
style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#000033'>Wireless
Roll-Out Delays in South Africa See Jasco Profit Dip 28 Percent<o:p></o:p></span></h4>
<div id="p524_wrap_1">
<div id="p524_wrap_2">
<p style='margin-bottom:3.75pt'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:
"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#000033'>Tight spending by African
telecommunications firms contributed to a 28% year-on-year fall in profit to
R11.2m for Jasco Electronics in the six months to December, it said last
week. Jasco's telecommunications division, its second-largest contributor of
revenue, was hit by "wireless roll-out delays in Africa and a further
decline in expenditure on fixed-line networks", an interim results
statement said.<br>
<br>
The division saw its operating profit fall 26% to R17,9m, although it
"maintained its position in the wireless arena in SA". Overall
group revenue was R264m, a fall of 18% from the six months to December 2008.<br>
<br>
But a financial year comparison showed an increase in revenue of 6%, as Jasco
last year changed its year-end from February to June, meaning comparisons on
this basis were with the six months to August 2008.<br>
<br>
Jasco's security division had struggled, "after a very strong
performance during the 12 months to February 2009".<br>
<br>
"The effect of the recession was particularly felt during the last 10
months when the majority of anticipated projects were postponed indefinitely
and the forward order book was negatively impacted."<br>
<br>
But Jasco said that the division had shown a small profit for the period and
its business model remained in place.<br>
<br>
CEO Martin Lotz said the telecom and security divisions would remain
"under pressure for the rest of the financial year", although he
expected to see an improvement "in the next 12-18 months".<br>
<br>
He hoped Jasco would be involved in Cell C's new R5bn broadband network,
announced last month. "The wireless network in SA is mature now, but the
penetration of voice and broadband in Africa is tremendously low. There's a
lot of potential for expansion." The domestic products division fared
relatively well, despite flat revenue growth. Its operating profit increased
to R7.3m from R6.9m in the prior-year period.<br>
(Source: Business Day) <o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
</div>
<h4 style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.75pt;
margin-left:0in' id=h4287><a name=money02 id=money02></a><span
style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#000033'>Helios
Towers Nigeria secures extra IFC funding<o:p></o:p></span></h4>
<div id="p289_wrap_1">
<div id="p289_wrap_2">
<div id="p503_wrap_1">
<p style='margin-bottom:3.75pt'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:
"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#000033'>Helios Towers Nigeria (HTN) has secured
an additional USD150 million in syndicated loans from the International
Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, to expand
telecoms technologies in Nigeria, cellular-news reports. The loan extension
forms part of an overall USD250 million initiative to improve access to
telecoms nationwide.<br>
<br>
The funds will be ploughed into expanding HTN’s network of communications
towers to 2,000 sites nationwide, increasing telecoms coverage to help mobile
companies roll out services more economically, especially in rural areas.
Operators will be able to outsource non-core activities and passive
infrastructure, allowing them to focus on further developing their products
and services. The earlier USD100 million investment was secured in September
2009.<br>
<br>
Helios is now signing sharing deals across Africa (see letter below Top Story
above).<br>
(Source: Telegeography) <o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<h4 style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.75pt;
margin-left:0in' id=h4290><a name=money03 id=money03></a><span
style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#000033'>Qtel
eyes Iraqi, Algerian markets<o:p></o:p></span></h4>
<div id="p292_wrap_1">
<div id="p381_wrap_1">
<div id="p381_wrap_2">
<p style='margin-bottom:3.75pt'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:
"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#000033'>The onset of the global financial
crisis was a blessing in disguise for the Qatar Telecommunications company
(Qtel). Dr Nasser Marafih, Qtel CEO, said the global economic crisis had some
positive impact on their business, one of which is the lowering of the
licensing prices worldwide.<br>
<br>
“The crisis has some positive impacts in the communication sector because the
licensing price has become affordable… more realistic,” said Marafih in an
interview with an Arabic publication. The low licensing prices, Marafih said,
has created and will create chances and opportunities for Qtel’s “future
acquisitions”. “We now have control of 14 communication companies in 17
countries,” he said.<br>
<br>
The Qtel CEO said the company is looking into investing in the Iraqi and
Algerian telecommunications markets because of the high business
possibilities there. He said, however, that they have abandoned the African
market because there are many telecommunications companies there already.
Marafih said Qtel will concentrate more on mobile Internet services here in
the future.<br>
(Source: The Peninsula) <o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><a name=money04
id=money04></a><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'><br>
<br>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<h4 style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.75pt;
margin-left:0in'><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";
color:#000033'>South Africa: FNB confirms PayPal talks<o:p></o:p></span></h4>
<div id=div385>
<div id=div386>
<div id="p387_wrap_1">
<div id="p387_wrap_2">
<p style='margin-bottom:3.75pt'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:
"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#000033'>First National Bank (FNB) has broken
its silence and admitted it is in discussions with PayPal, several days after
a social networking site said the bank was set to launch the service in
April. On Monday, ITWeb reported that Twitter was buzzing with news of the
imminent launch on Sunday, but FNB refused to comment.<br>
<br>
This afternoon, however, Virginia Magapatona, head of corporate
communications at the bank, confirmed it is in discussions with PayPal and
the South African Reserve Bank. She says further information will be released
in “due course”. National Treasury has not yet responded to an e-mailed
request for comment sent to it on Monday morning.<br>
<br>
The leak on Twitter seems to have come from someone who claims to be a
supplier for the project, who Tweeted: “PayPal is launching in SA in April
through FNB.” An FNB executive confirmed the news through Twitter, saying:
“Can anyone say 'cat out of bag'?”, and “It's true – but I wasn't going to
put a public launch date on it.”<br>
<br>
Banking laws require PayPal to either successfully apply for a banking
licence in South Africa, or join forces with a local bank. A partnership
would enable South Africans to be paid by international consumers through
PayPal, without breaking foreign exchange laws.<br>
(Source: ITWeb)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><a name=others
id=others></a><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'><br>
<br>
<a href="http://lists.balancingact-africa.com/t/6779/239012/288/0/"
target="_blank"><span style='text-decoration:none'><img border=0 width=468
height=60 id=img198 src="http://www.balancingact-africa.com/ba_mmoney_ad.gif"
hspace=40 alt="BA report banner"></span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td width=162 valign=top style='width:121.5pt;padding:0in 0in 0in 9.0pt;
font-size-adjust: none'>
<div style='border:solid #9999CC 1.0pt;padding:0in 0in 0in 0in;margin-top:
15.0pt;margin-bottom:6.0pt;-moz-background-clip: -moz-initial;-moz-background-origin: -moz-initial;
-moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;background-attachment:scroll;
background-position-x:0%;background-position-y:50%'>
<h2 style='mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:4.5pt;
margin-left:0in;background:#9999CC;vertical-align:middle'><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:white'>On
the Money briefs<o:p></o:p></span></h2>
<div id="p299_wrap_1">
<div id="p299_wrap_2">
<p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:3.75pt;margin-bottom:3.75pt;
margin-left:3.75pt;background:#CCCCFF'><span style='font-size:8.5pt;
font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'>- The resignation of Kuwaiti-based Zain's
chief executive, Mr Saad al-Barrak, has ignited rumours of the possible sale of
Zain Africa operations. However, Zain said it has not received any offers for
its African mobile networks, despite reports that it is in talks with three
major international operators. "There are no current offers and the
company will inform the bourse's administration about any new information
that may come up regarding this issue," Zain said in a statement to
Kuwait's stock exchange.<br>
<br>
- Banque Populaire du Rwanda (BPR) says that it will soon unveil the Mobile
Banking service. Ben Kalkman, the bank's CEO told Business Times that they
are carrying out a feasibility study with experts from Netherlands' Rabobank.
Rabobank holds 35 percent of equity in BPR while the former cooperative
members own 65 percent.<br>
<br>
- Vodacom has offered shareholders with less than 100 shares the opportunity
to sell them back to the company, at a profit. The move will tidy up
Vodacom's share register and save costs on sending out circulars and other
notices to these shareholders. Vodacom is offering R56.61 a share to buy back
the stock. The company calculated this based on the volume weighted average
traded price on the JSE over the 10 trading days from 25 January to 5
February, and added in a 5% premium. Its shares closed at R54.60 yesterday.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:3.75pt;margin-bottom:3.75pt;
margin-left:3.75pt;background:#CCCCFF' id=p351><span style='font-size:8.5pt;
font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
</div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width=598 valign=top style='width:448.5pt;border-top:none;border-left:
solid #9999CC 1.0pt;border-bottom:none;border-right:solid #9999CC 1.0pt;
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<table class=MsoNormalTable border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width="100%"
style='width:100.0%;border:none;border-bottom:solid #666699 3.0pt;
font-size-adjust: none'>
<tr>
<td style='border:none;background:#9999CC;padding:1.5pt 0in 1.5pt 3.0pt;
font-size-adjust: none'>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:13.5pt;margin-right:0in;
margin-bottom:1.5pt;margin-left:0in'><b><span style='font-size:10.5pt;
font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:white;text-transform:uppercase'>MORE<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
</td>
<td valign=top style='border:none;background:#9999CC;padding:0in 0in 0in 0in'>
<p class=MsoNormal align=right style='mso-margin-top-alt:13.5pt;margin-right:
0in;margin-bottom:1.5pt;margin-left:0in;text-align:right'><b><span
style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:white;
text-transform:uppercase'><img border=0 width=16 height=16 id="_x0000_i1056"
src="http://www.balancingact-africa.com/email/images/roundcorner_h2.gif"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
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<div style='mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid #9999CC 1.0pt;
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<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.25in;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;
border:none;padding:0in'><![if !supportLists]><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
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style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'>
</span></span></span><![endif]><span style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";
color:#000033;text-transform:uppercase'><a href="#troc"><span
style='color:#666699;text-decoration:none'>Telecoms, Rates, Offers And
Coverage</span></a> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.25in;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;
border:none;padding:0in'><![if !supportLists]><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Symbol;color:#000033;text-transform:uppercase'><span
style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'>
</span></span></span><![endif]><span style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";
color:#000033;text-transform:uppercase'><a href="#wmd"><span
style='color:#666699;text-decoration:none'>Web and Mobile Data news</span></a>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.25in;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;
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</span></span></span><![endif]><span style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";
color:#000033;text-transform:uppercase'><a href="#people"><span
style='color:#666699;text-decoration:none'>People</span></a> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.25in;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;
border:none;padding:0in'><![if !supportLists]><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
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</span></span></span><![endif]><span style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";
color:#000033;text-transform:uppercase'><a href="#events"><span
style='color:#666699;text-decoration:none'>Events</span></a> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.25in;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;
border:none;padding:0in'><![if !supportLists]><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
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</span></span></span><![endif]><span style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";
color:#000033;text-transform:uppercase'><a href="#jobs"><span
style='color:#666699;text-decoration:none'>Jobs and opportunities</span></a> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.25in;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;
border:none;padding:0in'><![if !supportLists]><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Symbol;color:#000033;text-transform:uppercase'><span
style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'>
</span></span></span><![endif]><span style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";
color:#000033;text-transform:uppercase'><a href="#contracts"><span
style='color:#666699;text-decoration:none'>Contracts</span></a> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<p align=right style='mso-margin-top-alt:.75pt;margin-right:1.5pt;margin-bottom:
6.0pt;margin-left:0in;text-align:right'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;
font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";text-transform:uppercase'><a href="#top"><span
style='color:#000033;text-decoration:none'>Back to top</span></a> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'><br>
<br>
<a name=telrates id=troc></a><a name=troc id=telrates></a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<div style='mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-top:solid #666699 3.0pt;
padding:6.0pt 0in 0in 0in'>
<h3 style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.75pt;
margin-left:0in;border:none;padding:0in'><span style='font-size:10.5pt;
font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#666699;text-transform:uppercase'>Telecoms
Rates, Offers and Coverage<o:p></o:p></span></h3>
</div>
<div id="p332_wrap_1">
<div id="p332_wrap_2">
<div id="p382_wrap_1">
<p style='margin-bottom:3.75pt'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:
"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#000033'>- In Nigeria, CDMA operator, Starcomms
Plc, has introduced tracking service for its subscribers in the country
tagged 'StarTrack.' Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Starcomms, Maher Qubain,
said that the location based services are deployed in most part of the world
by many telecommunications companies to assist their subscribers identify the
whereabouts of their friends, family and members among others.<br>
<br>
- Zain Tanzania has launched the Zain Biashara Community, a business
initiative geared towards empowering SMEs around the country. Working with
the Business Development Gateway (BDG) under the auspices of the Tanzania
Private Sector Foundation (TPSF), East Africa Speakers Bureau (ESB) and the
Tanzania Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture (TCCIA), Zain will
offer eligibility to every SME that joins these business and investment
entities to also join the Zain Biashara Community. By becoming a Zain
Biashara Community member, every SME will benefit from communication support,
funding to some programmes as well as bulk sms to database with various
updates.<br>
<br>
- The liberalisation of the Cape Verdean telecommunications sector in 2006
made it possible for the number of mobile phone subscribers to rise
three-fold from 100,000 to around 300,000, a government source said. In the
same period, he said, the total number of subscription television contracts
had risen five-fold from 1,300 to around 7,000, whilst the number of Internet
subscribers had doubled, rising from 7,000 to 15,000 users. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div style='mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-top:solid #666699 3.0pt;
padding:6.0pt 0in 0in 0in'>
<h4 style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.75pt;
margin-left:0in;border:none;padding:0in'><a name=data id=wmd></a><a name=wmd
id=data></a><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";
color:#666699;text-transform:uppercase'>Web and Mobile Data News <o:p></o:p></span></h4>
</div>
<div id="p336_wrap_1">
<div id="p336_wrap_2">
<div id="p336_wrap_3">
<p style='margin-bottom:3.75pt'><b><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:
"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#000033'>MTN launches MTN Play in South Africa</span></b><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#000033'><br>
<br>
MTN last week announced that they have launched their MTN Play portal, a
content portal that will deliver the World Cup action on their mobile
handsets. “MTN Play is an interactive mobile access channel that will
enable MTN customers in Africa and the Middle East to enjoy digital 2010 FIFA
World Cup content – including near live match highlights,” MTN said in a
press statement.<br>
<br>
“Digital content on mobile phones is a proven solution that works in emerging
markets. Through MTN Play, we will enable mobile customers around the world
who still do not have access to TV, as is the case in some of the African
countries which ironically boast impressive mobile penetration levels, to
experience the magic of the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa via their
handsets through watching video clips of their favourite teams, downloading
their national anthems and following their teams’ performance during the
much-anticipated tournament,” said Cambridge Mokanyane, MTN Group General
Manager: FIFA 2010.<br>
<br>
Mokanyane is pleased that MTN Play is being launched on the eve of Africa’s
first ever FIFA World Cup. “MTN Play will have a significant impact on
how MTN subscribers experience the 2010 FIFA World Cup. It will also be the
first time that some of the markets will experience digital content on this
scale.<br>
<br>
Gary Trehair, MTN Group Senior Manager: Portals, added that one of the key
differentiators of MTN Play is the availability of football content that is
exclusive to MTN, thanks to exclusive mobile content rights that are part of
MTN’s sponsorship of 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa.<br>
<br>
“While the 2010 FIFA World Cup is a great start, the portal will continue to
grow from strength to strength offering MTN customers the best and widest
range of local and international content in all our markets,” says Trehair.
The launch of MTN Play is a culmination of a partnership between MTN and
IMIMobile, the India-based software and managed services provider.<br>
(Source: Mybroadband)<br>
<br>
<b>Sierra Update Goes Online in March</b><br>
<br>
By March this year, Sierra Update news magazine published by the Public
Information Unit of the Sierra Leone High Commission in the United Kingdom,
will go online.<br>
<br>
This means millions of people including thousands of Sierra Leoneans in the
Diaspora would now be able to follow-up developments back home in Sierra
Leone. The online edition of SIERRA Update will be published on a daily basis
while the print edition of the magazine will be both on the newsstands and
online immediately after its publication.<br>
<br>
The latest second edition of the magazine features some of President Dr.
Ernest Bai Koroma's government's achievements over the last two years as well
as detailed reports from the recent Trade and Investment conference in
London.<br>
<br>
Publisher Sorie Sudan Sesay, who is also Information Attaché at the London
mission, believes not many positive developments about Sierra Leone have been
showcased by the western media and that now is the time to take the news to
the wider world.<br>
<br>
"I am taking news about developments in Sierra Leone right at the door
steps of Sierra Leoneans both at home and abroad - we are forcing them to
know about us," he said.<br>
<br>
Classified as one of the most organised and well structured news magazines
Sierra Leone has ever published with international standards, the magazine
was distributed to diplomatic missions in the United Kingdom and government
agencies including of course, State House, the House of Parliament as well as
the opposition Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP) and the People's Democratic
Movement (PMDC).<br>
(Source: Concord Times) <o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div style='mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-top:solid #666699 3.0pt;
padding:6.0pt 0in 0in 0in'>
<h3 style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.75pt;
margin-left:0in;border:none;padding:0in'><a name=people id=people></a><span
style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#666699;
text-transform:uppercase'>People <o:p></o:p></span></h3>
</div>
<div id=div427>
<div id=div428>
<div id="p429_wrap_1">
<p style='margin-bottom:3.75pt'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:
"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#000033'>- The managing director of Ghanaian
mobile operator Kasapa Telecom, Bob Palitz, is stepping down from the role
after nine years in office. In an interview with local press agency Joy
Online, Palitz said he believed he had contributed his quota to the company
and that it is time to move on. The resignation comes approximately 18 months
after Kasapa was acquired by Dubai-based Expresso Telecoms.<br>
<br>
- Zain has announced that the Board of Directors of Mobile Telecommunications
Company KSC, ‘Zain’, has appointed Nabil Bin Salama as Chief Executive of the
Group, effective Sunday, February 14, 2010. Bin Salama has a Bachelor of
Electronic Engineering from the University of Dayton, Ohio, USA. During 2009,
he served as Kuwait’s Minister of Communication, Electricity and Water
following many years in the public sector and formerly served as General
Manager of a mobile operator in 1997.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div style='mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-top:solid #666699 3.0pt;
padding:6.0pt 0in 0in 0in'>
<h3 style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.75pt;
margin-left:0in;border:none;padding:0in'><a name=events id=a376></a><span
style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#666699;
text-transform:uppercase'>Events <o:p></o:p></span></h3>
</div>
<div id="p229_wrap_1">
<div id="p229_wrap_2">
<div id=div464>
<div id="p465_wrap_1">
<div id="p665_wrap_1">
<div id=div442>
<div id=div443>
<p style='margin-bottom:3.75pt'><strong><span style='font-size:9.0pt;
font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#000033'>AITEC BANKING & MOBILE
MONEY COMESA </span></strong><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";
color:#000033'><br id=br456>
<em id=em457><span style='font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'>24-25 February
2010, Kenya International Conference Centre, Nairobi, Kenya</span></em><br
id=br458>
Technology presents great opportunities for the financial sector to extend
reach, improve service and reduce costs. However, in the drive to implement
the very best that technology vendors have to offer, the focal point of the
banking process is often forgotten – the customer.<br id=br459>
AITEC Banking & Mobile Money COMESA 2010 will focus on the customer
experience in relation to all technology implementation and services,
challenging suppliers and bankers alike to evaluate their systems in the
light of customer needs and preferences.<br id=br460>
For further information on the conference visit <a
href="http://lists.balancingact-africa.com/t/6779/239012/904/0/"
target="_blank" id=a461>AITEC’s website</a> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style='margin-bottom:3.75pt;font-size-adjust: none' id=p482><strong
id=strong464><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";
color:#000033'>DIGITAL AFRICA SUMMIT</span></strong><span style='font-size:
9.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#000033'><br id=br465>
<em id=em466><span style='font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'>9-11 March
2010, Munyonyo Resort, Lake Victoria, Kampala,Uganda</span></em><br id=br467>
This year's 8th Annual Digital Africa Summit is set to be Africa’s premier
ICT business summit, creating more opportunities for learning, partnerships
and business, with ICT’s, telephony and broadband being globally recognized
as a prerequisite for social and economic development the opportunity to
engage positive change has never been greater.<br id=br468>
Africa’s ICT sector is the fastest growing globally with mobile and broadband
penetration rates set to continue to rise and with lower cost high speed
broadband now a reality companies must prepare and build solid foundations
allowing them to take advantage of<br id=br469>
the opportunities, that this exciting industry and continent has to offer.
Thus, the<br id=br470>
challenges to win in this new and dynamic environment are enormous making
focus,<br id=br471>
speed, cooperation and ongoing innovation imperative to its many members. <br
id=br472>
For further information visit <br id=br473>
<a href="http://lists.balancingact-africa.com/t/6779/239012/975/0/"
target="_blank" id=a474>http://www.be-excellent.com/dynamic.php?button=121&section=25</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style='margin-bottom:3.75pt;font-size-adjust: none' id=p490><strong
id=strong477><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";
color:#000033'>SECOND GLOBAL CONFERENCE MICROFINANCE AND NEW TECHNOLOGIES </span></strong><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#000033'><br
id=br478>
<em id=em479><span style='font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'>10-11 March
2010, Marrakech, Morocco </span></em><br id=br480>
New technology represents a key driver for the evolution of the microfinance
sector: its use could result in doubling the number of microentrepreneurs,
beneficiaries of microfinance, to 300 million worldwide. Moreover, in Morocco
the microfinance market already appears promising for providers of technology
solutions attracted to the sector. In this context, PlaNet Finance is
co-organising with the Banque Populaire Group and Sogeti the 2nd
international conference on the theme “Which models are best placed to
increase access to financial services for the unbanked?<br id=br481>
For further information visit <a
href="http://lists.balancingact-africa.com/t/6779/239012/954/0/"
target="_blank" id=a482>www.mfntsummit2010.com </a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style='margin-bottom:3.75pt;font-size-adjust: none' id=p477><strong
id=strong485><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";
color:#000033'>CIO SUMMIT 2010 – “FROM PRESSURE TO PERFORMANCE</span></strong><b><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#000033'><br
id=br486>
</span></b><em id=em487><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";
color:#000033'>16-17 March 2010, Johannesburg's Emperors Palace, South Africa</span></em><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#000033'><br
id=br488>
The two-day information and communication technology (ICT) conference will
host the industry's foremost global thought leaders as they present their
pioneering visions of the future to more than 80 of the region's most
influential ICT end users. For further information visit, please visit <a
href="http://lists.balancingact-africa.com/t/6779/239012/994/0/"
target="_blank" id=a489>www.idc-cema.com/events/ciosou2010</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style='margin-bottom:3.75pt;font-size-adjust: none' id=p492><strong
id=strong493><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";
color:#000033'>4th ANNUAL E-GOV AFRICA FORUM 2010</span></strong><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#000033'><br
id=br494>
<em id=em495><span style='font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'>23-25 March
2010, Maputo, Mozambique</span></em><br id=br496>
At a time when ICTs are defining the way the world lives and conducts
business, it is important for African governments to evolve themselves to
meet the demands of changing trends in order to deliver effective services
and to improve the quality of life of their citizenry. This also requires the
formation of Public Private Peoples Partnerships to be geared towards
achieving developmental goals through the application of ICTs to governance
(e-governance/e-government), electoral processes (e-democracy), food and
nutrition (e-agriculture), health delivery (e-health/telemedicine), learning
and capacity development (e-education) and trade (e-commerce), among others.<br
id=br497>
For further information on the conference visit the <a
href="http://lists.balancingact-africa.com/t/6779/239012/83/0/"
target="_blank" id=a498>CTO’s website <br id=br499>
</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style='margin-bottom:3.75pt;font-size-adjust: none' id=p484><strong
id=strong501><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";
color:#000033'>CRASA 13TH ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING – “BETTER REGULATION FOR
SADC ICT MARKET’</span></strong><b><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:
"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#000033'><br id=br502>
</span></b><em id=em503><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";
color:#000033'>25-26 March 2010, Continental Hotel, Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe</span></em><b><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#000033'><br
id=br505>
</span></b><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";
color:#000033'>The theme of the AGM have been chosen as it is being
recognised that it has been more than two decades since the first ICT
regulator was established in the region. We recognise the fact that
regulation is essential to achieve the goals of the public policy and
therefore better regulation is to be considered in SADC so as to improve the
policymaking process. <br id=br506>
As we drive towards greater competition, credibility and welfare of SADC
citizens, we should recognise the critical need for high quality regulation
and regulation that is only used whenever appropriate. <br id=br507>
In this regard, the Secretariat in coordination the NetTel@Africa is
coordinating a training workshop prior to the AGM on the “Southern Africa
Impact Assessment Training Workshop II” This is a follow up workshop on the
same theme that was held in Dares Salam Tanzania in September 2009. The
workshop will be held from 22 to 24 March 2010 at Elephant Hills Continental
Hotel. <br id=br508>
For further information visit <a
href="http://lists.balancingact-africa.com/t/6779/239012/986/0/"
target="_blank" id=a509>CRASA’s website</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style='margin-bottom:3.75pt;font-size-adjust: none' id=p500><strong
id=strong513><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";
color:#000033'>AITEC BANKING & MOBILE MONEY WEST AFRICA</span></strong><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#000033'><br
id=br514>
<em id=em515><span style='font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'>11-12 May 2010,
Lagos, Nigeria</span></em><br id=br516>
Technology presents great opportunities for the financial sector to extend
reach, improve service and reduce costs. However, in the drive to implement
the very best that technology vendors have to offer, the focal point of the
banking process is often forgotten – the customer.<br id=br517>
AITEC Banking & Mobile Money West Africa 2010 will therefore focus on the
customer experience in relation to all technology implementation and
services, challenging suppliers and bankers alike to evaluate their systems
in the light of customer needs and preferences.<br id=br518>
For further information on the conference visit <a
href="http://lists.balancingact-africa.com/t/6779/239012/943/0/"
target="_blank" id=a519>AITEC’s website</a> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style='margin-bottom:3.75pt;font-size-adjust: none' id=p509><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#000033'>NOG-11
AND AfriNIC-12 MEETINGS<br id=br522>
23 May-4 June, 2010, Kigali, Rwanda<br id=br523>
The African Network Operators' Group (AfNOG) and the African Network
Information Centre (AfriNIC) are pleased to announce that the 11th AfNOG
Meeting and the AfriNIC-12 Meeting which will be held in Kigali, Rwanda
during May & June 2010. The jointly organised two-week events include the
AfNOG Workshop on Network Technology (offering advanced training in a
week-long hands-on workshop), several full-day Advanced Tutorials, a one-day
AfNOG Meeting, and a two-day AfriNIC Meeting. In addition, several side
meetings and workshops will be hosted in collaboration with other
organizations. Further details are available at the <a
href="http://lists.balancingact-africa.com/t/6779/239012/987/0/"
target="_blank" id=a524>AfNOG</a> and <a
href="http://lists.balancingact-africa.com/t/6779/239012/428/0/"
target="_blank" id=a525>AfriNIC</a> websites.<br id=br526>
<br>
<a name=jobs id=a408></a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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</div>
</div>
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</div>
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<h3 style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.75pt;
margin-left:0in;border:none;padding:0in'><span style='font-size:10.5pt;
font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#666699;text-transform:uppercase'>Jobs
and Opportunities <o:p></o:p></span></h3>
</div>
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<div id="p408_wrap_1">
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<p style='margin-bottom:3.75pt'><b><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:
"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#000033'>ICT Policy in Developing Countries
workshop: call for presentations</span></b><span style='font-size:9.0pt;
font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#000033'><br>
The UK Development Studies Association's "Information, Technology and
Development" study group will be holding a one-day workshop on Thursday
25 March 2010 on "ICT Policy in Developing Countries", hosted by
the University of Manchester's Centre for Development Informatics.<br>
<br>
If you would be interested in making a presentation at the workshop (written
papers will be welcome but are not essential), please reply by WEDNESDAY 17
FEBRUARY, providing the following five items: a proposed presentation title;
an abstract of 150-200 words summarising your presentation content; a 50-word
biodata about yourself; an indication of whether or not you will be providing
a written paper to support the presentation; and an indication of whether or
not you are a member of the DSA.<br>
<br>
The workshop will consider presentations about national or international
policy on ICTs in developing countries. This encompasses all components
of ICT such as mobile, telecommunications, the IT sector, software sector,
and so on. It also encompasses issues such as ICT policy making,
implementation, and impact.<br>
<br>
Within-UK travel costs will be covered for presenters who are members of the
Development Studies Association - http://www.devstud.org.uk. There will
be no cost for participation in the workshop which we anticipate will run
from about 10.00am-5.30pm. Presentations will be 20-25 minutes in
length (additional time will be allowed for discussion).<br>
<br>
If you have any questions about the workshop prior to making a response, do
please contact us.<br>
<br>
A copy of this call is available at: <a
href="http://lists.balancingact-africa.com/t/6779/239012/995/0/"
target="_blank">http://www.sed.manchester.ac.uk/research/cdi/newsandevents/</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
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padding:6.0pt 0in 0in 0in'>
<h3 style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.75pt;
margin-left:0in;border:none;padding:0in'><a name=contracts id=a381></a><span
style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#666699;
text-transform:uppercase'>Contracts<o:p></o:p></span></h3>
</div>
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<div id="p354_wrap_3">
<p style='margin-bottom:3.75pt'><b><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:
"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#000033'>Gamtel and Alcatel-Lucent – Gambia</span></b><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#000033'><br>
Gambia’s incumbent PSTN operator Gamtel has awarded a contract to
Alcatel-Lucent to roll out a terrestrial fibre-optic transmission network
under its 'Cross Gambia Project', reports Afrique en Ligue. A release from
the telco’s Banjul office said the joint venture project with Senegalese
counterpart Sonatel will extend fibre links from Dakar through Kaolack,
Karang, Barra, Banjul, Serrekunda, Yundum, Brikama to Seleti in Casamance to
terminate on Sonatel’s fibre network. The new infrastructure will provide an
alternative route to the fibre link between Basse in Gambia and Velingara in
Senegal, which was implemented in 1996. As well as eliminating the serious
problem of disruption to bilateral international traffic whenever the older
fibre is cut, the rollout will also increase Gamtel’s international internet
bandwidth. The telco said it spent EUR1.2 million (USD1.65 million) on the
initial stage of the Cross Gambia Project in 2009.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
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