East Africa
Airtel Zambia and Ericsson Joined Forces to Champion eWaste Awareness
Sourced from Comms MEA Airtel Zambia and Ericsson have partnered to launch the ‘Product Take-Back’ programme – an initiative that aims to minimize the potential impact of eWaste on the environment. eWaste, not recycled properly, is said to be an under-acknowledged environmental hazard around the world. The Product Take-Back programme is part of Ericsson’s Sustainability efforts geared towards taking accountability for environmental impacts of all products and services during their lifecycle. The programme is expected to ensure that end-of-life material is treated and recycled in an environmentally responsible manner. Airtel’s CEO and MD, Apoorva Mehrotra says, “Airtel is committed to being socially responsible. We believe that the adoption of responsible eWaste disposal techniques will hel...
Only 19% of Women Use Internet in Uganda, Study Shows
Women in Uganda use the Internet far less than men according to a new survey from the World Wide Web Foundation which found that 27% of men in the country are online, compared with just 19% of women. Uganda had by far the largest gender gap in internet access among four countries included in the survey of women’s online experiences. In Ghana, which also featured in the study, men were just 6% more likely to be online than women, compared with 43% in Uganda. Total internet use in Uganda remains low at 23% of the population, while Ghana has reached 30%. The exclusion of women from the digital society is a huge threat to progress on gender equality and denies women opportunities to improve their lives, the report warns: “The internet is one of the most empowering technologies the world has ev...
Airtel and Ericsson Partner to Modernise Kenya’s 4G Network
Sourced from Comms MEA Airtel has partnered with Ericsson to modernize its 4G network in Kenya. The telco signed a deal in August 2020 to enhance the quality of voice and data – this is expected to be done by leveraging Ericsson’s Radio System and Packet Core solutions. According to TechWeez, this project is also expected to make Kenya ready for 5G deployment. “Robust and secure communications are an essential component of a digital society in Kenya. We are firmly anchored to the strategy of delivering reliable connections across the country and are looking forward to expanding the high-quality mobile broadband services to our subscribers,” says Prasanta Das Sarma, CEO of Airtel Kenya. Fadi Pharaon, President of Ericsson Middle East and Africa, says, “Together with Airtel, we will imp...
Showmax Introduces 5 New Livestream Channels in Kenya
Showmax has announced the availability of five new live-streaming channels in Kenya. These local offerings include K24, KBC, KTN Home, KTN News and NTV. “With the addition of these live channels, Showmax offers Kenyans a one-stop streaming destination featuring the best of international and Kenyan shows, movies and kids’ shows, the world’s best sport from SuperSport on our Pro plan and now, live streams of Kenya’s biggest channels,” says Yolisa Phahle, CEO of Connected Video at Multichoice. “We’re constantly working on new ways to improve the Showmax experience for our subscribers. Whether it’s M-Pesa payments or daily episodes of Maisha Magic favourites like Selina, Kina and Kovu as well as weekly episodes of Sol Family and Hullabaloo Estate, our local-first approach keeps our Kenyan subs...
Airtel, MTN and Stanbic Bank Fall Victim to Major Data Breach in Uganda
Sourced from IDG Connect Mobile money transaction company, Pegasus technologies has suffered a major data breach resulting in the loss of billions of Ugandan Shillings – according to PLM Daily. The breach is said to have impacted telcos, Airtel and MTN Uganda, as well as Stanbic Bank, Uganda’s largest bank. “Stanbic Bank Uganda, MTN Uganda and Airtel Uganda inform the public and their customers that on Saturday 3 October 2020, a third-party service provider experienced a system incident which impacted Bank to Mobile Money transactions. All Bank to Mobile Money/Wallet services have since been temporarily suspended,” reads an official statement from the companies. “This system incident has had no impact on any balances on both Bank and Mobile Money accounts. Our technical teams are analysing...
Rwanda to Host MWC 2021
GSMA has revealed that it will host MWC Africa in Kigali, Rwanda in 2021 – this comes after MWC 2020 was scrapped in the wake of numerous wireless tech heavyweights deciding to pull out from the conference citing the coronavirus outbreak. MWC21 Africa is expected to bring together the leading names in business and technology from all around the world. “I am proud of what we have built with Thrive and the previous Mobile 360 events, which have helped shape the continent’s connected digital future,” says GSMA Director General, Mats Granryd. “From 2021 we will celebrate MWC Africa, joining our world-leading platform for thought-leadership and technology, recognising the important role Africa will play in our connected future.” /* custom css */ .tdi_3_b57.td-a-rec-img{ text-align: ...
Africell Launches its 4G KaiOS Feature Phone in Uganda
Africell has launched the new KaiOS–enabled smart feature phone, the 4G Vida K242, in Uganda. The 4G Vida K242 has been specifically designed for people who are unable to afford a smartphone and want to go online. It has a user-friendly interface optimized for first-time internet users. It comes with the world’s most popular apps, such as WhatsApp, YouTube, Google Assistant, Google Maps, and Facebook, and provides access to hundreds of other applications through the KaiStore. “On top of being the first 4G feature plus phone to be launched in Uganda, we are also making the 4G Vida the most affordable for only 120,000 ugx, inclusive of 1.5 GB and 850 minutes of talk-time on Africell network,” says Neeraj Gala, COO of Africell Uganda. /* custom css */ .tdi_3_fd7.td-a-rec-img{ text-align...
Jumia and Airtel Kenya Partner to Enable Mobile Payments
Jumia and Airtel Kenya have partnered to allow consumers to complete their online payment transactions using Airtel Money. “Millions of Kenyans rely on mobile money daily to make fast payments. By expanding our payment options to include Airtel money, it will make it easier for more consumers to incorporate online shopping as part of their daily transactions,” says Nelly Movine, Head of Financial Services at Jumia. The service is expected to further enhance the Jumia contactless-delivery initiative launched in March as a safety measure against COVID-19. Consumers are encouraged to prepay for their purchases to avoid cash exchange or pay with Airtel money upon delivery. “We are delighted to be working with Jumia on this exciting partnership to enhance customer experience on the Jumia platfo...
vivo Unveils New Y20 Smartphone in Kenya
vivo has unveiled its newest mid-range smartphone – the Y20 – in Kenya. The device, which is expected to launch on 8 October, is the latest addition to vivo’s youth-oriented Y-series. The vivo Y20 is expected to be equipped with a Triple AI camera supporting macro, bokeh, and other advanced selfie features, a fingerprint scanner as well as super-capacity 5000mAh battery supported by power-saving technology which can last up to 16 hours of online HD movie streaming, or 11 hours of resource-intensive gaming. The overall design of the device is teased to be sleek and polished, sporting a 6.51-inch Halo Display with an elongated aspect ratio of 20:9 and HD+ (1600 x 720) resolution that ensures crystal clear visuals and detailing for immersive viewing and gaming experience. The modern scan...
Telkom Kenya and Airtel Subscribers Fall Over Failed Merger, says CA
Image sourced from Bandwidth Blog Telkom Kenya and Airtel have recorded a 16% fall in mobile Internet subscribers after consumers grew uncertain over a proposed merger of the telcos, according to Gadgets Africa. A report by the Communication Authority of Kenya (CA) reveals that there were only 38.85 million Internet subscribers as of March 2020 – this resulted in a decline from 46.46 million in the same period last year. “The merger deal collapsed last month with Airtel Kenya and Telkom Kenya citing unacceptable conditions placed on the proposed amalgamation besides delays in receiving regulatory approvals,” reports Business Daily. “The companies had entered into an agreement on February 8, 2019 to combine their mobile, enterprise and wholesale divisions, a proposed deal that led to uncert...
Paratus Deploys 100Gig Fibre Ring in Zambia
Paratus Zambia confirmed the deployment of a 100Gig metro fibre ring in Zambia – marking a first for the pan-African telecommunications Group. The fibre ring is expected to utilise technology that increases bandwidth over an existing fibre network, meaning businesses can transmit data at speeds of up to 100Gbps. Coupled with the additional capacity of Paratus’ network footprint, businesses not only get speed but much-needed bandwidth for data-hungry applications, as well as reliable access to their branches, private data centres and cloud services such as Microsoft Azure, Amazon and Google Cloud. The telco believes that simply having a fast Internet connection is not enough, ‘businesses need a connection that won’t bite into their bottom line with the risk of outages. Staying operational i...
Two Alleged Digtial Fraudsters Arrested in Kenya
Sourced from Republic Title Two men have been arrested in Kenya after the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) suspected the duo of fraud. According to The Star, the suspects, Kevin Sagini Oroko (23) and Dominic Otiso Nyabuto (27) were “apprehended from their hideout at Miwani Estate within Machakos town”. In their possession, authorities reportedly found more than 600 Safaricom and Airtel Sim Cards, 96 National ID cards, a number of mobile phones, KCB Inua Jamii Cash Transfer Cards, 16 Bank Agent Transaction Registers, two gambling machines, and a laptop – these items have since been confiscated. Gadgets Africa says that the DCI has been on actively breaking down schemes concocted by digital criminals over the last year – this includes plots where fraudsters send scam messages wit...
