Mobile and Telecoms
Top 5 Best Telecom Networks in SA Ranked
Sourced from the Guardian Nigeria. MyBroadband Insights has released its Q3 Mobile Network Quality Report, which shows the network quality of several of South Africa’s top telecoms gauged by a number of factors, including download and upload speeds, and latency. The report is based on results recorded between 1 July 2021 and 30 September 2021. The download speed (60%), upload speed (20%), and latency (20%) are used to calculate a Network Quality Score. Over 300,000 samples were collected from 10,530 unique users. The Network Quality Score out of 10 then shows how a network performed in relation to other networks. Here are the Top 5 Best Telecom Networks in SA Ranked by Network Quality: Rain – Network Quality Score: 3.42 Download Speed: 10.86Mbps Upload Speed: 8.78Mbps Latency: 34 Cell C – ...
Vodacom “Super App” Offers Data Deals from as Low as R1
Image sourced from SABC News. Vodacom, one of South Africa’s largest telecoms, as well as one of the most successful telecom companies in Africa has announced the launch of its new ‘super app’ – VodaPay. Now live, the app can be accessed in the Google and Apple app stores and is available to customers on any mobile network. According to a statement from Vodacom, the VodaPay app launches with significant partners and discounts including exclusive R1 deals on multiple products on the app. What VodaPay Offers VodaPay delivers a digital shopping, lifestyle, and financial platform for both consumers and businesses. It is backed by Alipay technology that powers over 1.2-billion users and almost 100-million merchant partners, using state-of-the-art technology including artificial intelligence (AI...
MTN SA Launches New Uncapped LTE Data Deals
Sourced from Business Tech MTN is introducing new MyMTN Home Uncapped Fixed LTE to South Africans starting from R499 per month for speeds up to 10Mbps. “We are excited to introduce MyMTN Home Uncapped Fixed LTE gives customers high-speed uncapped streaming, endless connectivity, and coverage with always-on reliability and a seamless start with a free WiFi Router,” says Megan Nicholas, GM for Residential at MTN SA. According to a statement from the mobile operator, recent growth in demand for flexible data solutions and the increasing need of customers to remain connected has led to the introduction of MyMTN Home Uncapped Fixed LTE. Customers who purchase any of the 24-month MyMTN Home Uncapped deals from 1 October 2021 until 31 December 2021 will receive a Fixed LTE Wi-Fi router for free. ...
Telkom SA Further Slashes Data Prices for Summer
Telkom SA has launched a new set of postpaid promotional deals and prepaid LTE deals offering more value to its mobile customers. These new data price reductions come not long after the semi-private telco announced its 1GB mobile data bundle reduction to R79 and the introduction of a new and affordable 1.5GB + 1.5GB All Network data bundle at R89. Now, to kickstart summer, Telkom is revealing more Monate value through its Summer 2021 propositions available immediately. On Prepaid LTE, Telkom has introduced: 6GB data at R49 – 3GB anytime data and 3GB night surfer data, valid for 14 days, which replaces the current 2GB + 2GB at the same price; and 15GB data at R99 – 7,5GB anytime data and 7,5GB night data, valid for 61 days for anytime data and 31 days for night surfer, replacing its 5GB + 5...
Nigerian Businessman Appointed CEO of Airtel Africa
Segun Ogunsanya, newly appointed Managing Director and CEO. The Airtel Africa Group has announced the new appointment of Olusegun “Segun” Ogunsanya, as its Managing Director (MD) and CEO. Ogunsanya took the helm of the group as of 1 October 2021. This comes as former CEO, Raghu Mandava, who led Airtel Africa since 2016, was announced to be stepping down from the company’s board of directors in October 2021. “We are delighted to appoint Segun Ogunsanya as the Group’s next Chief Executive Officer. He has displayed significant drive and energy in turning around the Nigeria business by focusing on network modernisation, distribution, and operational efficiency,” said Airtel Chairman, Sunil Bharti Mittal, when Ogunsanya was first announced to replace Mandava. A Businessman of Some Repute Previo...
ICASA Sets New Deadline for Controversial Spectrum Auction
Sourced from PC Mag Last month, the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA), the country’s communications regulator, announced that it would not be publishing invitations to apply (ITA) to participate in the highly anticipated auction of high-demand spectrum in South Africa, effectively postponing the auction. ICASA said that the move was made to avoid lengthy court battles against several litigators that had issues with how ICASA was handling the auction. The regulator likewise withdrew an ITA for the licensing of the planned wholesale open-access network (WOAN). Now, following more than a decade of delays and legal issues, ICASA has announced a new timetable for the auction of its high-demand spectrum in the country. According to Media24, SA’s high data prices (some ...
Frogfoot SA Acquires Link Africa’s FTTH Network
Abraham van der Merwe, CEO of Frogfoot Networks. Image sourced from ITWeb.com. Frogfoot, a licensed open-access infrastructure provider, has announced its acquisition of the Link Africa Western Cape FTTH (Fibre to the Home) network. The deal comes a few months after MetroFibre Networx purchased Link Africa’s FTTH network in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal. Frogfoot says in a statement that the deal will aid in solidifying the company’s position in South Africa’s Fibre Network market. “We are very excited about the acquisition of the Link Africa network in the Western Cape. In addition to growing our FTTH, FTTB, and FTTS customer base and footprint, this transaction also has some nostalgic value. Some parts of the network we are acquiring today was built through a joint venture between Frog...
MTN Announces 5G Roll Out Date in Ghana
Sourced from TheTechieGuy (https://thetechieguy.com/) The Ghanaian arm of the largest telecom company in Africa has announced its intentions to launch and make operational 5G services in the West African country by 2023. This comes as MTN has yet to fully cover Ghana with its 4G spectrum, but projects to gain 98% 4G coverage by the end of 2022. Currently, MTN’s 4G coverage has reached 73% of the country. ModernGhana reports that the company revealed that it is modernizing its infrastructure and working with regulators towards 5G and that it will seek to have 5G mobile connectivity operating in Ghana by 2023. MTN Ghana addresses a cross-section of journalists during its Editor’s Forum. Image sourced from ModernGhana.com. According to the CEO of MTN Ghana, Selorm Adadevoh, who made the annou...
Safaricom Announces Launch Date for Commercial 5G Network
Peter Ndegwa, CEO of Safaricom. Image sourced from TechWeez Safaricom has announced that it will increase its 5G sites by 200 by the end of 2021, and launch a commercialised version of its 5G services in 2022. Kenya’s leading telco launched 5G technology for the first time in the country in March, starting with 15 sites. Now the telco says it wants to take the supremely high-speed internet to additional towns. Peter Ndegwa, Safaricom CEO said Wednesday that the company would use up to 200 sites for testing the upgraded network as it seeks to capitalise on the country’s nascent Internet use which is slowly growing. Safaricom’s 5G service is also hoped to be a central key of its attempts to further expand its data business in order to counter the slow growth in voice calls revenue. “This yea...
MTN Pumps $10.5-Million Into Fixing Infrastructure Damaged by KZN Unrest
Sourced from TheTechieGuy (https://thetechieguy.com/) MTN today has announced a number of community interventions as part of its initiatives to assist in the rebuilding of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) after the deadly unrest that gripped South Africa in July, including the investment of R500-million ($35.2-million) which will go towards network upgrades and expansion throughout the province. A further R150-million ($10.5-million) is being channelled by MTN towards replacing stolen and vandalised network infrastructure including batteries and copper cables. MTN’s interventions also include R10-million ($704K) towards the support of qualifying spaza shops in KZN and Gauteng. This investment will see over 1,000 spaza shops benefiting. Each spaza will receive trading stock, airtime t...
Benefits & Challenges of Harnessing 5G in South Africa
Fifth-generation (5G) wireless broadband is no longer a future technology – it’s here and is already available in limited key metropolitan areas in South Africa. The country, with its limited Internet access and infrastructure, high data costs and ailing economy, can benefit in multiple ways from 5G. However, there are also some issues that South Africa needs to deal with as communication service providers (CSPs) gear themselves for the 5G era and maximise the value the technology can bring. A recent study by IT services and consulting company Accenture, titled The Future Home in the 5G Era, opens a window into consumer lives in a 5G world and offers a roadmap for service providers to make hyperconnected 5G living a reality when we need it most. Globally, the value of access to information...
ICASA Cancels Spectrum Auction in Attempt to Avoid Lengthy Court Battle
The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA), the country’s communications regulator, has announced that it will not be publishing invitations to apply (ITA) to participate in the long-awaited auction of high-demand spectrum in South Africa. ICASA says that the move was made to avoid a lengthy court battle against several litigators that had issues with how ICASA was handling the auction. The regulator is likewise withdrawing an ITA for the licensing of the planned wholesale open-access network (WOAN), pending court approval. “ICASA has now decided to consent to an order setting aside its decision to publish the invitations to apply (ITAs) in order to avoid a long, drawn-out litigation, the effect of which would only be to delay further the licensing of high-demand spec...
