Mobile and Telecoms
UK to Restrict Huawei 5G Equipment in 2021
The UK is expected to ban the installation of Huawei’s 5G equipment in September 2021, according to Bloomberg. “The restriction is part of a 250 million-pound ($333 million) package of measures brought in to diversify Britain’s wireless supply chain announced by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.” “The stricter rules may also help fend off a challenge from lawmakers in the ruling Conservative Party seeking tighter restrictions on the Chinese network equipment maker.” According to the BBC, Digital Secretary Oliver Dowden believes this ban would delay the UK’s 5G rollout by a year. “This has not been an easy decision, but it is the right one for the UK telecoms networks, for our national security and our economy, both now and indeed in the long run,” he added. This de...
Revolutionizing Mobile Handset Financing and Leasing with NuovoPay
Mobile technology has seen a massive explosion of innovation both in terms of hardware and software, leading to the increased accessibility of the latest tech to humans across diverse geographies and industries. The mobile-first approach has touched the lives of everyone across the demographic elevating the need to have the ‘best from the rest’ smartphones and mobile handsets for the tech-savvy community. Moreso, the inclusion of mobile technology and the precedence given to mobile-based working in modern workspaces has led to the heightened urge to upgrade to the latest model of the mobile handsets. Clearly, the total upfront costs of acquiring the latest mobile handsets or upgrading them every six months or a year is huge, and not feasible always, especially for organizations procu...
Nokia and Airtel Partner to Lay 5G Foundations in Kenya
Sourced from Comms MEA Nokia and Airtel Kenya have joined forces in a three-year deal to modernize Nairobi with high speed 4G and 5G-ready hardware. Deployment, which began in June, will cover hundreds of sites and include upgrading existing 2G, 3G and 4G radio access network (RAN) coverage in urban, semi-urban, highways, tourist spots and central business districts in Nairobi and the rest of Kenya. Nokia’s future-proofed network infrastructure will also offer Airtel Kenya the option to smoothly transition to 5G when necessary. The upgraded network will deliver enhanced connectivity to customers of Airtel Kenya and access to new, high-speed data services. “We are in the midst of rolling out our network to enhance coverage along with modernization of our data network that will help us to de...
Safaricom could Reduce M-Pesa Transaction Fees
Image sourced from TechWeez Safaricom could reduce M-Pesa transaction fees, according to Business Daily who also suggested that the telco is considering this move in an effort to “retain the higher business volumes that followed the imposition of free M-Pesa for deals of up to Sh1,000”. Safaricom CEO, Peter Ndegwa confirmed this, saying “We intend to reduce our transaction costs over time. How quickly we do that is something we want to judge but certainly, we haven’t made a decision yet at this stage.” Kenyan Senators Call for Safaricom to Split Senators in Kenya believe that Safaricom should split into two firms – Mobile Services and M-PESA. According to The Star, a split would see the mobile telephony service is regulated by the Communication Authority of Kenya (CAK) and t...
Telkom Unveils Black Friday Contract Deals
Telkom has officially unveiled its Black Friday deals – from 00:01 on 27 November 2020, available online up until midnight on 4 December 2020. In keeping up with the times and customer needs, Telkom is focusing on two areas this year: 1) accommodating those who’ve become more comfortable with online shopping and 2) big savings on data considering the unprecedented year of lockdown and resultant ever-evolving consumer behaviour and habits. Here’s a closer look at Telkom’s Black Friday contract deals: Device Term FreeMe 800MB FreeMe 1.5GB FreeMe 3GB FreeMe 6GB FreeMe 11.5GB FreeMe 28GB Minutes DATA Notes Samsung Galaxy A11 24 R 179 R 229 100 Min x 24 10GB x 3 All Channels Huawei Y6p + Watch 24 R 249 R 299 R 349 R 449 R 549 R 849 100 Min x 24 10GB x 3 Call C...
Liquid Telecom Expands Connectivity in Botswana
Liquid Telecom has revealed that it is activating 82 km of fibre in a cross-border network into Botswana. This expansion connects the Lobatse Border to Gaborone with intent to create efficient mobility and connectivity in Botswana. “At Liquid Telecom, we have a proven track record of investing in and deploying technology designed to grow, strengthen and build Africa’s digital future. This expansion into Botswana is yet another proof point that shows our deep commitment to this practice,” says Odirile Tamajobe, MD of Liquid Telecom Botswana. “We know that fibre is key to providing Africa with high-speed, affordable digital connectivity and have plans to create even more valuable connections throughout the continent.” Prior to this fibre implementation, Liquid Telecom Botswana did not h...
Kenyan Senators Call for Safaricom to Split
Senators in Kenya believe that Safaricom should split into two firms – Mobile Services and M-PESA. According to The Star, a split would see the mobile telephony service is regulated by the Communication Authority of Kenya (CAK) and the M-Pesa division regulated by the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK). A recent report by TechWeez revealed that senators believe there should be a level playing ground for the likes of Telkom and Airtel Kenya who operate at the mercy of Safaricom as they owe it billions of shillings. “The market is not competitive any more. The other operators should be allowed to operate, by giving the dominant operator its right, but also allowing the others to operate, and allow innovation in the country,” says Senator Petronilla Were of the ICT committee. Senator Iru...
MTN Introduces Black Friday Data Deals
MTN South Africa has officially lined up its Black Friday deals which run from 20 November until 9 December 2020. “We understand that what people need now, perhaps more than ever before, are true money-saving bargains that could offer some relief, and a better way to stay connected to family, friends and work,” says Jacqui O’Sullivan, Executive for Corporate Affairs at MTN SA. “While lockdown restrictions have become a bit more relaxed over the past couple of months, we still felt that it would be best to extend the shopping period to reduce the number of shoppers in stores at a given time. This is, of course, over and above continuing to ensure that all other appropriate safety measures are in place in-store to protect customers and staff during this busier-than-usual shopping perio...
Safaricom makes Changes to Executive Team
Safaricom has announced a number of changes to its executive team which includes the merge of its information technology and network departments. According to a memo sent to staff by Peter Ndegwa, the telco’s current CEO, Morten Bangsgaard will head the new department. Bangsgaard’s appointment takes effect on January 1, 2021. He has more than 26 years of experience in various technology roles in the telecommunications industry, reports Business Daily. Rita Okuthe will leave her position as Safaricom’s Chief Enterprise Business Officer at the end of November 2020 – the company has not yet named her successor. Safaricom Appoints New Board Chairman Safaricom has appointed Michael Joseph (the telco’s former CEO) as new board chairman, he succeeds Nicholas Ng’ang’a who has ret...
Pick n Pay Launches South Africa’s Newest MVNO
Pick n Pay has officially launched PnP Mobile – South Africa’s newest Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO). The service will use MTN’s mobile network infrastructure to offer customers prepaid, SIM-based access to services including airtime, data, and SMS. Smart Shoppers will earn data rewards in addition to loyalty points when shopping at any Pick n Pay store countrywide – including Express, Clothing and Liquor stores. They will also be able to earn up to 2.5GB in free data rewards each month. For every R10 spent in-store, customers will instantly earn 5MB in data. To qualify for this reward, customers will need to link their Smart Shopper card and top up their PnP Mobile SIM card with at least R50 over a 30-day period. Customers will be able to register their new SIM c...
Liquid Telecom Joins Forces with Zayo to Expand Network Coverage
Liquid Telecoms has partnered with Zayo, a global communications infrastructure provider. The companies are expected to expand network operations in North America and Europe in addition to their African operations. “We have long been committed to building Africa’s digital future, and know that for African companies to be competitive, they have to be a part of the global digital economy. This strategic partnership will assist many of our African customers who are looking to extend into operations beyond Africa, as well as those customers who already have operations in Europe and the US,” says Liquid Telecom’s Group CEO, Nic Rudnick. This partnership will see both companies adding value for their customers by utilising each other’s network reach. It will also al...
Huawei Launches Rural Telephony Project in Ghana
Image sourced from Ghana Web Huawei and Ghana’s Ministry of Communications have launched the Rural Telephony Project which aims to provide voice and data services for over 3.4 million people in underserved and unserved communities. This initiative, in partnership with China National Technical, is expected to save the government up to 70% of the cost of traditional cell sites and extend the national mobile communication coverage from 83% to 95% – greatly accelerating local economic development whiles improving people’s livelihoods. Nana Addo Dankwah Akuffo-Addo, President of Ghana, says that “Government is committed to ensuring that every Ghanaian, irrespective of tribe, religion, class, location or identity has access to affordable and reliable voice and data connectivity”. “To this e...
