In July 2020, Lagos began a massive project to unify the city’s entire fibre networks. Olatubosun Alake, special adviser to the Lagos State Governor provides some perspective and future plans for Afri…
Telecoms
From telco data wars, to 5G, Techpoint Africa brings you the latest update on connectivity, telecom companies, Internet service providers, Internet infrastructure among others.
Airtel to exit Ghana operations as government prepares takeover
India’s Bharti Airtel is set to sell 100% of its stake in its Ghana division. Meanwhile, the government of Ghana is reportedly in advanced talks for a full takeover just a few months after its p…
Nigeria plans to let you access your network in areas where it has no coverage
Nigeria has approved a trial for two telcos, MTN and 9mobile, for national roaming service. With this in place, users on one network can use the signals from other networks for calls and other mobile …
Why high-quality Internet in Nigeria remains a dream
Discussions on social media platforms about the quality of Internet service in different locations around the country are commonplace. This piece explores one of the reasons for the poor quality exper…
The impact of the pandemic on telcos and quality of the Internet in Nigeria
Data users increased by 7.5 million, vandalism of telecom infrastructure is on the rise, and Internet speeds have dropped. Here are some impacts of the pandemic so far in Nigeria’s Internet space…
Nigeria waives RoW charges on federal highways to boost Internet quality
The Nigerian federal government has waived RoW charges on federal highways around the country. While this has not been an issue at the federal level, the pressure for state governments to follow suit …
When calls and data could get cheaper for Nigerian states that slashed RoW charges
As of June 2020, seven Nigerian states had either slashed or zero-rated RoW charges for Internet infrastructure. Several benefits were listed, including cheaper calls and data, but how soon will they …
MTN Group appoints Ralph Mupita as new CEO starting September 2020
In the midst of an ongoing strategic upheaval, MTN Group has appointed its current chief financial officer, Ralph Mupita as new CEO from September 2020.…
Slow Internet, expensive data, and the burden of sub-sea Internet cables in Africa
The quality and cost of data in Africa have been poor and unaffordable. Much of this has been due to a failure to convert high-speed Internet from the seas to end-users. We explore some intricacies be…
Total upheaval: MTN looking to sell stake in Jumia, end the Middle East operations
MTN Group looks set for a major restructuring as it plans to cash out on Jumia, IHS Towers in the future and exit its operations in the Middle East to focus on Africa. …
Airtel Africa’s YoY profits decline by 56% as voice and mobile money revenues fall
According to Airtel Africa’s financial report for the quarter ending June 2020, Data revenues slowed during the pandemic, voice revenue and other economic forces also impact profit negatively…
With new financial policy, Nigeria wants to break the dominance of its major telcos
Nigeria’s telecom regulator is set to implement a new framework that will mandate telcos to present yearly financial statements. Though it says it wants to boost competition, the framework might have …
With $328 million funding, Nigeria approves Internet fibre extension to Northern Nigeria
Two years after signing an MOU with China, the Nigerian government has approved a new project to extend Internet fibre infrastructure to the hinterlands of Northern Nigeria.…
Nigerian telecom giant requests approval to lay 160km Internet fibre cable in Ekiti
Following the drastic reduction in right of way charges, Ekiti has received a request from a Nigerian telecom giant to lay 160km of Internet fibre across the state. A move that could be a big boost fo…
Nigeria hit 2.5 million new Internet subscriptions during the lockdown
Nigeria’s Internet subscribers during the lockdown in April and the partial lockdown in May rose to 4.9 million. According to data, Glo is leading the pack with over 60% of the lockdown’s Intern…
Lagos, Nigeria is building its own unified Internet fibre infrastructure
Following a legislative approval, Lagos state is currently building a unified fibre infrastructure around the city. Though this might have many benefits, the details of this project are unclear and so…
In conversation with Funke Opeke, CEO of MainOne, on strategic partnerships and Internet connectivity in Africa
MainOne, one of Africa’s biggest telecom infrastructure providers, recently celebrated its 10th anniversary. We had a chat with its CEO, Funke Opeke, on the company’s journey so far and wh…
The cost of Internet data in Nigeria is increasing, but it’s not really obvious
A few years ago, Nigerian telcos began the famous data wars and reports suggest that the price of data has fallen by 75% since 2014. But in reality, the price of Internet data is increasing for the av…
French telecom company, Orange, eyeing entry into Nigeria and SA
France’s largest telecom company, Orange is reportedly eyeing an entry into the Nigerian and South African telecom markets in the coming months, with possible interests in its blossoming payments sect…
Nigeria’s tax regulator wants to digitally verify taxes paid by telcos
Nigeria’s taxman, FIRS, has finalised plans to integrate a technology solution (API) that will verify the accuracy of taxes paid by telecom operators. What could this mean for businesses in the …