Telecoms

A month after landing 2Africa’s 45,000-kilometre subsea cable system in Akwa Ibom, MainOne has announced a partnership with the state government to provide high-speed connectivity.

The Private Telecommunications and Communications Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PTECSSAN) plans to begin an indefinite strike on April 4, 2024, to protest anti-labour practices, which could lead to Internet disruption in the country.

South Africa’s Competition Commission has given Blue Label Telecoms approval to take control of Cell C as it struggles to survive

Telecom Egypt and Tejas Networks, an Indian telecommunications company, have joined forces to improve local skills and manufacturing facilities in Egypt.

MTN has revealed plans to hike voice and data fees to regain ₦135 billion ($101 million) in forex losses and strengthen its financial position.

In December 2023, MTN Group agreed to exit two African markets by selling its equity interests in Guinea-Bissau and Guinea-Conakry to Telecel, another telco, to focus on other robust markets in the West and Central Africa region.

MTN Group has revealed that its revenue grew by over 13% in 2023 despite forex volatility and political tensions in some markets, particularly Sudan.

ICASA has proposed reducing mobile network fees for connecting calls by more than 50% to make South Africa’s telecoms sector more competitive and consumer-friendly.

Telkom has sold its Swiftnet masts and towers business to a consortium led by UK-based investment firm Actis and Royal Bafokeng Holdings for over $355 million to improve its financial situation.

Hormuud Telecom has launched a 5G network in eight locations across Somalia. Its 4G customers will receive a free upgrade to the latest network.

Five months after receiving a 5G licence, Mobile Telecommunications Company (MTC), a telco in Namibia, and Huawei Technologies have partnered to conduct a 5G connectivity trial.

Vodacom Group Limited says it’s planning to downsize its workforce in South Africa, its biggest market, to cut costs.

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) have announced a strategic collaboration that will see both agencies join resources to enhance the ongoing NIN-SIM linkage process.

While the Nigerian Communications Commission stated that the repair of the undersea cable damage has begun, the country has lost more than $593.6 million due to Internet disruption caused by the undersea cable.

Several African countries are experiencing Internet disruptions due to undersea cable damage. The disruptions are also affecting banking activities in Nigeria, preventing customers from accessing bank apps and USSD.

Omnispace, a US satellite broadband service provider, says it’ll join its non-terrestrial network with MTN’s land-based mobile networks to enhance connectivity services to mobile consumers and enterprise Internet-of-things (IoT) customers across Africa.

Interswitch is set to offer telecommunication services after acquiring a Tier 5 MVNO (Mobile Virtual Network Operators) licence from the Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC).

Following a February ruling by South Africa’s Supreme Court of Appeal ordering Vodacom to compensate Kenneth Makate in the range of $1.5 billion to $2.8 billion, the two parties are reportedly considering private talks on the matter.

Tower infrastructure company TowerCo of Africa Uganda has raised $40 million in 10-year financing from several European backers to drive mobile network coverage across rural areas in Uganda.

Following delays in dividend repatriation, FMR LLC, an American multinational financial services firm, is selling its Safaricom shares amid the telco’s devaluation.