Telecoms

Togocom, a Togolese telco and a subsidiary of AXIAN Telecom, has received $60.2 million from the International Finance Corporation, Société Générale Benin, and Ecobank Togo to expand its fibre network in the country. 

David Obwanga Adoyo, a Safaricom employee, has been charged with fraud after allegedly stealing over KSh 29.5 million from the National Police DT SACCO Society Limited and using people’s national ID numbers without their consent. 

Lyca Mobile, the world’s largest mobile virtual network, has shut down in South Africa after six years of operation. This move comes a month after Blue Label Telecoms increased its stake in Cell C, the MVNO’s partner company.

Glo subscribers may soon be unable to call MTN lines due to unpaid interconnect fees. This move comes after Nigerian telcos sought approval from the federal government to increase tariffs to alleviate high operating costs.

SpaceX has launched six direct-to-cell Starlink satellites to enable mobile phone connectivity anywhere in the world.

Segun Ogunsanya, who has been the Chief Executive Officer of Airtel Africa since 2021, will step down, and Sunil Taldar, Director of Transformation for the Africa Group, will take over on July 1, 2024.

MTN Group is partnering with satellite communication companies, including OneWeb, Starlink, and AST SpaceMobile, to increase Internet connectivity in Africa’s rural areas.

MTN has launched a digital hub to bridge the skills gap in South Africa, which has the world’s highest unemployment rate. The telco plans to help 60% of adults and young people in the country have at least rudimentary digital skills by 2025.

The National Communication Authority of Ghana has warned Internet users not to use Starlink or its services. Per the regulator, the satellite Internet service hasn’t obtained a licence or type-approved its equipment.

MTN Group has appointed Selorm Adadevoh as its new CCO to replace Jens Schulte-Bockumn. Stephen Blewett will take over as CEO of MTN Ghana, while Schulte-Bockum will continue as a non-executive director.

Airtel Africa has launched Nxtra, a data centre, a year after opening a Tier 3 data centre in Lekki, Lagos. The new facility is expected to go live in mid-2025 and deliver 34 megawatts of total power, making it the first Nxtra facility in Lagos, Nigeria.

Following an increase in mobile subscribers, South African telecom operator Telkom requested that ICASA, the communications regulator, reschedule the spectrum auction to 2025.

MTN Nigeria is in talks to acquire 9Mobile’s only spectrum. Sources say the deal will be equivalent to a total takeover of 9Mobile by MTN, bringing its total mobile subscriber count to 89.6 million, 76% of Nigeria’s adult population.

MTN South Africa has paid the country’s telecoms regulator R1.9 billion to settle outstanding spectrum fees. It has also significantly improved the network experience for its 36.8 million subscribers.

Vodafone has announced plans to use Amazon’s imminent satellite service and Starlink’s rival, Project Kuiper, to provide 4G and 5G connectivity to remote areas in Europe and Africa.

Airtel Uganda intends to raise USh 800 billion ($216 million) by selling 8 billion ordinary shares, or 20% of its equity, on the Main Investment Market Segment to finance its growth plans.

Safaricom Ethiopia has ceased operations in Amhara, Ethiopia’s second-largest region. The government declared a state of emergency in the area following a war between the military and the Fano militia.

Over the next three years, Airtel Kenya plans to invest more than $150 million (KSh21.5 billion) to expand its network coverage.