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.
Top stories
Starlink has secured a 10-year license to operate in Lesotho, boosting rural internet access while regulatory hurdles continue to block its entry into South Africa.
Starlink has received approval to operate in Somalia, aiming to provide satellite internet access across the country and improve connectivity in remote and underserved regions.
The NCC is proposing a 12-month grace period for users to reclaim airtime from deactivated SIMs, a move aimed at protecting telecom consumers and boosting transparency.
MTN Group CEO Ralph Mupita warns that US tech import tariffs could disrupt Africa’s telecom rollout, raising costs and delaying expansion as operators navigate global trade tensions.
MTN Group will develop a new streaming platform, to compete with Netflix, Showmax, and Prime Video in Africa in partnership with UK-based video software provider, Synamedia.
Equinix has launched its LG2.3 data centre in Lagos, boosting Nigeria’s digital economy and signalling its intent to dominate Africa’s growing tech infrastructure market.
MTN South Africa has completed Africa’s first satellite phone call using a standard smartphone, marking a key step toward expanding mobile coverage in underserved regions.
Despite fierce competition between both companies, MTN and Airtel—both Nigerian telecom giants—will collaborate on infrastructure sharing to ensure proper service delivery to customers.
Kenyan court clears Safaricom in reverse call lawsuit, reigniting IP concerns for African innovators
Kenya’s High Court has dismissed a reverse call lawsuit against Safaricom, raising fresh concerns over how African innovators can protect their ideas in a fast-moving tech landscape.
Airtel Africa has launched an AI-powered spam alert service in Nigeria to combat SMS fraud. The service will detect and label spam messages in real time.
Telkom Kenya secures a $4.4M grant from Rakuten and Airspan to develop Open RAN technology, enhancing mobile connectivity and reducing infrastructure costs across Kenya.
Vumatel’s acquisition of Herotel gets regulatory approval, paving the way for expanded fibre access in South Africa’s underserved regions.
Namibia’s telecom sector has generated over $800 million in data revenue, reflecting Africa’s shift toward digital services.
MTN Ghana has recorded over $1 billion in revenue for the year 2024, driven by strong data and mobile money performance.
Goodweek Inter-Services Limited has sued Safaricom, accusing it of abusing market dominance with unfair contract terms.
Nigerian banks have finally paid ₦32 billion in long-overdue USSD payments to MTN, but ₦42 billion remains outstanding. This comes amid a ₦400.4 billion loss reported by the telco for the 2024 year.
MTN Group anticipates a significant decline in 2024 earnings, primarily due to substantial forex losses and economic challenges in key African markets.
MTN Group Fintech has partnered with Network International to enhance its digital payment processing across Africa, strengthening its mobile money services and fintech expansion strategy.
Nigeria has set up a joint committee to tackle fibre cuts caused by road projects, aiming to reduce telecom disruptions.
Airtel Nigeria’s revenue fell 40.34% to $738M in 2024 due to Naira devaluation, despite a 3.2% rise in customers and 37.2% growth in data usage.