Telecommunications – Page 5 – Africa Tech Digest

26Aug

By Africa Tech DigestNo Comments

Telkom Appoints New CEO of Consumer

South Africa’s semi-private carrier Telkom has named Lunga Siyo as the new CEO of Telkom Consumer effective 1 October 2021. Siyo is set to take over from Serame Taukobong when Taukobong assumes the position of Group CEO Designate. Siyo joined Telkom just over three years ago. Using his experience in the mobile and financial services sector, he led the introduction of Telkom’s value propositions in FinTech, e-commerce and mobile payments, the company said in a statement. Previous to his current position at Telkom, Siyo served as Executive & Head: eCommerce at Standard Bank from 2016 to 2018. Previous to that, Siyo has held a variety of management positions most in the digital space. Continue reading

Tizeti is testing a next-gen technology that could bring 5G-level speeds to Nigeria

26Aug

By Africa Tech DigestNo Comments

Mobile, Nigeria, Telecommunications

Tizeti is testing a next-gen technology that could bring 5G-level speeds to Nigeria

If you are in Nigeria and have a smartphone close by, let’s do a little test. Spoiler Alert, we’re borrowing a leaf from Tizeti’s playbook, so try to keep up. Go to Speedtest.net on your browser and let it load for a few seconds. What speed do you see? 500 kbps? We’re sorry about that. 2 Mbps? Well, pretty much standard. 50 Mbps? You’re simply the boss. 100 Mbps? Speak the truth; you are not in Nigeria. Whatever your results, they’ll probably pale in comparison to what Tizeti has in store. If recent updates are anything to go by, the telecom startup is currently testing next-generation WiFi technology in Nigeria that, if successful, could deliver Internet speeds up to 1Gbps — over 30x Nigeria’s average Internet speed. Continue reading

Africa’s Top Ten Countries Ranked by Internet Speed in 2021

26Aug

By Africa Tech DigestNo Comments

Africa, Mobile, Telecommunications

Africa’s Top Ten Countries Ranked by Internet Speed in 2021

Internet and connectivity speed tester Ookla last month released its global market analysis, ranking all countries in terms of fastest mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds. Countries are ranked based on their Speed Score, which incorporates a measure of each country’s total download and upload speed to rank network performance (90% of the final Speed Score is attributed to download speed and the remaining 10% to upload speed because online experiences are typically more affected by download speed). Ookla places the most emphasis on the median speeds as those represent what most mobile internet customers will experience on a day-to-day basis. Continue reading

Explained: Can the Nigerian government really spy on your WhatsApp messages?

23Aug

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Apps, Cybersecurity, Nigeria, Telecommunications, West Africa

Explained: Can the Nigerian government really spy on your WhatsApp messages?

Barely a month after blocking access to Twitter, the Nigerian government allocated ₦1.93 billion ($4.6 million) to the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) for a “WhatsApp Intercept Solution”. An interception solution for WhatsApp would allow an external party (the government, in this case) to access, monitor, or block communications (calls and chats) carried out by users via the app. The move is reportedly aimed at protecting Nigeria from cybercrime and terrorism perpetrated through such messaging platforms. However, it is seen by media stakeholders and activists as yet another attempt to restrict civil liberties. Continue reading

WhatsApp and other social media platforms restricted in Zambia amidst ongoing elections

16Aug

By Africa Tech DigestNo Comments

East Africa, Social Networks, Telecommunications

WhatsApp and other social media platforms restricted in Zambia amidst ongoing elections

Several users from Zambia have taken to Twitter informing the general public that WhatsApp has been restricted in the country amidst ongoing general elections today. The president and parliamentary elections culminate in a face-off between current President Edgar Lungu and opposition Hakainde Hichilema. Internet monitoring organization Netblocks further corroborated these reports, adding that multiple internet providers in Zambia had restricted access to the American social messaging platform. Some of these networks include Zambian government-owned Zamtel, Airtel Zambia, Liquid Telecom and MTN. Continue reading (Image Credits: Unsplash)

Infobip to Power Expresso Senegal Customer Communication with Whatsapp

8Aug

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Africa, Mobile, Telecommunications, West Africa

Infobip to Power Expresso Senegal Customer Communication with Whatsapp

DAKAR, Senegal, August 5, 2021/APO Group/ -- Global leader in business communications services Infobip (www.Infobip.com) announced today it will provide WhatsApp customer communication services and its Conversations CPaaS-based contact center solution to leading Senegal mobile operator Expresso. Mobile operators worldwide are increasingly adopting cloud-based customer communication solutions, in no small part driven by the COVID-19 pandemic which stressed the need to make remote services available to subscribers. As one of the most popular messaging apps in the world, WhatsApp is widely used to connect brands and mobile users, and Infobip has been a launch partner of WhatsApp business messaging. Continue reading (Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Infobip)

Africa’s Biggest Smartphone Seller is Taking a Cue from Apple

11Jun

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Telecommunications

Africa’s Biggest Smartphone Seller is Taking a Cue from Apple

As iPhone sales continue to dip and Apple is paying more attention to its services, the Chinese phone manufacturer leading the market in Africa, Transsion Holdings, seems to be toeing the same line and developing a service portfolio for itself. Transsion’s Infinix and Tecno phone brands are already popular in Nigeria and Kenya thanks to competitive pricing that makes the phones more affordable than their biggest competitors. Actively pursuing new services to offer users could further raise interest and profits. Transsion Overtook Samsung in Smartphone Sales in Africa Source: ATLAS In January, Transsion’s Mobile Internet Centre launched a new service in Nigeria. Scooper is essentially a media platform, offering content on football, literature, politics, technology and a r...

Chinese tech giant Huawei turns to Africa to offset US blacklist

11Jun

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Telecommunications

Chinese tech giant Huawei turns to Africa to offset US blacklist

As the United States leads a drive for the West to shun Huawei over security fears, the Chinese tech giant has sought to strengthen its position in Africa, where it is already well-established. Huawei has taken a leading role in developing next-generation 5G mobile phone networks around the world. But it has been in turmoil since Washington charged its equipment could serve as a Trojan horse for Chinese intelligence services. The world's second smartphone marker fiercely denies the allegations, but the US has urged countries to avoid it and several companies have distanced themselves. They include Google, whose Android operating system runs most smartphones. And as Washington and Beijing duke it out in an escalating trade war, nations around the world are faced with the dil...

Airtel Africa Targets $750m in London IPO

10Jun

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Telecommunications

Airtel Africa Targets $750m in London IPO

Airtel Africa Ltd, a subsidiary of India’s Bharti Airtel Ltd, on Tuesday said it will proceed with its plan to list shares on the main market of the London Stock Exchange through an initial public offering (IPO). “The offer is targeted to raise $750 million (plus primary greenshoe option of up to 15%) and will be used to reduce net debt,” Bharti Airtel said in a regulatory filing. Airtel Africa would proceed with an initial public offering for admission and listing of its shares on the main market of the London Stock Exchange (premium segment), it added. Additionally, Airtel Africa is also considering listing its shares on the Nigerian Stock Exchange. Continue reading

9Mar

By Africa Tech DigestNo Comments

Telecommunications

MTN to launch ‘WeChat of Africa’

MTN Group has announced it will launch an instant messaging (IM) service akin to China’s WeChat and Facebook’s WhatsApp as it seeks to expand revenue from digital services and mobile money. With the IM platform, which will form part of the group’s mobile money initiatives, MTN wants to build what group CEO Rob Shuter calls the “WeChat of Africa”. WeChat, developed by Naspers affiliate Tencent, is by far the largest IM app in China and offers a wide range of in-app services from chat to payments. The app will be launched in MTN markets in West Africa first as part of a “beta-testing” phase. The plan is to introduce it to all the countries in which it operates, including South Africa. A key differentiator will be the ability for users to exchange messages who don’t have a data pl...