Bintel budgets USD 250 mln for expansion in Africa January 29, 2009
Posted by aikservices in Africa, Bahrain, Bintel, Dubai, GSM, Lebanon, Middle East.Tags: Africa, Bahrain, Bintel, Dubai, GSM, Lebanon, Middle East
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Middle East and Africa telecom service provider Bintel has announced major investment plans as part of its strategic expansion programme. The Bahrain-based company plans to enter at least three new markets in Africa in the next two years and has allocated USD 250 million for investment in the region. In early 2008, Bintel acquired a majority stake in Telesonique, a Swiss-based wholesale traffic company, as part of its strategy to build a reliable network of telecommunications services strategic partners. Established in 2007, Bintel has Middle East offices in Bahrain, Dubai and Lebano and operates GSM networks in Central African Republic (since mid-2007) and Somaliland (since mid-2008).
Nigerians Lose 2 Million Phones to Thieves Annually – Minister January 29, 2009
Posted by aikservices in Africa, Mobile, Nigeria, Telecom, Wireless.Tags: Africa, Mobile, Nigeria, Telecom, Wireless
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Nigeria’s Minister of Information and Communications, Professor Dora Akunyili, says a total of 2 million mobile telephones are lost or reported stolen in Nigeria every year.Speaking at the launch of Nigeria’s mobile phone anti-theft initiative, a development expected to curtail the incidence of stolen phones in Nigeria on Tuesday in Abuja, Akunyili said: It is on record that more than 2 million mobile telephones are lost or reported stolen in Nigeria each year.This means that 38,500 mobile telephones are lost or stolen every week, and that three mobile phones are stolen every minute, she said.
Akunyili said that the initiative was in partnership with telecommunications service providers and a private firm.A Central Equipment Identity Registry (CEIR) will be established to record all handsets so that users can report cases of loss, and it could be blocked and made unusable, she added.
Vodacom 9-month revenue up 13.7% January 28, 2009
Posted by aikservices in Africa, ARPU, Financial, Mobile, Network Operator, Vodacom.Tags: Africa, ARPU, Financial, Mobile, Network Operator, Vodacom
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African mobile operator Vodacom posted a 13.7 percent rise in nine-month revenue as it boosted subscriber numbers. Revenue for the nine months ended 31 December rose to ZAR 40.5 billion, while the number of mobile customers increased 14.3 percent year-on-year to 37.8 million. Its customer base increased 5.8 percent versus the previous quarter. Its South African subscriber base swelled 4.8 percent versus the previous quarter to 26.45 million, and it lost one percentage point of market share to 52 percent. ARPU in its home market rose 2.3 percent from the previous quarter to ZAR 135. The non-South African operations comprised 11.3 million customers, or 30 percent of the total. On a quarterly basis, non-South African customers rose 8.4 percent. Vodacom said expanding its African footprint beyond South Africa is one of the pillars of its growth strategy.
Zain plans rural expansion (Kenya) January 19, 2009
Posted by aikservices in Africa, Celtel, Kenya, Mobile, Telecom, Wireless, Zain.Tags: Celtel, Kenya, Mobile, Telecom, Wireless, Zain
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Zain Kenya (formerly Celtel) says it is to continue investing in its cellular network during 2009 to improve coverage in rural areas. Kenya’s second largest mobile operator says that there is still a large untapped market in rural regions. The firm is also hoping to launch a new mobile payment service to compete alongside the M-Pesa offering from market leader Safaricom. ‘On the back of excellent market response in 2008, we are looking forward to expand our network and introduce new value added services like the M-Banking solution this quarter,’ says Zain Kenya Managing Director Rene Meza. Zain claimed 2.56 million subscribers and a 17.6% share of the overall mobile market in Kenya at the end of September 2008.
MTN Ghana receives new ‘054’ network code; prepares for 3.5G launch January 16, 2009
Posted by aikservices in 3.5G, Africa, Ghana, Mobile, MTN, Telecom, Wireless.Tags: 3.5G, Ghana, Mobile, MTN, Telecom, Wireless
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The National Communications Authority (NCA) of Ghana has allocated the network code ‘054’ to domestic mobile operator MTN Ghana, effective 15 January 2009. MobileAfrica quotes the cellco’s chief marketing officer George Andah as saying that the allocation of a new network code will enable the company to cope with increasing demand for its products and services. MTN Ghana’s chief executive officer Brett Goschen added that the operator would soon launch a 3.5G network to provide high data speed and internet access in addition to other advanced mobile products and services. MTN is also looking to up its CAPEX investment to cater for the build-out of a national fibre-optic network to help improve overall network quality.
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