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WEEKLY PUBLICATION DEADLINE: 12 pm GMT Sunday. ISSUE NO 344 The convergence moment – Gateway launches pan-African pay-TV serviceAfrican communications provider Gateway Communications this week announced that it would launch GTV, a pan-African pay-TV delivered service. By lowering the price of its service it will create some competition in what thus far has been a largely uncompetitive area. But whilst there has been much talk about convergence, this move is the first major scale, pan-African investment in broadcast content by a telecoms connectivity provider. Russell Southwood talks to Gateway’s President Julian McIntyre about what prompted this move. GTV will provide a variety of content at a more affordable subscription to its main rival DSTV, including sport, movies, popular series, music, education and religious content. The service will carry both major international channels as well as a number of “in-house” channels. The service will also focus heavily on promoting African content. The GTV service will be available from the middle of 2007, with a phased roll-out across sub-Saharan Africa. GTV will be targeting customers who have previously been unable to afford subscription-based services and have been limited to a small number of national free-to-air television stations. Q: Why did Gateway choose to go into pay-TV? At first glance, it’s not an obvious move. Let’s start with the basics. It’s a market-driven opportunity and the greatest opportunity in pay-TV globally is in sub-Saharan Africa. There are currently 4 million colour TV sets in the region but only a 1-2% take-up of pay-TV. What is happening is that penetration rates are converging globally. Africa may have different routes to market but it will not be exempt from this trend. So for example, pay-TV penetration rates in eastern Europe are currently 15-20% but will reach Western European rates of 30-40% before too long. Indeed these kinds of growth rates have been happening everywhere but Africa. There may be different cultural elements in terms of content but Africans like everyone want information, education and entertainment. Q: I can see the opportunity buy why Gateway? We have played a substantial role in facilitating communications penetration in Africa. We have a strong growing market in that sector that gives us a great cash flow. We see a number of opportunities to diversify into new areas. We already have a proven track record in building a successful business and we feel pay-TV is comparable to the beginning of mobile phones in the late 1990s. Q: Are you worried that DSTV has a “a lock” on many markets at the moment? With 1% of households taking its service, we’re not really talking about a lock on the market. If it is, it’s the kind of lock I’d like to unlock. It’s going to be about offering the right content and we’ll be making announcements on that in the near future. The content proposition will be better than DSTV. We’re making the service affordable. The current incumbents have kept pay-TV an elite product. We want a service for the masses. We want it to be a service that people will feel is part of their lives. Q: What’s the timetable? We’ll be broadcasting over Africa in the next few months. A commercial service will be available mid-year. There will be heavy marketing of the service in August. Q: Which markets will you be going into first? From day one, we will have content that is relevant to Anglophone countries. We will add Portuguese, French and content relevant to Indian communities later. We will be looking at the larger markets outside South Africa and Nigeria: these will include SADC countries and a selection of countries in West and East Africa. We will be distributing in 9-10 markets. We have content rights in every country except South Africa and Nigeria. Q: How will you tap into the market potential? It’s important to us that in each of the countries we operate in that we have local expertise, work with local companies and have local content. This is not a South African or European service, it’s one delivered specifically for sub-Saharan markets. We want to promote local, national and regional cultures, as well as also promoting local employment. Q: Will you be putting money into content? In the short-term, we will invest substantially in content rights. In the longer term, we intend to do so. The African content market and African media suffers from a lack of TV distribution infrastructure. When we’ve been talking to producers and directors they’ve been telling us that there’s nowhere to sell their work. The free-to-air television channels either lack the resources or are unwilling to do so. Existing pay-TV does not promote local content. There is a massive opportunity to develop local media markets. We want to promote access to quality content across all genres. For example, sports in general (and football in particular) are underdeveloped because they have no income from television. Pay-TV could do a great deal more to promote local interests. BALANCING ACT TO LAUNCH BROADCAST, FILM AND CONVERGENCE E-LETTERAfrica Film & TV, the publisher of the moving image in Africa, has been acquired by Southwood Consultants Ltd, publishers of the weekly e-letter Balancing Act’s News Update that covers telecoms, Internet and computing in Africa. Balancing Act will be publishing a fortnightly e-letter African Broadcast, Film and Convergence. A pilot issue will be published in two weeks time and it will launch in early Spring this year. The Africa Film & TV Yearbook 2007/2008 will be published this autumn. The e-letter will provide news on broadcast and film, distribution, investment, regulation and policy and technology and convergence from all over Africa. According to Balancing Act CEO’s CEO Russell Southwood:”This is an exciting time for African media. The opening up of broadcast licence opportunities in South Africa looks like being the starting gun for a wave of media liberalisation across the continent. Africans will get more information, a greater diversity of opinions and wider diet of TV and film fiction productions.” Africa Film & TV was suspended from publication in November 2005, following the closure of its Zimbabwe production offices. Outgoing Africa Film TV publishers are Furco Ltd of the UK. Furco CEO, Russell Honeyman, said that: "The acquisition of Africa Film & TV by Balancing Act is great news for the African broadcast and content creation industries. Balancing Act performs an excellent service in providing unbiased and timely news of ICT developments in Africa. Balancing Act has a track record of providing timely information in a professional way with content that is always relevant for its readers”. Russell Southwood, CEO, of Balancing Act, said, "We are delighted to have acquired Africa Film & TV. The title has been the journal of record for momentous changes in African image production and broadcast, from the apartheid era, to the launch of multi-channel satellite TV, to the arrival of broadband Internet. A new chapter is now beginning and we look forward to the growth of a strong broadcast and film industry on the continent.” If you would like to subscribe to African Broadcast, Film and Convergence, please go to: http://www.balancingact-africa.com/mailing_list/subscribe.php If you would like a rate card for the new e-letter or the Yearbook, please send an e-mail to: advertising@balancingact-africa.com
LIBYA TO PRIVATISE MOBILE PHONE SECTORLibya is planning to privatise its mobile phone sector next week as part of a programme of wider economic reforms, the son of Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi said Thursday. "The two mobile phone companies, Al-MadarAl-MadarAl Madar Telephone Company and LibyanaLibyanaLibyana Mobile Phone, will go private as of Tuesday," Seif al-Islam said during the inauguration of a national council for economic development. State-owned LibyanaLibyanaLibyana Mobile Phone and Al-MadarAl-MadarAl Madar Telephone Company have around 2.3 million users out of a population of six million inhabitants. Oil-rich Libya has undergone a dramatic diplomatic reversal since agreeing to stop developing weapons of mass destruction and denouncing terrorism, and with its newly opened economy is gradually returning to the international fold. (SOURCE: AFP) MTL ATTACKED FOR FAILING TO ROLL OUT NETWORK IN MALAWIInformation and Tourism Minister Patricia Kaliati on Wednesday accused the Malawi Telecommunications Limited (MTL) of failing to roll out one year after its privatisation saying many people are still facing communication hiccups due to few telephone lines. Speaking in Mangochi where she opened a five-day 33rd African Advanced Level Telecommunications Institute (AFRALTI) Governing Council meeting, Kaliati said when MTL was privatised people expected change and that its services should expand to rural areas. “We are still having problems because you have not yet rolled out. And we ask ourselves why have we privatised. They [MTL] should prove themselves and [if] you will not do it well we may come back and say why can’t we do it,” she said. MTL head of information technology Ascot Maluwa said in an interview his company has not yet rolled out because it was working on a business plan which has now been approved. He added that when new management took over in February last year it embarked on a project to clean up inefficiencies and rooting out corruption. “What remains now is laying out strategies because we have already installed new equipment. We will meet our targets before four years,” he said without elaborating on the targets. Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (Macra) acting director general Mike Kuntiya said his body was expected to meet MTL to explain how they have faired after a year and would certainly question their licence conditions and get data on their roll out targets. “If they have not [rolled out] they should give reasons to that,” he said. When MTL was privatised it was agreed that it will roll out lines both in urban and rural areas to improve communication. Failure to do so would attract a penalty. (SOURCE: The Nation) COMMUNICATION REGULATOR CAPS MOBILE TARIFFS AT SH30 IN KENYAMobile phone users will now pay a maximum of Sh30 on calls regardless of the tariff they are in. Industry regulator, Communications Commission of Kenya (CCK), on Thursday ordered Safaricom and Celtel to adjust their call charges to a maximum of Sh30 from next month. The regulator also slashed the cost of connecting calls between mobile and fixed line operators by 57 per cent to Sh1.74 from Sh4. The CCK orders were contained in new guidelines, released on Thursday, that should open the way for a decline in the costs of telecommunication. CCK also announced that by next month, interconnection rates between mobile networks would drop by 23 per cent to Sh6.28 from the current Sh8.12. CCK Director-General John Waweru said the new rates are aimed at slashing the huge costs incurred when making calls across the networks. The cost of making calls between mobile phone networks will also drop to less than Sh30 by July 1, the regulator said. "Coupled with the lower termination rates being unveiled today, it is the Commission's conviction that this will cultivate traffic growth, long-term revenue flows for operators and delivery of the benefits of competition to consumers and the economy at large," said Waweru. "We believe that this new pricing system will stimulate competition and facilitate the delivery of quality and affordable services. We do not expect this to have any negative financial effect on the companies because the market's potential is yet to be fully exploited. You just have to wait and see what I am saying ," he said. The guidelines are expected to end a price war between Celtel and Safaricom. Waweru said the new guidelines were effected after a thorough analysis of the market, which took 12 months to conclude. The study was undertaken by Analysis Consulting Limited of the UK. It was aimed at establishing acceptable wholesale and retail costs and prices of telecommunication services to help CCK determine the best way the industry could grow. (SOURCE: The East African Standard) GHANA’S REGULATOR ASKS SERVICE PROVIDERS TO GIVE ACCURATE INFORMATIONThe Acting Director-General of the National Communications Authority (NCA), Major J. R. K. Tandoh (Rtd) has stressed the need for service providers to always give accurate, sufficient as well as relevant information in guiding consumers to make rational choices and informed purchase decisions. He said it would amount to a breach of consumers' rights not to disclose every information pertaining to a product or service and even worse, mislead them deliberately. He was speaking at the Third NCA Consumers' Assembly in Accra on the theme, "Ten years of service: The challenges and future prospects". The theme, according to him, was aimed at spelling out the way forward for the communication industry, adding it was more significant for, "us as a contributor to the growth of a more competitive and vibrant industry". Maj. Tandoh, however, said the adoption of the National Telecommunications Policy by Parliament in January 2005 has added a lot more energy and drive to the work of the NCA. He noted that government has not only given the industry a new image but has also given operators clear policy directions. He continued that the right to safety was aimed at protecting consumers against marketing of sub-standard or defective goods and services, stressing the NCA frowns on such unethical conduct and was determined to ensure that adequate sanctions were imposed on culprits. Right of choice, the Director said was in accordance with fundamental democratic and economic principles, emphasizing the right to be heard which provided ample opportunities and channels for expressing grievances, opinions, lodging complaints, suggesting ways as well as ways to improve service delivery to customers. Touching on complaints by consumers, Maj. Tandoh stated that, "consumers of telecommunication services: telephone (fixed and wireless), prepaid card calling, internet services, voicemail, paging, radio trunk networks, satellite network services (VSAT), and domestic services, who are dissatisfied with services rendered to them by any of the operators have the right and unfettered freedom to redress the situation through formal lodging of complaints to the NCA". He stated that the Consumer Assembly would be one major channel for hearing and resolving consumer complaints, which border on quality of service and wrongful billing, and also augment the NCA's efforts in monitoring quality of service as detailed in the license conditions of operators. (SOURCE: Ghanaian Chronicle) UCC TO SPEND $100 MILLION IN RURAL AREAS IN UGANDAThe Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) is to spend over $100m (sh176b) on development of Information Technology (IT) infrastructure in rural areas, an official has said. The commission's fund manager for the Rural Communication Development Fund (RCDF), Bob Lyazi, said: "We are planning to spend $100m in the next three years to develop IT infrastructure in rural areas that were identified as unprofitable by telecommunication companies." The RCDF was established in 2003 to partner with the private sector. It aims at contributing to the high costs required to establish ICT projects in rural areas. "We have already established 55 training centres and 55 Internet cafes in each of the old districts. We are establishing 24 Internet cafes and 24 training centres in the new districts," he said in an interview at Communications House in Kampala. Lyazi said they had established 56 points of presence and were rolling out into the new districts. "We have set up 54 websites in the 54 districts. Another 24 will be set up. All these are expected to be operational by June. All districts will be covered," he said. Lyazi said the commission had established 136 public pay phones in areas that were identified as unprofitable. "We are in the process of developing 2,269 public pay phones by the end of this year. They will be scattered countrywide in the 154 sub-counties. By the end of the year, there will be no sub-county without a public phone," Lyazi explained. (SOUCE: New Vision)
IN BRIEF:- The Ugandan Parliament is set to involve Interpol in investigations concerning an interconnection deal between Uganda telecom and Gemtel Limited. - The Congolese government has been testing video calling services in the framework of its e-government policy. The government pledged to introduce modern communications services and the Internet across all ministries. - Algeria’s Post and ICT Minister Boudjemaa Haichour has announced that the technical requirement for the 3rd generation mobile phone licence are being drafted and that an international call for tender will be issued in the first quarter of this year. TELECOMS, RATES, OFFERS AND COVERAGE- Namibia Telecom reported a service outage in the North - area code 065 – last Monday. This was due to Telecom Nambia carrying out software upgrades at the Oshakati exchange. - MTN Nigeria has confirmed that it has completed the implementation, integration and service migration of its country-wide IP/MPLS Next Generation Network (NGN) network. - Private Telecommunications operator, Multi-Links has begun full service in the nation's capital, Abuja and its environs . This follows the roll out of its network in Lagos, Abeokuta, Ibadan, Ilorin, Ijebu-Ode and Sagamu, pioneer. - Tunisie Telecom has launched its “missed call” SMS service. Missed call alerts will be forwarded free of charge via SM to subscribers. - Algeria Telecom (AT) is preparing a phone book for its fixed telephony subscribers. This project, launched in partnership with the"Maghreb pages editions" company, is budgeted at AD100m, and will also cover the professional subscribers.
MTN CUTS DATA RATES IN SOUTH AFRICAMTN has reduced rates on data contracts and data bundles by up to 20%. MTN customers can now also pay as little as 20c per MB when buying the 1GB data contract or data bundle. MTN SA’s GM: consumer marketing, Donovan Smith, says: “We believe that the broader population, both contract and Pay as you Go customers, can benefit immensely from having affordable access to broadband, and as Network Operators we need to acknowledge the obvious barriers to entry. With this price reduction we aim to bring mobile data within reach of a larger portion of our population.” In addition to the price reduction, MTN says that it has extended its range of data contracts, adding a 350MB contract to the existing 500MB and 1GB contracts. “MTN data only contracts are designed for customers who want a contract that is primarily for data usage. We now have options that are suitable for most customers’ needs regardless of the amount of data they require on a monthly basis,” Smith adds. As part of the 24-month data contract, customers can receive the F@stLink E220 USB Mini Modem or the F@stLink E620 Data card. The F@stLink E220 USB Mini Modem plays a particularly important role in increasing the accessibility of MTN’s broadband, in that it can be used with desktop and laptop computers, Smith says. Customers using desktop computers at home or in the office can now also connect to the Internet using MTN’s data network, he adds. Customers taking out the Extended Data 1GB contract before 18 May will receive an extra 1GB of data for free every month for the duration of the 24-month contract, while customers subscribing to the 1GB data bundle will also receive an extra 1GB of data for three consecutive months from date of activation. With this promotion, customers can pay as little as 20c per MB of data. MTN has also added a 500MB bundle to the 10MB, 100MB, 350MB and 1GB bundles, and these data bundles are available to both contract and Pay as you Go customers at the same price. “In making data bundles available to both contract and Pay as you Go customers, we ensure none of our customers are excluded from benefiting from our affordable data rates,” says Smith. (SOURCE: ICT World) UUNET LAUNCHES VIDEO-CONFERENCE SERVICE IN KENYAUUNET Kenya, a local business communications provider has finalised plans to launch video conferencing facilities in the country. The intended introduction of the service so far limited to such institutions as World Bank African and Virtual University (AVU) has been made possible with introduction of a new broadband wireless technology - WiMAX. Uunet Kenya IP Solutions Manager, Peter Mwondi said that the service, which would run on the company's newly installed US$1 million WiMAX infrastructure would be another savings avenue for clients. "They are bound to benefit immensely through reduction on traveling expenses and time for personnel, as well as faster real time communication," he said. Mwondi explained that most of the Information Technology firms operating in Kenya have been hesitant to introduce the service because of an expensive and unreliable last mile band network - the link between the service provider and clients' office. He said late last year, the firm introduced a product called On-Net calling on their Uunet Voice service with some corporate clients saving up to Sh1 million. The product, he added, allows free calls within a firm's voice network, between customers and the service provider. "Just last week, we successfully tested our On-Net calls on the WiMAX network video phones. A client can actually dial a number - the one we give you - and if they have the right videophone, can see each other as they talk," said Mwondi. He said UUNET Kenya was unable to provide videoconferencing in the past because renting last mile access from a third party was not only costly but could also have compromised on voice and video quality. "Previously, you could not do voice because you needed an earth link. There was also the issue of inadequate bandwidth capacity that prevented the videoconferencing services to be effectively carried out," said Mwondi. But with the 4 MBPS WiMAX network, Uunet Kenya now can provide enough capacity on demand, and the flexibility to focus more on services, rather than infrastructure. (SOURCE: The East African Standard) TRANS-KALAHARI PROJECT TO BOOST CONNECTIVITY IN BOTSWANAThe Trans-Kalahari project, which will cover an approximate 2000 kilometres of optical fibre, has the potential to change the country's ICT infrastructure. Marking the ground-breaking launch of the Botswana Telecommunications Corporation (BTC's) Trans-Kalahari and SDH project this week in Ghanzi, Minister of Communications, Science and Technology, Pelonomi Venson-Moitoi, said that when completed, the Trans-Kalahari project will connect the planned EASSy and WAFS under-sea fibre cable projects. The Trans-Kalahari project is sub-divided into three parts, with the first leg earmarked to start in Jwaneng, via Ghanzi to Mamuno - a phase that will connect directly to Namibia. The second leg will start in Ghanzi, going through Maun and ending in Orapa, while the last phase will run from Sebina (near Francistown) through Nata, Kasane on the Zambian border to Ngoma on the Namibian border. "The last leg will ensure outward connectivity with Zambia and Namibia forming a resilient fibre backbone, which will be able to carry all kinds of technologies, with redundancy routes, and achieve 99.99 per cent network availability. The project will cost BTC about P200 million - assisted by government - with an estimated implementation period of up to 18 months". The minister hoped that the project would be delivered within the agreed time limit and at favourable costs within right specifications, adding that BTC should be commended for taking the lead in developing the national telecommunications infrastructure. Venson-Moitoi noted that the project would result in a resource that should be put to good use, adding that the private sector should equally ensure the fibre network is used and that it contributes to an enhanced ICT business sector. (SOURCE: Mmegi/The Reporter) ISPA UPBEAT ABOUT TRANSPARENT SOUTH AFRICAN REGULATOR ON ADSL REGULATIONSThe public call by The Independent Communications Authority of SA (Icasa) for input regarding the ADSL regulations published in the Government Gazette in August 2006 was answered by the Internet Service Providers' Association of SA (ISPA) on behalf of its 126 members, many of which provide ADSL services to SA Internet consumers. ADSL regulations issued last year by Icasa have been criticised for being unclear and for not dealing with key concerns including the wholesale pricing of ADSL. ISPA is heartened by recent comments by Icasa’s chairman that the ADSL regulations were under review. “Icasa’s willingness to engage stakeholders both prior and subsequent to the publishing of the ADSL regulations speaks volumes of the regulator’s intent to eventually arrive at a clear and equitable set of regulations. Clearly, there is plenty of room for improvement in the current regulations. "We hope Icasa will move quickly to clarify them and produce revised regulations that can be used to grow the broadband market for the benefit of all South Africans," says Richard Heath, chairman of ISPA’s Regulatory Submissions Working Group. ISPA acknowledges that regulating the broadband market can be as challenging as providing a quality broadband product when one is forced to source the raw material from a single supplier. In order to assist Icasa in pursuing its challenging mandate, ISPA's recently-submitted letter to the regulator outlines both technical and substantive issues relating to the ADSL regulations. ISPA points out that many of the issues mentioned in the ADSL regulations are beyond the control of ISPs. It is impossible for reseller ISPs to fully comply with the regulations when their supplier is not committed to compliance. "ISPA remains of the view that the regulations have the potential to address fundamental shortcomings relating to the provision of ADSL in SA and wishes to emphasise its desire to work with Icasa in ensuring that the regulations play their intended role," concludes Heath. (SOURCE: ICT World) EGYPT JAILS DISSIDENT BLOGGER FOR FOUR YEARSAn Egyptian court sentenced a dissident blogger to four years in prison Thursday for insulting Islam and defaming President Hosni Mubarak. The court, in the second city of Alexandria, sentenced Abdel Karim Suleiman to three years for insulting Islam and one year for defaming the president, fellow blogger and rights activist Dalia Ziyada said. Suleiman has been in custody since November 2006 and his trial started January 25. He denied all the charges. His detention has already been criticized by Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and Reporters Without Borders. The 22-year-old blogger, also known by his pen name Karim Amer, was arrested after posting an entry on his blog lashing out at Al Azhar University - the highest seat of Sunni Islamic learning (SOURCE: Middle East Times) IN BRIEF:- The Internet Society of South Africa (ISOC-ZA) has officially launched the Spam Bounty Hunter Programme. This is intended to provide information on spam, how to deal with it, when to report it, and how to manage the criminal case and investigation in order to receive a bounty or reward for the successful conviction of a spammer. - The City of Jobhannesburg is seeking private sector partners to develop its multimillion-rand Broadband Network Project (JBNP). This forms part of its aims to move towards a “smart city” concept, running off a mix of telecommunications technologies. The city owns infrastructure to provide a telecoms platform, as well as a private telecoms network licence. It is trying to aggregate its infrastructure, which is held by entities such as City Power and the Johannesburg Roads Agency. This includes fibre, copper and electricity grids.
CABINET GOES FOR OPEN SOURCE SOFTWARE IN SOUTH AFRICAThe South African cabinet has reconfirmed a commitment to use more free and open source software in government departments to slash its technology running costs and increase the opportunities for local software developers, according to government spokesman Themba Maseko. Unlike costly brand name packages, open source software is free to use and can be modified to suit the needs of its users. Wednesday's cabinet meeting revolved all new software developed for government would use open rather then proprietary standards, and that the software now in use would gradually be replaced by open source alternatives. That would eliminate annual licence fees and enhance local development skills, Maseko said. The repercussions for software companies threaten to be enormous, as government is SA's largest spender on technology. But a policy of gradually switching to open source has been in place since early 2003, with little noticeable effect so far. Now a new date has been proposed, with a project office to be set up by April to ensure a smooth transition throughout SA. Maseko said the cabinet also discussed the switch from analogue to digital broadcasting for radio and television, with the digital signal to go live on November 1 next year and analogue to be switched off three years later. SA has made some heavy commitments to Fifa to boost its information and telecommunications infrastructure ready for the 2010 World Cup. A service provider will be appointed to provide adequate infrastructure to carry voice and data signals to and from the stadiums, and Sentech will build a second teleport to provide satellite links. After this week's budget speech, Democratic Alliance MP Dene Smuts said the allocation of R318m over three years for Sentech to digitise broadcasting infrastructure was an improvement on the R200m it was led to expect, but far short of the R900m Sentech felt it needed. The trade and industry department will liaise with television manufacturers and retailers, and run a campaign to educate the public about the digital implications. Viewers will need to buy a digital television or a kit to convert incoming digital signals. There are an estimated 7-million sets in SA. The communications department said this year a set-top box subsidy for consumers was likely, so everyone could access the new technology. Maseko said the cabinet also agreed that sufficient broadcasting spectrum should be retained for new television channels dedicated to education, health, young people, business entrepreneurs and sport, and for and three regional services each offering three channels. (SOURCE: Business Day) COMPUTERISATION OF ELECTORAL REGISTERS ACCELERATES IN CAMEROONThe Minister of State, Minister of Territorial Administration and Decentralisation (MINATD), Marafa Hamidou Yaya in a press conference stated that the computerisation of the voters' registers has already started in the field and progressing without a hotch. According to the MINATD boss, this was thanks to the material that has been acquired and distributed to the 58 Divisional Computer units, ten Provincial Units and the National Computer Unit located at the Ministry in Yaounde. Personnel to carry out the computerisation of the voters' registers have also been recruited, trained and are already at work. The National Computer Unit is equipped with 32 computers, 14 high-quality printers, with well trained personnel prepared to start effective work on the lists that will be sent from the ten provinces. This unit was busy yesterday with personnel bracing up for work, familiarising themselves with the equipment while others were busy putting in place MINATD website. Some of the personnel explained to Cameroon Tribune the master plan for the computerisation of the voters' registers. They specified that the registration of voters takes place only at the Sub-divisional and District levels. This is done by the Mixed Commission that is comprised of representatives of the administration and those of political parties. The computerisation process starts at the Computer Units at Senior Divisional Offices. According to the officials, the Mixed Commission in charge of registering voters sends the names of registered voters to the computer unit at the Senior Divisional Office for typing. After this, the list is sent back to the Mixed Commission for verification and eventual corrections. Lists from all the Sub-divisions and Districts in a particular Division are sent to the Computer Unit at the Senior Divisional Office where they are harmonised, people who have registered in many Subdivisions detected and urged to choose only one polling station. After all this is done, the final list for the Division is forwarded to the Provincial Computer Unit at the Governor's Office. Here the lists are merged, cases of irregularities identified and sent back to the Divisions for corrections. After every correction and rectification must have been done at the Provincial Computer Unit, the harmonised voters' register is sent to the National Unit where the final rectifications are done. At the National level, the provisional voters' lists is compiled and sent to be published at the Sub-divisional and District Offices for potential voters to consult. Another copy will also be published at MINATD website. Irregularities noticed after the consultation of the provisional lists are corrected leading to the establishment and publication of the final voters' register and lists for the entire country. For the sake of efficiency, the officials at the National Computer Unit for the computerisation of voters' register said the computers are distributed to the various units in relation to the number of potential voters. Minister of State, Marafa Hamidou Yaya in his press conference stated that upon the suspension of registration when the electors will be called to the polls, the final voters' lists will then be compiled and published. (SOURCE: Cameroon Tribune) MOZAMBIQUE SIGNS AGREEMENT WITH MICROSOFTThe Mozambican government signed in Maputo on Wednesday a partnership agreement with the multinational computer company Microsoft. The document, valid for three years, was signed between Science and Technology Minister Venancio Massingue and the Microsoft director for Africa, Cheik Diarra. On the occasion, Massingue said that this agreement represents a new stage in the relationship between Mozambique and Microsoft, which began in 2004, when they signed a cooperation protocol and a memorandum of understanding. This relationship was renewed when Mozambican President Armando Guebuza held talks with Microsoft chairperson Bill Gates during the meeting of the Government Leaders Forum, that took place in the South African city of Cape Town, in July 2006. Wednesday's agreement "is the materialization of this intention to cooperate, that introduces a framework for purchase and management of Microsoft licences in government and public institutions", said Massingue. He added that the document will facilitate access of Mozambique to Microsoft's Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). Massingue further added that Mozambique intends to create software centres to respond to the current problems the country is facing. "We want every Mozambican to take advantage of the ICTs, and we expect Microsoft to take part in the implementation of the Science, Technology and Innovation Strategy, that was launched in Maputo by President Guebuza earlier today", he said. The agreement defines Electronic government, Education, and the development of a National Information and Communication Technologies Industry as the main projects to be funded by Microsoft. Massingue explained that in the initial stage, 2,416 computers will be licenced in various ministries and other state institutions, which means that all new purchases of computers by public institutions will be licenced by Microsoft and will benefit from regular updating. The agreement will also allow the adoption of standard prices, with added bonuses for government institutions and, possibly, also for public companies. (SOURCE: Agencia de Informacao de Mocambique) MATHEMATICS GET MORE INTERACTIVE WITH CD-ROM IN MAURITIUSTeachers, blamed for their traditional approach in the classroom, often argue that there are no tools to help them to be more innovative. To respond to this need, the Mauritius College of the Air has produced a CD-Rom in Mathematics for HSC students. One of the most important features of the CD-ROM is the graphic animations. After around four years of patience and research, the Mauritius College of the Air (MCA) has launched its "Interactive Multimedia CD-ROM in Mathematics at HSC level". In fact, this CD-Rom will be a new way for HSC students to learn mathematics. It is divided into 5 chapters and 46 lessons that have been scripted by three highly qualified and experienced teachers - Doctor Kaviraj Sukon, Paul Hung Fong Yue and Jugadiss Beehary. The average number of hours of study needed to master the five topics on CD format is 55 and the students will be able to use these lessons at three levels. The first level introduces the whole content of the CD-ROM. The second allows the pupil to select and study appropriate lessons according to his needs and supplements existing teaching material. The last section is for revision purposes. The launching ceremony took place last Tuesday at Ebene Cyber Tower where several personalities of the field of education were present. Govin Appavoo, project leader and senior coordinator at the MCA, presented the CD-ROM and commented that it is meant to provide a new learning experience for HSC pupils. Following the presentation, Minister Gokhool congratulated the MCA on the project. Moreover, the minister enumerated the various governmental initiatives which have been undetaken to facilitate the integration of ICT into education in Mauritius. As Meena Seetulsingh, Director of the MCA, pointed out, the project has taken quite some time to materialise. She emphasised that the production process for such educational materials is complex and has involved academics and several technicians in multimedia production with an initial collaboration with FRCI. Doctor Kaviraj Sukon, chairman of the organisation, also expressed his satisfaction with the project. One of the objectives of this CD-Rom is to provide lessons in a web environment to enhance learning. The five main chapters comprising the CD-Rom are namely: Complex Numbers, Differential Equations, Vectors, Permutations and Combinations and Probability. One of the most important features of the CD-Rom is the graphic animations. Indeed, the product has 1,200 html texts and 4,000 images. Thereby, it can be assumed that the student will enjoy a visual concept that will motivate his learning. Added to all of this, this CD-Rom can be used as a pedagogical tool by teachers. Hence, this product could be a turning point for some to change their teaching methods. To enable all students and teachers to benefit from such a useful tool, the CDROM will be distributed free to all secondary schools (SOURCE: L’Express) IN BRIEF:- Nigerian Yellow Pages, one of the largest business directories of business in Nigeria has improved its services with the release of Auto-Run-CD-ROM, Nigeria Yellow Pages for Window, Internet Browser Toolbar, Mobile Yellow Pages. - In Botswana, a Presidential Commission of Inquiry has recommended the merger of the Botswana Technology Centre (BOTEC) with a related institution with a new mandate. The commission said that considering the level of disorder at BOTEC, it should be merged "with another technology research and development institution, with a new mandate and new structure that will be programme-based". - The internal regulation of the National Department for Techno-professional training is in force in Angola, following its publication in the State Gazette that carries the decree approving it signed by Angolan Education minister, Antonio Burity da Silva. - The Asterisk and Zaptel development team has released version 1.2.14 of Zaptel. This release contains only minor changes, the most important of which relates to single-port module support on Digium's TDM800P analog interface card (previously these modules were not properly recognized by the driver).
TELKOM BUYS AFRICA ONLINE – WARRING BUYERS AGREEThe African Lakes Corporation Limited and Africa Telecoms Company Limited announced that they have reached agreement with Telkom SA, clearing the way for the sale of Africa Online. In particular, an agreement has been reached between ATC and Telkom whereby ATC consents to the disposal by TALC of AfOL to Telkom for approximately £9.72 million. In return for ATC’s consent to the disposal, Telkom has undertaken to pay a contribution of £600,000 towards the costs incurred by ATC in the course of making its offers for TALC. Telkom and Wananchi Online Limited (a 28.5 per cent. shareholder in ATC) are also considering whether any opportunities may exist to cooperate in the Kenyan market in the future. This may or may not lead to an agreement between Telkom and Wananchi. ATC’s consent to the Agreement is not contingent upon any prospective outcome to these discussions. As a result of the Agreement, the Company has, with the consent of the Panel, been able to complete the Disposal without the necessity of obtaining formal shareholder approval for which notice of an extraordinary general meeting was sent to TALC’s shareholders on 16 February 2007. Accordingly, while the TALC extraordinary general meeting which has been convened for 5 March 2007 will still take place, shareholders are advised that the Disposal is no longer conditional upon the passing of the resolution to be proposed at that meeting and that, consequently, they need not attend. The Board of TALC supports this action on the basis that sufficient Irrevocable Undertakings to vote in favour of the Disposal have already been received from a substantial majority of shareholders. ATC also announces that, as a consequence of the Agreement, and with the consent of the board of TALC and its adviser and also with the consent of the Panel, ATC has lapsed its revised cash offer for TALC (the ‘Revised Offer’ as announced by ATC on 8 February 2007) by invoking condition (e) (iv) to that offer. The next step in distributing the proceeds of the Disposal to TALC’s shareholders will be for a further extraordinary general meeting to be called to propose a members’ voluntary liquidation. Schneider Media & Holding Group LLC, a 58.3 per cent. shareholder in ATC which holds 39,080 TALC shares (representing approximately 13.5 per cent. of TALC’s issued share capital) and The African Technology Media & Telecommunications Investment Company Limited, a 11.4 per cent. shareholder in ATC that holds 35,000 TALC shares (representing approximately 12.1 per cent. of TALC’s issued share capital), have each agreed to vote in favour of a members’ voluntary liquidation of the Company when it is proposed at this second extraordinary general meeting. With this support, TALC is confident that the resolution will be passed by the requisite majority. TALC will be sending shareholders the notice of this extraordinary general meeting shortly. This agreement represents a victory for Telkom SA and the is the first fruit of its (until this point unsuccessful) regional acquisitions strategy. Now the prize has been won, interest will now turn to what it will use it for. MTC ANNOUNCES A RECORD NET INCOME OF USD 1.051 BILLION FOR YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2006As of December 31 2006, MTC Group was operating on 2 continents and was serving 27.037 million active customers – an increase of 98% compared to the same period last year. The company was present in 20 countries spread throughout Africa and the Middle East – making it the 5th largest mobile operator in the world in terms of geographic footprint –serving in markets with a total population of 470 million people. The company’s remarkable customer increase was primarily driven by its high-growth African operations; and its acquisition of Sudan’s Mobitel and Nigeria’s V-Mobile which alone added 1.84 million and 5.5 million subscribers respectively. The company reported that its revenues exceeded KD 1.210 billion (USD 4.167 billion) for 2006, an increase of 109% relative to the same period in 2005. MTC's performance figures have been driven by organic growth, new license awards, and acquisitions over the past three and a half years since the company embarked on its profitable “3x3x3” expansion strategy. In 2006, MTC Group’s enviable financial performance was spearheaded by its more mature Middle Eastern operations and an impressive 113% increase in Celtel International’s revenues. "The Group’s consolidated net profit was KD 305.30 million (USD 1.051 Billion) for year end 2006. These figures translate to earnings per share of 247 Fils (85 cents). This is yet another period of strong and sustainable growth in both the top and bottom lines,” said Mr. Asaad Ahmed Al-Banwan, Chairman of MTC. “MTC’s EBITDA was KD 593.96 million (USD 2.045 billion) reflecting vast Group operating efficiencies and synergies during this growth phase, and a testament to our management of a company of this size with operations at various stages of their life cycles.” added Mr. Al-Banwan. “The acquisition of the shares we did not own in Mobitel, Sudan (61%) in February 2006 coupled with the 65% of Vmobile, Nigeria that we concluded in May 2006 have significantly enhanced our portfolio with strong cash generating and high growth operations. We are continuously on the look out for new profitable opportunities. MTC Group is now serving a growing customer base of 27.037 million active customers in the Middle East and Africa, representing a year-on-year increase of 98% due to organic growth and landmark acquisitions in Sudan and Nigeria. The company’s subsidiaries are consistently the leading operators in the overwhelming majority of the 20 countries where MTC operates, reflecting its core strategy to be the leader in the markets it serves. As of 2006, MTC’s African operations – through its subsidiary Celtel International – represented 62% of the company’s customer base while the Middle East operations: Iraq, Sudan, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon and Bahrain represented the remaining customers. MTC recorded consolidated revenues of KD 1.210 billion (USD 4.167 billion) for 2006, an increase of 109% compared to 2005. The consolidated EBITDA increased by 78% compared to last year and reached KD 593.96 million (USD 2.045 billion), a margin of 49%. MTC also announced a milestone consolidated net income of KD 305.30 million (USD 1.051 billion), an increase of 65% compared to 2005, representing earnings of 247 Fils (USD 0.85) per share. VODAFONE STAKE IN SAFARICOM IS INDIRECTThe complex web of Vodafone's involvement with Safaricom in Kenya has been revealed by a UK newspaper. The foreign firm's involvement in Safaricom is indirect through the shell company Mobitelea Ventures which was registered in the British Isles offshore island of Guernsey on June 18, 1999, the UK Guardian says. This was several months after Vodafone struck a preliminary deal with the Government. But the identity of Mobitelea's owners remains shrouded in mystery and is hidden behind two nominee companies, Mercator Trustees and Mercator Nominees, both of which are also registered in Guernsey. The directors of both companies are named as Anson and Cabot Ltd, who are based in the West Indies - in Anguilla and Antigua. In a recent letter to Kenya's parliamentary Public Investments Committee, Vodafone chief executive Gavin Darby said Mobitelea is Vodafone's chosen partner in Kenya. "When Vodafone makes investments in new territories, it is not uncommon that it works alongside a partner who typically gives advice on local business practices and protocol and the various challenges associated with investing in a new market," Mr Darby said "Vodafone would prefer to be in a position to make a comprehensive disclosure but, having taken legal advice, it could be in breach of confidentiality were it to discuss Mobitelea further." The issue needs to be resolved as Safaricom is soon to be listed on the Nairobi Stock Exchange. The PIC has launched an inquiry into the issue and asked Vodafone to attend a meeting in Nairobi on January 30. But the invitation was declined. PIC chairman Justin Muturi said he was concerned about Vodafone's lack of transparency over its dealings in Safaricom shares. The Guardian said that whoever is the owner of Mobitelea has made a tidy profit. In return for its advice, the company was given $5 million (Sh360 million) in cash and a 5 per cent stake in a company that analysts value at $2 billion (Sh144 billion), the paper says. The investigation in Kenya also centres on why the Government allowed Vodafone to acquire 40 per cent of Safaricom instead of the 30 per cent limit that had been agreed upon. The Guardian pointed out that without the concession, the Kenya government's current stake in Safaricom would be worth an additional $200 million (about Sh14 billion). (SOURCE: The Nation) ECONET EYES CONTROLLING STAKE IN TELECOM LESOTHOEconet Wireless Holdings is expected to exercise its rights to buy a controlling stake in Telecom Lesotho, the sole fixed-line operator in the tiny mountain kingdom completely surrounded by South Africa. According to Press reports from South Africa, the shares would be sold by Eskom Enterprises, a unit of electricity utility Eskom, which is selling shares as part of a R97 billion programme to focus on expanding its power generation, distribution and transmission capacity in South Africa. Telecom Lesotho is 70 percent owned by Mountain Communications while the Lesotho government holds the balance. Eskom Enterprises owns 71 percent of Mountain Communications, while Econet has a minority stake. "Econet Wireless has pre-emptive rights with regard to the sale of Eskom shares in Mountain Communications," Telecom Lesotho acting CEO Mr Les Carlo told Businessday, the South African online newspaper yesterday. Chances of the rights being exercised before the end of the year were very high. "Eskom's view is that the transaction should be completed this year," he added. Telecom Lesotho has about 50,000 customers, 265 staff and annual sales of close to R220 million. It owns Econet Ezi-Cel Lesotho, a cellphone company with about 60 000 subscribers. "The company is profitable but its margins are very tight," said Carlo. He, however, refused to say how much it made last year. Maseru-based Telecom Lesotho was extending its product range and building its data business as it braced for competition in the main towns. It was formed in 2000 when the state telecommunications company was sold to private investors. It was granted a six-year monopoly over fixed lines, which expired on February 8. (SOURCE: The Herald) THE COURT STOPS SALE OF TELKOM SUBSIDIARY IN KENYAThe intended privatisation of Gilgil Telecommunications Industries has been stopped by the High Court. One of the losing bidders, Muringa HoldingsLtd got the temporary orders stopping the execution of the multi-million contract until its judicial review application is heard. Muringa Holdings Ltd is alleging unfairness and breach of procurement regulations in the tendering process in which Egyptian Electronic Technology was given the contract. It insists it was in the interest of the applicant and the public that the tender is cancelled. The orders issued by Lady Justice Roselyne Wendoh of the Constitutional Court on Monday are directed at Telkom Kenya, which owns the facility, Information and Communication Permanent Secretary and the Attorney General. She gave Muringa seven days to file a substantive motion after which dates would be set for a hearing. In it application filed by lawyer Elijah Mwangi Kinyanjui, the tender for joint venture for GTI was advertised by Telkom Kenya Limited. (SOURCE: The Nation) UGANDA GOVERNMENT IS NOT SELLING ITS UTL SHARESThe Government is not selling its shares in uganda telecom (utl), a statement from the information and communications technology (ICT) ministry has revealed. "We wish to clarify that Ucom, a private investor with 51% shares in uganda telecom, is in the process of selling its shares. The Minister of Information and Communications Technology, Dr. Ham Mulira, clearly pointed out that it is not the Government's 49% shares which were being sold, but those of Ucom," read the statement. Dr. David Turahi, the acting director for communications in the ICT ministry, said a sale of the Government's 49% shares would be handled by the finance ministry not the ICT ministry. Turahi refuted media reports that claimed Mulira said Ucom had not followed the right procedures as they sell their shares. Utl is one of the few remaining organisations in which the Government still has shares since privatisation started. (SOURCE: New Vision) EARNINGS FALL AT BUSINESS CONNEXION IN SOUTH AFRICATelkom's potential acquisition of Business Connexion is just one of three events that weighed on the technology group's financial performance for the six months to November. Disappointing results show its revenue of R1,72bn was up only a fraction from R1,7bn during the corresponding period in 2005, and the cost of sales and gross profit were static. But headline earnings fell from R52,5m to R45m, knocking headline earnings a share from 21,6c to 18c. The figures would have looked worse had they not been pumped up by a R52m profit from selling some properties. Disruption caused by the potential Telkom takeover was "a bit of an irritation" compounded by a huge investment in a new software system from SAP throughout the group and by building R150m data centres, said CEO Peter Watt. The uncertain future inflicted by the pending takeover has cost the company some staff, with the remaining staff largely supporting the deal, Watt said. Another direct effect has been a loss of business for its communications division, with some customers buying their communications services directly from Telkom instead of paying Business Connexion to be a middle man. "That has knocked us back to the tune of R6m-R7m," said Watt. Implementing the SAP software had soaked up resources from every level of the business, but would allow it to meet corporate governance requirements without employing "an army of accountants", Watt said. The new system will streamline various software systems that the group's 25 businesses have run on as it grew through acquisitions. Watt said the construction of new data centres to host software and data services on behalf of its customers had been equally essential. All customers had been switched to those centres, which had withstood Eskom's power failures "without missing a beat". No new customers were taken on while the centres were built, but new contracts were being signed now and should boost its income in the coming months. Financial director Alan Farthing said capital expenditure had touched R96m, up from a more normal R70m for an entire year. That has cut cash on hand from R657m to R562m. Watt expects second-half revenue and profits to improve now its major spending is behind it. "I believe we will return to our previous levels of revenue and profitability in the next six months," he said. Business Connexion earns about a third of its revenue from selling hardware. That is a low-margin but essential part of its services, Watt said, and customers were beginning to spend more on hardware than in previous years. Plans to move into Africa have been scaled back, even though its African division saw a 45% rise in revenue to R118,2m and turned a previous loss of R12m into a profit of R5,1m. The company has offices in Tanzania, Mozambique, Namibia and Zambia, with no intention of opening more. Tenders were sporadic and took a long time to be awarded, creating an unnecessary drain on resources. The group would still chase African opportunities, but not through a dedicated division. (SOURCE: Business Day) IN BRIEF:- Time has now been called on potential investors to subscribe to shares in Transnational Corporation (Transcorp), which owns 75% of Nigeria’s incumbent telco NITEL and its mobile subsidiary M-Tel. The initial public offer (IPO) of eight million nominal NGN0.5 ordinary shares, priced at NGN7.50 (USD0.06) each, commenced on 27 December 2006 and ran throughout January 2007, was extended until 14 February. Around 2,400 Nigerian companies and individual investors are thought to have become shareholders. - Mobile operator, Orange Madagascar, announced that 97% of the company’s turnover is generated by its prepaid customers. The mobile operator has close to 650,000 subscribers and forecast to reach 1 million by the end of this year. Investments in Orange Madagascar’s network reached 18 millions Euros in 2006. - Global telecommunications and technology operator British Telecommunications (BT) plans to finalise a joint venture with a local black economic empowerment (BEE) company before the end of the year as it positions itself to aggressively win corporate clients.
PREPARE FOR ADVERTISING AND FLOOD OF SPAM ON YOUR CELLThe money-grabbing cellphone industry is plotting its revenge on ungrateful consumers. Customers have blithely ignored fancy services like television, video conferencing and internet access on their handsets despite the operators, cellphone designers and content providers pumping millions of dollars into those technologies. With consumer apathy making a return on those investments unlikely, the industry is now hatching a plot where resistance may be futile: mobile advertising. A tiny amount of mobile advertising is already trickling through, particularly to people who enter SMS competitions or hand out their cellphone number when they fill in forms. Advertising is among several new ways in which the operators hope to diversify their revenue as voice calls reach saturation point and stiff competition erodes profit margins. Making financial payments via a handset, listening to music and accessing e-mail, Word documents and other work-related software are also up-and-coming niches. The focus on those services at the 3GSM Congress in Barcelona last week was a discernable shift. A year ago, delegates hailed television on the small screen as an unstoppable revolution. This year mobile television was still on the agenda, but in a far less convincing way. "We have built up (services) without discussing with consumers whether they want what we are busy building," said Rudolph Grager, CEO of 0' Germany. "We are wondering why the customer isn't buying that stuff." What makes mobile adverts so attractive is that consumers will not be the decision makers. The sheer size of the market excites Arun Sarin, CEO of the world's largest operator by revenue, Vodafone. "There are 2-billion cellphone users compared with 1,4-billion TV sets and 1-billion PCs," he said. "It's the ideal advertising medium that advertisers should pay a premium for." Adverts could be personalised to suit the different interests and locations of customers, and delivering adverts, music and handling mobile payments promised new cash flows. "To grow larger pools of revenue we have to move into adjacent markets," Sarin said. What should worry consumers is that the industry seems blissfully impervious to the danger of provoking a backlash. Just imagine if all the spam that clogs up your computer's e-mail comes to your cellphone instead. Advertising is poised to grow dramatically. Yahoo has just signed up several global brands to run adverts in 18 countries when users tap into its home page on their handsets. So far Africa is not one of its target markets. The GSM Association's CEO, Rob Conway, briefly raised the idea of an "opt-in" system, where anyone who did not actively ask to receive advertising could not be added to a mailing list. But opt-in protection for e-mail adverts adopted in some countries has barely diminished the deluge of spam. Conway at least proposed some sort of code of conduct and the creation of a mobile advertising forum to unite the advertisers, content providers and network operators. What concerns the operators more than the threat of furious customers is the risk that they may lose their financial stranglehold. Internet players including Google, Yahoo and YouTube are adapting their hugely successful computer services to cellphones, and the operators want a slice of that. "Adjacent industries are moving into mobile and competing in our space" said Sarin. "We have to move faster otherwise others will eat our lunch." (SOURCE: Business Day) PHONES BOOST WAR AGAINST CRIME IN KENYAThe use of cell phones to track down criminals in the country is a fairly new system which has paid dividends. While many assume that cell phones are private, what they do not know is that they are the easiest way to trace the location of the user. One announces their location by the act of making a call, as the phone has already selected the strongest base station it can find -- which is probably the nearest one. So as long as you keep talking, the system can locate you to at least the nearest cell. The size of a cell depends on many factors including the terrain and user population density. In busy areas, the carriers deploy many small cells to maximize the capacity of the system. In such an area, you might be located to an area as small as a few city blocks. It is not just the cell phone that is in use which can be tracked down. There is technology which can track an idle phone. If cell phone users only placed calls and never received them, there would be no need to track their location even when idle. But a substantial number of calls are made to cellular phones. That is where the phone announces itself to the system with a short message on the access channel so that the system knows exactly where to direct a page in case of an incoming call. If the mobile moves to another cell, it re-registers in that new cell and the system updates its database accordingly. The mobile also re-registers occasionally even if it stays in the same cell, just to refresh the database entry. Seated next to a radio, one will occasionally hear interruption on broadcast as the phone 'reports' to the base station. Most phones give no audible or visible sign that they are registering. The kidnapping of businessman Abdulkarim Popat by gangsters in May 1998 serves as a useful example. Popat was kidnapped by three youngsters and driven to a hideout in Karen where he was held for several days. However, their attempt to use his phone led the police to their hideout where the trader was rescued and the gang leader shot dead. More recently, a murder case in Eastleigh area of Nairobi was resolved when the court pieced up information from the cell phone of the deceased. To prevent a cell phone from registering and revealing your location is to turn it off. And to avoid doubt, remove the battery. (SOURCE: The Nation) NASTY CYBER WARS AS KALONZO WEBSITE IS HACKED IN KENYAKalonzo backs Raila for President", said Kalonzo Musyoka's official website on Thursday as all visitors were automatically redirected to Raila Odinga's official campaign website for this year's General Election. The irony is, for hours Kalonzo's technical team tried to undo the damage on www.kalonzofoundation.org to no avail. By the time of going to press a visit to the website invariably led one to www.raila2007.com. Strangely, a visit to www.odm-kenya.org led one to the Government of Kenya's official website with the singular message on it being: "No time for street demos, rallies or trips abroad we are a working nation." The Government's website - www.communication.go.ke - is run by the Office of Public Communications headed by Government Spokesman Dr Alfred Mutua. The website contains all public relations information on the Government and its activities. ODM-Kenya is easily the Government's greatest opponent, but now a visit to the website registered in the party's name takes one direct to the Government's PR office. Kalonzo, the Mwingi North MP, and Raila, the Lang'ata MP, are top contenders for the ODM-Kenya presidential ticket and their enemies would love to see them fight, even split, before the General Election is held. Whereas Kalonzo's handlers deny he has backed Raila for the country's presidency, Raila's handlers deny they are behind the move. Both politicians could not be reached for comment on Thursday. In 2002, hackers broke into Roads minister Mr Simeon Nyachae's website and posted pornographic material on it. But this time round the war has begun too early painting a grim picture of the nature of the campaigns ahead. The development giving Kalonzo's website a complete new look threw legislators allied to both MPs in utter confusion, with most confessing ignorance over Kalonzo's purported support for a Raila presidency. (SOURCE: The East African Standard) IN BRIEF:- The Cabinet in South Africa has expressed concern over recent hoax e-mails and SMS text messages concerning the health of former President Nelson Mandela and has called on the media "not to give these malicious messages any undue prominence." - The US Embassy in Sierra Leone has resumed issuing visas but insists that only online applications will be treated. The new US Embassy vice consul Brendan Mulocky said he was aware of the fact that many Sierra Leoneans were not computer literate but emphasized that it had become the standard practice globally. Lex America! - An American internet site, globalerrands dot com, has opened a window for Nigerian professionals to showcase their expertise to the rest of the world. - Senegalese websites Seneweb.com and Rewmi.com reported to have received continuous hacking threats coming from Senegal and from abroad. Somes hackers have been traced back to the Senegalese government network. It is worth noting that Senegal is heading towards presidential elections! - Marrakech, a city in Morocco has launched an information website www.tourisme-marrakech.org. to further strenghen its position as the leading touristic destination in the country.
NEW TUNE ON PIRACYThe entertainment industry, worried about piracy of digital content, is turning to onerous antipiracy schemes using digital rights management (DRM) technologies. But consumers don’t like DRM and it may be doing the industry more harm than good. Earlier this month, Apple CEO Steve Jobs posted an extraordinary essay on his company’s website in which he appealed to the music industry to stop insisting that music sold on the Internet be embedded with DRM controls. DRM, which is designed to curb online piracy, places restrictions on what consumers can do with digital content they have paid for and downloaded. Those opposed to it say it stands for “digital restrictions management”. But advocates say DRM is essential to protect copyright holders from piracy. The big record companies insist that songs purchased from Apple’s iTunes Music Store and other online retailers that sell downloadable music be wrapped in a DRM layer so they can’t be played on unauthorised devices. Says Jobs: “If a copy of a DRM-protected song is posted on the Internet, it should not be able to play on a downloader’s computer or portable music device.” But DRM systems such as Apple’s are drawing heavy fire from consumers and advocacy groups such as the Electronic Frontier Foundation and the Free Software Foundation. The FSF, led by software maverick Richard Stallman, has been at the forefront of the fight against DRM restrictions and last year launched an anti-DRM campaign under the name “defective by design”. The campaign’s website says DRM products have been “intentionally crippled from the user’s perspective, and are therefore ‘defective by design’. This campaign will identify these ‘defective’ products, and target them for elimination. Our aim is the abolition of DRM as a social practice.” Now Jobs, whose company is one of the biggest peddlers of DRM, seems to have had a change of heart. DRM hasn’t worked and may never work to halt music piracy, he says. “Though the big four music companies require that all their music sold online be protected with DRM, these same music companies continue to sell billions of CDs a year which contain completely unprotected music. That’s right!” Jobs says. “No DRM system was ever developed for the CD, so all the music distributed on CD can be easily uploaded to the Internet, then (illegally) downloaded and played on any computer or player.” Jobs says DRM offers zero benefits for consumers and the music industry. “If anything, the technical expertise and overhead required to create, operate and update a DRM system has limited the number of participants selling DRM-protected music. If such requirements were removed, the music industry might experience an influx of new companies willing to invest in innovative new stores and players.” Apple may be ratcheting up the pressure on the entertainment industry but its long time rival, software maker Microsoft, is more than willing to give in to industry pressure and foist ever more onerous DRM schemes on unwilling consumers. Windows Vista, released last month, includes DRM protections, for example, that will force consumers to upgrade their monitors if they want to watch high-definition (HD) video on Blu-ray discs or on HD-DVD. Only monitors that support a new scheme known as high-bandwidth digital copy protection will be able to play next-generation video at full resolution on computers running Vista. The idea is to stop people uploading pirated HD movies onto file-sharing networks. But if tech companies such as Microsoft continue in this way, a backlash is sure to follow. Ultimately, it could drive consumers to look at open-source alternatives such as Linux. The free operating system contains no DRM infections. (SOURCE: Financial Mail)
PEOPLE- Bill Hoggarth, country manager of SAS a software company has become responsible for directly overseeing the Africa and Middle East region. - Professor Peter E Kinyanjui has been appointed as executive director to the board of UCOMS. EVENTS- BROADBAND SUMMIT 2007 26-27 February 2007, Southern Sun, Grayston, South Africa South Africa faces a huge broadband demand, from all sides. However, the broadband access media and business strategies in South Africa still do not resemble the international standards. In order to reach these standards you as ISPs, mobile and/or fixed operators, need to assess the current and future potential of the African broadband market. For further information visit http://www.iir-conferences.co.za/eventInfo.php?e=1202 - NIGERIAN INTERNATIONAL OUTSOURCING CONFERENCE 28 February – 2 March 2007, International Conference Centre, Abuja, Nigeria, NITDA has partnered with AITEC Africa, as the leader in ICT conferences across the continent, to host the first International Outsourcing conference in Nigeria. One of the highlights of the conference will be the launching of the National Outsourcing Association. It will also be the first time that Nigeria will be officially positioning itself as an outsourcing destination to the rest of the world. For full details and to register as a delegate, log on to www.aitecafrica.com - SMB ROADSHOW 2007 - MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA 26th March 2007, Nile Hilton, Cairo, Egypt. IDC's SMB Roadshow provides a comprehensive and trustworthy platform for discussing strategic IT issues directly impacting the SMB sector. Debate led by recognised experts and based on best practices and sound technology analysis provide objective and critical insights required by leaders in this sector. This event will target IT decision makers - by vertical industry sector - within SMBs across the region. For further information visit http://www.idc-cema.com/events/smbeg07 - 1stWEST AFRICAN E-CONTENT SUMMIT 4-7 April 2007 – Cotonou, Benin This ICT symposium expects to launch the official discussions to establish the “Panafrican Agency for New Media, advocated to provide training courses in new media management for young people in Africa in to bridge the content gap. For further information visit http://www.icnm.net/ - E-LIBERIA: VISION 2010 23 April 2007, Morovia, Liberia Her Excellency Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, President of the Republic of Liberia, is delighted to host a national dialog on the role of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in Liberia’s post-conflict development. E-Liberia:Vision 2010 will take place in Monrovia the week of 23 April, 2007. The program will include the unveiling of the new National ICT Policy for Liberia; a high-level workshop (on the 26th and 27th of April) with participation from domestic, regional, and international experts; a gala dinner; and a private sector innovation fair. More information can be found at: http://www.mopt.gov.lr/ Or by contacting: Mr. Calvin Yu on calvin.yu@gatech.edu or +231 06683574. - eLEARNING AFRICA 2007 28-30th May 2007, Kenyatta International Conference Centre, Nairobi, Kenya The subject is Building Infrastructures and Capacities to Reach out to the Whole of Africa, reflecting the significant efforts of African countries to set up their national and regional ICT infrastructures to create access to education, training and services for all. For further information visit www.icwe.net or call +49-30-327 6140 - ICTS FOR CIVIL SOCIETY CONFERENCE June 2007 – South Africa The conference and exhibition organised by SANGONeT will be aimed at increasing NGOs’ awareness of the strategic importance of their websites and the online environment in general. For further information visit http://sangonet.org.za - TELECOMS WORLD AFRICA 31st July - 2nd August 2007, Johannesburg, South Africa Key decision-makers in South Africa and leading international players will share their expertise and forge invaluable business relationships in a highly interactive environment. For further information visit www.terrapinn.com/2007/telecomza - WI-WORLD AFRICA 2007 27 – 30 August 2007, Michelangelo Hotel, Johannesburg, South Africa. In Africa, fixed-line infrastructure is lacking and there is a major problem with copper wire theft. Wireless communication is therefore a great alternative. For further information visit www.terrapinn.com/2007/telecomza JOBS AND OPPORTUNITIESERICSSON CUSTOMER PROJECT MANAGER – SOUTHERN AFRICA The company is looking for an experienced Ericsson Customer Project Manager. Must have at previous experience on Ericsson Project Management. The ideal candidate needs to have good Ericsson knowledge, strong Project Management skills with insight in core and Multimedia projects. Props C is essential. For further information contact advertising@balancingact-africa.com CONTRACTS: WHO'S SELLING WHAT TO WHOM?NEOTEL, CISCO AND DIMENSION DATA – SOUTH AFRICA Neotel has awarded components of its infrastructure roll-out to Cisco, through its partner, Dimension Data Africa. The two companies will provide the Metropolitan Ethernet network infrastructure and services portion of Neotel’s Internet Protocol (IP) network, expected to be in operation by next month.
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