Author: Duncan McLeod

Vodacom wants to switch off its 2G voice network to focus on newer broadband technologies, including 3G and 4G/LTE, joining rival Telkom in announcing plans to migrate users off the now-25-year-old legacy technology.

Vodacom said on Thursday that there is no reason to delay the licensing of 5G spectrum in South Africa, arguing that its urgent allocation is needed if South Africa is going to take advantage of the fourth Industrial Revolution.

In this episode of the podcast, Jonathan Ovadia, co-founder and CEO of Ovex, a relatively new cryptocurrency exchange based in Cape Town, joins TechCentral’s Duncan McLeod for a discussion on the crypto market.

Regulators, including Icasa and the Competition Commission, will have to be pragmatic and lenient about a looming expanded tie-up between Cell C and MTN South Africa if the former isn’t going to go to the wall.

MTN South Africa is making “good progress” in its plans to relaunch mobile money services in South Africa, according to group CEO Rob Shuter.

Cell C said late on Thursday that it is up to date with all payments to MTN South Africa for its national roaming agreement.

Cell C has missed several payments to national roaming partner MTN South Africa, underscoring the dire financial straits in which the country’s third-largest mobile operator finds itself.

MTN Group’s interim financial results for the six months to June 2019 show that its South African business is under pressure as the result of new sector regulations and the weak economy.

Financially strained telecommunications operator Cell C said on Wednesday that it has finalised a term sheet for a further national roaming agreement with rival MTN South Africa.

Cell C’s board has appointed Douglas Craigie Stevenson as its permanent CEO. Craigie Stevenson had been serving in act acting capacity for the past five months following the resignation of Jose Dos Santos in March.