Cellphone giant MTN was so desperate to win a mobile operating licence in the “virgin” territory of Iran that it allegedly put together a package of bribes, trading opportunities in sophisticated weaponry, capital investment and diplomatic influence that the Islamic Republic could not resist, write Sharda Naidoo, Craig McKune and Stefaans Brümmer
For the first time, the operator is also talking about delivering fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) services, though Bashier Sallie, the company’s MD of wholesale and networks, says it’s important that a “pragmatic” approach is taken to delivering FTTH given challenges such as how spread out SA’s population is compared to some other countries that
Computer passwords need to be memorable and secure. Most people’s are the first but not the second. Researchers are trying to make it easier for them to be both. Passwords are ubiquitous in computer security. All too often, they are also ineffective. A good password has to be both easy to remember and hard to guess, but in practice
Neotel has doubled the number of retail subscribers on its network in the past 11 months, growing this customer segment from 50 000 to 100 000, according to CEO Sunil Joshi. However, the company, licensed in the mid-2000s as the first competitor to incumbent Telkom, is still struggling to make much on an impact in the consumer market, with less
Convergence Partners chairman Andile Ngcaba hinted strongly on Tuesday that he wants to build an African version of Telehouse Europe, the carrier-neutral colocation facility based in London’s Docklands that serves as the main hub of Internet traffic in the UK. Speaking at an industry panel organised Vodacom subsidiary
MTN, Africa’s largest mobile network operator, is locked in around-the-clock talks with Iranian authorities about its 49% telecoms stake in Irancell. The Middle East country has become the target of sanctions by the US and the European Union for its nuclear ambitions. MTN has been playing a diplomatic tune in terms of its operations
Whether or not we agree with it, we’re all pretty used to the idea of genetic engineering. Our food chain is full of GM crops and pretty soon we may be genetically modified ourselves. But synthetic biology takes the idea even further. Instead of merely modifying existing organisms, synthetic biology aims to create entirely new organisms
You wouldn’t think Travis Rich was about to disrupt the entire communications industry. A lanky MIT student with sandy brown hair and an easy smile, Rich looks like just another eager college kid. But he has the kind of idea that is as revolutionary as it is simple
Ewan Sutherland, visiting adjunct professor at the University of the Witwatersrand, says corruption has become endemic in the telecommunications industry worldwide — and particularly in emerging markets. He says it’s becoming vital that this corruption
Most of us take it for granted that we own our own bodies. The establishment of human rights took care of that issue two centuries ago. But what about our DNA, the most basic building block of our bodies? We spread our DNA wherever we go, shedding skin flakes
