Vodacom has bought set-top boxes from Altech’s Durban-based UEC subsidiary that are capable of delivering both fixed-line and wireless Internet protocol television (IPTV) services to consumers, apparently as part of an internal trial. Though Vodacom confirms it has bought two decoders for testing, company spokesman Nomsa Thusi says
First National Bank has launched its first hi-tech “dotFNB” store in Johannesburg. The outlet is meant to introduce customers to FNB’s various digital channels and show off technologies like an “interactive surface” that supports both touch interaction and augmented reality and allows customers to interact with the bank and its products and
MTN, the R255bn Johannesburg-listed cellphone giant, is in danger of being whacked with sanctions by the US for its telecommunication activities in Iran and Syria. US President Barack Obama issued an executive order this week that allows American authorities for the first time to impose sanctions on individuals or entities found to have
Last week’s national policy colloquium, organised by the department of communications, drew a degree of cynicism from the telecoms industry. The view among many industry players is that it’s the same old rhetoric with no action. Will this time be different? The industry can be forgiven for suffering from “colloquium fatigue”. Politicians
A pilot project to replace identity documents with smart cards will start in about six months, home affairs minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma said on Wednesday. Dlamini-Zuma, who showed off her own smart card to journalists ahead of her budget speech in parliament, said the cards would go a long way towards stamping out corruption in the home affairs
Following Telkom’s 30% reduction in the fees it charges Internet service providers to access its broadband digital subscriber line (DSL) access network earlier this month, Dimension Data division Internet Solutions has announced a range of changes to its product portfolio in what amounts to an effective reduction in bandwidth costs for
Considering how similar they are, it’s inevitable that the Lumia 710, Nokia’s budget smartphone offering, draws comparisons to its flashier and pricier sibling, the Lumia 800. Boasting most of the same features as the 800, the biggest impediment to the 710’s widespread uptake is going to be exactly the same as that facing the 800: brand
Telkom is inching closer to a deal with Korea’s KT Corp, the JSE-listed fixed-line operator told shareholders on Wednesday. The operator once again renewed a cautionary notice to shareholders about the talks, which it first revealed in October 2011. According to a new statement from Telkom, the two companies have
JSE-listed technology group Altech is looking internally for a new chief operating officer. This follows the short-lived tenure of former Telkom acting group CEO Jeffrey Hedberg in the role. “We want to make the right appointment and ensure it is the right appointment,” says Altech CEO Craig Venter. “This will probably be an internal
The Independent Communications Authority of SA (Icasa) is seeking court protection in the wake of news that an unnamed telecommunications operator wants to pay the revised radio frequency spectrum fees that were meant to come into effect on 1 April 2011 but which were instead deferred until this year. Until April 2012, Icasa was
