Browsing: World

Botswana has switched on digital terrestrial television, beating South Africa, its big neighbour to the south, to launch digital broadcasts. However, unlike most other countries in the region, Botswana has opted for a Japanese standard for its roll-out. South Africa spent a year working with its

Vodacom is selling more than a thousand of its base stations in Tanzania to tower operator Helios in a deal worth about US$75m, according to a UK media report. This is the first time that Vodacom has sold tower infrastructure to a third party, the Financial Times newspaper reported at the weekend. Its South African

Online and mobile transactions have for the first time surpassed card payments in Zimbabwe after recording 28,3% growth in the month of May. According to the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe’s May 2013 monthly economic review, the value of mobile and Internet-based transactions rose from US$283,6m in April to

Zambia’s telecommunications regulator, Zambia Information and Communications Technology Authority (Zicta), has laid criminal charges against all three of the country’s mobile network operators for “failure to meet minimum standards of quality of service”. The operators are MTN, Airtel

Pay-television operator MultiChoice is facing an investigation by Botswana’s Competition Authority over whether its prices and the way it structures its channels amounts to anticompetitive behaviour. According to a report, the decision to launch the probe follows a complaint laid by a member of the

Three counties surrounding Kenya’s planned technology megapark, Konza City, will introduce uniform bylaws aimed at stopping informal settlements from developing within a 10km radius of the project. This is according to Kenyan technology minister Fred

Semiconductor giant Intel has chosen Kenya as the first country in Africa that will get an investment boost from its global Software and Services Group (SSG). The investment will include the creation of programmes to help Kenyan software developers. Intel will provide developers with design tools, resources and consulting

When Google chose New Zealand to unveil secret plans for a balloon-driven Wi-Fi network last weekend, it cemented the country’s reputation as a test bed for global technology companies looking to trial their latest innovations, industry experts say. They said New Zealand

Kenyan power utility Kenya Power will distribute 3,3m energy-efficient light bulbs to its customers at a cost of KSh1,3bn (US$15,2m). The project is expected to reduce power consumption by the utility’s domestic customers by 130MW during peak hours and is expected to serve as a revenue source for Kenya

A year after having its offer to buy 20% of Telkom spurned by the South African government, Korea’s KT Corp has agreed to pour US$140m into building a national fourth-generation (4G) mobile network in Rwanda that will serve 95% of that country’s population. The Rwandan