Somalia will be getting access to next-generation 4G/LTE services through Glocall Telecoms LLC, which has announced plans to deploy a network in Mogadishu. Glocall Telecoms and its subsidiaries plan to deploy the 4G network to schools, government buildings, businesses and individuals. Somalia is one of the world’s least connected locations. The network will have a software platform running on a server at each base station, which is then connected directly to the Internet, eliminating the need for backhaul and reducing costs. Source: Telecompaper
Kenyan operators buy out smaller rival
Kenya’s largest mobile operators, Safaricom and Airtel Kenya, are purchasing rival yuMobile for Ksh8,6bn (about US$100m). As part of the deal, Safaricom will take over yuMobile’s infrastructure and retain 130 employees in its technical department. Airtel Kenya will acquire yuMobile’s 2,7m-strong subscriber base. Users that will be migrated to Airtel Kenya will retain their existing numbers. Safaricom still dominates the Kenyan market with 66,5% market share, followed by Airtel’s 17,6%, yuMobile’s 8,8% and Orange’s 7,1%. yuMobile is owned by India’s Essar. Source: Daily Nation
Online tax delays in Kenya
Kenya’s plan to migrate to an online tax system by 1 March has been delayed. The Kenya Revenue Authority’s commissioner for medium and small taxpayers, Alice Owour, said the new system will be now be effective from 1 June. The system hit a glitch after an overload of large numbers of users trying to make use of the system. The delay caused a setback for the authority as it depended on the new system to increase its tax collection to Ksh1,17 trillion from the current Ksh973bn. Source: ITWeb Africa
Zim’s BOStv to return as pay channel
Zimbabwe’s free-to-air channel BOStv, which has been off air for a while, is set to return on 1 April as a paid channel. The channel has been off air due to irregularities with its license as a satellite broadcaster. BOStv executive director Nyasha Muzavazi says the station will be back from next month as a paid channel, in line with licensing regulations. It is set to return with a wider bouquet offering due to funds that came through. Source: TechZim
