John Holdsworth is known for giving SA’s mobile operators a hard time. As former CEO of ECN Telecommunications (now Nashua ECN), he was the biggest proponent of and lobbyist for the lowering of the wholesale fees the operators charge each other to carry calls between their networks. But now Holdsworth has come
The Independent Communications Authority of SA (Icasa) has decided to postpone the licensing of “high-demand spectrum” in the coveted 800MHz and 2,6GHz radio frequency bands “until further notice” to ensure a forthcoming policy direction from communications minister Dina Pule is taken into
MultiChoice flexed its legal muscle this week to keep the National Consumer Commission at bay, using a technicality in an attempt to squash the commission’s case against it. The pay-TV broadcaster was before the Consumer Tribunal this week because the commission believes that its subscriber contract violates the
Cellular operator MTN has warned that the Independent Communications Authority of SA’s (Icasa’s) draft proposals for licensing of spectrum in high-demand spectrum bands have the “high risk” of leading to “regulatory failure”. Efficient licensing of spectrum in the two bands in question
Earlier this week, Blue Label Telecoms, the largest distributor of prepaid vouchers airtime in SA, revealed that 8ta accounts for well under 1% of its airtime revenues. Vodacom, MTN and Cell C contribute 53%, 34% and 10% respectively. There was little doubt 8ta, which was launched in 2010 after Telkom disposed of
Consumers can now purchase applications in the Samsung Apps Store for Android using premium SMS rather than a credit card. The company hopes this will encourage users without credit cards, or those reluctant to use one for application purchases, to use the store. “Until now, the only way to purchase from
JSE-listed telecommunications distribution specialist Blue Label Telecoms generated R795m in cash from operating activities in the six months to 30 November 2011, helping push accumulated cash resources on its balance sheet to R2,3bn and giving the company a war chest for its offshore expansion plans
Weeks after independent fibre operator Metrofibre Networx completed the roll-out of high-speed fibre-optic access infrastructure to Rivonia in Johannesburg, the company has announced it has extended the network to Linbro Business Park, a giant office park complex east of Sandton. Metrofibre Networx
American Tower Corporation (ATC), the company that acquired Cell C’s base station infrastructure last year in a R430m deal, has begun building its own mobile telecommunications towers from scratch in areas where operators have poor coverage. ATC SA CEO Pieter Nel says the company has just completed
MTN SA’s newly launched “smartphone Internet services” have created a storm of protest from consumers. The operator says they’re aimed at entry-level smartphone users and are positioned as an equivalent to BlackBerry’s immensely popular BlackBerry Internet Service (BIS). There’s
