The Zambia Information and Communication Technology Authority (Zicta) last week implemented a Sim card switch-off after the deadline for registration came to an end on 31 January, reportedly cutting off more than 2m cards in the process.
The regulator had warned users that it would deactivate unregistered Sim cards by the end of last month. Several people who did not register their Sim cards have confirmed that they are unable to communicate.
Zicta PR manager Ngabo Nankonde revealed that all unregistered Sim cards were blocked. She said that 7,8m Sim cards out of Zambia’s more than 10m subscribers were registered to date.
Nankonde urged subscribers who were blocked to take it up with their operator. Source: Lusaka Voice
Telecel Zim launches Telecash
Zimbabwe’s Telecel network has finally launched its own mobile money service, called Telecash, after a delay. Subscribers on the network can now send money to anyone on any network and pay for groceries and other goods and services.
Telecel Zimbabwe’s chief commercial officer Ashraf El Guindy says the company had partnered with the some of the best players in the industry to come up with Telecash.
He adds that Telecel’s technical partner for Telecash is Obopay and that its banking partners include Afrasia, CBZ and ZimSwitch.
Mobile financial services director at Telecel Nkosinathi Ncube said the company took its time to launch Telecash so it could come to the market with a mobile financial service that was more developed, enhanced and relevant than other offerings on the market. Source: TechZim
Kenya’s technology city delayed
Work on Kenya’s project to build Africa’s first technology city has been delayed to next year, pending the passing of a law it needs to enter into contractual obligations with financiers.
The legislation will institutionalise the authority as a legal entity and allow it to enter into contractual obligations like fundraising for the initial phase.
John Ngumi, chairman of the Konza Technopolis Development Authority, says: “We cannot start the project, including full-scale external fundraising for phase one before the law is passed.”
Currently sitting with the attorney-general, the draft of the legislation is expected to go to cabinet for approval early next year before it is tabled for debate in the national assembly. Source: Daily Nation
Angola tests Africa’s first LTE-A tech
Angola’s Unitel has become the first operator in Africa to demonstrate LTE Advanced (LTE-A) technology, according to Sweden’s Ericsson. The demonstration was done using 1,8GHz and 900MHz spectrum bands.
Unitel has not indicated when it will roll out the service commercially. Source: Telecompaper
Nigeria gets mobile money ATM withdrawals
Mobile money users in Nigeria will soon be able to make ATM withdrawals using technology called Quickteller. The Quickteller ATMs will allow users to “cash out” funds transferred to them.
Pan-African integrated payments company Interswitch Transnational says it introduced the service in a bid to address challenges of mobile money adoption in Nigeria. The Quickteller ATMs will allow users to withdraw cash with either a 12-digit code or by entering a 4-digit Pin. Source: ITWeb Africa
