After switching off interconnection with state-owned mobile operator NetOne, Zimbabwe’s largest mobile operator, Econet Wireless, has been forced to reverse its decision by the Southern African country’s high court. Econet claims it is owed US$20m by its rival. Econet cut links with its rival last Thursday, claiming NetOne had failed to pay interconnection fees – the rates operators charge each other to field calls on their networks — since May 2009.

Econet is also trying to recover unpaid interconnection fees from Zimbabwe’s second largest mobile operator, TelOne. According to Econet, TelOne is in arrears to the tune of more than $60m. The company says that with two thirds of its base stations running on diesel generators due to the inconsistency of electricity supply, it may have to cut off competitors that fail to pay the necessary fees if it is to offer its users consistent network connectivity. Source: New Zimbabwe

Tanzanians love SMS
On-net voice calls in Tanzania fell by 2,6% in the first quarter of 2012 when compared to the last quarter of 2011, while SMS usage doubled. This is according to data released earlier this month by the Tanzania Communication Regulatory Authority. Calls from one network to another also declined by 3,31% during the first quarter, while SMS messages sent between networks increased by 16,27%. Tanzania has the highest average number of text messages sent per subscriber per month in East Africa. Source: Daily News

Taxes hamper Kenya’s ICT sector
Software maker Craft Silicon says that Kenya’s tax system is scaring away potential information and communications technology (ICT) investors. The company is looking to set up operations in Singapore as a result because the Asian nation offers a far more conducive regulatory environment for its business. According to Craft Silicon, Singapore is attracting developers because it offers tax holidays and other incentives for foreigners who opt to move there. Source: Daily Nation