Vodacom Tanzania has announced that its customers will enjoy faster data speeds following its continued investment in its 3G networks and its connection to the National Information Communication Technology Broadband Backbone (NICTBB.)
According
to MD Rene Meza, Vodacom connected its northern Dar-Arusha-Dodoma fibre
optic ring to the NICTBB in November. Phase two of the connection to
the NICTBB project will see the closing of the Dodoma-Mwanza-Mbeya ring
as well as the Dodoma-Mbeya-Dar one. This is expected to start in April
2013.
Meza
said Vodacom has invested over TZS 800 million in the NITCBB project.
The link to the NICTBB has also boosted efficiencies in data
transmission from Mwanza and Mbeya, which are also connected through
Dodoma. Meza says Vodacom fully supports government efforts to ensure
that as many Tanzanians as possible have improved access to ICT
services. He said connecting the Dar-Arusha–Dodoma NICTBB ring, which
has a capacity of 622 Mbps, is a clear indication of its support.
Tigo
Tanzania has
launched a new service dubbed 'Tigo time', offering discounts up to 100 percent
on calls depending on the subscriber's geographic location or the time of day.
To enjoy the discounts, subscribers pay a subscription fee of TZS 149 for the
service.
To register for
the service customers dial *149*90# or send the words TIGO TIME to 15372, after
which they receive a confirmation message. For each call they make, Tigo time
will notify them of the applicable discount in their current location and for
that time of the day.
The
offer is similar to the MTN Zone pricing scheme offered by rival MTN throughout
Africa, which gives customers lower calling rates when there is little traffic
in the cell site and higher call prices as congestion increases.
By Tech360 Correspondent
Kenya’s Safaricom to distribute new Intel smartphone
Established Kenyan telecommunications operator Safaricom has announced that it had inked a new distribution deal with Intel to sell its smartphone, the Yolo. The announcement will give more options to its customers in the East African country.
It should also entice users to join the network, which has made
massive strides at maintaining its position atop the telecom sector in
the country despite increased competition.
Intel said that it has partnered “exclusively with Safaricom” and is to introduce a wide range of handsets dubbed Yolo in Kenya, which it said is “the first smartphone with ‘Intel inside’ in Africa.”
Both firms confirmed the deal, but did not deliver more details, saying they would do so after the official launch.
“The Yolo smartphone follows Intel’s pioneer Xolo X900 and later a dual-SIM model A700, which is available in India, the UK and Russia,” a local report in Business Daily said.
According to Intel, the “Yolo model will run Android and sport an Intel processor, 4.5-inch touchscreen display, front camera for video calling and a 5-megapixel back camera.”
By Daily IT News.
Intel said that it has partnered “exclusively with Safaricom” and is to introduce a wide range of handsets dubbed Yolo in Kenya, which it said is “the first smartphone with ‘Intel inside’ in Africa.”
Both firms confirmed the deal, but did not deliver more details, saying they would do so after the official launch.
“The Yolo smartphone follows Intel’s pioneer Xolo X900 and later a dual-SIM model A700, which is available in India, the UK and Russia,” a local report in Business Daily said.
According to Intel, the “Yolo model will run Android and sport an Intel processor, 4.5-inch touchscreen display, front camera for video calling and a 5-megapixel back camera.”
By Daily IT News.
Orange Kenya’s mobile Internet users on the increase
Orange Kenya has announced an increase in the number of mobile Internet users by 2.4 percent between July and September last year.
According to statistics from the Communications Commission of Kenya
(CCK), the company’s total data subscribers rose from 674,255 in June
to 948,847, giving it more than 11 percent of the local market.
Orange Kenya CEO Mickael Ghossein said that this success was the result of “the increase in marketing initiatives and promotions which saw subscribers purchase data-enabled devices including smartphones and modems at discounted prices.”
Orange Kenya also said it saw a decline in its fixed Internet subscriptions, giving credence to their efforts to bolster data subscriptions.
The CEO explained that the decline “was due to a migration within the Orange network to mobile Internet.”
The CCK report stated that through September 2012, “there were 8.5 million Internet subscriptions in the country, up from 7.7 million recorded in the previous period, representing an increase of 10.2 percent during the quarter and a 56.9 percent increase from the same period in the previous year.”
Mobile data subscriptions also rose to 8.4 million from 7.6 million in the previous period.
“This increase was unanticipated in light of the shut-down of counterfeit handsets in the country,” it added.
The survey in eight large towns said that a major cause of the poor services was the result of “vandalism.”
The town of Kasese experienced better mobile phone services than its counterparts, the study said.
“The other towns were Jinja, Mbarara, Masaka and Mbale. The survey was conducted between July and October 2012,” it announced.
Uganda's Communications Commission has bemoaned the level of service to
consumers following an inspection of infrastructure and services in key
regions.
Orange Kenya CEO Mickael Ghossein said that this success was the result of “the increase in marketing initiatives and promotions which saw subscribers purchase data-enabled devices including smartphones and modems at discounted prices.”
Orange Kenya also said it saw a decline in its fixed Internet subscriptions, giving credence to their efforts to bolster data subscriptions.
The CEO explained that the decline “was due to a migration within the Orange network to mobile Internet.”
The CCK report stated that through September 2012, “there were 8.5 million Internet subscriptions in the country, up from 7.7 million recorded in the previous period, representing an increase of 10.2 percent during the quarter and a 56.9 percent increase from the same period in the previous year.”
Mobile data subscriptions also rose to 8.4 million from 7.6 million in the previous period.
“This increase was unanticipated in light of the shut-down of counterfeit handsets in the country,” it added.
Uganda’s telecom regulator condemns poor mobile services
Uganda’s telecommunications regulator and watchdog, the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC), has condemned the poor services given to users across the country in a statement after it conducted a survey of telecommunications services in the East African country.The survey in eight large towns said that a major cause of the poor services was the result of “vandalism.”
The town of Kasese experienced better mobile phone services than its counterparts, the study said.
“The other towns were Jinja, Mbarara, Masaka and Mbale. The survey was conducted between July and October 2012,” it announced.
The UCC said “MTN lost 543 hours across the country between July and October. Of these, 183 hours were lost due to fiber cuts by unknown individuals while 132 hours of MTN service delivery were affected by road works.
“Airtel reported isolated incidents of network outages which included vandalism in Kalisizo. Consequently, 19 sites in the area surrounding Masaka town were affected. The operator also suffered a major outage in the eastern region due to maintenance of fiber optic cables by UETCL,” the UCC statement continued.
Mobile service has been a major part of the development of Uganda’s infrastructure over the past two years and the regulator hopes that more stringent efforts to crackdown on vandals will help boost services to rural users across the country.
By Tech360Magnize
Vodacom Tanzania progresses on 3G backbone
Vodacom Tanzania has announced that it would have the second stage of its backbone 3G link up and running by April 2013. The company also added that it would be operational at that time and deliver faster and more secure connections to its users.It comes as Vodacom continues its partnership with the National Information Communication Technology Broadband Backbone (NICTBB) which aims to boost Internet and 3G infrastructure in the East African country.
Vodacom’s Managing Director Rene Meza said the operator “connected its northern Dar-Arusha-Dodoma fiber optic ring to the NICTBB in November” and “Phase two of the connection to the NICTBB project will see the closing of the Dodoma-Mwanza-Mbeya ring as well as the Dodoma-Mbeya-Dar one.”
Meza added that Vodacom “has invested over TZS 800 million in the NITCBB project.
“The link to the NICTBB has also boosted efficiencies in data transmission from Mwanza and Mbeya, which are also connected through Dodoma,” he continued in making the announcement.
Meza added that Vodacom “fully supports government efforts to ensure that as many Tanzanians as possible have improved access to ICT services.”
He said connecting the Dar-Arusha–Dodoma NICTBB ring, which has a capacity of 622 Mbps, is a clear indication of its support.
Kenya’s Yu to bypass 3G, head to LTE
Kenya’s mobile phone operator Yu has announced it would skip developing a 3G network altogether and go directly to a LTE network with the goal of boosting its customer base.
The new investment will begin to be implemented once the operator secures funding from its shareholders, the company said in a statement.
Country Manager Madhur Taneja said “it is already too late to start investing in 3G infrastructure when the rest of the world is moving to 4G.”
He said the company “will instead save costs and participate in the LTE consortium set up by the government.”
The country manager added that “if 3G will only be available for a short while, they would rather skip the 3G and put money were the future is.”
Yu is the only operator that has not yet rolled out a 3G network in Kenya, which many analysts believe is hurting the company.
By Daily IT News
