Author: Gugu Lourie

MTN, Africa’s largest mobile phone operator, have assembled high profile lawyers to argue their case in Federal High Court in Lagos, Nigeria. By Staff Writer The South African based mobile phone operator has hired seven Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SAN) to fight the R59 billion ($3.9 billion) fine imposed on it by the Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC), according to Africa Review MTN was given a December 31 deadline to pay the fine for its failure to disconnect 5.2 million subscribers who did not register their SIM cards. But on Thursday announced it was planning to challenge in court a $3,9 billion fine…

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MTN, Africa’s biggest mobile phone operator, said on Thursday it plans to challenge a $3,9 billion fine imposed on it by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) for failure to register subscribers on its network. By Gugu Lourie

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The digital revolution promises to change the face of South Africa’s insurance market over the next few years as new entrants and established players alike use the latest technologies to deliver products that are cheaper, more convenient, and more personalised. By Bryan McLachlan, CEO at Instant Life, a life insurance company, that leverages technology extensively. Digital channels, paired with sophisticated analytics and underwriting systems in the back-office, have already allowed companies such as Instant Life to offer high-quality insurance products at competitive prices. Now, as technologies such as the Internet of Things, wearable computing, big data, and cloud computing mature, aggressive…

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Africa’s largest mobile phone operator MTN Group’s fate lies in the hands of the Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, who will take the necessary decision at the appropriate time in the best interest of the country, according to Africa’s biggest economy’s Minister of Communications Adebayo Shittu. By Staff Writer “The issue is now before Mr President. He will take the necessary decision at the appropriate time. And the President would do what is best for the public interest,“ Shittu told the Nigerian Vanguard newspaper. “The good thing is that MTN did not contest the fact that they had violated the regulations…

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A 22 years Nigerian entrepreneur, Chris Kwekowe, won the 2015 Anzisha Prize which celebrates community building business innovation across the African continent. By Ujuh Reporter Kwekowe was announced as the winner of the $25,000 Grand Prize in the 5th year of Africa’s premier award for youth entrepreneurship. The award was made at a ceremony held in Sandton, Johannesburg, this week. Kwekowe is the founder of Slatecube which offers job-relevant skills learning platform and job placement services. Slatecube has had significant success to date with potential for scale and will serve as an inspiring beacon for other youth interested in…

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AG Mobile, a local cell phone brand, is embarking on an expansion drive into Africa’s biggest economy – Nigeria – after being successful in Botswana, Mozambique, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe. By Gugu Lourie CEO Anthony Goodman, who founded the company 10 years ago and has grown it to provide feature phones and smart phones in most parts of southern Africa, outlines the expansion plans. AG Mobile supplies mobile phone operators and retailers such as Ackerman, Pep Stores and Edgars with feature phones, smartphones and tables. The company recently teamed-up with South African hip-hop artist Cassper Nyovest to sponsor his recent Fill Up…

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MTN Group CEO Sifiso Dabengwa is in discussions with the Nigerian Authorities over the $5.2 billion (R71 billion) fine by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the country’s telecoms watchdog. By Staff Writer The proposed fine by the NCC relates to the timing of the disconnection of 5.1 million MTN Nigeria subscribers who were disconnected in August and September 2015 and is based on a fine of 200, 000 Naira (R14 000) for each unregistered subscriber. “The Group CEO is engaging with the Nigerian authorities on the regulatory aspects of this matter,” MTN informed investors on Friday morning. MTN’s licence in Nigeria expires…

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The ongoing fibre deployment across South Africa, mostly in affluent areas, leaves out the poor. By Gugu Lourie As South Africa races to provide faster and more reliable broadband, companies involved are more likely to deploy fibre where there are real possibilities of returns – this simply means poor areas are not a priority. Giants Telkom, Vodacom, MTN and Neotel plus smaller niche players such as VumaTel, M-WEB, Vox Telecom and Dark Fibre are rolling out fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) and wiring South Africa’s formerly white suburbs to the their fibre networks. Fibre is being rolled out in suburbs such…

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Earlier this month, the US Broadband Opportunity Council declared that broadband is “taking its place alongside water, sewer and electricity as essential infrastructure for communities”. By Catherine Middleton Descriptors like “very fast” (Australia), “superfast” (UK), “ultra-fast” (New Zealand) or “ultra-high speed” (Singapore) reinforce the message that speed is an essential component of good broadband. But what would a genuinely 21st century broadband infrastructure look like? And can the National Broadband Network (NBN) under the stewardship of Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull fit the bill? High bar Around the world there are broadband projects that give us a taste of what…

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