Kenya: Alphabet’s Loon deflates
19 February 2021
Alphabet’s Loon, the stratospheric balloon internet access service in Kenya is to return to earth.
The project is shutting down across the globe after nine years of exploration and final pilot.
Find out more Ooredoo hires Ericsson to modernise network for 5G
19 February 2021
Ooredoo Group has hired Ericsson to modernise the operator’s networks across its global portfolio, including its operations in Algeria and Tunisia.
In a statement, Ericsson said the five-year-long partnership will let Ooredoo use its 5G radio, core and transport products and services, a move it said would open the door for end-to-end 5G support “to digitally transform and modernise” Ooredoo’s mobile networks.
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ZTE completes Mauritania fibre network construction
19 February 2021
Chinese tech giant ZTE has completed construction of Mauritania’s national fibre optic network.
The whole of the northwest African nation is now crossed by optical fibre, which was deployed as part of the regional communications infrastructure program in west Africa, funded by the World Bank. It was introduced to help accelerate the country’s digital transformation.
The 1,760 km long high-speed telecommunications infrastructure is a backbone made up of urban loops and an international network interconnection. In terms of international network interconnection, Nouakchott, the capital and largest city in Mauritania, serves as the landing point for the ACE submarine cable system.
Find out more Nigeria ‘confident’ of meeting new SIM NIN deadline
19 February 2021
Nigeria is confident of meeting the newly-imposed February 9 deadline for the completion of the NIN (National Identity Number)-SIM card integration project, according to the country’s officials.
Ikechukwu Adinde, director, public affairs, at the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) told local media outlets that 47.8 million NINs have been collected by mobile operators.
“At an average of three to four SIMs per subscriber, this means many millions will be linked up before the deadline in February 2021,” Adinde said in a statement.
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