South Africa inks telecom regulation agreement with the US
10 May 2021
The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) of the US signed a virtual memorandum of understanding agreement that covers the exchange of ideas in the area of telecommunications regulation and policy.
According to ICASA president Keabetswe Modimoeng, the non-binding agreement “is a momentous collaboration that illustrates the confidence that our global counterparts have in ICASA. This collaboration places the Authority on solid ground to achieve international best practices, cutting-edge regulatory approaches and further validates South Africa’s standing in the global ICT arena.”
The deal is against a backdrop of American attempts to unite the telecom markets of Europe, Africa and even Asia against Chinese tech giant Huawei. South Africa has always been unwavering in its support for the company.
Find out more Zonful Energy, GSMA target rural penetration
10 May 2021
Zimbabwe-based solar power company, Zonful Energy, is on a drive to increase mobile internet adoption and usage for rural communities in the southern African nation, which have previously lagged behind.
The company, awarded a grant as part of the GSMA Innovation Fund for Mobile Internet Adoption and Digital Inclusion, funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), said it is aiming to reduce the internet usage gap through providing affordable mobile services.
Zonful Energy will be introducing the Pay As You Go model to enable low income earning customers to access smartphones upon payment of a small deposit and settle the balance over a stipulated period of time.
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MoMo transactions down in Zimbabwe
10 May 2021
The total number of mobile money (MoMo) transactions processed in Zimbabwe last year dropped 23% to record US$1.5bn from US$1.96bn recorded in 2019 as active MoMo subscriptions also took a dip.
Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (Potraz) attributed the declines to the banning of mobile money agent lines.
During the period under review, the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) banned agent lines which mainly affected Ecocash as it had the highest number of agent lines.
Find out more Africell and Aviat ink major 5G deal
07 May 2021
Wireless transport solutions expert Aviat Networks has agreed a multi-million agreement with mobile operator Africell to provide a 5G-ready end-to-end disaggregated transmission network across the continent.
The new network will be designed, installed, and maintained by Aviat and will include Aviat WTM 4000 and WTM 4800 Multi-band point-to-point radios and CTR microwave switches, and disaggregated cell site gateways (DCSGs).
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