https://www.engineeringnews.co.za

Follow @EngNewsZA

Advertise on this page? Click Here to Learn More

Telecoms News

5G poised to aid coronavirus fight

By: Natasha Odendaal 27th March 2020 Fifth-generation (5G) technology will have a critical role to play in the world’s battle against Covid-19. A new white paper produced by advisory firm Deloitte and information and communications technology giant Huawei shows how the effectiveness of communication and data exchange has been... →

Vodacom chair retires

By: Natasha Odendaal 27th March 2020 JSE-listed Vodacom has appointed current lead independent nonexecutive director Saki Macozoma as chairperson, effective July 22, following the retirement of Jabu Moleketi. Moleketi will retire and step down from the board at the forthcoming yearly general meeting to be held July 21. →

MTN seeks new leader as Shuter plans departure

By: Natasha Odendaal 27th March 2020 As MTN group president and CEO Rob Shuter prepares to step down in March 2021 from the role he has held since 2017, a year-long hunt is on for his successor. Shuter, nearing the completion of his four-year fixed contract, plans to pass on the baton to “take a well-deserved rest” before figuring... →

MTN president and CEO Rob Shuter discusses the company’s search for a new leader.

MTN hikes proceeds from asset realisation programme

By: Natasha Odendaal 27th March 2020 As telecommunications group MTN wraps up the first year of a three-year, R15-billion asset realisation programme (ARP), the medium-term targets have now been increased to release at least a further R25-billion. MTN realised about R14-billion in 2019 under the portfolio optimisation, which was... →

MTN president and CEO Rob Shuter and MTN group CFO Ralph Mupita discuss the company’s successful asset realisation programme

Telkom zero-rates essential online government information sites

By: Natasha Odendaal 26th March 2020 Telecommunications group Telkom has zero-rated zero rated access to essential on line government services, including free public access to the Government Communication Information System (GCIS) South African Government website. Telkom has also zero-rated access to educational institutions,... →

Icasa set to scale down operations as South Africa locks down

By: Natasha Odendaal 26th March 2020 The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) is planning to significantly scale down its operations, as South Africa enters its Covid-19 national lockdown from midnight Thursday, March 26. The authority said on March 26 that it will align its operations to the measures... →

Mobile money accounts surpass one-billion globally

By: Natasha Odendaal 26th March 2020 The number of registered mobile money accounts worldwide has surpassed the one-billion mark, with the processing of about $2-billion in transactions undertaken every day. A new GSMA ‘State of the Industry Report on Mobile Money’ report shows that 2019 marked a major milestone for the mobile money... →

Tribunal approves Vodacom, Competition Commission settlement

By: Natasha Odendaal 26th March 2020 The Competition Tribunal has confirmed, as an order, the consent agreement between the Competition Commission and telecommunications group Vodacom. The tribunal said in a statement that a copy of the order and agreement will be published on its website in due course. →

Govt pledges digital support to education and communication

By: Natasha Odendaal 25th March 2020 Telecommunications and Digital Technologies Minister Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams on March 25 assured that government and the private sector were working together to ensure that telecommunications networks were not hampered from providing communications services during South Africa’s Covid-19 lockdown... →

Vodacom introduces SMME business funding platform

By: Natasha Odendaal 25th March 2020 Telecommunications giant Vodacom has launched a new small, medium-sized and microenterprises (SMME) business funding product that lets business owners apply online for funding and have an answer within four hours. The VodaLend platform, launched by Vodacom Financial Services, aims to help narrow... →

Tribunal to hear Vodacom, Competition Commission settlement

By: Natasha Odendaal 25th March 2020 The Competition Tribunal will, on March 25, consider the settlement agreement between the Competition Commission and telecommunications giant Vodacom. Following the conclusion of the agreement early in March, the duo are now applying to the Tribunal for the confirmation of their consent agreement... →

ITU launches platform to keep networks lit up in the Covid crisis

By: Natasha Odendaal 24th March 2020 The global scale of the Covid-19 pandemic has led to the launch of a global platform to help protect telecommunication networks. The new Global Network Resiliency Platform, or #REG4COVID, platform will assist governments and the private sector in ensuring that networks are kept resilient and... →

Cell C says turnaround strong in H2

By: Natasha Odendaal 23rd March 2020 Embattled mobile operator Cell C on Monday said its turnaround strategy resulted in a strong second half performance during the year ended December 31. The group’s turnaround strategy, which was implemented in March last year, was now starting to bear fruit, said Cell C CEO Douglas Craigie... →

Huawei, China Economic Association donate R3m to South Africa’s Covid-19 battle

By: Natasha Odendaal 23rd March 2020 Information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure and smart device provider Huawei has donated R1-million toward South Africa’s efforts to contain the spread of the coronavirus, which causes the Covid-19 disease. The South Africa-China Economic and Trade Association, at the Chinese... →

ITU launches new emergency communications guidelines

By: Natasha Odendaal 20th March 2020 The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has launched new guidelines for the development and implementation of National Emergency Telecommunication Plans to effectively enable countries’ disaster response activities to the global Covid-19 pandemic. The guidelines will assist national... →

MTN slashes data bundles by up to 50%

By: Natasha Odendaal 20th March 2020 Telecommunications group MTN on Friday said it would, from April 15, reduce the prices of its 30-day data bundles and offer up to 600 MB of data a month. In response to the outcomes of the Competition Commission’s data services market inquiry, following on the heels of rival Vodacom, MTN plans to... →

Vodacom says spectrum release critical for further data-price cuts

By: Natasha Odendaal 20th March 2020 Telecommunications giant Vodacom plans to reduce its data costs and embark on a programme to enable digital inclusion over the next two years after reaching an agreement with South Africa's Competition Commission. Following the publication of the commission’s ‘Final Findings and Recommendations... →

Customer trust, market relevance linked to data culture

By: Schalk Burger 20th March 2020 Market leadership is most frequently attained when an organisation establishes a high level of trust in the data from its customers, its own business processes and across its partner ecosystem, says information technology multinational IBM Institute for Business Value director Ian Fletcher. While... →

MTN pushes for Iran growth in face of virus, sanctions

By: Bloomberg 18th March 2020 MTN Group said its Iranian business is still able to achieve strong sales growth in the short term, even as the unit battles to overcome ongoing US sanctions and the rapid spread of the coronavirus. Africa’s largest wireless carrier is finding it tough to take money out of its second-biggest... →

Telkom starts restructuring process

By: Natasha Odendaal 13th March 2020 Embattled telecommunications group Telkom on Friday announced the start of the first phase of its two-phase restructuring process. The group, starting its consultation processes, issued Section 189 notices, in addition to the offer of voluntary severance packages (VSPs) and voluntary early... →

Herotel works to consolidate acquisitions

By: Natasha Odendaal 13th March 2020 Last mile telecommunications group Herotel has kicked off the process of consolidating all of its assets under one brand following a successful acquisition drive. Herotel’s fibre assets and wireless Internet service provider (Wisp) brands will now be merged into a single, scaled-up national... →

ICT industry to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions by 45% by 2030

By: Natasha Odendaal 13th March 2020 A new International Telecommunications Union (ITU) standard will require the global information and communication technology (ICT) industry to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 45% from 2020 to 2030. The ITU L.1470 standard puts forward emission-reduction trajectories for operators of... →

Lenovo leveraging channel partners to enhance solutions, customer experience

By: Schalk Burger 13th March 2020 Information technology equipment company Lenovo reports good success of its strategy to use its channel partners to garner feedback from clients on what solutions and products they need, thereby honing the company’s solutions and offerings, says Lenovo Southern African territory channel and... →

ABRIE VAN STADEN The company supplies customers with devices suited to their needs, as well as enabling them to interface with converged business environments

Data prices to fall

12th March 2020 Creamer Media's Chanel de Bruyn speaks to Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor Natasha Odendaal about Vodacom's agreement with the Competition Commission to reduce its data prices by 40% over a two-year period and what this means for other telecoms companies. →

Data prices to fall

MTN Nigeria, Ghana lift group year-end earnings

By: Natasha Odendaal 11th March 2020 Telecommunications giant MTN on Wednesday reported an increase in earnings for the year ended December 31, 2019, on the back of strong performance in Nigeria and Ghana. The group posted a 9.8% increase in service revenue to R141.8-billion and a 13.6% surge in earnings before interest, tax,... →

Vodacom agrees to drop data prices by 40% over next two years

By: Natasha Odendaal 10th March 2020 Telecommunications giant Vodacom has reached an agreement with South Africa's Competition Commission that will result in it reducing its prepaid data prices by 40% and enable digital inclusion over the next two years. Following the publication of the commission’s ‘Final Findings and... →

Photo by Creamer Media
Vodacom CEO Shameel Joosub

Altron gets green light for Ubusha buyout

By: Natasha Odendaal 4th March 2020 JSE-listed Allied Electronics (Altron) has secured Competition Commission approval for its R360-million acquisition of identity security company Ubusha Technologies. →

MTN Nigeria posts robust financial results

By: Natasha Odendaal 2nd March 2020 Telecommunications group MTN Nigeria has ended the year to December 31, 2019, with double-digit growth across the board. The group on Monday posted a 31.1% rise in reported profit before tax to N290.1-billion, while profit after tax and earnings per share both increased by 38.8%. →

Blue Label's earnings rise in first half

By: Natasha Odendaal 28th February 2020 JSE-listed Blue Label Telecoms on Friday posted a turnaround in earnings during the half-year ended November 30, 2019. The group’s earnings per share (EPS) and headline earnings per share (HEPS) increased to a positive 34.83c and 39.98c apiece respectively from a loss and headline loss per share... →

Sita sponsors cyberlab at school in rural KZN

By: Natasha Odendaal 28th February 2020 The State Information Technology Agency (Sita) has sponsored an information and communication technology (ICT) laboratory at Manhlenga junior secondary school in Gazini village, in the uMhlabuyalingana local municipality. The sponsorship of a cyberlab for the rural KwaZulu-Natal school, 7km from... →

Cisco unveils multiyear plan for ‘building a new Internet’

By: Schalk Burger 28th February 2020 Information, communication and networking equipment and software multinational Cisco’s long-term technology strategy is based on development and investments in the three key technology areas of silicon, optics and software for building a new Internet, Cisco chairman and CEO Chuck Robbins says.... →

MTN Ghana delivers double-digit full-year growth

By: Natasha Odendaal 27th February 2020 Telecommunications company MTN Ghana has achieved double-digit growth for the year ended December 31, 2019, as voice, data and Mobile Money (MoMo) revenue surges. Service revenue increased by 22.8%, underpinned by growth in revenue of 19.4%, 32.5% and 28% respectively from voice, data and MoMo. →

Private equity fund eyes growth from early-stage 4IR startups

By: Natasha Odendaal 26th February 2020 As Campan exits its 20% stake in Ubusha Technologies, following JSE-listed Allied Electronics’ (Altron’s) 100% acquisition of the identity security provider, the private equity group is intensifying its focus on transformative Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) early-stage start-ups. Campan,... →

MTN eSwatini appoints Wandile Mtshali CEO

By: Reuters 25th February 2020 MTN eSwatini, the local unit of telecoms group MTN, on Tuesday appointed Wandile Mtshali CEO after his predecessor was appointed PM of the Southern African kingdom. Mtshali, who holds a Bachelor's degree from the University of Botswana in electronics and computer engineering, will take the helm... →

Skilled-worker gap to widen as technology develops

By: Natasha Odendaal 21st February 2020 The gap between jobs and skilled workers is continuing to widen as the unprecedented speed of technological development brings rise to innovations and new business models that have changed the face of global economies. While 2019 proved to be a significant year for the technology sector, and 2020... →

Safaricom likely to borrow to fund Ethiopia Telecom bid

By: Bloomberg 20th February 2020 Safaricom, weighing an offer for Ethiopia’s telecom business later this year, plans to take on debt to fund a joint bid by a consortium including parent Vodacom Group and two other entities. “We do know the investment to build the network in Ethiopia will be big,” Safaricom’s interim Chief... →

R2K to picket over Rica privacy failure

By: Natasha Odendaal 19th February 2020 Advocacy organisation, the Right2Know (R2K) Campaign on Wednesday held protests in Pretoria and Cape Town against what it says is the failure of the Regulation of Interception of Communications and Provision of Communication-Related Information Act (Rica) to protect South African citizens’ right... →

Topics In These Articles

Building Environment Financial Innovation Sustainable System Africa Health Training Business Huawei Power Technology Testing Services Infrastructure ... more

RSS Feed

About

Engineering News is a product of Creamer Media.
www.creamermedia.co.za

Other Creamer Media Products include:
Mining Weekly
Research Channel Africa
Polity

Newsletters

Sign up for our FREE daily email newsletter

Receive daily sector news alerts

More

Subscriptions

We offer a variety of subscriptions to our Magazine, Website, PDF Reports and our photo library.

Subscriptions are available via the Creamer Media Store.

View store

Advertise

Advertising on Engineering News is an effective way to build and consolidate a company's profile among clients and prospective clients. Email advertising@creamermedia.co.za

View options

Subscribe