Handsets are now the biggest hurdle to adoption in Africa – MTN CEO
Connecting the African continent is always going to be a complicated job, but the availability of handsets is now the biggest challenge according to MTN CEO Rob Schuter.
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‘Best effort’ should be considered as critical for the telco of tomorrow
Many in the industry shudder at the concept of ‘best effort’, but this should change in future when latency can be billed as a business case.
Telcos crave innovation, but start-ups find the maze impossible to navigate
If anything sums up the telco industry, it is the pursuit of innovation coupled with the failure to be a leader in emerging segments. The solution might well be working with more start-ups, but are they accessible enough?
Biometric adoption needs to speed up to exploit the digital bonanza
The idea of biometric identification is not new, though to realise the full benefits of the digital economy, adoption needs to increase and move away from hardware.
Speak to the right people and Africa is about much more than just the digital divide
Yesteryear’s conversation in Africa was all about balancing the commercial realities of bridging the digital divide, but this year’s AfricaCom has showcased the bigger ambitions of South Africa.
We should be regulating AI, but no-one really knows how
A conundrum which has existed throughout the life of the technology and telco industry around the perfect balance between innovation and regulation.
Telco’s competitors aren’t other telcos anymore
It might seem like an unusual statement to make, but if the fortunes of the fourth industrial revolution are going to be realised, telcos need to stop bickering between themselves.
Africa and the economics of satellites
Last week’s AfricaCom conference had a heavy focus on satellites but how many people actually understand the economics of satellite connectivity? We didn’t, so we asked Intelsat.
Over-regulation and career politicians could spell disaster for tech
Government intervention has been a hot topic all week at AfricaCom, and it doesn’t seem like there is going to be a resolution to the problem anytime soon.
Africa can learn from the South American mistakes
Africa is firmly in last place when it comes to the development of the digital society, unless you count the Antarctic, but looking towards the failures of other emerging markets might help things along.
Why is data expensive? Because we’re terrible capitalists – Safaricom
Usually telcos are quite guarded with the truth. Announcements and statements are filled with PR nonsense about aiding the greater good, but Safaricom’s new Chief Innovation Officer has been surprisingly honest.
African governments told to stop messing with telecoms
Two things in life are guaranteed; death and taxes. This is generally accepted by the world, but perhaps the sticky fingers of the government are asking a bit too much.
The African telecoms industry lacks a cunning plan
After several presentations, discussions and lectures at AfricaCom 2017 I’m still not too sure what the plan is in the African telecoms markets.
AfricaCom 2016 – electricity first, then broadband
Basic electricity for Africa’s 600 million disconnected citizens will always be more important than internet, according to AfricaCom 2016’s keynote speakers.
South African deputy minister for telecoms says African citizens need internet connectivity
The South African Department of Telecommunications and Postal Services has stressed the growing significance of the internet in the development of the continent’s business and education sectors, but also stated that connectivity is becoming an imperative for society on an individual level.
African telcos insist LTE is vital to the region
Day two of AfricaCom 2014 saw a group of the continent’s most influential telecoms companies engaged in a panel discussion around the importance of LTE to Africa’s digital economy. With fixed broadband infrastructure still relatively thin on the ground, mobile broadband represents the only opportunity many Africans have to get online. While 3G may be the entry point for this, LTE offers many advantages, including simplicity, speed and data-optimization.
Telcos, OTTs declare peace at AfricaCom
Peace broke out between telcos and OTT players on the opening day of AfricaCom 2014 in Cape Town, South Africa. The headline discussion panel attempted to tackle the longstanding issue of cooperation between mobile operators, which invest in the infrastructure to provide mobile broadband, and over-the-top (OTT) service providers, which rely on that infrastructure to serve their customers.
African MVNOs should target premium customers, says Cell C
MVNOs in Africa should focus on the premium end of the market rather than offer low-cost ‘no frills’ services, according to Bjorn Florman, chief executive, wholesale business at Cell C. The South African mobile operator is one of the relatively small number of networks in the region that has wholeheartedly opened its network to MVNOs.
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