Mobile and Telecoms
Cell C to Cut Over 900 Jobs, Almost 40% of its Workforce
Image sourced from Town Press South African network provider, Cell C has confirmed that it could retrench up to 960 employees – including junior management and semi-skilled staff – resulting in cuts of almost 40% of its workforce. “Cell C can confirm that it is has reached a difficult decision and initiated discussions with junior management and semi-skilled staff to implement a restructuring of its operations so as to align the organisation with its new operating model,” says a Cell C spokesperson. “Earlier this year, senior management positions were aligned to this revised operating model and new organisational structure. This process was completed in May and resulted in 30 positions being affected,” she said. Cell C began reevaluating its workforce in March 2020 and was said to be looki...
Why 5G Adoption has been so Slow
If you have been waiting for 5G super-connectivity to roll out overnight and instantly change your life, you might be in for a surprise. It took nearly 10 years for 4G to become the dominant technology in cellular connectivity and those in the know, believe that it might even take longer for 5G to settle in nicely. Nevertheless, there are a few wonderful changes to look forward to as we slowly but surely move into the fourth industrial revolution. “First you have to understand that in theory 5G can support millisecond latencies,” explains Christopher Riley, CEO of the notebook company. “This means that we are not far from fully autonomous driverless cars, telesurgery – where your surgeon might be thousands of miles away, which has been tested over 5G with great success – and Virtual Realit...
MTN, Cell C and rain Zero-rate Education Programmes for Youth
Major telecommunications companies MTN, Cell C and rain have zero-rated the OLICO Maths Education Programme which provides puzzles and problem-solving activities, competitions, games and weekly challenges to keep learners busy, connected and engaged. This decision followed the closure of schools in the COVID-19 pandemic’s local lockdown restrictions, which compounded learning challenges even further for the notoriously under-resourced youth in some of South Africa’s largest townships. Launched in 2008, the OLICO Maths Education Programme has provided effective and increasingly popular after-school tutoring and training in Alexandra, Diepsloot, Bosmont, Dunoon and Heideveld, and partners using OLICO maths content are working in Soweto, Ivory Park, Khayelitsha, Gugulethu and deep-rural Easte...
Telecom Giant Orange May Launch in Nigeria and South Africa Very Soon
Sourced from MSNBC. France’s largest telecom group Orange is considering entering the South African and Nigerian markets, according to its CEO. “It could make sense to be in economies such as Nigeria and South Africa,” Orange’s CEO Stephane Richard, says, according to a report by Reuters. “If one considers there are things to do, the time frame I am considering is rather a few months than a few years,” he continues. Richard declined to comment when asked about a possible interest in taking a stake in MTN. Orange and MTN Group have worked together to launch an African mobile payment company, Mowali. Orange has 208 million subscribers, while MTN has 257 million subscribers. /* custom css */ .tdi_3_e4d.td-a-rec-img{ text-align: left; }.tdi_3_e4d.td-a-rec-img img{ margin: 0 auto 0 0; } They ar...
Why 5G is a Must for Post-COVID South Africa
The widespread lack of internet access for most South African households, coupled with the expectation for remote working and learning to be the new norm in post-lockdown society, is placing greater importance on next-generation 5G technology, which will play a critical role in the country’s socio-economic growth and recovery following the impact of lockdown regulations. This was revealed by Willem Roos, the CEO of rain, during the most recent edition of the Business Lecture Series hosted by Stellenbosch Network in conjunction with Stellenbosch University’s LaunchLab. The Business Lecture Series is the latest in a line of events curated by Stellenbosch Network to help educate local leaders and entrepreneurs from across society so that they can better adapt their operations, seek out new op...
Frogfoot Extends Free Fibre Speed Upgrades Indefinitely
“With many employees still having to work from home or take turns going to the office so that social distancing guidelines are adhered to, high-speed, reliable, and affordable Internet access becomes just as critical as water or electricity. This Double Up promotion is vital to mitigate against some of the economic impact the lockdown will have on South Africans,” says Shane Chorley, Head of Sales and Marketing at Frogfoot Networks. Having the whole family at home places huge pressure on the available bandwidth, with parents having to carry on with work while children will want to learn, play and keep in touch with friends and classmates. With this in mind, fibre becomes the ideal method of connectivity for remote workers using cloud-based productivity tools and applications and uploading ...
Lonestar Cell MTN and Access Bank Partner to Make Money Transfers Easy
Sourced from The Techie Guy Lonestar Cell MTN has announced that Access Bank customers can now connect their bank accounts to their MTN Mobile Money (MoMo) accounts – this means that customers can conveniently send money from their MoMo accounts directly to their bank accounts. To use this service, Access Bank customers need to visit their nearest branch to link their bank account to their Mobile Money account and then simply dial *156*7# on their phones and follow the prompts. Customers will need to have their bank account numbers on hand to complete the setup process. Access Bank customers who are not yet registered on MoMo can join with a free sign-up process. All they need to do is visit any Lonestar Cell MTN service centre or registered MoMo agent with a valid identification card to h...
Vodacom Releases Alcatel2019G Phone Designed for Elderly Citizens
South African network provider, Vodacom has launched the Alcatel 2019G phone series which comes standard with a large keypad and simple user interface with big icons, ideal for those with low vision as well as the elderly. The Alcatel 2019G is available from the Vodacom website as well as Vodacom stores nationwide and retails at R649. The device comes standard with a dedicated charging dock, SOS emergency function, torch, lock and unlock key, 16 hours talk time, 2MP rear camera as well as a wireless FM Radio that users can enjoy without a headphone. “Some of our senior citizens have been consistent in their feedback to us – they prefer a device with a large keypad. In line with our purpose pillar of creating an inclusive digital society, the introduction of the Alcatel 2019 series helps us...
Lonestar Cell MTN Provides Free Facebook Flex Access in Liberia
Lonestar Cell MTN has announced that its customers can now enjoy Facebook for free with the launch of Facebook Flex. Facebook Flex gives Lonestar Cell MTN customers the ability to chat and stay connected with friends and family on Facebook with no interruptions. “By enabling data-free access to Facebook, we are helping to connect more Liberians to the digital world, driven by our core belief that everyone deserves the benefit of a modern, connected life,” says Yaw Ankoma Agyapong, CMO of Lonestar Cell MTN. “Social media platforms like Facebook have become vital communication tools for many people, and we want to ensure that our customers can access them more affordably. This is just one of the ways we are bridging the digital gap in Liberia and helping more Liberians connect to social inte...
New US Lawsuit Alleges MTN Paid off Terrorist Groups in the Middle-East
Sourced from Business Tech A lawsuit filed in the United States that claims that telecom giant MTN paid protection money to terrorist groups al-Qaeda and the Taliban have been expanded to include new claims. The Wall Street Journal reported that the newly expanded lawsuit now also claims that two US contractors – which ran aid projects in Afghanistan – paid protection money to the Taliban. The suit in question was filed by certain families of US soldiers who were killed or wounded in Iran and Afghanistan between 2009 and 2017. Initially launched last year, the case is now hearing new allegations at the United States District Court. The suit, which also includes claims against seven other international companies including the security company G4S, alleges that MTN violated the US Anti-Terro...
Vodacom Partners with WITS University to Ensure Continued Online Learning
To help students stay on track to successfully complete the 2020 academic year despite not being on campus, Vodacom has partnered with the University of the Witwatersrand (WITS) in Johannesburg to keep students connected to higher learning activities. The network provider says that it has committed to providing each student with a 30GB data bundle to remain connected and continue their education while they are away from campus. “We can all agree that success begins with education. For many students, remote learning is a challenge as they do not have the means to access online learning materials,” says William Mzimba, Chief Officer for Vodacom Business. “As remote learning becomes a necessity due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Vodacom Business is proud to partner with WITS to support education a...
Safaricom Eyes an Opportunity to Expand into Ethiopia
Sourced from CGTN. Safaricom PLC is planning to extend its reach into Ethiopia, Kenya’s northern neighbour. Although not initially successful with its first few attempts, new changes within the Ethiopian government may prove beneficial for the mobile carrier to finally establish a presence within the country. Last month, the Ethiopian government said that it would be impossible for Safaricom’s M-PESA service to have any space in the market. The Ethiopian central bank about reiterated that no foreign financial institutions would be allowed to offer mobile money services in the country. Now, the good news for Safaricom is that the company was recently offered a window to buy into Ethio Telecom, the country’s mass-monopoly provider whose privatisation process is currently underway. This is on...
