Top Stories
Nokia and Airtel Partner to Lay 5G Foundations in Kenya
Sourced from Comms MEA Nokia and Airtel Kenya have joined forces in a three-year deal to modernize Nairobi with high speed 4G and 5G-ready hardware. Deployment, which began in June, will cover hundreds of sites and include upgrading existing 2G, 3G and 4G radio access network (RAN) coverage in urban, semi-urban, highways, tourist spots and central business districts in Nairobi and the rest of Kenya. Nokia’s future-proofed network infrastructure will also offer Airtel Kenya the option to smoothly transition to 5G when necessary. The upgraded network will deliver enhanced connectivity to customers of Airtel Kenya and access to new, high-speed data services. “We are in the midst of rolling out our network to enhance coverage along with modernization of our data network that will help us to de...
Safaricom could Reduce M-Pesa Transaction Fees
Image sourced from TechWeez Safaricom could reduce M-Pesa transaction fees, according to Business Daily who also suggested that the telco is considering this move in an effort to “retain the higher business volumes that followed the imposition of free M-Pesa for deals of up to Sh1,000”. Safaricom CEO, Peter Ndegwa confirmed this, saying “We intend to reduce our transaction costs over time. How quickly we do that is something we want to judge but certainly, we haven’t made a decision yet at this stage.” Kenyan Senators Call for Safaricom to Split Senators in Kenya believe that Safaricom should split into two firms – Mobile Services and M-PESA. According to The Star, a split would see the mobile telephony service is regulated by the Communication Authority of Kenya (CAK) and t...
Telkom Unveils Black Friday Contract Deals
Telkom has officially unveiled its Black Friday deals – from 00:01 on 27 November 2020, available online up until midnight on 4 December 2020. In keeping up with the times and customer needs, Telkom is focusing on two areas this year: 1) accommodating those who’ve become more comfortable with online shopping and 2) big savings on data considering the unprecedented year of lockdown and resultant ever-evolving consumer behaviour and habits. Here’s a closer look at Telkom’s Black Friday contract deals: Device Term FreeMe 800MB FreeMe 1.5GB FreeMe 3GB FreeMe 6GB FreeMe 11.5GB FreeMe 28GB Minutes DATA Notes Samsung Galaxy A11 24 R 179 R 229 100 Min x 24 10GB x 3 All Channels Huawei Y6p + Watch 24 R 249 R 299 R 349 R 449 R 549 R 849 100 Min x 24 10GB x 3 Call C...
Liquid Telecom Expands Connectivity in Botswana
Liquid Telecom has revealed that it is activating 82 km of fibre in a cross-border network into Botswana. This expansion connects the Lobatse Border to Gaborone with intent to create efficient mobility and connectivity in Botswana. “At Liquid Telecom, we have a proven track record of investing in and deploying technology designed to grow, strengthen and build Africa’s digital future. This expansion into Botswana is yet another proof point that shows our deep commitment to this practice,” says Odirile Tamajobe, MD of Liquid Telecom Botswana. “We know that fibre is key to providing Africa with high-speed, affordable digital connectivity and have plans to create even more valuable connections throughout the continent.” Prior to this fibre implementation, Liquid Telecom Botswana did not h...
MTN Nigeria Partners with Gameloft to Launch Gameworld
Sourced from TheTechieGuy (https://thetechieguy.com/) MTN Nigeria has partnered with Gameloft to launch MTN Gameworld – a new gaming platform for its subscribers. The platform is expected to offer the Nigerian gaming community access to a variety of fun and exciting games online through an extensive premium catalogue from Gameloft and other renowned publishers. Speaking on the partnership, Chief Digital Officer of MTN Nigeria, Srinivas Rao said, “We are constantly seeking to deliver innovative products that support the aspirations of our customers, whilst delivering superior user experience. This partnership allows us to provide our customers with access to a variety of exhilarating games from Gameloft and other leading publishers at an affordable rate.” MTN Gameworld will provide customer...
Samsung Unveils the Galaxy A12 and Galaxy A02S
Image sourced from The Verge Samsung has launched its newest entry-level devices – the Galaxy A12 and Galaxy A02S. Both of these smartphones, which will be available in 2021, are said to offer a “lower barrier to entry” for people looking for a modern Android device. “Featuring a compact design with smooth curves and a comfortable grip, the Galaxy A12 combines Samsung’s best smartphone features in an affordable package,” says Samsung. Here’s a closer look at the Samsung Galaxy A12 and Galaxy A02S’s key specifications: Galaxy A02S Galaxy A12 OS Android 10 Android 10 Display 6.5-inch HD+ Infinity-V display 6.5-inch HD+ Infinity-V display Processor Octa-core (2.3GHz, 1.8GHz) Octa-core (1.8GHz) RAM Up to 6GB 3GB Storage Up to 128GB + microSD 32GB + microSD Rear Camera 48MP + 5MP + 2MP + 2MP 13...
3 Reasons to Love the LG Wing
LG recently unveiled the LG Wing – its newest form-factor smartphone comprised of a swivel screen. This device is said to be perfect for tech fans and content creators thanks to its “ground-breaking” specs. With that said, here are three reasons to love the LG Wing: 1. Pro Stabilisation Recording The LG Wing’s swivel orientation captures video with absolute steadiness. /* custom css */ .tdi_3_af5.td-a-rec-img{ text-align: left; }.tdi_3_af5.td-a-rec-img img{ margin: 0 auto 0 0; } Once in swivel mode, the normal camera app vanishes and a new video-only app opens, revealing a gimbal controller interface with joystick controls that allow users to pan the 12MP rear camera left, right, up, and down without moving their hand. Users can then grip the bottom display with one hand and use their...
M-Pesa Becomes First African FinTech to Join United for Wildlife Financial Taskforce
M-Pesa has revealed that it is the first mobile money provider in Africa to join the Financial Taskforce established by United for Wildlife, a coalition of charities that works to tackle the illegal wildlife trade. The M-Pesa mobile money system has become Africa’s most popular financial services provider and the continent’s leading financial technology platform. M-Pesa is actively used by 41.5 million customers across seven African countries who make over 12.2 billion transactions per annum. The platform also enables individuals and businesses to pay bills, create savings and loan accounts and to access overdraft facilities, commercial services and healthcare. “The environment remains a critical, shared communal resource and has been under threat from the illegal trade of wildlife. The fu...
5G Consumer Market to Reach $31 trillion by 2030
The 5G consumer market is expected to grow to $31 trillion by 2030, according to the Harnessing the 5G Consumer Potential report from Ericsson ConsumerLab. The report estimates that communications service providers (CSPs) could earn $3.7 trillion of that total – a figure that could increase further as new adjacent digital services opportunities arise. It also says that CSPs could generate up to $131 billion by 2030 from digital service revenues alone, by proactively bundling and marketing 5G use cases. About 40% of these revenue projections are attributed to consumer spending on enhanced video, augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR) and cloud gaming over 5G networks. The report projects that AR is likely to drive more than half of all consumer spending on immersive media by 2030 – st...
Zipline, Medical Drone Delivery Pioneer to Headline HISA2020
Technology is transforming industries on a global scale, with the COVID-19 pandemic presenting an interesting opportunity for medical practitioners and policy-makers to test new ways in which technology — like Telemedicine, AI, Big Data, Analytics, Cloud Computing and Mobility — can facilitate sustainable healthcare systems of the future. An example of this is Zipline, an on-demand drone-delivery company that uses aviation technology to distribute medical supplies to healthcare workers in Africa and all over the world. The US-based company is currently valued at $1.2 Billion and is slated by Fast Company as one of the most innovative companies of 2020. Zipline says that it is on a mission to provide every human on Earth with instant access to vital medical supplies — and it will do this by...
Google Unveils Chrome’s Latest Update
Google has unpacked its latest Chrome update which it says is the “largest gain in Chrome performance in years”. Chrome’s director of product, Matt Waddell says this will be Google’s final update of 2020 – to help users “get things done this holiday season (and beyond)”. Here’s a closer look at these improvements: Chrome now prioritizes users active tabs vs. everything that’s open—reducing CPU usage by up to 5x and extending battery life by up to 1.25 hours (based on our internal benchmarks). Chrome now starts up to 25 percent faster, loads pages up to 7 percent faster, and does all of this using less power and RAM than before. Chrome on Android now loads pages near instantaneously when users navigate backward and forward, making these common tasks...
Safaricom makes Changes to Executive Team
Safaricom has announced a number of changes to its executive team which includes the merge of its information technology and network departments. According to a memo sent to staff by Peter Ndegwa, the telco’s current CEO, Morten Bangsgaard will head the new department. Bangsgaard’s appointment takes effect on January 1, 2021. He has more than 26 years of experience in various technology roles in the telecommunications industry, reports Business Daily. Rita Okuthe will leave her position as Safaricom’s Chief Enterprise Business Officer at the end of November 2020 – the company has not yet named her successor. Safaricom Appoints New Board Chairman Safaricom has appointed Michael Joseph (the telco’s former CEO) as new board chairman, he succeeds Nicholas Ng’ang’a who has ret...
