Welcome to the 5th annual review of telecommunications infrastructure development in Africa. This review combines my analysis of the last 12 months as well as links to over 350 articles covering a range of African telecom infrastructure development issues in 2018.
Undersea Cables
Investment in undersea fibre optic cables appears to be the new normal as 2018 saw no slacking off of undersea cable investment news. The biggest news was the launch of the South Atlantic Cable System (SACS) which finally connects Africa directly with South America, offering alternative, lower-latency routes to the Americas. This is probably of most interest to companies that depend on extremely low-latency internet connections for financial trading although SACS is also going to be interesting for the new alliances that emerge for internet capacity and the redundancy it offers existing operators.
A number of smaller undersea cable initiatives were announced including Cap Amílcar Cabral, Ceiba-2, METISS, and Ultramar-GE. This reflects a maturing of the market where smaller countries that have been left out of the first waves of undersea cable investment are seeking to connect into these larger cable initiatives whether for the first time or to establish redundant capacity links.
Also of interest was an announcement from GLO of a 12Tbps capacity, 850km GLO2 undersea cable project and news of a partnership between MainOne and Orange to add landing stations in Senegal and Côte d’Ivoire.
Interesting too in 2018 are the undersea cable projects that refuse to go away. SAEx, which has been a great powerpoint presentation for the last six years, is showing signs of life at last with Alcatel beginning a survey for the cable in October.
Almost in a category of their own are the PEACE and SAIL undersea cables which are less commercial investments than national strategic investments in global infrastructure by China, perhaps as part of their Belt and Road strategy. Whether these cables will be sustainable in the long term is an open question but either way it is good news for access to international capacity on the continent.
Perhaps the most important lesson learned from the last ten years of cable investment is that one international connection is not enough. Fibre optic capacity enables the internet economy and those who build their enterprises on it depend on it to always be available. Millions of dollars a day can be lost in undersea cable interruptions. Having a redundant international connection has become an essential feature of any robust digital economy.
| Country | Cable | Date | Article |
| Kenya | PEACE | 2018-01-08 | Huawei begin subsea survey on new Asia to Africa cable route | total telecom |
| Angola | SACS | 2018-01-24 | Offshore installation of SACS nears completion | Markets Insider |
| Djibouti | PEACE | 2018-01-30 | Submarine cables set to link East Africa with Asia, Europe |
| Mauritius | METISS | 2018-02-19 | La construction du câble METISS, confiée à Alcatel Submarine Networks et Electra TLC SPA - Agence Ecofin |
| Angola | SACS | 2018-02-21 | SACS lands in Brazil providing first ever subsea link between S America and Africa | total telecom |
| Angola | SACS | 2018-02-23 | Africa: Cable Landing a New Chapter in Africa-America Telecoms - allAfrica.com |
| Cameroon | SAIL | 2018-03-02 | Camtel, l’opérateur public camerounais des télécoms, annonce l’exploitation du câble sous-marin entre le Cameroun et le Brésil, au plus tard le 15 septembre 2018 - Agence Ecofin |
| Rodrigues | SEACOM | 2018-03-05 | PCCW Global To Link Rodrigues With Submarine Cable - SubTel Forum |
| Equatorial Guinea | CEIBA-2 | 2018-03-06 | Guinea Ecuatorial conecta con Sudamérica a través del cable SAIL – GITGE |
| Mauritius | SACS, IOX | 2018-03-20 | IOX Cable And Angola Cables Sign Agreement To Expand Their Reach Across Africa - Africa.com |
| Algeria | Orval | 2018-04-18 | Algérie: Houda Imane Feraoun annonce la connexion du pays à deux nouveaux câbles sous-marins avant la fin de l’année |
| Nigeria | GLO1 | 2018-04-24 | Glo, Huawei to construct 2nd submarine cable, Glo2 - Vanguard News |
| Algeria | Orval | 2018-04-25 | Algeria progresses on new submarine cable connectivity project - ITWeb Africa |
| Nigeria | GLO2 | 2018-04-25 | Globacom to Roll out Glo2 Submarine Cable in 18 Months - THISDAYLIVE |
| Nigeria | GLO2 | 2018-04-26 | Globacom to build new subsea cable in Nigeria |
| Nigeria | GLO2 | 2018-04-26 | Huawei and Globalcom to build new subsea cable in West Africa | total telecom |
| Nigeria | GLO2 | 2018-04-27 | Huawei to build Glo2 fibre cable in Nigeria - ITWeb Africa |
| Nigeria | GLO2 | 2018-05-03 | Achieving Last Mile Connectivity with Glo2 - THISDAYLIVE |
| Cape Verde | ELLALINK | 2018-05-07 | EllaLink Submarine Cable System receives €25 million euro “Intent to Award” from GÉANT and RedCLARA |
| Cameroon | SAIL | 2018-05-25 | Huawei cable ship sails on journey to lay new south Atlantic link |
| Seychelles | | 2018-05-29 | Seychelles government, cable company agree to second internet cable for island nation - Seychelles News Agency |
| Equatorial Guinea | CEIBA-2 | 2018-06-01 | La Guinée équatoriale inaugure le câble sous-marin de fibre optique Ceiba-2 le 4 juin 2018 |
| Regional | SEACOM | 2018-06-05 | SEACOM Finalizes the Upgrade of Subsea Cable System to 1.5Tbps for High-Speed Backbones |
| Equatorial Guinea | CEIBA-2 | 2018-06-06 | GITGE Inaugurates Ceiba-2 Cable |
| Djibouti | PEACE | 2018-08-31 | Pakistan, Djibouti land deals for 60Tbps Peace subsea cable |
| Angola | SACS | 2018-09-05 | Le câble SACS, reliant l’Angola au Brésil devrait être opérationnel d’ici la fin du mois de septembre |
| Cameroon | SAIL | 2018-09-05 | SAIL consortium completes Cameroon to Brazil cable connectivity |
| Cameroon | SAIL | 2018-09-05 | SAIL subsea cable system connects S America and Africa for the first time | total telecom |
| Cameroon | SAIL | 2018-09-10 | Africa has fibre optic link to South America - ITWeb Africa |
| Nigeria Senegal | MAINONE | 2018-09-14 | Orange to invest in West African subsea initiative | total telecom |
| Angola | SACS | 2018-09-19 | First Subsea Cable Across South Atlantic Activated | Dyn Blog |
| Nigeria | MAINONE | 2018-09-20 | TE Connectivity: Every Connection Counts - TE | TE Connectivity |
| South Africa | SAEX | 2018-09-24 | SAEx, Telecom Italia partner for US leg of SA cable - TechCentral |
| Sao Tome | Ultramar GE | 2018-09-26 | GITGE, ASN to Link Sao Tome and Annobon - SubTel Forum |
| Djibouti | PEACE | 2018-09-29 | Seychelles signs contract for second underwater communications cable to open in 2020 - Seychelles News Agency |
| South Africa | SAEX | 2018-10-04 | SAEx broadband cable progressing after deal with Alcatel - TechCentral |
| South Africa | SAEX | 2018-10-04 | Capacity Media - global telecoms news, events and community |
| Cape Verde, Guinea | Cap Amílcar Cabral | 2018-10-29 | Cape Verde and Guinea soon connected by fiber optics |
| Mauritius | METISS | 2018-11-06 | Câble MARS : coup d’envoi des travaux de connexion le mardi 6 novembre -technologie- my.t - île Maurice |
| Angola | SACS | 2018-11-14 | SACS Cable to expand connectivity in Africa via data centresIT News Africa – Up to date technology news, IT news, Digital news, Telecom news, Mobile news, Gadgets news, Analysis and Reports | Africa's Technology News Leader |
| South Africa | ACE | 2018-11-21 | Sierra Leone data penetration still below expectation – SALCAB | Politico SL |
| Cape Verde | Cap Amílcar Cabral | 2018-12-14 | Capacity Media - global telecoms news, events and community |
| Benin | ACE | 2018-12-29 | Benin requires the ACE GIE to stop illegal exploitation of the Africa Coast to Europe (ACE) fibre - Ecofin Agency |
| Cape Verde, Guinea | Cap Amílcar Cabral | 2018-12-29 | Cape Verde and Guinea to soon be linked by submarine optical fiber - Ecofin Agency |
| Guinea | Cap Amílcar Cabral | 2018-12-29 | GUILAB and Cabo Verde Telecom sign a MoU to build a regional telecommunications submarine cable system - Ecofin Agency |
Terrestrial Backbone Fibre
Terrestrial fibre investment too showed no signs of slowing down with fibre investment announcements from 25 African countries in 2018. Perhaps most notable was Liquid Telecom’s announcement of the “One Africa” fibre optic network. Through a combination of build-outs, acquisitions, and partnerships, Liquid Telecom now has fibre optic infrastructure that stretches all the way from Cape Town to Cairo. The speed at which Liquid Telecom has grown is remarkable and is clearly good news for intra-African internet traffic. They are by far the biggest regional fibre network operator on the continent.
Unfortunately the massive investment in terrestrial fibre capacity hasn’t been matched by commensurately significant drops in the cost of terrestrial access. In many countries on the continent, it still costs more to get data to a submarine cable landing point than it does to take it the rest of the way to the US or Europe.
One big change in 2018 that may be a sign of things to come is the arrival of global internet transit provider, Hurricane Electric (HE) into the Kenyan market. By operating a Point of Presence (PoP) in Nairobi, it allows service providers to buy international capacity (transit) from them directly without having to purchase both terrestrial and international transit. This is not a brand new concept by any means. Undersea cable operators like Seacom have operated PoPs in a number of major African cities for some time. What is unique about Hurricane Electric is that they don’t own any undersea or terrestrial infrastructure in or around Africa. They are able to establish a PoP by trading capacity on their international networks with African network operators. This allowed them to offer wholesale transit pricing at a significantly lower price than local operators. Expect this trend to grow to other major African cities in 2019.
Global transit providers like HE aren’t the full solution to terrestrial fibre prices though. Governments that have investments in national fibre optic networks need to unlock the potential that high prices are keeping pent up in their fibre networks. One strategy would be to offer shares to smaller service providers to enable them to compete more effectively with large operators.
| Country | Date | Article |
| SierraLeone | 2018-11-23 | 48% cost reduction for bandwidth in Sierra Leone - ITWeb Africa |
| Uganda, Kenya | 2018-10-27 | Affordable internet comes knocking at Uganda- The Exchange |
| Nigeria, Algeria | 2018-11-02 | Algeria, Nigeria eager to complete trans-Saharan fibre project - ITWeb Africa |
| Algeria | 2018-01-23 | Algerie Telecom’s fibre backbone to surpass 80,000km this year |
| Algeria | 2018-06-20 | Algérie: GRTG loue à Comintal son réseau de fibre optique noire pour l'aider à améliorer l’accès à Internet dans le pays |
| Angola, South Africa | 2018-11-26 | Angola Cables, Broadband InfraCo sign connectivity agreement - Lightwave |
| Benin | 2018-04-13 | Bénin : le gouvernement annonce l'extension du programme PDI2T, destiné au déploiement du haut débit |
| Benin | 2018-04-12 | Bénin: selon Djalil Assouma, DG de Bénin Télécom Infrastructures, la phase 1 du projet PDI2T est réalisée à 83% |
| South Africa | 2018-11-21 | Big fibre plans for Liquid Telecom in South Africa |
| Burkina Faso, Ghana | 2018-07-23 | Burkina Faso govt lauds US$20.6m fibre optic project - ITWeb Africa |
| Ghana | 2018-07-11 | Burkina Faso: le tronçon de fibre optique reliant Ouagadougou à la frontière ghanéenne, inauguré |
| South Africa | 2018-11-13 | BusinessLIVE |
| Gabon, Cameroon | 2018-09-27 | CAB backbone project enters fourth phase - ITWeb Africa |
| Angola, Uganda | 2018-02-16 | Cable Compendium: a guide to the week’s submarine and terrestrial developments |
| Mauritius | 2018-01-12 | Cable Compendium: a guide to the week’s submarine and terrestrial developments |
| CAR | 2018-04-06 | Central African Republic's €33.3m fibre network project underway - ITWeb Africa |
| Cameroon | 2018-02-05 | Congo to connect to Cameroon and Central Africa via a 550 km optical fiber - Business in Cameroon |
| Cameroon | 2018-07-16 | Congo: 17 sociétés en lice pour la construction du lien de fibre optique avec la Centrafrique et le Cameroun |
| Cote D’Ivoire | 2018-12-29 | Côte d'Ivoire secures a CFA72bn loan from AFD to deploy optical fiber - Ecofin Agency |
| Ghana | 2018-04-17 | DANIDA Hands Over ICT Project To government - BusinessGhana News | General |
| Zimbabwe | 2018-06-15 | Dark Fibre Africa expands into Zim amid acquisition rumours - ITWeb Africa |
| Regional | 2018-07-31 | Economic promise linked to Cape-to-Cairo deal - ITWeb Africa |
| Regional | 2018-12-18 | EIB confirms support for EUR 495m transformational investment across Africa at Vienna summit |
| Uganda | 2018-10-06 | Facebook, Airtel Uganda partner with BCS to expand cheap internet to Uganda’s upcountry – PML Daily |
| Kenya | 2018-03-13 | Fibre-optic connectivity in Kenya accelerates move to the cloud | IT News Africa – Africa's Technology News Leader |
| South Africa | 2018-05-31 | FibreCo increases dark fibre resilience from Johannesburg to Durban | Intelligent CIO Africa |
| Gabon | 2017-10-26 | Gabon : Korea Telecom annonce le déploiement de la fibre optique à Oyem, Bitam et Lambaréné - TIC Mag |
| Gabon | 2018-04-20 | Gabon: Gabon to invest $277 million in fibre optic network, Telecom News, ET Telecom |
| DRC, Congo | 2018-08-22 | Helios Towers announces 1,800km new backbone network for DRC - ITWeb Africa |
| Regional | 2018-09-28 | How Liquid Telecom Connected Africa from Cape to Cairo » 263Chat |
| Uganda | 2018-05-02 | Kenyan company to lose control over Ugandan internet highway - Daily Monitor |
| Kenya | 2018-10-26 | Ketraco eyes Sh500m from Liquid Telecom deal - Business Daily |
| Benin | 2018-03-23 | Le Bénin passe à l’internet haut débit fin août prochain |
| Gabon | 2018-04-08 | Le Gabon et le Congo interconnectés par la fibre optique - RFI |
| Nigeria | 2018-09-03 | Le Nigeria obtient 328 millions $ de la Chine pour réaliser la Phase 2 du réseau national de fibre optique |
| Ethiopia, Eritrea | 2018-07-13 | Les services télécoms entre l’Ethiopie et l’Erythrée rétablis après 20 ans d’interruption |
| Regional | 2018-09-11 | Liquid Telecom Cape to Cairo network first of its kind for Africa - htxt.africa |
| Zimbabwe | 2018-12-11 | Liquid Telecom in R2.6-billion funding boost - TechCentral |
| Regional | 2018-07-17 | Liquid Telecom in venture to build Cape to Cairo fibre network | ITWeb |
| Egypt | 2018-12-10 | Capacity Media - global telecoms news, events and community |
| Egypt | 2018-12-29 | Liquid Telecom to invest $400m in Egypt for network infrastructure, data centres | IOL Business Report |
| Malawi | 2018-02-02 | Malawi completes US$23m national fibre rollout project - ITWeb Africa |
| Mali | 2018-12-29 | Mali: National assembly authorizes government to borrow XOF93 billion for "Mali digital 2020" - Ecofin Agency |
| Mauritania | 2018-03-14 | Mauritania to add 1,600km of fibre backbone this month |
| Mauritius | 2018-11-15 | Mauritius the Only African State with 100% Fibre Coverage |
| Uganda | 2018-01-29 | Museveni orders gov’t to switch to UTL internet |
| Nigeria | 2018-02-05 | Nigeria: NCC Approves Two New Infrastructure Companies for South East, North West - allAfrica.com |
| Botswana | 2018-02-14 | Nimbus constructs TKF line linking Namibia to Botswana - ITWeb Africa |
| Uganda | 2018-02-07 | NITA-U Updates the Parliamentary Committee on ICT on the Status of Missing Links Project |
| Malawi | 2018-09-06 | Private Equity Firm Harith Buys Into Malawi Fiber Network |
| Uganda | 2018-02-02 | Report on NITA-U's Internet Backbone Infrastructure Project - GURU8 |
| Nigeria | 2018-08-03 | RoW approval: IHS returns InfraCo license — Business — The Guardian Nigeria Newspaper – Nigeria and World News |
| Zimbabwe | 2018-02-06 | SA firm plans $60m fibre network investment - NewsDay Zimbabwe |
| Egypt | 2018-07-15 | Telecom Egypt, Liquid Telecom sign Cape to Cairo fibre network deal |
| South Africa | 2018-08-22 | Telkom’s massive fibre network versus the rest |
| DRC | 2018-02-09 | TIC-CONGO : la mission du projet CAB présentée à la presse - Justin Morel Junior |
| Nigeria, Algeria | 2018-01-25 | Trans-Saharan Highway Project Will Strengthen Strategic Relations Between Algeria, Nigeria – Onyeama | Independent Nigeria |
| Zimbabwe | 2018-05-30 | Villagers Dig Up TelOne Fibre Cables Out Of Curiosity - Techzim |
| Ghana | 2018-08-06 | Vodafone expands Fibre Optic Network in West Africa | Business News 2018-08-06 |
| Liberia | 2018-06-19 | Who’s Digging In and Around Monrovia? The CSquared Monrovia Metro Fiber Optic Ring Project (AKA Google’s Project Link), And Its Impact on the GoL’s Pro-Poor Agenda. | Liberian Observer |
| Ghana | 2018-09-01 | Bawumia Cuts Sod For $42m Fibre Optic Project - Daily Guide Africa
|
Fibre To The Home and OTT
Like other fibre markets, the rapid spread of Fibre To the Home (FTTH) seems perfectly normal now whereas it barely existed only a few years ago. The combined trend of rising demand of streaming movie and television services and the decreasing cost of FTTH deployment continues to fuel this boom. Fibre is a significantly different technology from wireless in two important ways. First, it has a much longer lifespan. Whereas wireless technologies must be replaced or upgraded every 3-5 years, fibre optic infrastructure can last 15-25 years. Second, while wireless technology continues to improve in capacity, it does have limits. Fibre optic infrastructure, on the other hand, capable of carrying terabits and even petabits of traffic, effectively does not. I have argued that any operator that is planning to be around for a few years should be investing in fibre optic network infrastructure as part of their strategy.
Along with FTTH, streaming media or Over The Top (OTT) companies continue to grow and evolve on the continent. In 2018, Netflix announced its first investments in an original South African series, which hopefully is just the first of many investments in local content in African countries by OTT companies. The biggest losers in the spread of OTT services are those who markets are being eroded by OTT. This includes the hundreds of millions of dollars invested by governments and companies in digital terrestrial broadcast system as a part of the digital switchover from analogue to digital television broadcasting. It is hard to see how any digital terrestrial broadcast markets will ever break even. Satellite television is also suffering but their ability to reach outside of the urban centres served by FTTH services providers means they are not going away any time soon. Also, sports and live events seem to be areas of broadcast that OTT service providers remain excluded from.
| Category | Country | Date | Article |
| FTTH | Kenya | 2018-05-10 | 141,000 homes get Safaricom fibre Internet access - Business Daily |
| FTTH | Angola | 2018-02-05 | Algeria Telecom rolls out controversial FTTH - ITWeb Africa |
| FTTH | Algeria | 2018-01-31 | Algerie Telecom announces major FTTH deployment |
| FTTH | Regional | 2018-03-13 | Fibre 'land grap' underway in East, Southern Africa says SEACOM - ITWeb Africa |
| FTTH | South Africa | 2018-05-03 | How many fibre infrastructure and service providers there are in South Africa |
| FTTH | South Africa | 2018-06-04 | How many homes in South Africa have a fibre connection |
| FTTH | Benin | 2018-06-08 | ISOCEL to launch first FTTH service in Benin, first in capital Cotonou and then more widely | Balancing Act - Africa |
| FTTH | Botswana | 2018-07-31 | KT to carry out fibre project for Botswana’s BoFiNet |
| FTTH | Sudan | 2018-02-27 | Liquid Telecom - News |
| FTTH | Sudan | 2018-02-28 | Liquid, Sudatel pen landmark FTTH deal - ITWeb Africa |
| FTTH | Reunion | 2018-06-14 | Mediaserv covers 75% of households with FTTH |
| FTTH | Botswana | 2018-02-23 | Mmegi Online :: Mascom first to launch Fibre to the Home |
| FTTH | Rwanda | 2018-04-25 | More Kigali households get fibre optic coverage | The New Times | Rwanda |
| FTTH | Angola | 2018-02-02 | MSTelcom lançará serviço Triple Play - Revista Rumo |
| FTTH | South Africa | 2018-03-29 | Octotel to double down on Cape Town fibre expansion - TechCentral |
| FTTH | Togo | 2018-03-26 | Operators race to boost 4G, fibre optic access in Togo - ITWeb Africa |
| FTTH | Sudan | 2018-07-03 | Sudatel, Nokia to trial 5G mobile tech - ITWeb Africa |
| FTTH | Tanzania | 2018-02-28 | Tanzania: TTCL Embarks On Fibre to Home Project - allAfrica.com |
| FTTH | Tanzania | 2018-02-28 | TTCL embarks on fibre to home project |
| FTTH | Kenya | 2018-01-08 | Video-on-demand spurs rise in fibre Internet users - Business Daily |
| FTTH | South Africa | 2018-05-08 | Vumatel rolling out in Alexandra will kill DStv market share |
| FTTH | Uganda | 2018-10-08 | Zuku Fiber service packages and prices in Uganda. - Dignited |
| OTT | Zimbabwe | 2018-01-08 | African pay TV subscriber numbers to grow 74% by 2023 – Digital TV Europe |
| OTT | Benin | 2018-08-28 | Benin introduces new service tax |
| OTT | Uganda | 2018-08-08 | Facebook to hold back Uganda investment over tax - Business Daily |
| OTT | Kenya | 2018-02-21 | Kwese acquires stake in Malaysia-based iflix - Business Daily |
| OTT | Ghana | 2018-11-02 | Kwesé TV is no MORE! Company goes digital with Kwesé Play, Kwesé Free Sports & Kwesé Iflix - Proudly Ghanaian! | EnewsGH |
| OTT | Regional | 2018-05-31 | Netflix in Africa hiring content producer for Africa, Turkey, Middle East more Nollywood, Arab language shows — Quartz |
| OTT | South Africa | 2018-12-10 | Netflix unveils its first South African original series - TechCentral |
| OTT | South Africa | 2018-06-14 | South Africans would rather have Netflix over DStv |
| OTT | South Africa | 2018-07-17 | Tbo Touch to take on DStv, Netflix with new venture THD - TechCentral |
| OTT | South Africa | 2018-07-17 | Tbo Touch to take on DStv, Netflix with new venture THD - TechCentral |
| OTT | Zimbabwe | 2018-10-05 | TelOne to launch Africa's first fully converged on-demand entertainment service - Bulawayo24 News |
| OTT | Regional | 2018-05-30 | The rise of OTT and VOD services in Africa | Screen Africa |
| OTT | South Africa | 2018-05-02 | Urban SA turning its back on linear pay TV, GfK says - TechCentral |
| OTT | Zambia | 2018-09-14 | Zambia to tax internet phone calls - The East African |
Licensed Spectrum
The biggest news in licensed spectrum in 2018 was the licensing of digital dividend spectrum (700MHz and 800MHz) for mobile broadband across a number of countries on the continent.
The drama of Ghana’s 800MHz auction which began in 2017 with only MTN the only successful bidder, paying $67.5 million for 20MHz (2x10MHz) of spectrum, carried on in 2018. The regulator’s attempts to carry out a second auction were stymied by MTN’s insistence that any bidder must match the amount that they paid for the spectrum. This option did not find any takers. The regulator compromised by offering smaller chunks of spectrum 10MHz (2x5MHz) in the second round for $33.7 million each, although still the same price per MHz. They eventually settled on $30 million for 10MHz, which was acquired by Vodafone just before year end.
In Tanzania, a successful spectrum auction was held in the 700MHz band with two operators, Vodacom Tanzania and Azam Telecom winning licenses for 20MHz (2x10MHz) for USD10M each.
In Mozambique, the regulator put 800MHz, 1800MHz, and 2600MHz up for auction but only received bids for 800MHz spectrum. Three of the five 10MHz (2x5MHz) lots were successfully auctioned at $15M each to Mcel, Vodacom and Movitel. This is a great step forward after the same 800MHz spectrum was put up for auction in 2013 with no bidders due to the high reserve price. The fact that no bids were made for either 1800MHz or 2600MHz may be due to the lower capital costs required for network rollout in 800MHz spectrum, thanks to the larger cell size that is possible in that frequency. The 30 million dollar reserve price for 10MHz of 1800MHz may also have been a factor.
In Kenya, where the regulator has chosen not to use spectrum auctions as a vehicle for assigning spectrum, plans for the 700MHz band are a little confusing to the external observer. The regulator has divided the band into three lots of (I assume) 30MHz (2x15MHz) each. Last year, Jamii Telecom was given a trial license for one of these lots and the regulator has encouraged second tier service providers to form consortia to request the other two lots. Successful applicants will be assigned the spectrum for a year and then will be allowed to keep it if they pay the USD25M fee. First tier operators (Safaricom, Airtel, Telkom Kenya) who received 800MHz spectrum last year are precluded from participation in 700MHz.
You can see from the above that there is no particular standard for either price per MHz or the default size of the spectrum lots made available. In theory, making smaller lots available enables operators to bid on the amount of spectrum they need by choosing the number of lots to bid on but the reality seems to be that the reserve prices are so high that operators are only just meeting the reserve price for a single lot. Larger frequency assignments can help to reduce the likelihood of a cell being overwhelmed by a combination of users and demand. Thus, a comparatively small license such as 10MHz (2x5MHz) may not be ideal for use in dense urban areas.
The missing story in all of the above auctions are the missing operators, those who could not afford the multi-million dollar entry fee. New spectrum licenses ares going to existing incumbents and that’s that. A side-effect of high spectrum fees is that small and even medium-sized operators are locked out of the LTE market. This is obviously not good news for competition and, in particular, is not good news for rural access as high auction prices for spectrum are going to push operators to deploy where they can make their money back fastest, in densely populated, comparatively wealthy urban areas. There is an urgent need for spectrum polices and regulation that directly address affordable, rural, service delivery.
| Category | Country | Frequency | Date | Article |
| LTE | Rwanda | | 2018-01-05 | Rwandan 4G network hits 95% coverage |
| LTE | Togo | | 2018-01-08 | Newcomer TEOLIS now ‘operational’ in Togo |
| LTE | Senegal | | 2018-01-18 | Orange Senegal targets 50% LTE coverage by end-2018 |
| LTE | Malawi | | 2018-01-24 | Airtel 4G to cover three cities | Malawi 24 - All the latest Malawi news |
| LTE | Gambia | | 2018-01-30 | Africell Gambia launches LTE, claims 68Mbps speed |
| LTE | Sierra Leone | | 2018-01-30 | Sierratel launches LTE services |
| LTE | Kenya | | 2018-02-08 | Airtel pays Sh2.5bn licence fee for full 4G Internet rollout - Business Daily |
| LTE | Ghana | | 2018-02-09 | Afrimax announces sale of Busy Internet Ghana | IT News Africa – Africa's Technology News Leader |
| LTE | Nigeria | | 2018-02-13 | Airtel switches on 4G network in Ibadan |
| Spectrum | Nigeria | 60GHz | 2018-03-01 | NCC seeks release of 60Ghz frequency spectrum for broadband deployment — Technology — The Guardian Nigeria Newspaper – Nigeria and World News |
| Auction | Kenya | 700MHz | 2018-03-07 | Connecting Africa - Kenya's 4G Hopefuls Wait for Spectrum Ruling |
| DSO | Regional | | 2018-03-07 | Microsoft PowerPoint - Nairobi 2018 ITU Broadcast Workshop - DSO - Digital Migration Status (Update) in Africa.pptx - Nairobi 2018 ITU Broadcast Workshop - DSO - Digital Migration Status (Update) in Africa.pdf |
| LTE | Regional | | 2018-03-08 | Africa: Nokia, Orange Sustain Major Africa LTE Rollout - allAfrica.com |
| LTE | Libya | | 2018-03-09 | LTT launches LTE fixed broadband service |
| Spectrum | Kenya | 700MHz | 2018-03-12 | 10 telecom companies launch bid for 4G licence - Business Daily |
| Auction | Kenya | 700MHz | 2018-03-13 | Kenyan consortia seek 4G licences |
| LTE | Togo | | 2018-03-13 | Togocel plans 4G launch in Lome next month |
| Auction | Ghana | 800MHz | 2018-03-13 | Ghana to issue second 4G spectrum license in June - ITWeb Africa |
| Auction | Tanzania | 700MHz | 2018-03-14 | TCRA invites comments on 700MHz spectrum auction procedure |
| LTE | Liberia | | 2018-03-20 | ORANGE Liberia Launches 4G LTE Sites in Grand Bassa | Liberian Observer |
| Spectrum | Nigeria | | 2018-04-17 | Nigeria okays frequency spectrum trading among operators | Technology Times |
| LTE | Kenya | | 2018-05-02 | Airtel Kenya Joins 4G Family with Nairobi and Mombasa Launch |
| LTE | Niger | | 2018-05-03 | Airtel secures Niger Republic's first 4G license - ITWeb Africa |
| LTE | Nigeria | | 2018-05-08 | Airtel expands 4G to Abuja |
| LTE | Togo | | 2018-05-09 | Togo to issue 4G licences to Togocel and Moov; extends 2G/3G concessions to 2032 |
| LTE | Niger | | 2018-05-11 | Airtel spends 12 billion for the acquisition of its 4G license in Niger | NexTV News |
| Auction | Tanzania | 700MHz | 2018-05-12 | Vodacom Tanzania eyes more spectrum after solid annual earnings growth | Business | thenews.com.pk | Karachi |
| LTE | DRC | | 2018-05-17 | Vodacom DRC first to launch 4G connectivity - ITWeb Africa |
| LTE | Kenya | | 2018-05-30 | Telkom Kenya expands 4G in Nairobi outskirts - Business Daily |
| LTE | Togo | | 2018-06-11 | Togo: 4G in…at last! - Togo First |
| LTE | South Africa | | 2018-06-20 | No airtime or SMSs on Rain Mobile |
| Auction | Tanzania | 700MHz | 2018-06-26 | Bakhresa's Azam Mobile, Vodacom secure new broadband - Business | The Citizen |
| Auction | Tanzania | 700MHz | 2018-06-26 | Vodacom Tanzania welcomes the announcement of the 700 MHz Spectrum Auction results | | IT News Africa – Africa's Technology News Leader |
| LTE | Togo | | 2018-07-02 | Togocel launches 4G for its 20th anniversary - Togo First |
| Auction | Ghana | 800MHz | 2018-07-18 | Government won’t reduce cost of 4G spectrum - George Andah | Business News 2018-07-18 |
| Auction | Ghana | 800MHz | 2018-07-24 | Vice President Hints At Vodafone Ghana Soon Gaining Access To The 4G LTE spectrum - Tech Nova |
| Auction | Mozambique | 800MHz | 2018-07-26 | 4G em Moçambique pode acontecer ainda em 2018 |
| Auction | Ghana | 800MHz | 2018-08-12 | Other telcos to enjoy 4G soon – NCA assures | Business News 2018-08-12 |
| Spectrum | South Africa | | 2018-08-15 | Liquid Telecom in talks to share idle spectrum |
| LTE | Kenya | | 2018-08-17 | Telkom Kenya boosts network with 200 new 4G sites in Nairobi |
| LTE | Kenya | | 2018-08-18 | Airtel takes 4G beyond Nairobi, Mombasa - Business Daily |
| Auction | Ghana | | 2018-08-19 | Broadband chamber calls for ‘better spectrum pricing policies’ - MyJoyOnline.com |
| Auction | Mozambique | 800MHz | 2018-08-23 | Anuncio Leilao do Espectro.pdf |
| LTE | Angola | | 2018-08-24 | Unitel adding five more 4G cities this year; aims to cover all communes in less than three years |
| Auction | Ghana | 800MHz | 2018-08-28 | National Communication Authority to Sell Last 4G Spectrum - Tech Voice Africa |
| Auction | Mozambique | 800MHz | 2018-08-31 | Mozambique to conduct 4G auction on 25 October | Balancing Act - Africa |
| LTE | Seychelles | | 2018-08-31 | Airtel Seychelles launches 4G broadband ‘fixed replacement’ service |
| LTE | Senegal | | 2018-09-07 | Orange booste la vitesse de connexion avec le déploiement de la 4G+ - KoldaNews |
| Auction | Ghana | 800MHz | 2018-09-12 | NCA Opens Applications For Three 4G Spectrum Slots |
| Auction | Ghana | 800MHz | 2018-09-14 | National Communications Authority Sets Spectrum Price At $33.75m |
| Auction | Ghana | 800MHz | 2018-09-14 | NCA's new 4G move: A fix or more miss? - MyJoyOnline.com |
| Auction | Ghana | 800MHz | 2018-09-15 | NCA Sets New 4G Spectrum Price At US$33.75m |
| Auction | Ghana | 800MHz | 2018-09-15 | NCA's new 4G move: a fix or more mess? - Ghana Business News |
| LTE | Tanzania | | 2018-09-20 | Tigo launches 4g+ network in Tanzania | Tigo Tanzania |
| LTE | Nigeria | | 2018-09-24 | Globacom upgrades Nigerian networks |
| LTE | Mozambique | | 2018-09-28 | Vodacom é a primeira Operadora a lançar tecnologia 4G em Moçambique |
| LTE | South Africa | | 2018-09-28 | Vodacom launches "false" 4G service in Mozambique |
| LTE | Nigeria | | 2018-10-01 | Airtel 4G reaches Delta, Rivers State |
| Auction | Mauritania | | 2018-10-05 | Mauritania hoping to attract new player as part of 4G sale |
| LTE | Namibia | | 2018-10-10 | Paratus to begin work on second phase of TD-LTE network |
| LTE | Nigeria | | 2018-10-25 | Airtel expands 4G network to Lagos; 100 cities to be covered by end-March |
| LTE | Kenya | | 2018-10-31 | Kisumu, Eldoret and Nakuru next in line for Airtel 4G |
| Auction | Ghana | 2600MHz | 2018-11-01 | MTN Targets Goldkey's 4G Spectrum In Exchange For Shares |
| Auction | Ghana | 800MHz | 2018-11-01 | NCA Spectrum Auction Produces Interesting Bids: Vodafone $24m, Quantum $2m |
| LTE | Nigeria | | 2018-11-05 | Glo extends 4G LTE to 36 states, 208 tertiary institutions - Daily Post Nigeria |
| LTE | Somalia | | 2018-11-05 | Mogadishu gets 4G mobile network - Daily Nation |
| Auction | Ghana | 800MHz | 2018-11-16 | Ghana's regulator at crossroads over 4G spectrum - ITWeb Africa |
| Auction | Ghana | 800MHz | 2018-11-16 | NCA to Accept Bids for 4G Spectrum - Tech Voice Africa |
| Auction | Mozambique | 800MHz | 2018-11-23 | Mcel, Vodacom and Movitel now have available spectrum for 4G in Mozambique |
| LTE | Kenya | | 2018-11-23 | Telkom Kenya Set to Expand 4G/3G Coverage with a KES 4.1 Billion Loan |
| LTE | Zambia | | 2018-11-26 | Zamtel announces 4G mobile launch |
| Auction | Mozambique | 800MHz | 2018-11-30 | Microsoft Word - press release 30.11.2018 Leilão Editado.docx |
| LTE | Mali | | 2018-11-30 | Malitel launches 4G commercially |
| LTE | Algeria | | 2018-12-03 | Mobilis LTE reaches another ten provinces |
| LTE | Senegal | | 2018-12-06 | Tigo Senegal obtains 4G licence |
| Auction | Mozambique | 800MHz | 2018-12-12 | Mozambique expects to raise over US$83-million from spectrum auction - ITWeb Africa |
| LTE | Namibia | | 2018-12-20 | Telecom Namibia enhances 3G, 4G coverage |
| Spectrum | South Africa | | 2018-12-21 | Liquid Telecom to build national 4G network in South Africa - TechCentral |
| Auction | Ghana | 800MHz | 2018-12-28 | Vodafone Ghana wins 4G licence bid at US$30m | Business News 2018-12-26 |
| LTE | Nigeria | | 2018-12-29 | Finally, Airtel 4G LTE Network Is Up And Running; Get Free 4GB 4G Data For The Test Run - High Technologies |
| LTE | Burundi | | 2018-03-05 | Burundi : Lumitel étend son service 4G à l’ensemble du pays - Agence Ecofin
|
| LTE | Burundi | | 2018-03-06 | Viettel’s Burundian mobile operator Lumitel extends 4G nationwide
|
| LTE | Ghana | 800MHz | 2018-12-26 | < href="https://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/business/Vodafone-Ghana-wins-one-lot-of-2x5MHz-Frequency-Spectrum-in-the-800MHz-Band-711401">Vodafone Ghana Gets 4G Licence at US$30m |
Unlicensed and Dynamic Spectrum
Another ‘new normal’ these days is WiFi. As WiFi comes standard on more and more phones, WiFi access has become a natural value-add to any venue and is remarkably inexpensive to deploy. Hence it is not surprising to see governments, enterprises, and network operators (both commercial and not-for-profit) everywhere putting up WiFi infrastructure. The unresolved question is who should pay for the backhaul/bandwidth. In some cases the government underwrites the cost as a public good. For many businesses, it is like providing parking; a way to draw customers in. In others cases, it is sold on a pay-as-you-go model just like mobile broadband. Still other providers operate a third-party pays model where sponsors and/or advertisers cover the cost of bandwidth. There are a host of WiFi startups that are trying to figure out what the optimum sustainability model is. In the Eastern Cape in South Africa, a cooperative model has been adopted by Zenzeleni Networks to deliver affordable broadband in areas that are too poor and sparsely populated to interest commercial operators. This model appears to be thriving. What is exciting about WiFi is that it allows the kind of innovation that will see successful, sustainable business models naturally emerge from hundreds of experiments.
In the world of dynamic spectrum or Television White Spaces (TVWS) there have been a couple of big leaps forward on the continent. In March the South African regulator formally gazetted rules for the use of TVWS in the country. It has still to appoint an administrator for the geo-location database but has apparently already granted permission in October to an operator to proceed in the deployment of TVWS infrastructure.
Mozambique also made substantial moves toward TVWS regulation. They partnered with Nominet, the UK internet registry who have developed a TVWS geo-location database, to run trials early in 2018. They have plans to announce a regulatory norm shortly that will allow operators to deploy TVWS access technologies. The norm will have particular incentives for operators connecting rural areas and schools in particular.
Satellite
Satellite broadband is a technology to watch in the next year or two. It feels a bit like the calm before the storm in satellite service delivery. There are a couple trends that are poised to re-shape the industry.
The first is the launching of High Throughput Satellites (HTS) which are capable of delivering modern broadband speeds at realistic prices for ISPs. HTS satellites have been around for a while but 2018 represents a shift to more widespread accessibility of these services and hopefully more competitive prices. At the end of 2017, there were few HTS satellites offering services over the continent. They included Al Yah 2 (2012) and Intelsat 33e (2016). Services from these satellites have brought satellite broadband prices down but there are still a limited number of countries where the service is available and prices, though cheaper, may still be beyond what can enable a sustainable ISP service.
2018 saw the launch of Al Yah 3 which can offer broadband services in 19 countries in the region. Another HTS launch in 2018 came from Avanti with the Hylas 4 satellite. These satellites are signs that HTS services are reaching critical mass over Africa; offering real alternatives to terrestrial backhaul for rural service delivery in particular. Expect more HTS launches in 2019, such as Spacecom’s Amos 17, Eutelsat’s KonnectAfrica and others. If prices come down further on HTS services, this could have a real impact on rural internet service delivery on the continent.
Meanwhile, O3B, a Middle Earth Orbit (MEO) satellite network that launched in 2013 providing high-speed broadband to operators and corporates, expanded their constellation from 12 to 16 satellites in 2018. As a service, they are out of the financial reach of most small to medium service providers. Their clients range from the government of Burkina Faso to mobile network operators in Central African Republic or South Sudan.
The biggest change in the satellite industry, which has yet to bear fruit but whose impact has the potential to re-shape the access landscape, is the launch of several new Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite broadband networks, including OneWeb, Spacex’s StarLink, Telesat LEO and others. Launches have already begun for these satellite constellations, which require hundreds of satellites. Some promise to be in service as early as 2020. If these come to fruition, they are likely to change the broadband market substantially providing new competition, driving down prices in served markets and providing affordable access alternatives in remote, underserved regions.
As with any new technology though, the proof is in the pudding. Just launching a single satellites can be a risky business. Operating a constellation of hundreds of satellites introduces new levels of complexity of operation and maintenance. It seems inevitable that LEO broadband satellites will be commercially available in the near future but 2020 may be an optimistic estimate.
If satellite broadband is new to you, I highly recommend this talk by my colleague Jon Brewer at NSRC. Or if you think you already know everything there is to know about satellite, try this interesting analysis of potential throughput of three different LEO constellations.
Summary
This year I decided to include a list of articles (below) that seemed relevant to African telecom infrastructure but didn’t fit neatly into a single category. Among them, one thing that stands out for me is the news of operator mergers and of failed operators. In Kenya, Airtel and Telkom Kenya have been exploring a merger and, in Mozambique, TDM and mCel have just completed a merger. In Uganda, Vodafone filed for bankruptcy. In Ghana, second-tier service provider Surfline shut down. And just at the end of 2017 Airtel and Tigo merged in Ghana.
This is not entirely surprising. As mobile network operators become increasingly similar in business model and operation, outsourcing both infrastructure and operations to the same companies, it is not surprising that service delivery becomes a race to the bottom with only a few dominant operators surviving.
This is compounded by the fact that deeper and deeper pockets are required to purchase and retain the spectrum licenses needed to deliver next-generation broadband, effectively shutting out all but the biggest operators.
Real competition is more likely to be enabled by platforms that are sufficiently technologically distinct so as to have different capital and operation costs, allowing innovative business models to emerge. Fibre optic network operators, FTTH service providers, WiFi-based ISPs are all challenging the standard business model of MNOs and could do more if regulators were to enable affordable access to spectrum for small and medium size operators and for under-served regions.
| Category | Country | Date | Article |
| 3G | Ghana | 2018-04-05 | Vodafone expands 3G network to 25 new locations |
| Censorship | Regional | 2018-07-17 | African governments silence social media, bloggers on Twitter, WhatsApp, Facebook — Quartz |
| China | Regional | 2018-07-25 | More of Africa Finds Itself in China’s Debt - WSJ |
| China | Regional | 2018-09-17 | China’s suspicious interest in Africa’s internet networks — Features — The Guardian Nigeria Newspaper – Nigeria and World News |
| China | Regional | 2018-11-05 | Reality Check: Is China burdening Africa with debt? - BBC News |
| China | Regional | 2018-11-05 | Africa: China Plans to Sell Off Its African Infrastructure Debt to Investors - allAfrica.com |
| China | Ghana | 2018-12-08 | Ghana seeks 100 mln USD in providing rural telephony: minister - Xinhua | English.news.cn |
| Data Centres | Regional | 2018-02-08 | African countries invest in data centres - Afrika News |
| Data Centres | Kenya | 2018-08-07 | Telkom Kenya completes US$1.5 million datacentre project - ITWeb Africa |
| Data Centres | Guinea | 2018-10-15 | Government announces launch of Guinea’s first internet exchange point |
| Ecommerce | Kenya | 2018-01-18 | Facebook threatens Jumia's dominance in Africa - ITWeb Africa |
| Ecommerce | Kenya | 2018-01-19 | Mobile money deal spells doom for M-Pesa - Business Today News |
| Economy | South Africa | 2018-01-19 | OPINION: Fourth Industrial Revolution seemingly holds the key to growth in South Africa | IOL Business Report |
| Economy | Liberia | 2018-03-14 | Preparing for a Data-Driven Revolution in Liberia | JIA SIPA |
| Economy | South Africa | 2018-07-16 | How the government is holding back fibre rollouts in South Africa |
| Economy | Rwanda | 2018-10-09 | Rwandan operator KTRN to slash 4G prices |
| Economy | Kenya | 2018-11-02 | Safaricom Half-Year net profit rises to Sh31.5 billion :: Kenya - The Standard |
| Education | Nigeria | 2018-01-24 | MainOne partners with West and Central African Research and Education Network (WACREN) to boost connectivity in research and education institutions - CNBC Africa |
| Facebook | Cameroon | 2018-02-06 | MTN Cameroon partners with Facebook to launch Facebook Flex |
| Facebook | Kenya | 2018-02-08 | This is why Facebook Groups are the reason OLX is exiting Kenya, Nigeria |
| Facebook | Malawi | 2018-06-08 | Facebook to work together with Malawi's government |
| Facebook | Regional | 2018-07-10 | After Troubles in Myanmar, Facebook Charges Ahead in Africa | WIRED |
| Facebook | Uganda | 2018-08-08 | Facebook to hold back planned Uganda investments over social media - Africa | The Citizen |
| Facebook | Tanzania | 2018-08-20 | Expanding Wi-Fi access in Tanzania: Facebook’s Boston office adds to global Internet push - The Boston Globe |
| Google | South Africa | 2018-04-12 | Google launches lightweight Go search app in South Africa - TechCentral |
| Google | Kenya | 2018-06-27 | Google to sign Internet balloon deals with Kenya telcos - Business Daily |
| Google | Kenya | 2018-07-18 | Bringing Loon to Kenya – Loon Blog – Medium |
| Google | Kenya | 2018-07-19 | BBC News: Google's Loon brings internet-by-balloon to Kenya |
| Google | Kenya | 2018-07-19 | Loon's Balloon-Powered Internet Heads to Africa |
| Google | Kenya | 2018-07-20 | Coming soon: Internet to Kenya's remote villages - Daily Nation |
| Google | Uganda | 2018-08-28 | Google's project loon comes to Uganda to offer 4G-LTE speeds in rural areas - |
| Google | Uganda | 2018-08-30 | Uganda wants Alphabet's Loon to provide balloon-borne internet service - Business Insider |
| Google | South Africa | 2018-09-11 | YouTube Go launches in South Africa, with videos using less data — Quartz Africa |
| Google | Kenya | 2018-11-16 | Google's high-flying balloons to provide Internet in Africa - TechCentral |
| Google | Kenya | 2018-11-18 | Telkom to launch balloon-powered Internet next year - Business Daily |
| Infrastructure Sharing | South Africa | 2018-03-07 | Vodacom and Cell C argue over sharing towers |
| Infrastructure Sharing | Uganda | 2018-11-21 | Uganda to force new telcos share infrastructure - Business Daily |
| Innovation | South Africa | 2018-06-04 | Connecting mobile audiences #datafree - biNu |
| Investment | Nigeria | 2018-02-20 | MDXi invests $6.58m in Lagos expansion | News | DatacenterDynamics |
| Licensing | Uganda | 2018-01-15 | MTN licence expires, rivals fight renewal |
| Low-cost | Regional | 2018-06-14 | NuRAN Selected by Africa Mobile Networks for Multiple African Countries Canadian Stock Exchange:NUR.CN |
| LTE | Libya | 2018-10-18 | Almadar Aljaded launches 4G+ service in Libya |
| M&A | Rwanda | 2018-01-24 | Bharti Airtel receives regulatory nod to buy Millicom's Rwanda unit - The Economic Times |
| M&A | Uganda | 2018-02-21 | Debt Burdened Vodafone Files For Bankruptcy |
| M&A | Regional | 2018-03-15 | Telecoms M&A forecast to surge in Africa - TechCentral |
| M&A | Kenya | 2018-04-08 | Airtel and Telkom to merge in a bid to stem loss making streak :: Kenya - The Standard |
| M&A | Mozambique | 2018-05-08 | Mozambique: No Redundancies in TDM/Mcel Merger - allAfrica.com |
| M&A | Zambia | 2018-08-13 | Liquid Group snaps up Zambian telecoms company - NewsDay Zimbabwe |
| M&A | Mozambique | 2018-08-28 | TDM and mCel restructuring already underway |
| M&A | Uganda | 2018-10-30 | Uganda: Teleology Holdings faces performance, payment pressure - ITWeb Africa |
| M&A | Ghana | 2018-10-31 | Surfline closed down after failing to pay taxes |
| M&A | Rwanda | 2018-01-24 | MTN Improves 3G Network, as Competitors Merge – KT PRESS |
| Other | Nigeria | 2018-09-14 | Capacity Media - global telecoms news, events and community |
| Regulation | Kenya | 2018-01-16 | KISERO: Wangusi’s woes may be about big bucks, giant projects at CA - Daily Nation |
| Regulation | Nigeria | 2018-02-13 | A call for infrastructure sharing in Africa |
| Regulation | Malawi | 2018-02-13 | Govt. orders SIM registration to stop | Malawi 24 - All the latest Malawi news |
| Regulation | Tanzania | 2018-03-02 | TCRA launches biometric sim card registration |
| Regulation | Uganda | 2018-03-02 | The Uganda Communications Commission issues new ban on street vendors selling airtime - |
| Regulation | Zimbabwe | 2018-04-30 | Zimbabwe to merge regulators |
| Regulation | Uganda | 2018-05-24 | Africell contravening SIM registration guidelines, UCC says |
| Regulation | Kenya | 2018-05-29 | Communications Authority of Kenya orders operators to deactivate unregistered sim cards :: Kenya - The Standard |
| Regulation | Zimbabwe | 2018-06-04 | Potraz rakes in over $120m | The Herald |
| Regulation | South Africa | 2018-06-25 | Vodacom keeps track of all the websites you visit – Updated privacy policy |
| Regulation | Uganda | 2018-07-18 | Uganda nets Sh188mn from social media, mobile money tax - Daily Nation |
| Regulation | Nigeria | 2018-08-30 | MTN shares crash 23% to 2009 lows on $8bn demand from Nigeria |
| Regulation | Kenya | 2018-09-04 | Safaricom faces $4.47 million fine by telecom regulator | IT News Africa – Africa's Technology News Leader |
| Regulation | Kenya | 2018-09-21 | CA orders disconnection of illegal SIM cards by 23 September |
| Regulation | Regional | 2018-10-05 | Internet Taxes Could Stifle Africa's Free and Vibrant Social Media |
| Regulation | Malawi | 2018-10-05 | Airtel disconnects million subscribers | Malawi 24 - Malawi news |
| Regulation | Uganda | 2018-11-05 | URA Reveals UGX103 Billion Collected From Mobile Money Tax Between July & September - PC Tech Magazine |
| Regulation | Uganda | 2018-12-27 | It’s Illogical to Choose VPNs Over Uganda’s Development, Says Tumwebaze – Online news from Uganda and the East African region – SoftPower News |
| Satellite | Ghana | 2018-09-04 | Yahsat launches high speed satellite service in Ghana | Business News 2018-09-04 |
| Towers | Regional | 2018-03-02 | Helios Towers eyes JSE, London listing | ITWeb |
| Towers | Kenya | 2018-05-08 | American Tower Grows in Africa, to Buy Telkom Kenya Towers - May 8, 2018 - Zacks.com |
| Towers | Nigeria | 2018-05-24 | Revenue: IHS battle 3 states |
| Towers | Regional | 2018-06-18 | African Telecom Firm Eaton Towers Postpones IPO - Bloomberg |
| Towers | Regional | 2018-08-15 | Helios Investing in Congo Towers After Scrapping IPO Plans - Bloomberg |
| Universal Service | Kenya | 2018-02-25 | CA’s Sh85m plan to link remote areas with mobile voice - Business Daily |
| Universal Service | Togo | 2018-04-20 | Togo adopts universal electronic communications services decree |
| Wholesale | Cote D’Ivoire | 2018-04-23 | MainOne gains Côte d’Ivoire licence boosting wholesale connectivity |
| Zero Rating | South Africa | 2018-09-22 | 'No longer feasible': MTN pulls plug on free Twitter - TechCentral |
| South Africa | 2018-01-31 | Vodacom Now!: Vodacom Siyakha turns 1! |
—
This work would not have been possible without the support of the Network Startup Resource Center and the Mozilla Foundation
Post Views: 161
Related
Pingback: Citizen Sara - OpenDoTT
Pingback: Rooted in Community - OpenDoTT
Pingback: Rooted in Community - Tech | Design | Policy