MTN Group joins the Global Network Initiative (GNI), signaling the commitment, to strengthen and innovate digital human rights efforts. The GNI is a multi-stakeholder organization whose mission is to protect and advance freedom of expression, privacy, and other key digital human rights by setting a global standard for responsible decision-making for companies across the information and telecommunications sector.
Safaricom decided to slow down the 5G rollout in Kenya and focus on the 4G network. According to CEO Peter Ndegwa, the decision was motivated by the high cost of 5G phones which retail prices exceed Ksh100,000.
As part of its mobile financial services plans, Airtel Africa has launched banking services in Nigeria. The operator said that its subsidiary, SmartCash Payment Service Bank (SmartCash PSB), has started operations and services will initially be available at selected retail touchpoints, and operations will expand gradually across the country over the next few months.
Ethio telecom has been a pioneer in telecom service providers within Africa. The company has introduced the latest technologies to help support socio-economic development of Ethiopia from its establishment to date, playing an enabling role in the overall development of the nation in all weathers.
Safaricom is planning to begin its commercial operations in Ethiopia by the end of 2022, pledging to launch the new network by then. Since May 2021, when the Safaricom-led consortium won a license to operate in Ethiopia, it has been looking to expand into the horn of Africa nation.
To power its operations over the next three years, Vodacom announced its objective to diversify its energy mix by purchasing energy from renewable sources. “Our new energy consumption target is one of the many ways we are tackling our own environmental impact, as we understand that South Africa cannot transition to a sustainable, climate-resilient, low-emissions economy. Only if everyone plays their part,” stated Takalani Netshitenzhe, director of external affairs for Vodacom South Africa.
Etisalat Misr, a subsidiary of e&, entered the Egyptian market and commercially launched in May 2007, across Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. With a series of successes, this company was the first operator to present a 3.5G high-quality service, and also the first to introduce 4G services to its clients, without needing to replace their SIM cards to activate it. This is in addition to the continuous improvement of its network. This year marks the company’s 15th anniversary, “it is important to focus on the future by enhancing our adaptability to change, oftentimes very quickly, and tapping on our assets and resources to continue to grow,” said Khaled Hijazi, CBO, Etisalat Misr.
Nigeria's Communications Commission (NCC) has acknowledged receipt of a letter received from the Association of Licensed Telecommunication Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) requesting a 40% increase in the prices of certain telecom services. The proposal cannot be implemented at this time due to the need for a rigorous cost-based study and due process, according to the regulator.
Hisham Mahran, Chief Enterprise Line Business Officer in Orange Egypt, said that the company will finish implementing the first phase of Orange Egypt’s NAC (New Administrative Capital) data center and it will be delivered on time. This announcement came two years after Orange signed a US$135 million contract with the administrative capital for urban development (ACUD) to establish the largest data center in Africa within the NAC, located 45 kilometers from Cairo.
MTN Uganda Limited announced a solid set of first-quarter operating results. The company delivered a strong operational performance with overall mobile subscriber, recording an increase by 8.5% to reach 15.9 million. Active data subscribers increased by approximately 20.1% to 5.4 million supported by the data growth initiatives. As for fintech, subscribers increased by 14.9% to 9.5 million and service revenue grew by 11.0% to Ush 536.3 billion driven by double digit growth in key growth segments of data and mobile money and earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) grew by 11.8% to Ush 278.2 billion.
