Author: Akin Naphtal

Orange Botswana, has announced the launch of its commercial 5G network in Botswana. The company has become the first Orange affiliate in Africa to launch 5G commercially. The company reports that, the 5G network will be available in greater Gaborone and Francistown, covering 30% of the population from the 11th November 2022. Other cities will follow in early 2023. According to Orange, the 5G network will enable new health, education and security services will also be used to launch other services including connected vehicles, connected cities, real-time gaming, smart homes, and learning through VR and augmented reality. It follows the…

Mr. Ike Nnamani is the Founder/Chief Executive Officer of Medallion Communications, a leading datacentre company in Nigeria, with tentacles in other African countries. In this interview with Techberg, he speaks on the formation of the company, prospects and challenges as well as other ICT industry issues. Excerpts: Medallion was conceived around 2001/2002 when the telecom industry in Nigeria was undergoing full deregulation with the licensing of several telecom operators by the Regulator. I realized there was a place for a carrier neutral service provider who will act as a bridge across the various licensed operators and provide shared infrastructure for…

A report from the United Kingdom’s Department for International Trade (DIT) highlights the potential of mobile and digital services to grow African economies and deliver an improved quality of life across the continent. In the ‘The rise of Africa’s digital economy – tackling the ‘usage gap’ to create a thriving market for mobile services’ report, which has been launched at MWC Africa in Kigali, Rwanda, the Department highlights the opportunities that exist if businesses and government’s work collaboratively to improve access and usage to mobile channels. READ ALSO: Economic growth can be secured by increasing access digital-first services of all…

The DigiTruck Ethiopia project, which enables the provision of digital skills training to Ethiopian students, is launched in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Huawei, and ICOG Anyone Can Code. Among Huawei’s flagship projects, DigiTruck, has officially launched in Ethiopia in collaboration with the Ethiopian Ministry of Education and iCOG Anyone Can Code (iCOG ACC), with the goal of enabling rural and remote students to benefit from digital technology. DigiTruck Ethiopia will conduct a country-wide technical tour on its refurbished 40ft container as a training hub equipped with high-end learning electronic gadgets for student learning, including laptop computers, robotic devices,…

Interior CS Kithure Kindiki says the government will introduce cameras to reduce the number of traffic police officers who are accused of traffic snarl-up on the roads. Among some of the measures the government is looking forward to mitigate and improve are road safety management by reducing the backlog of duties for the traffic police officers. According to the CS while speaking recently, started however that a few roadblocks will be reincarnated to curb terrorism related threats and human trafficking in the country. “The government is planning to remove roadblocks though that will take some time because we have to…

Kenya has announced to the public it has commenced importing electricity from Ethiopia, receiving 75 megawatts from the Wolayta-Sodo substation, the Energy Petroleum and Regulatory Authority (EPRA) has revealed. EPRA Director General Daniel Kiptoo revealed that the country is still in the process of commissioning the trade but the process went live during the week. “We began power trade with Ethiopia yesterday. After the commissioning, our initial imports will be 150 megawatts then will upscale to 300 megawatts in the next three years,” said Kiptoo. READ ALSO: 5G will Spur Industrial Transformation, says Ralph Mupita, MTN Group CEO Paystack Receives…

Telecom companies are gradually expanding 5G support to new cities as they are becoming 5G-ready The Chief Executive Officer and President, MTN Group, Ralph Mupita, has said the fifth generation (5G) technology is vital in ensuring Africa’s economic development and actualising its full potential. He spoke during a chat with MTN media innovation programme (MIP) fellows during a courtesy visit at the MTN Nigeria headquarters in Ikoyi, Lagos. Recently, MTN kicked off the 5G rollout in seven Nigerian cities including Lagos and Abuja. Mupita said: “It is important that we emphasise how using 5G for business-to-business applications and margination would…

Payment giant, Paystack has received a Payment Service Provider Authorisation from the Central Bank of Kenya, which permits the firm to provide payment services to businesses operating in Kenya. In every country in which Paystack operates, it strives to build fast, secure, and reliable payment services for businesses and customers. In Kenya – our fourth country where we operate locally, after South Africa, Ghana, and Nigeria – we’re thankful to receive the authorisation required to operate in full compliance with regulations. READ ALSO: 5G Auction Driven by Pursuit of Better Quality of Life, Not Revenue – Danbatta Binance Chief Pushes…

UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Education Stefania Giannini has said digital technologies, geared toward inclusion and equity, could transform the future of school systems and learning. “Harnessing technology and changing education models is imperative,” Giannini said as she addressed a side event about the UNESCO-Huawei “Technology-enabled Open Schools for All” project at the COP27 climate change conference in Egypt. Giannini said the partnered project “can help countries to rethink and build a new generation of schools and learners”, as young people were increasingly faced with the challenges and risks caused by climate change. READ ALSO: U.S. Prez to Establish Nationwide Fiber…

Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Professor Umar Danbatta, has said in Lagos, Tuesday, that the efforts by the Commission to timely auction available spectrum for 5G services in Nigeria, is primarily driven by the pursuit to join the global community to advance digital services and enhance quality communications infrastructure for the benefit of the citizenry, and not by the need to attract revenue for government. Danbatta, who spoke to a cross section of industry players at the Marriott Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos, during the Stakeholders’ Consultative Forum on the Draft Information Memorandum for the 3.5GHz Spectrum…