Millions of Kenyans without internet as service provider pulls plug

Angola’s Unitel signs US$150-million An international telecoms company has Rwanda’s Terracom extends optical fibre contract with Ericsson disconnected its services to the Postal network Corporation of Kenya following a dispute Angolan mobile phone company Unitel Rwanda telecoms operator Terracom will soon over payment, leaving millions of Kenyans has signed a US$150-million contract with open a 20 km optical fibre link from Kigali to without internet access. Universal Satspace multinational Ericsson for the supply and Kagitumba in the north-east of the country, cut the satellite link to more than 500 PCK installation of equipment and services. The says CEO Greg Wyler. In a statement released outlets claiming non-payment. The company contract is in line with Unitel’s commitment to to the media, he said the cable would span has filed a suit in a London court seeking to increase its coverage to 52 municipalities this much of the Eastern Province connecting the compel Kenya to pay US$12,4-million as year. towns of Rwamagana, Kayonza, Gatsibo, the outstanding balance of a total contract Kagitumba, and Nyagatare to the capital, sum of US$28,1-million. The contract was to Kigali, and beyond. Terracom already has have remained in force till 2008. Meanwhile, 350 km of fibre network within Rwanda, with a government spokesman claims that plans the whole project is expected to cost about to sell the state’s 9% stake in mobile phone Zimbabwe’s TelOne seeks foreign US$3-million. help for turnaround operator Safaricom are on schedule and should be concluded by April 2007. Zimbabwe’s state-owned fixed-line telephone operator, TelOne, is seeking foreign strategic Celtel plans further investment partners to turn around the fortunes of the Mozambique may get third mobile in Sierra Leone ailing monopoly. Local media quote CEO phone operator Celtel, the leading mobile phone company Wellington Makamure as saying foreign Mozambique is considering licensing a in Sierra Leone - one of 15 African countries partners would bring in the foreign currency third mobile phone operator according in which it has established a presence needed to pay for equipment and day-to-day to transport and communications minister - has reduced its tariffs, part of a strategy running expenses. TelOne says it has already Antonio Munguambe, quoted in the Maputo that it says will put it far ahead of its four paid a deposit on new CDMA equipment newspaper Noticias. The minister did not give GSM competitors. According to Celtel’s Ted to enhance service delivery. The parastatal details but said the decision depends on the Setiphuri, the company has already invested recently announced a US$46-million network results of feasibility studies designed to assess US$70-million in the country and plans are expansion project in Beitbridge on the border the situation in the domestic market. He said underway to invest more. with South Africa. TelOne said $22-million a third operator would need to contribute would be spent on civil works, and $24-million to improving the quality of existing services, to purchase copper cables. and that the move should not be seen EASSy cable project delayed by discord on as destabilising the existing mobile phone protocol operators, local company Mcel and South Controversy is again plagueing the projected Africa’s Vodacom. US$300-million, 9900 km East African Ethiopia signs infrastructure development Submarine Cable System (EASSy) - fueling deal with Chinese concern that implementation delays could State-owned monopoly Ethiopian Celtel set to invest US$700-million in wreck plans to transmit the 2010 Soccer Telecommunications Corp. (ETC) has signed Nigeria’s Vmobile World Cup to African countries via the cable. a memorandum of understanding with Celtel International, new owner of Vmobile Following the failure of 16 of the prospective 23 three Chinese companies - ZTE, Huawei Nigeria, says it plans to inject at least EASSy member countries to sign the protocol Technologies and the Chinese International US$700-million into the Nigerian economy, to pave way for construction, officials at the Telecommunication Construction Corp. according to group chief executive Marten New Partnership for African Development say - to extend infrastructure and improve the Pieters. Vmobile began supplying services that the earliest that work on the cable can standard of telecom services to the country’s in Nigeria in August 2001, and now claims now start is early next year. Previously it had estimated 75 million people. The accord more than a million subscribers. Meanwhile, been anticipated that construction would covers the expansion of mobile, fixed and in a crackdown on alleged corruption, begin in September and be completed by wireless telephone services as well as the Nigeria’s Economic & Financial Crimes the first quarter of 2008. Kenya is seen by optical fibre line network in both rural and Commission has reportedly recommended many as instrumental in the delay because urban areas. According to ETC’s head of that the Federal Government seize the 36% its government disagrees with the proposed corporate communication, Abdurrahman of shares in telecoms company Globalcom Ahmed, the parastatal plans to increase the ownership and funding mechanisms. The that are said to be owned by former military mobile phone subscriber base to 7-million, seven countries that signed the protocol ruler General Ibrahim Babangida, through and increase deployment of optical fibre are Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Rwanda, his son, Mohammed, and by vice-president cable to 10 000 km by 2010. South Africa, Tanzania and Uganda. Atiku Abubakar through a proxy in Enugu. Both Abubakar and Babangida have denied ever owning the shares.

40 EngineerIT - September 2006