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			    <title>Africa | Regional News  | TelecomYou! NewsCenter</title> 
				<link>http://www.telecomyou.com/newscenter/regional-news/africa</link> 
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			<title>Orascom Telecom closer to delisting after stock tender - Gulf Times - Google News</title>
			<link>http://www.telecomyou.com/newscenter/news/orascom-telecom-closer-to-delisting-after-stock-tender-gulf-times</link>
			<description><![CDATA[Gulf TimesOrascom Telecom closer to delisting after stock tenderGulf TimesAn Orascom Telecom Holding sign is seen outside the company&#039;s headquarters at Nile City Towers, in Cairo, Egypt. Orascom Telecom is closer to being delisted, sources said yesterday, after holders of around 10% of its stock agreed to be bought out.and more »]]></description>
			<pubDate>Fri, 24 May 2013 16:20:01 CDT</pubDate>
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			<title>UPDATE 1-Orascom Telecom closer to delisting after stock tender-source - Reuters UK - Google News</title>
			<link>http://www.telecomyou.com/newscenter/news/update-1orascom-telecom-closer-to-delisting-after-stock-tendersource-reuters-uk</link>
			<description><![CDATA[UPDATE 1-Orascom Telecom closer to delisting after stock tender-sourceReuters UKCAIRO/MOSCOW, May 24 (Reuters) - Egypt&#039;s Orascom Telecom (OTH) is closer to being delisted, sources said on Friday, after holders of around 10 percent of its stock agreed to be bought out. Russia&#039;s Altimo, the biggest owner of OTH&#039;s parent Vimpelcom ...and more »]]></description>
			<pubDate>Fri, 24 May 2013 10:55:01 CDT</pubDate>
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			<title>Submarine cable equipment underdogs prepare to shake up the market - Fierce Telecom</title>
			<link>http://www.telecomyou.com/newscenter/news/submarine-cable-equipment-underdogs-prepare-to-shake-up-the-market</link>
			<description><![CDATA[The submarine cable systems market doesn&#039;t get much attention beyond those within its specific telecommunications segment. With the exception of those times that a significant cable cut--such as a recent slew of outages in March off Egypt--impacts countries across a region, submarine cabling rarely makes the news. That may be changing.]]></description>
			<pubDate>Thu, 23 May 2013 11:20:02 CDT</pubDate>
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			<title>Etisalat won&#039;t buy out Moroccan govt share in Maroc Telecom - TeleGeography - Google News</title>
			<link>http://www.telecomyou.com/newscenter/news/etisalat-wont-buy-out-moroccan-govt-share-in-maroc-telecom-telegeography</link>
			<description><![CDATA[Etisalat won&#039;t buy out Moroccan govt share in Maroc TelecomTeleGeographyUAE-owned telecoms company Emirates Telecommunications Corporation (Etisalat) has crossed out the option of buying the Moroccan government&#039;s stake in Morocco&#039;s Maroc Telecom, should the Abu Dhabi-based group be successful in securing Vivendi&#039;s ...Vivendi Mum On Etisalat&#039;s Maroc 53% Stake Acquisition OfferVentures Africaall 2 news articles »]]></description>
			<pubDate>Thu, 23 May 2013 09:00:01 CDT</pubDate>
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			<title>Head of FMCG Group, Swift Networks, Nigeria: “LTE is critical to the introduction of advanced broadband in Nigeria” - telecoms.com</title>
			<link>http://www.telecomyou.com/newscenter/news/head-of-fmcg-group-swift-networks-nigeria-“lte-is-critical-to-the-introduction-of-advanced-broadband-in-nigeria”</link>
			<description><![CDATA[John Igwebuike, head of FMCG Group, Swift Networks Ltd, Nigeria
John Igwebuike, head of FMCG Group, Swift Networks Ltd, Nigeria, is speaking on Day One of the LTE Africa conference, taking place on the 9th-10th July 2013 in Cape Town, South Africa. Ahead of the show he gives us an overview of the Nigerian telecoms markets and the challenges facing operators seeking to deploy LTE in the country.
 Please give me an overview of Swift Networks and tell me more about your customers and the wider MNO market in Nigeria.
Swift Networks Limited, founded in 2002, is a facilities–based telecommunications service provider licensed to provide multi-service broadband connectivity services to businesses and residential subscribers. It holds an exclusive wireless spectrum license from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), allowing it to operate end-to-end reliable, fibre-like connectivity services in the exclusively licensed and interference-free 3.5GHz spectrum.
Our vision is to create a full-spectrum telecommunications institute of choice, differentiated by superior quality of service, consistently creating value for all stakeholders through innovative, leading-edge products, delivered by a high quality work force, utilising the best in modern technology. Our services include fast and secure broadband internet access, virtual private networking services, Voice over IP, collocation services, secure video conferencing and surveillance solutions and other value added services. Our clients include individuals, small, medium and enterprise organisations in the major industry sectors of the economy.

The LTE Africa conference is taking place on the 9th-10th July 2013 in Cape Town, South Africa. Click here to download the brochure for the event.

Nigeria is Africa’s largest and most competitive mobile market with about 110 million subscribers, and yet in early 2013 the market penetration stands at only around 70 per cent.  Subscriber growth has been on the increase driven by lower prices and a growing demand for mobile broadband services. The rapid growth has led to problems with network congestion and quality of service, prompting the regulatory authority NCC to impose fines and sanctions.
Much of the remaining addressable market is in the country’s rural areas where network rollouts and operations are expensive. This in combination with declining ARPU levels is forcing the networks to streamline their operations and to develop new revenue streams from services such as mobile payments/banking, and others. At the same time the operators are rolling out national fibre backbone networks to support the ever increasing demand for bandwidth.
What are the biggest challenges to LTE roll out in Nigeria and the wider continent?
Long-term evolution ­(LTE), also known as 4G, is critical to the introduction of advanced broadband services in Nigeria. However in my view, two major challenges face the deployment of the technology. These are:

Spectrum availability. 4G deployment is constrained by spectrum availability. The 700MHz digital dividend and 2.6GHz frequencies, which are acclaimed by the ITU as most suitable for LTE deployment in sparsely (rural) and densely (urban) areas respectively, are not currently available for use by the telecommunications industry but are currently deployed for broadcast services by the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC)
High CAPEX outlay. Roll-out of LTE networks is capital intensive and as such, though operators are aware of the prospects of first-mover advantage, they prefer to carry out due diligence before launching, in order to ensure good returns on investment. Simple economics reveals that in the short term, LTE will be taken up by existing customers in the high income urban nodes. Hence, to increase uptake and revenue in these regions in the shortest possible time, operators’ should focus their strategies in this direction.

Are you considering network sharing agreements to lower costs and what are the regulatory issues surrounding this?
Certainly, sharing network infrastructure not only reduces both CAPEX and OPEX but also positively impacts the environment by reducing pollution, as fewer towers will be required. This is part of our strategy. The Nigerian telecoms regulator, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), promotes infrastructure sharing and co-location among operators in line with her guidelines. The guidelines establish a framework within which operators can negotiate co-location and infrastructure-sharing arrangements, as well as promoting fair competition through the grant of equal access to operators’ installations and facilities on mutually agreed terms.
What particular challenges does Africa face in terms of backhaul provision?
To keep up with the increase in data consumption driven by the mobile broadband Wireless Access services, most operators are making significant investments in their backhaul networks. For example, operators are transitioning from TDM-based backhaul to Ethernet-ready microwave as well as acceleration in fibre to the cell sites. All these are cost intensive. In addition, in some cases it is practically impossible to backhaul over fibre especially over long distances, hence operators resort to microwave radios.
How do small cells fit into your strategy?
Mobile operators use small cells to extend their service coverage and/or increase network capacity. With small cells, mobile operators can offload traffic as much as 80 per cent during peak times
Operators have increasingly begun to rely on the use of small cells for their 3G networks. With small cells, operators can use many cells distributed across a geographical area to provide better coverage and satisfy customer demands.  Small cells are an integral part of future LTE networks.
What do you think will be the single most exciting new LTE related technology development in 2013?
An imminent need exists for incorporating global voice and messaging solutions in the new LTE platform, which offers higher capacities and lower latencies. GSMA VoLTE will likely become the industry standard for voice and SMS over LTE. I believe this will be perfected before the end of 2013 and will represent the most exciting new LTE related technology.]]></description>
			<pubDate>Tue, 21 May 2013 05:35:01 CDT</pubDate>
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			<title>MoCA shipments ‘slowly reaching a boil’ - telecoms.com</title>
			<link>http://www.telecomyou.com/newscenter/news/moca-shipments-‘slowly-reaching-a-boil’</link>
			<description><![CDATA[MoCA is driving home networking sales, says Infonetics
Multimedia over coax (MoCA) helped drive the global home networking device market to $4.9bn in the second half of 2012, up five per cent on a sequential basis, according to US firm Infonetics Research.
MoCA-enabled video gateways are identified as a key growth area for home networking device manufacturers, particularly those targeting North America.
Deployments of MoCA-enabled set-top boxes are also “slowly reaching a boil”, according to Jeff Heynen, directing analyst at Infonetics, with sales estimated to have risen 23 per cent in the second half of last year alone.
Meanwhile, revenue from shipments of broadband routers grew six per cent in the second half of last year on a sequential basis, thanks to shipments of higher-end 802.11ac and 802.11n WiFi routers in North America and EMEA (Europe, the Middle East, and Africa).]]></description>
			<pubDate>Mon, 20 May 2013 11:45:01 CDT</pubDate>
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			<title>Tunisian operators deploy submarine cable connecting Europe - telecoms.com</title>
			<link>http://www.telecomyou.com/newscenter/news/tunisian-operators-deploy-submarine-cable-connecting-europe</link>
			<description><![CDATA[Orange Tunisie and Tunisiana will deploy submarine cable connecting Tunisia to Europe
Two of Tunisia’s mobile operators have signed a deal with with backbone operator and cloud services provider Interoute for the deployment of a submarine cable connecting Tunisia to Europe.
Orange Tunisie and Tunisiana, which is 90 per cent owned by Qatari group Ooredoo, will deploy a private submarine cable, called Didon, which will cover nearly 170km. It will connect to the city of Kélibia, Tunisia to Interoute’s pan European fiber optic network, via its landing station in Mazara del Vallo, Siciliy, Italy.
The cable is planned to be in place by April 2014 and its capacity will begin at 100GBps at launch with an aim to reach 8Tbps, per operator. According to Interoute, the cable will act as a force for social development and economic growth for the country.
“The Didon cable will provide increased capacity and better service to the seven million consumers and businesses that rely on Tunisiana,” said Ken Campbell, CEO of Tunisiana. “This investment is also a testament to our belief in the potential for growth in Tunisia as a hub for the region.”
Didier Charvet, CEO of Orange Tunisie added: “This investment is also a proof that Orange Tunisie believes in the development of the ICT sector and e-services in Tunisia.”]]></description>
			<pubDate>Mon, 20 May 2013 03:45:01 CDT</pubDate>
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			<title>Vodafone Germany offers fixed access over DT network - telecoms.com</title>
			<link>http://www.telecomyou.com/newscenter/news/vodafone-germany-offers-fixed-access-over-dt-network</link>
			<description><![CDATA[Vodafone will piggyback on Deutsche Telekom’s network
Vodafone Germany on Thursday announced a deal with local fixed line operator Deutsche Telekom that will see Vodafone offering high speed fixed line broadband and IPTV nationwide.
The next generation network access contract will see Vodafone initially use DT’s VDSL network under a bespoke Layer 3 IP bitstream agreement. Vodafone will be able to offer its customers connection speeds of up to 50Mbps from the outset, rising to 100Mbps once DT has deployed vectoring technology. Vodafone’s will also offer on-demand and broadcast IPTV services.
Going forward, the two companies have agreed that a more advanced Layer 2 (Ethernet-based) bitstream product will be made available from 2016, which will allow an even greater level of differentiation and control over the design and delivery of the services that Vodafone offers to consumers and enterprise customers.
Vodafone Group Chief Executive for Northern and Central Europe, Philipp Humm, said: “Our agreement with Deutsche Telekom will greatly enhance our ability to offer our German customers a range of competitive, high-speed broadband and TV services, in addition to our industry-leading mobile services, in line with our broader Europe-wide strategy.”]]></description>
			<pubDate>Thu, 16 May 2013 04:55:01 CDT</pubDate>
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			<title>Orascom Telecom swings to Q1 loss - Gulf times - Gulf Times - Google News</title>
			<link>http://www.telecomyou.com/newscenter/news/orascom-telecom-swings-to-q1-loss-gulf-times-gulf-times</link>
			<description><![CDATA[Gulf TimesOrascom Telecom swings to Q1 loss - Gulf timesGulf TimesOrascom Telecom swings to Q1 loss. Egypt&#039;s Orascom Telecom Holding said yesterday it swung to a first quarter net loss as foreign exchange losses and impairment of certain assets impacted. The mobile operator which is controlled by the Russian telecoms ...]]></description>
			<pubDate>Wed, 15 May 2013 17:30:01 CDT</pubDate>
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			<title>ThingWorx and Tech Mahindra Announce Global M2M Partnership - Techistan</title>
			<link>http://www.telecomyou.com/newscenter/news/thingworx-and-tech-mahindra-announce-global-m2m-partnership</link>
			<description><![CDATA[
Partnership combines Tech Mahindra’s proven system integration capabilities with the ThingWorx M2M Enablement Platform, driving innovation and improving time-to-market for customers deploying Machine-to-Machine and Internet of Things applications
Exton, Pa. – May 14, 2013 – ThingWorx™ today announced a global partnership with Tech Mahindra, a leading provider of solutions and services to the telecommunications industry. This partnership will enable Tech Mahindra to deliver innovative Machine-to-Machine (M2M) solutions at minimized cost, risk, and time to market for its customers worldwide by utilizing the ThingWorx Platform – the industry’s first application development platform designed to reduce the effort required to build M2M applications for the emerging connected world.
The combination of Tech Mahindra’s proven system integration and solution delivery capabilities along with ThingWorx’s M2M platform allows customers to take advantage of a 10X improvement in solution development and delivery for connected applications. With industry leading companies estimating that the number of Internet-connected devices will reach 50 billion by 2020, business enterprises and telecommunications providers are seeing M2M as a new avenue for business growth and sustained revenue. While this partnership encompasses a wide range of industries and geographies, the initial focus will be around a Tier1 Telco’s hosting solutions.
According to Manish Vyas, Global Head, Business Development of Tech Mahindra, “After an extensive evaluation, we concluded that ThingWorx provides an innovative application enablement platform for delivering M2M and IoT solutions. The development advantage offered by ThingWorx will enable us to deliver innovative applications that are much richer in functionality, in a fraction of the time required with alternate approaches.”
“We are pleased to enter into a strategic partnership with Tech Mahindra”, stated Russ Fadel, CEO of ThingWorx. “Their global reach and M2M expertise, combined with the ThingWorx platform, will speed the adoption of innovative applications which we believe will be a catalyst for rapid growth in the emerging connected world. Our customers planning global rollouts of the ThingWorx platform will benefit from Tech Mahindra’s global reach and scale. We also envision broad consumption of the ThingWorx platform, enabled by Tech Mahindra, across many of the business sectors that make up The Mahindra Group. This partnership represents yet another step in ThingWorx’ global expansion plans.”
About Tech Mahindra
Tech Mahindra is a leading provider of solutions and services to the telecommunications industry with a majority stake owned by Mahindra &amp; Mahindra Limited. Tech Mahindra serves telecom service providers, equipment manufacturers, software vendors and systems integrators worldwide and their proven delivery models, distinctive IT skills and decades of domain expertise enable clients to maximize returns on their IT investment. A SEI-CMMI Level 5 organization, Tech Mahindra’s development centers are ISO 9001:2008, ISO 27001:2005, ISO 20000-1:2011 and ISO 22301:2012 certified. Tech Mahindra has principal offices in the UK, United States, Germany, UAE, Egypt, Singapore, India, Thailand, Taiwan, Malaysia, Philippines, Canada and Australia. Tech Mahindra is part of the USD 15.9 billion Mahindra Group. The Mahindra Group employs more than 155,000 people in over 100 countries and operates in key industries that drive economic growth, enjoying a leadership position in tractors, utility vehicles, information technology and vacation ownership.
For more information, see www.techmahindra.com
Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/tech_mahindra
For clarifications, write to us at: corporate.communications@techmahindra.com
About ThingWorx
ThingWorx™ provides the first platform designed to efficiently build and run the applications of today’s connected world. ThingWorx’s model-based design and search-based intelligence reduces application development efforts by 10X, minimizing cost, risk and time to market. The ThingWorx platform combines the key functionality of Web 2.0, search, and social collaboration, and applies it to the world of “things,” including connected products, machines, sensors, and industrial equipment. Businesses use the ThingWorx platform to rapidly deliver innovative applications and connected solutions across markets ranging from manufacturing, energy, and food, to Machine-to-Machine (M2M) remote monitoring and service, as well as in emerging Internet of Things applications, including smart cities, smart grid, agriculture, and transportation. For more information, please visit our website at www.thingworx.com and our blog at www.thingworx.com/blog or follow us on Twitter at @ThingWorx.
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			<pubDate>Wed, 15 May 2013 15:45:01 CDT</pubDate>
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