Africa & Middle East Telecom weekly news

January 8th to January 15th 2009

BAHRAIN:
2Connect, Mobily to place joint bid for third mobile licence

BURKINA FASO:
IFC to acquire up to 5 percent stake in Onatel

CAMEROON:
Express Union introduces mobile payments service

COTE D'IVOIRE:
GreenN joins Orange and co.

EGYPT:
Mobinil selects NetCracker’s OSS solution

ETHIOPIA:
ETC launches 3G services

GABON:
Interconnect study moving along

IRAN:
Third license for Etisalat

ISRAEL:
Pelephone to launch HSPA network shortly

JORDAN:
Operators criticise proposed tax

KENYA:
AccessKenya seeking partners to develop metro fibre network

LEBANON:
Orascom, Zain win contracts to operate mobile phone networks

MADAGASCAR:
Zain Madagascar, Ericsson ink network expansion deal

MAURITIUS:
ICTA lowers international bandwidth tariffs

NAMIBIA:
Core network upgraded by MTC
Opera Mini for Cell One
Telecel Globe acquires Cell One

NIGERIA:
Akunyili asks Nigerian telecom players to improve service quality
Globacom upgrades Glo Wireless Application Programme
Lagos State complains against telecom operators erecting masts

QATAR:
QFMA to decide IPO launch date for Vodafone Qatar next month
Qtel close to acquiring 65 percent stake in Indosat
Qtel, Vodafone indecisive over interconnection fee

RWANDA:
Rwandatel to introduce mobile banking services in October
Senate approves communications infrastructure project

SENEGAL:
Flying start for Expresso

SOUTH AFRICA:
Competition Tribunal approves MTN-Verizon acquisition
Huge Group fails to thwart MTN’s bid for iTalk’s acquisition
Telkom Media sale extended

UGANDA:
Orange Telecom to attain NEMA’s permission before erecting masts

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES:
Internet services resume following cable cut repairs