Africa & Middle East Telecom weekly news

September 11th to September 18th 2008

AFRICA & MIDDLE EAST:
Google to provide Internet access to 3 billion users in developing nations

AFRICA:
FT to target African acquisition options

ANGOLA:
Unitel to acquire stake in Banco BPI unit

BAHRAIN:
Batelo first half round-up

EGYPT:
Etisalat Egypt selects Huawei for network expansion
Telecom Egypt seeks acquisition in MENA region

ETHIOPIA:
Janora, TIRET to set up mobile phone plant

GAMBIA:
Interconnection rates to drop

GHANA:
State to issue USD 300 million bond

ISRAEL:
Leumi offloads stake in Cellcom

KENYA:
Econet granted approval to offer 3G services
Econet to offer money transfer service
Safaricom launches new top-up solution

KUWAIT:
Zain chalks out large-scale growth plans

LIBYA:
ZTE, Huawei win Libyan contracts

MOZAMBIQUE:
mCel issues USD 10 million bonds

NIGERIA:
NITEL/Mtel workers appeal for payment of dues

QATAR:
Qtel posts improved 2Q, 1H’08 results
Vodafone-led consortium wins second fixed-line licence

SAUDI ARABIA:
Saudi Telecom plans international expansion

SOUTH AFRICA:
Telkom plans network maintenance outsourcing; provokes workers’ agitation

TOGO:
Sign-off for Togocel expansion

TURKEY:
Turkcell outlines expansion plans

UGANDA:
MTN launches high-speed Internet service
Ugandan telecom players discontent with spectrum allocation

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES:
Etisalat to seal Swan stake deal?

ZAMBIA:
Dora Siliya questioned over international gateway licence
Zambian Government to improve telecom infrastructure

ZIMBABWE:
Mobile phone carriers increase tariffs