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From ITWeb Telecom Weekly Fri Mar 4 12:01:27 2005 From: ITWeb Telecom Weekly (ITWeb Telecom Weekly) Date: Fri, 4 Mar 2005 14:01:27 +0200 (SAST) Subject: NITF ICT Forum: Cell C won't be a Virgin Co. Message-ID: <20050304120127.5380135C615@mx01.sangonet.org.za> This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_Mixed_SimpleMail_by_the_Email_Corporation Content-Type: text/html; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable =09 ITWeb Daily - The Online News Service

You are subscribed to ITWeb's Telecoms News a= s nitf_forum@lists.sn.apc.org

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Visit ITWeb - First with = IT News

Johannesburg Fr= iday, March 04, 2005

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TOP NEWS

Cell C won't be a Virgin co.

[Rodney Weidemann] - Mobile operator Cell C has stated it = is not for sale; its talks with Virgin Mobile have been about potential =93= co-operation in the local telecoms sector=94. [ Telecoms ] <= /font>

Draft Convergence Bill =91better, but= still flawed'

[Paul Vecchiatto] - The new Draft Convergence Bill is a s= erious effort to rectify the mistakes of the original, but it still has som= e flaws, an ICT lawyer says. [ Telecoms ] <= /font>

64-bit Windows coming soon=

[Warwick Ashford] - In today's technology roundup: 64-bit= Windows coming soon, Skype offers free hotspot calls, New Netscape browser= , Microsoft targets worms [ Computing ]=

Mobile phone sales surge by 30%

[Paul Vecchiatto] - With 674 million units sold in 2004, = Gartner says the market exceeded even the most optimistic forecasts.= [ Telecoms ] <= /font>

MTN's Rwanda payphones take off

[Rodney Weidemann] - A year after the launch more than 1&n= bsp;600 mobile payphones are available in Rwanda's rural regions. [ Telecoms ] <= /font>

Top law firm deploys BlackBerry

[Rodney Weidemann] - MTN has deployed its BlackBerry Wirel= ess Solution at Webber Wentzel Bowens. [ Telecoms ] <= /font>

New handset offers savings to SMEs

[Rodney Weidemann] - eTel's GoFone uses SMS-based call bac= k instead of traditional call back. = [ Telecoms ] <= /font>

Phones and notebooks to get closer

[Kaunda Chama] - Intel says continued advancements in = its end-to-end wireless networks and wireless clients' technology will cont= inue to fuel market growth in mobile computing. [ Business ] <= /font>

Walkman phone arrives

[Iwan Pienaar] - Sony Ericsson introduced its new rang= e of phones yesterday, including the first Walkman-branded mobile phone. [ Hardware ] <= /font>

Intel: Innovation still top priority<= /font>

[Kaunda Chama] - Innovation remains a major driver in = today's industries, Intel CEO Craig Barrett told the Intel Developer Forum = in the US. [ Business ] <= /font>

New phones from Nokia

[Reuters] - Nokia has launched three new phones i= ncluding a model with a built-in high-resolution camera. [ Hardware ] <= /font>

Double Take : How no= t to crack the A-list

[Rodney Weidemann] - Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri recently held a= n informal session with certain hand-picked journalists, although she set h= erself up for a fall by ignoring those who are extremely critical of her. [ Columnists= ]

African operators =91deny, delay, deg= rade VOIP`

[Damian Clarkson] - Monopolistic telecoms operators in Af= rica are hindering the roll-out of cost-saving technology, as they fear the= loss of revenue brought about by increased competition, First Tuesday dele= gates have heard. [ Telecoms ] <= /font>

Econet officially Kenya`s third opera= tor

[Rodney Weidemann] - Econet Wireless Kenya will be allowed= to operate as the country`s third cellular operator, following a High Cour= t ruling that its licence had been properly issued. [ Telecoms ] <= /font>

Conference slams SA telecoms

[Paul Vecchiatto] - A conference on offshore opportunitie= s turned into a telecoms griping session in Cape Town yesterday, after an i= nternational speaker said he saw no improvement in the local industry. [ Telecoms ] <= /font>

= =20 =20

INDUSTRY NEWS

=20 = =20 =09 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =09 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =09 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =09 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =09 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20


BUSINESS	Sponsored by: Dimension Data

Spescom names telecoms CEO

Thomas Makore has been appointed as CEO o= f Spescom Telecommunications. [ Business= ]


COMPUTING	Sponsored by: Hetzner Africa

64-bit Windows coming soon

[Warwick Ashford] - In today's technology roundup: 64-bit Win= dows coming soon, Skype offers free hotspot calls, New Netscape browser, Mi= crosoft targets worms [ Computing ]


TELECOMS	Sponsored by: Telkom

African operators =91deny, delay, degrade VOIP`

[Damian Clarkson] - Monopolistic telecoms operators in Africa= are hindering the roll-out of cost-saving technology, as they fear the los= s of revenue brought about by increased competition, First Tuesday delegate= s have heard. [ Telecoms ]

Econet officially Kenya`s third operator

[Rodney Weidemann] - Econet Wireless Kenya will be allowed to = operate as the country`s third cellular operator, following a High Court ru= ling that its licence had been properly issued. [ Telecoms ]

MTN NS hosts VOIP workshop

MTN Network Solutions (NS) will present a= voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) workshop at the Africa Telecommunicati= ons event in Rosebank on Friday. [ <= a href=3D"http://www.itweb.co.za/sections/Telecoms/default.asp?O=3DE">Telec= oms ]

TelePassport secures LCR govt tender

TelePassport will provide the KwaZulu-Nat= al Department of Public Works with a least-cost routing (LCR) solution. [ Telecoms ]


TECHFORUM

What to ask your VOIP supplier

[Deon Scheepers] - Deon Scheepers, director at Atio, discuss= es questions companies should ask potential voice over Internet Protocol (V= OIP) suppliers. [ TechForum ]


COLUMNISTS

Double Take: How not to crack the A-list

[Rodney Weidemann] - Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri recently held an in= formal session with certain hand-picked journalists, although she set herse= lf up for a fall by ignoring those who are extremely critical of her. [ Columnists ]

Open source, open enterprise

Are SA enterprises ready for open source?

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TELECOMS SECTION

With a second telecoms operator in the offing, Telkom almost constantly mired in legal battles and Cell C quietly y= et steadily picking up new customers, the telecoms arena is as competitive and contentious as ever. ITWeb's Telecoms Section brings you all the breaking news and vie= ws you'll need to stay on top of all the happenings in this sect= or.

Sponsored= by Telkom

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------=_NextPart_Mixed_SimpleMail_by_the_Email_Corporation-- From Lewis.C@pdm.wits.ac.za Wed Mar 9 14:41:25 2005 From: Lewis.C@pdm.wits.ac.za (Charles Lewis) Date: Wed, 09 Mar 2005 16:41:25 +0200 Subject: NITF ICT Forum: Minister Under Fire for Sacking CCK Board Message-ID: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Minister Under Fire for Sacking CCK Board http://allafrica.com/stories/200503080708.html The East African Standard (Nairobi) March 9, 2005 Alari Alare Nairobi The Government's decision to sack the Communication Commission of Kenya (CCK) board has thrown the industry into disarray. This means that at the moment, no licence can be issued, no dispute can be settled and no regulatory intervention can take place. CCK staff yesterday refused to comment on the board's sacking by Information and Communications minister Raphael Tuju on Monday evening. The sector's umbrella body, Telecommunications Service Providers Association of Kenya (Tespok), criticised the move and said a vacuum had been created due to lack of communication by the Government on how affairs within the sector should be managed. Tespok chairman Joseph Mucheru said Tuju's move was a blow to Kenya's economy. "Over 100 companies await processing of their licences in order to establish business, employ Kenyans and bring communications facilities and services to the economy. This has all been cut short by interference from the very Government that committed itself to economic reforms, improved employment and support for private sector driven development", said Mucheru. Speaking during the opening of the Second National ICT Convention in Nairobi yesterday, Mucheru said the chairman of the African ISP Association, W Stucke, had lamented that Tuju's action would scare off investors in the continent. "Now watch investments in Africa as a whole, not just Kenya, wither up and blow away in the wind". Mucheru said Tuju's action could only be construed as intrusive and short-sighted. "The action can only be construed as obstructive and diversionary since it comes in the midst of the on going liberalisation of the sector". Tespok commended the sacked board and CCK's director general Sammy Kirui who was sent on compulsory leave on Monday. "The immediate former board of directors and the director general had successfully managed Kenya's transition into a competition framework", said Mucheru. Kirui is also the current chairman of the International Telecommunications Union Council that oversees telecommunications worldwide. "This is due to recognition by the international community of CCK's outstanding efforts to reform Kenya's regulatory environment from one of the worst in the world to the current status where we are being emulated by countries such as South Africa because of our exemplary and progressive regulations", said Mucheru. Mucheru also said Kirui had a security of tenure under the Kenya Communications Act of 1998 "and his removal from active duty without any explanation begs the question as to whether the Government really respects the law". He said the appointment of an acting Director-General from a Ministerial department raises questions of sincerity on the Government side in providing an independent regulator as mandated by the law. The disbandment of the board came only a day after reports that a powerful cartel was interfering with CCK operations. But sources had earlier indicated to The Standard that there was a disagreement between Tuju and the CCK board over the minister's move to cancel a GSM licence issued to Econet Wireless Kenya. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Kenya telecoms in flux after regulators fired Tue March 8, 2005 4:26 PM GMT+02:00 http://www.reuters.co.za/locales/c_newsArticle.jsp;:422dbe68:37d3dde29193a9b8?type=businessNews&localeKey=en_ZA&storyID=7839537 By George Obulutsa NAIROBI (Reuters) - Kenya's abrupt dissolution of its telecoms regulatory board infuriated companies on Tuesday, which said the disruption might further delay long-awaited liberalization and discourage new investment. Information and Technology Minister Raphael Tuju dissolved the board of the Communications Commission of Kenya (CCK) on Monday, saying in a statement only that he had ordered "investigations into various issues that have come to the attention of the ministry". The former board had moved toward speeding up the freeing of the sector, but experts say it had been frustrated by government officials keen to protect state-owned, loss-maker Telkom Kenya. "It was quite shocking that this thing happened. The board that was disbanded was very much into opening up the sector in terms of being able to get new players to come into the market," said Robert Kariuki Mugo, technical director at Internet service provider UUNET Kenya. A new board may not be as in favour of opening up the market, Mugo said. The government in July removed Telkom's monopoly over international gateways and Internet networks, but the licensing of new players has dragged, which has frustrated Kenyans tired of hefty phone bills and unreliable, slow Internet service. Industry sources said the dispute between the board and Tuju was triggered by a commission order to Telkom Kenya to reconnect an Internet company that offered cheap international calls, which undercut the state company's high prices. "I think CCK has unwittingly stepped into a snake's nest and they are bearing the brunt of it," said Brian Longwe, a director of the Telecommunications Service Providers Association of Kenya. STROKE OF A PEN "We really fail to understand how, with the stroke of a pen, our entire sector has been thrown into total chaos and anarchy," he added. The telecoms sector is one of the fastest-growing industries in the country, with two mobile phone companies and a third on the way and 4 million subscribers from a population of 31 million. CCK says the sector earns around 50 billion shillings annually. The investors who are needed to modernize Kenya's telecoms infrastructure may shy away because of the minister's decision. "This to us speaks of the highest level of government interference. Right now there are over 100 licences that are pending before the commission. They cannot be processed because there is no board to do so," Longwe said. It is not the first time Tuju has stepped into the liberalization fray. Last year he cancelled the licence of Kenya's third mobile phone operator, Econet Wireless, over a dispute between its shareholders, and a Kenyan court promptly restored the licence. He also cancelled a tender on a second national operator, citing irregularities and causing controversy. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Telkom is Ordered to Restore ISP Connectivity http://allafrica.com/stories/200503071551.html The East African Standard (Nairobi) March 8, 2005 Alari Alare Nairobi The Government has added its voice to the regulator's order to Telkom Kenya to immediately restore connectivity to ISP Kenya Limited. Information and Communications permanent secretary James Rege said it was wrong for the corporation to take the law into its own hands. http://www.oracle.com/go/?&Src=3188850&Act=19 Instead, he said, it should report any disagreements with its clients to the Communications Commission of Kenya (CCK). "It is CCK who should direct any disconnection of service. If Telkom felt that the service provider was not acting within provisions of their agreement, they should have reported the matter to the regulator", said Rege. He was responding to questions from journalists during the opening of the Association of Regulators of Information and Communications in Eastern and Southern Africa (ARICEA) workshop at a Nairobi hotel. Rege's sentiments come a week after the CCK instructed Telkom Kenya to restore a high capacity E1 telephone line that allowed Sema calling card holders to make international calls at an affordable rate. CCK director general Sammy Kirui said that like any service provider, Telkom does not enforce the law. "Enforcement of the law is the work of a regulator". The workshop will discuss wide-ranging subjects relating to policy guidelines on consumer protection, key performance indicators, numbering, e-strategy and a model postal bill.postal bill. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Tuju, Tell Us More On CCK http://allafrica.com/stories/200503080820.html The Nation (Nairobi) EDITORIAL March 9, 2005 Nairobi Minister Raphael Tuju on Tuesday dissolved the Communications Commission of Kenya board and sent its director on leave. He did not have the courtesy to explain. But the decision by the Information and Communications minister came a few days after a court ruled that the Government was liable for the Econet wireless fiasco. Therefore, one view has it that Mr Tuju's action may be linked to it. For a YEAR IN REVIEW excerpt from the Africa 2005 guidebook, click here. (Adobe Acrobat). To buy the book, click here. But who did right and who did wrong is not the point here. Rather, it is that, unlike the civil service, Kenyans who work in regulatory and executive agencies seem to have little protection against political whims. This is an anomaly. Executive agencies all over the world are given some level of autonomy from the Government partly to protect them from the arbitrary political actions. In practice, it seems that, in Kenya, the opposite is the case. In exercising their oversight functions over the various commissions and authorities, the ministers enjoy too much power to do as they please. The effect is not always undesirable. Abuses have occurred and, often, those sacked have often been incompetent or corrupt. But, in many cases, sackings have been unfair to the individual victims, affecting, moreover, some of the most qualified and most effective cadres. Even if they are reinstated, their reputations will have been damaged. If not, their replacements have frequently raised eyebrows, to say the very least. For these reasons, we believe that a more public and transparent review mechanism should be worked out - probably an independent agency - to govern dismissals and appointments and ensure an interview process that is always aboveboard. It is also hypocritical for political leaders to seek to exclude themselves from the same standards of behaviour they claim to demand from other public servants. When ministers are accused of corruption, or when their actions lead to losses of public funds or national embarrassment, they refuse to resign or apologise. They cannot claim justice for themselves and, at the same time, deny it to other Kenyans. Mr Tuju must explain to Kenyans why he sacked the team. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Charley Lewis LINK Centre E-mail: lewis.c@pdm.wits.ac.za charley@union.org.za Tel: + 27 + 11 + 717-3784 Fax: + 27 + 11 + 717-3910 Mobile: + 27 + 83 + 539-5242 Post: Box 81185, Parkhurst, 2120 Skype: charley.lewis IM: charleylws@hotmail.com URL: http://link.wits.ac.za Mwalimu House School of Public & Development Management University of the Witwatersrand 2 St David's Place Parktown From Lewis.C@pdm.wits.ac.za Thu Mar 10 08:18:38 2005 From: Lewis.C@pdm.wits.ac.za (Charles Lewis) Date: Thu, 10 Mar 2005 10:18:38 +0200 Subject: NITF ICT Forum: Kenyan service providers react to govt dissolution of CCK Board! Message-ID: Kenyan Govt dissolves Communications Regulator Board! http://africa.rights.apc.org/index.shtml?apc=n21843e_1&x=31166 03/08/2005 (TESPOK) -- The 7th of March 2005 will go down in history as one of the darkest days in Kenya's and Africa's communications sectors. This is the day that the Kenyan Government, in a totally incomprehensible manner dissolved the Communications Commission of Kenya's Board of Directors and relieved the Director General of his duties. The actions taken by the government can only be construed as intrusive,obstructive shortsighted and diversionary as they come in the midst of an ongoing liberalisation of the sector, end of exclusivity of Telkom Kenya and fast convergence of technologies that are currently presenting regulators worldwide with unforseen challenges. It is our contention, on behalf of the industry, that this was a hurried, unplanned and poorly thought out action. The ongoing disputes within the sector which have been prompted by the newly opened market demand that the country have a stable, objective and level-headed regulator. The immediate former Board of Directors and Director-General had successfully managed Kenya's transition into a competition framework. Besides this, the immediate former Director General is the current Chairman of the International Telecommunications Union Council which oversees telecommunications worldwide. This is due to recognition by the International community of CCK's outstanding efforts to reform Kenya's regulatory environment from one of the worst in the world to the current status where we are being emulated by countries such as South Africa because of our exemplary and progressive regulations. This action by the Government has thrown the entire industry into disarray. The CCK Board plays such a crucial role that now no further licenses can be issued, no disputes can be settled and no formal regulatory interventions can take place and there is no clear communication from the Government as to how affairs within the sector are to be managed. Currently over 100 companies await the processing of their licenses in order to establish business, employ Kenyans and bring communications facilities and services to the economy. This has all been cut short by interference from the very Government that committed itself to economic reforms, improved employment and support for private-sector driven development. The appointment of an acting Director-General from a Ministerial department also raises questions as to the sincerity of the Government in providing for an independent regulator as mandated by the Law (KCA '98). We do not need to emphasise the fact that the same Government has failed in it's primary role of providing policy guidance for the sector over the past 4 years and instead has resorted to frustrating and now completely disabling the only agency that has promoted investment and development within Kenya's communications sector. On hearing this news, the Chairman of the African ISP Association, Mr. W. Stucke, who is based in South Africa reacted by saying "Good grief! Now watch investments in Africa as a whole, not just Kenya wither up and blow away in the wind..." It is our understanding that the position of Director General has tenure of office under the Communications Act '98 and his removal from active duty without any explanation begs the question as to whether the government really respects the Law. This same law has safeguards to protect the regulator from interference but these seem to have been completely ignored by the Government who today are interested parties in the communications sector. We hereby express our outrage at the way in which this matter has been handled and demand an immediate explanation from the Government regarding it's actions and it's plans to restore confidence and stability in the communications sector in the shortest time possible. Mr. Joseph Mucheru, Chairman For Telecommunications Service Providers of Kenya (TESPOK) Date: 03/08/2005 Location: Kenya Theme: Laws and Regulation Source: TESPOK Charley Lewis LINK Centre E-mail: lewis.c@pdm.wits.ac.za charley@union.org.za Tel: + 27 + 11 + 717-3784 Fax: + 27 + 11 + 717-3910 Mobile: + 27 + 83 + 539-5242 Post: Box 81185, Parkhurst, 2120 Skype: charley.lewis IM: charleylws@hotmail.com URL: http://link.wits.ac.za Mwalimu House School of Public & Development Management University of the Witwatersrand 2 St David's Place Parktown From ITWeb Telecom Weekly Fri Mar 11 12:08:35 2005 From: ITWeb Telecom Weekly (ITWeb Telecom Weekly) Date: Fri, 11 Mar 2005 14:08:35 +0200 (SAST) Subject: NITF ICT Forum: Sentech seeks R300m upgrade Message-ID: <20050311120835.5918835C62E@mx01.sangonet.org.za> This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_Mixed_SimpleMail_by_the_Email_Corporation Content-Type: text/html; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable =09 ITWeb Daily - The Online News Service

You are subscribed to ITWeb's Telecoms News a= s nitf_forum@lists.sn.apc.org

T h=20 e T e l e c o m s N e w s &n= bsp;W=20 e e k l y
f o r =20 S o u t h e r n A f r i c a

Visit ITWeb - First with = IT News

Johannesburg Fr= iday, March 11, 2005

To compete in the software development = race, the local industry needs to make a few changes. Read about them= in the March issue of Brainstorm.

News Hotline: = (011) 807-3294

<= small>E-mail: itnews@itweb.co.za = ;

Sales Info

=20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20

TOP NEWS

Sentech seeks R300m upgrade

[Paul Vecchiatto] - Sentech says it needs government to f= inance a R300 million upgrade so that it can offer enhanced digital TV= -type services. [ Telecoms ] <= /font>

Kenyan regulator disbanded=

[Rodney Weidemann] - The dissolving of the Kenyan regulato= r may have a disastrous knock-on effect for the rest of the continent, say = industry players. [ Telecoms ] <= /font>

Cebit showcases new techno gadgetry

[Damian Clarkson] - The latest consumer devices and cellp= hones were major draw cards as the Cebit 2005 technology conference kicked = off in Germany today. [ Business ] <= /font>

Africa's future is mobile<= /td>

[Rodney Weidemann] - New research reveals that Africa has = witnessed faster growth in mobile subscriptions than any other region in th= e world over the past five years. [ = Telecoms ] <= /font>

Telcos should =91go extra mile'

[Itumeleng Mogaki] - The Universal Services Agency says te= lecoms service providers should do more to bridge the divide. [ Telecoms ] <= /font>

Banking via SMS

[Warwick Ashford] - FNB is aiming at the lowest common de= nominator with its new mobile banking service. [ Business ] <= /font>

Samsung unveils 7MP camera phone

[Damian Clarkson] - In today's technology roundup: Samsun= g unveils 7MP camera phone, broadband to =91revolutionise' UK TV, and hacke= rs grab info on 32 000 people. = [ Computing ]=

Motorola unveils versatile camera pho= nes

[Reuters] - Motorola is set to unveil several new= camera phones, betting that cameras in handsets are no longer just a cleve= r gimmick. [ Telecoms ] <= /font>

= Vodacom maximises services with Grint= ek

Grintek has implemented a solution at= Vodacom SA to keep track of interconnect carriers' unstructured supplement= ary services data traffic. [ Industr= ySolutions ]

No Telkom vetting needed

[Paul Vecchiatto] - Schools don't need Telkom's vetting i= f they want their 50% Internet discount, says an ICT lawyer. [ Telecoms ] <= /font>

Vodacom extends roaming

[Stuart Lowman] - Vodacom has extended its internationa= l roaming network across the Caribbean. [ Telecoms ] <= /font>

=20 =20 =20 =20 =09 =09 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =09 =09 =09 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =09

EDITORIALS

The changing face of communications

[<= /font>Andy Brauer] - The realisation of the dream of being connec= ted 24x7x365 is on the horizon and we are on the brink of having a second n= ational operator. All of which is good news for consumers.=20 [ IndustryInsight]

iBursting on to the scene

[<= /font>Arshad Mahomed] - Only the strong will be able to resist the p= leasures of 1Mbps Internet connectivity delivered by the iBurst solution fr= om Wireless Business Solutions.=20 [ Reviews]

= =20 =20

INDUSTRY NEWS

=20 = =20 =09 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =09 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =09 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =09 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =09 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =09 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20


BUSINESS	Sponsored by: Dimension Data

Clickatell relocates

Clickatell has moved to new offices in Be= llville, Cape Town, to coincide with the expansion of the company. [ Business ]


COMPUTING	Sponsored by: Hetzner Africa

Virgin plans 3G radio

[Damian Clarkson] - In today's technology roundup: Virgin pla= ns 3G radio, Google officially launches desktop search, and Sony PSP gets m= ore movies. [ Computing ]

Call for British anti-child-porn centre

[Iwan Pienaar] - In today's technology roundup: Call for B= ritish anti-child-porn centre, Yahoo enters mobile gaming market, and US fi= rms take action against blogs. [ Comput= ing ]


INTERNET	Sponsored by: Tiscali World Online

Beware of Sober variant, MMS worm

[Damian Clarkson] - A new Sober worm variant has surfaced, wh= ile the first MMS worm continues to linger. [ Internet ]

Hotels are new hotspots

[Staff writer] - Southern Sun hotels are rolling out high-= speed Internet access. [ Internet ]


TELECOMS	Sponsored by: Telkom

DiData enhances converged comms offering

Dimension Data has enhanced its converged= communications solution offering, incorporating Microsoft Office Live Comm= unications Server 2005 and Microsoft Office Communicator 2005. [ Telecoms ]


TECHFORUM

Migrating to IP telephony

[Andy Bull] - Moving the traditional PBX to an Internet= Protocol (IP) telephony system will reduce costs, says Andy Bull, director= of Mitel SA. [ TechForum ]


INDUSTRYSOLUTIONS	Sponsored by: SecureData

Vodacom maximises services with Grintek

Grintek has implemented a solution at Vod= acom SA to keep track of interconnect carriers' unstructured supplementary = services data traffic. [ Indust= rySolutions ]

Queenspark invests in VOIP

Retailer Queenspark has implemented a voi= ce over Internet Protocol (VOIP) system from Integr8 IT. [ IndustrySolutions ]

Can Linux cope in mission-critical environments?=

ITWeb brings you the Open Source, Open Enterprise 2005 Confer= ence

Get up to speed on the benefits Linux offers through real, = live examples.

The Forum, Bryanston
15 March 2005

Bookings close soon =96 click here to reserve your seat today!

TELECOMS SECTION

Sponsored= by Telkom

SEARCH ITWEB

Your subscription

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Tell us what you think

If you have any questions, suggestions or comments, please e-mail itnews@itweb.co.za

u Publisher
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jregasek@itweb.co.za

u Editor-in-chief
Ranka Jovanovic
rankaj@itweb.co.za=

u Chief s= ub editor
Glenda van Zyl
glenda@itweb.co.za=

u Section= Editor
= Fay Humphries
fay@itweb.co.za=

<= p align=3D"center"> F:\itweb\sections\copyright.asp

------=_NextPart_Mixed_SimpleMail_by_the_Email_Corporation-- From ITWeb Events Mon Mar 14 12:59:43 2005 From: ITWeb Events (ITWeb Events) Date: Mon, 14 Mar 2005 14:59:43 +0200 (SAST) Subject: NITF ICT Forum: VOIP : The `how to` without the hype conference Message-ID: <20050314125943.7DD2335C649@mx01.sangonet.org.za> This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_Mixed_SimpleMail_by_the_Email_Corporation Content-Type: text/html; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

=20

VOIP 2005 =96 The =93How to=94
without the hype

A one-day, hands-on conference brought to you by ITWeb=

http://www.itweb.co.za/e= vents/voipevent/2005/

The Forum, Bryanston
19 April, 2005

Dear ITWeb reade= r,

VOIP seems to make so much sense!

Ten years after it was first deployed, it=92s now beginning t= o go mainstream. Research by Deloitte among the Global 2 000 s= hows that many large companies will have implemented VOIP solu= tions by the end of 2005. Most are chasing the cost savings =96 particularly on internal calls and management efficiencie= s =96 that this maturing technology delivers.

However, VOIP poses risks as well =96 voice and data now rely on a single network, security becomes even more of a challenge= , and =93turf wars=94 could erupt between telecoms and IT staff= .

In addition, new costs will be incurred on:

New customer premise equipment
VOIP applications and desktop hardware
Preparing and upgrading WANS and LANs, and possibly data centre= s
Systems integration and migration costs
Staff training and redeployment

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Sp= eakers include:

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	= Carl Kleynhans, country general manager at APC=
	= Tim Parsonson, CEO at Storm
	= Jaco Voight, operations director at DataPro
	= Mike Fairon, national practice manager at Dime= nsion Data

Have you balanced the risks and rewards as they pertain to your particular company carefully enough? Or are you being bedaz= zled by suppliers promising to cut costs and improve efficiencie= s in a market where the technology has yet to be proven to any significant degree?

ITWeb=92s =93VOIP 2005: The How To without the Hype=94 Conference wil= l take you from business plan to business benefits =96 enabli= ng you to decide whether the time is right yet for you to impl= ement a VOIP solution.

Click here to register online http://www.itweb.co.za/events/voipev= ent/2005/registration.asp or contact Denise Breytenbach on (011) 807-3294 / denise@itweb.co.za.

Regards,=

The ITWeb team

Sponsors=
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------=_NextPart_Mixed_SimpleMail_by_the_Email_Corporation-- From ITWeb Telecom Weekly Fri Mar 18 11:40:56 2005 From: ITWeb Telecom Weekly (ITWeb Telecom Weekly) Date: Fri, 18 Mar 2005 13:40:56 +0200 (SAST) Subject: NITF ICT Forum: Users snap up uncapped ADSL Message-ID: <20050318114056.E85F635C687@mx01.sangonet.org.za> This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_Mixed_SimpleMail_by_the_Email_Corporation Content-Type: text/html; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable =09 ITWeb Daily - The Online News Service

You are subscribed to ITWeb's Telecoms News a= s nitf_forum@lists.sn.apc.org

T h=20 e T e l e c o m s N e w s &n= bsp;W=20 e e k l y
f o r =20 S o u t h e r n A f r i c a

Visit ITWeb - First with = IT News

Johannesburg Fr= iday, March 18, 2005

To compete in the software development = race, the local industry needs to make a few changes. Read about them= in the March issue of Brainstorm.

News Hotline: = (011) 807-3294

<= small>E-mail: itnews@itweb.co.za = ;

Sales Info

=20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20

TOP NEWS

Telkom must justify ADSL expense

[Rodney Weidemann] - After a stream of complaints over the= cost and service restrictions on Telkom's ADSL offerings, ICASA is to hold= a public hearing into the matter. [= Internet ] <= /font>

Mobile phone porn set for sales spike=

[Reuters] - Mobile phone users around the world s= pent $400 million on adult content last year, an amount that is expect= ed to rise to $5 billion by 2010, a Strategic Analytics survey has fou= nd. [ Telecoms ] <= /font>

Debt collector upgrades call centre

Van De Venter Mojapelo has upgraded i= ts Autrix-based ActivCTI call centre. [ Telecoms ] <= /font>

Users snap up uncapped ADSL

[Paul Vecchiatto] - Cape Town ISP Dotco says it is overwh= elmed by the response to its R480 per month uncapped ADSL offering, which i= t is providing with Telkom's blessing. [ Telecoms ] <= /font>

Kenyan regulator saga rumbles on

[Rodney Weidemann] - With a senior government minister tak= ing over as director-general at the Kenyan regulator, the government's dirt= y laundry has fallen under the spotlight. [ Telecoms ] <= /font>

One woman against Telkom

[Dejan Jovanovic] - A politics student has staged a one-w= oman protest at Wits University against Telkom's pricing. [ Telecoms ] <= /font>

Cell C begins new Girl Child campaign=

[Rodney Weidemann] - Cell C aims to benefit 200 000 girls = with its 2005 Take a Girl Child to Work Day. [ Telecoms ] <= /font>

Phones need simplicity before cool st= uff

[Reuters] - Mobile telephone services need to be = far less confusing to consumers, say the heads of several US wireless opera= tors. [ Hardware ] <= /font>

Comverse eases access to ICQ IM commu= nity

Comverse has partnered with America O= nline to provide wireless carriers with access to the ICQ instant messaging= (IM) service. [ Enterprise= ]

Sentech offers four new products

[Rodney Weidemann] - Multimedia provider Sentech has launc= hed a range of new products as part of its efforts to generate additional r= evenue streams. [ Telecoms ] <= /font>

Toll-bypass model =91destined to fail= '

[Paul Vecchiatto] - Voice over Internet Protocol business= models based on toll-bypass are destined to fail, says Tellumat. [ Telecoms ] <= /font>

Nashua deploys call management system=

Acuo Technologies has developed the M= obile Automated Service Call Management System for Nashua. [ Telecoms ] <= /font>

Comverse expands call notification of= fering

The Comverse Who Called for Video ser= vice, which delivers textual notification of a missed video call or videoma= il, has been announced. [ Telecoms ] <= /font>

= =20 =20

INDUSTRY NEWS


COMPUTING	Sponsored by: Hetzner Africa

Spam fine for German operator

[Iwan Pienaar] - In today's technology roundup: Spam fine = for German operator, Dutch crackdown on file-sharing, and algorithm box for= mouse users. [ Computing ]


INTERNET	Sponsored by: Tiscali World Online

VoxTelecom offers online VOIP calculator

VoxTelecom has launched a Web-based calcu= lator to show customers the cost savings provided by its voice over Interne= t Protocol (VOIP) solution. [ Internet ]


ENTERPRISE	Sponsored by: Hewlett Packard

Comverse eases access to ICQ IM community

Comverse has partnered with America Onlin= e to provide wireless carriers with access to the ICQ instant messaging (IM= ) service. [ Enterprise ]


TELECOMS	Sponsored by: Telkom

Debt collector upgrades call centre

Van De Venter Mojapelo has upgraded its A= utrix-based ActivCTI call centre. [ = Tele= coms ]

Nashua deploys call management system

Acuo Technologies has developed the Mobil= e Automated Service Call Management System for Nashua. [ Telecoms ]

Comverse expands call notification offering

The Comverse Who Called for Video service= , which delivers textual notification of a missed video call or videomail, = has been announced. [ Telecoms ]

<= font color=3D"#FF0000">ITWEB EVENT

= VOIP 2005: The =93How to=94 without the hype

19 April
The Forum, Bryanston

This one-day, hands-on event from ITWeb will take you from business pla= n to business benefits!

Click here to register for the early bird offer today!

Event sponsor

Platinum&nbs= p;

Silver	Bronze

TELECOMS SECTION

Sponsored= by Telkom

SEARCH ITWEB

Your subscription

To manage your subscription opti= ons, to unsubscribe or to subscribe a friend please visit our subscription page.

Tell us what you think

If you have any questions, suggestions or comments, please e-mail itnews@itweb.co.za

u Publisher
Jovan Regasek
jregasek@itweb.co.za

u Editor-in-chief
Ranka Jovanovic
rankaj@itweb.co.za=

u Chief s= ub editor
Glenda van Zyl
glenda@itweb.co.za=

u Section= Editor
= Fay Humphries
fay@itweb.co.za=

<= p align=3D"center"> F:\itweb\sections\copyright.asp

------=_NextPart_Mixed_SimpleMail_by_the_Email_Corporation-- From ITWeb Telecom Weekly Thu Mar 24 11:09:10 2005 From: ITWeb Telecom Weekly (ITWeb Telecom Weekly) Date: Thu, 24 Mar 2005 13:09:10 +0200 (SAST) Subject: NITF ICT Forum: IP boosts telephony integration Message-ID: <20050324110910.878E935C952@mx01.sangonet.org.za> This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_Mixed_SimpleMail_by_the_Email_Corporation Content-Type: text/html; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable =09 ITWeb Daily - The Online News Service

You are subscribed to ITWeb's Telecoms News a= s nitf_forum@lists.sn.apc.org

T h=20 e T e l e c o m s N e w s &n= bsp;W=20 e e k l y
f o r =20 S o u t h e r n A f r i c a

Visit ITWeb - First with = IT News

Johannesburg Th= ursday, March 24, 2005

To compete in the software development = race, the local industry needs to make a few changes. Read about them= in the March issue of Brainstorm.

News Hotline: = (011) 807-3294

<= small>E-mail: itnews@itweb.co.za = ;

Sales Info

=20 =20 =20 =20

TOP NEWS

New technology listing boom?

[Paul Vecchiatto] - The JSE could see a technology and te= lecoms listing boom with Celtel and small IT companies mulling raising capi= tal on the bourse. [ Financial ]=

LG opens R&D centre in Europe<= /a>

LG Electronics has opened a European = research and development (R&D) centre in Paris to expand its mobile phone r= ange. [ Telecoms ] <= /font>

= Multifund implements Spescom software=

Spescom DataVoice has supplied Multif= und Financial & Insurance Services with the Libra recording platform. [ Industr= ySolutions ]

= =20 =20

INDUSTRY NEWS

=20 = =20 =09 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =09 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =09 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =09 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =09 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =09 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20


BUSINESS	Sponsored by: Dimension Data

Dispense pills via SMS

SIMpill and Upfront Systems have unveiled= the SIMpill SMS-enabled pill dispenser. [ Business ]


INTERNET	Sponsored by: Tiscali World Online

Telkom must justify ADSL expense

[Rodney Weidemann] - After a stream of complaints over the cos= t and service restrictions on Telkom's ADSL offerings, ICASA is to hold a p= ublic hearing into the matter. [ Interne= t ]


TELECOMS	Sponsored by: Telkom

LG opens R&D centre in Europe

LG Electronics has opened a European rese= arch and development (R&D) centre in Paris to expand its mobile phone range= . [ Telecoms ]

Telkom: Expect price hikes

[Kaunda Chama] - Telkom says it is likely prices of local = calls will rise in the short-term. [= Tel= ecoms ]

Debt collector upgrades call centre

Van De Venter Mojapelo has upgraded its A= utrix-based ActivCTI call centre. [ = Tele= coms ]


TECHFORUM

IP boosts telephony integration

[Al McKie] - Internet Protocol (IP)-enabled communicat= ion technologies can solve integration challenges, says Al McKie, business = development manager at Kathea Communications. [ TechForum ]

VOIP to impact call centres

[Luis Silva] - Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) will = change the way call centre infrastructure is managed, says Luis Silva, prod= uct manager at Kathea Communications. [ TechForum ]


INDUSTRYSOLUTIONS	Sponsored by: SecureData

Multifund implements Spescom software

Spescom DataVoice has supplied Multifund = Financial & Insurance Services with the Libra recording platform. [ IndustrySolutions ]


COLUMNISTS

Double Take: More telecoms competition, please

[Iain Scott] - Reports this week of the likelihood that = Telkom may raise the price of local phone calls highlights once again the u= rgent need for competition. [ Columnis= ts ]

<= font color=3D"#FF0000">ITWEB EVENT

= VOIP 2005: The =93How to=94 without the hype

19 April
The Forum, Bryanston

This one-day, hands-on event from ITWeb will take you from business pla= n to business benefits!

Click here to register for the early bird offer today!

Event sponsor

Platinum&nbs= p;

Silver	Bronze

TELECOMS SECTION

Sponsored= by Telkom

SEARCH ITWEB

Your subscription

To manage your subscription opti= ons, to unsubscribe or to subscribe a friend please visit our subscription page.

Tell us what you think

If you have any questions, suggestions or comments, please e-mail itnews@itweb.co.za

u Publisher
Jovan Regasek
jregasek@itweb.co.za

u Editor-in-chief
Ranka Jovanovic
rankaj@itweb.co.za=

u Chief s= ub editor
Glenda van Zyl
glenda@itweb.co.za=

u Section= Editor
= Fay Humphries
fay@itweb.co.za=

<= p align=3D"center"> F:\itweb\sections\copyright.asp

------=_NextPart_Mixed_SimpleMail_by_the_Email_Corporation-- From mzdssrbh@manchester.ac.uk Fri Mar 25 18:48:25 2005 From: mzdssrbh@manchester.ac.uk (Richard Heeks) Date: Fri, 25 Mar 2005 18:48:25 -0000 Subject: NITF ICT Forum: ICTs and Devel. PhD Fellowships at Manchester Message-ID: ICTs and Development PhD Fellowships at Manchester The University of Manchester is this year providing a set of graduate teaching fellowships which can be used to support PhD study in topics on ICTs/information systems and socio- economic development. The deadline for PhD application to be considered for a fellowship is May 6. Only very high-quality candidates will be considered. We are typically looking for a roughly distinction-level grade in an MSc from a Western or Western-equivalent university in an appropriate topic (which includes but is not limited to information systems, management, or development); good English skills; evidence of teaching capability; and a relevant topic for study backed by a proposal that demonstrates an ability to work with academic theory. Any selected candidate will join the University's Development Informatics Group; a fifteen-strong unit studying various aspects of the relation between information systems, ICTs and development. Given the nature of the fellowship, candidates will need to be based full-time in Manchester. Any topic related to development informatics will be considered although we have particular concentrations at present on: e-commerce and development; information systems in small/micro-enterprise; the ICT (esp. software) sector; theorising e-development; ICTs in mountain regions; Internet diffusion in Africa and the Middle East; and impact assessment of ICTs in development. Further details on the fellowship scheme, which is provided by the University's School of Environment and Development, including details on how to apply, can be found at: http://www.sed.manchester.ac.uk/postgraduate/funding/gtf/ Richard Heeks --------------------------------------------------------------------- Dr Richard Heeks Senior Lecturer, Information Systems & Development Development Informatics Group Institute for Development Policy & Management University of Manchester Harold Hankins Building Precinct Centre Manchester M13 9QH U.K. Phone: +44-161-275-2870 Fax: +44-161-273-8829 Email: richard.heeks@man.ac.uk IDPM Web: http://idpm.man.ac.uk/ From itnews at e-news.co.za Fri Mar 4 14:01:27 2005 From: itnews at e-news.co.za (ITWeb Telecom Weekly) Date: Tue Feb 27 14:14:20 2007 Subject: NITF ICT Forum: Cell C won't be a Virgin Co. Message-ID: <20050304120127.5380135C615@mx01.sangonet.org.za> An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://lists.sn.apc.org/pipermail/nitf_forum/attachments/20050304/7d60f971/attachment.htm From Lewis.C at pdm.wits.ac.za Wed Mar 9 16:41:25 2005 From: Lewis.C at pdm.wits.ac.za (Charles Lewis) Date: Tue Feb 27 14:14:20 2007 Subject: NITF ICT Forum: Minister Under Fire for Sacking CCK Board Message-ID: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Minister Under Fire for Sacking CCK Board http://allafrica.com/stories/200503080708.html The East African Standard (Nairobi) March 9, 2005 Alari Alare Nairobi The Government's decision to sack the Communication Commission of Kenya (CCK) board has thrown the industry into disarray. This means that at the moment, no licence can be issued, no dispute can be settled and no regulatory intervention can take place. CCK staff yesterday refused to comment on the board's sacking by Information and Communications minister Raphael Tuju on Monday evening. The sector's umbrella body, Telecommunications Service Providers Association of Kenya (Tespok), criticised the move and said a vacuum had been created due to lack of communication by the Government on how affairs within the sector should be managed. Tespok chairman Joseph Mucheru said Tuju's move was a blow to Kenya's economy. "Over 100 companies await processing of their licences in order to establish business, employ Kenyans and bring communications facilities and services to the economy. This has all been cut short by interference from the very Government that committed itself to economic reforms, improved employment and support for private sector driven development", said Mucheru. Speaking during the opening of the Second National ICT Convention in Nairobi yesterday, Mucheru said the chairman of the African ISP Association, W Stucke, had lamented that Tuju's action would scare off investors in the continent. "Now watch investments in Africa as a whole, not just Kenya, wither up and blow away in the wind". Mucheru said Tuju's action could only be construed as intrusive and short-sighted. "The action can only be construed as obstructive and diversionary since it comes in the midst of the on going liberalisation of the sector". Tespok commended the sacked board and CCK's director general Sammy Kirui who was sent on compulsory leave on Monday. "The immediate former board of directors and the director general had successfully managed Kenya's transition into a competition framework", said Mucheru. Kirui is also the current chairman of the International Telecommunications Union Council that oversees telecommunications worldwide. "This is due to recognition by the international community of CCK's outstanding efforts to reform Kenya's regulatory environment from one of the worst in the world to the current status where we are being emulated by countries such as South Africa because of our exemplary and progressive regulations", said Mucheru. Mucheru also said Kirui had a security of tenure under the Kenya Communications Act of 1998 "and his removal from active duty without any explanation begs the question as to whether the Government really respects the law". He said the appointment of an acting Director-General from a Ministerial department raises questions of sincerity on the Government side in providing an independent regulator as mandated by the law. The disbandment of the board came only a day after reports that a powerful cartel was interfering with CCK operations. But sources had earlier indicated to The Standard that there was a disagreement between Tuju and the CCK board over the minister's move to cancel a GSM licence issued to Econet Wireless Kenya. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Kenya telecoms in flux after regulators fired Tue March 8, 2005 4:26 PM GMT+02:00 http://www.reuters.co.za/locales/c_newsArticle.jsp;:422dbe68:37d3dde29193a9b8?type=businessNews&localeKey=en_ZA&storyID=7839537 By George Obulutsa NAIROBI (Reuters) - Kenya's abrupt dissolution of its telecoms regulatory board infuriated companies on Tuesday, which said the disruption might further delay long-awaited liberalization and discourage new investment. Information and Technology Minister Raphael Tuju dissolved the board of the Communications Commission of Kenya (CCK) on Monday, saying in a statement only that he had ordered "investigations into various issues that have come to the attention of the ministry". The former board had moved toward speeding up the freeing of the sector, but experts say it had been frustrated by government officials keen to protect state-owned, loss-maker Telkom Kenya. "It was quite shocking that this thing happened. The board that was disbanded was very much into opening up the sector in terms of being able to get new players to come into the market," said Robert Kariuki Mugo, technical director at Internet service provider UUNET Kenya. A new board may not be as in favour of opening up the market, Mugo said. The government in July removed Telkom's monopoly over international gateways and Internet networks, but the licensing of new players has dragged, which has frustrated Kenyans tired of hefty phone bills and unreliable, slow Internet service. Industry sources said the dispute between the board and Tuju was triggered by a commission order to Telkom Kenya to reconnect an Internet company that offered cheap international calls, which undercut the state company's high prices. "I think CCK has unwittingly stepped into a snake's nest and they are bearing the brunt of it," said Brian Longwe, a director of the Telecommunications Service Providers Association of Kenya. STROKE OF A PEN "We really fail to understand how, with the stroke of a pen, our entire sector has been thrown into total chaos and anarchy," he added. The telecoms sector is one of the fastest-growing industries in the country, with two mobile phone companies and a third on the way and 4 million subscribers from a population of 31 million. CCK says the sector earns around 50 billion shillings annually. The investors who are needed to modernize Kenya's telecoms infrastructure may shy away because of the minister's decision. "This to us speaks of the highest level of government interference. Right now there are over 100 licences that are pending before the commission. They cannot be processed because there is no board to do so," Longwe said. It is not the first time Tuju has stepped into the liberalization fray. Last year he cancelled the licence of Kenya's third mobile phone operator, Econet Wireless, over a dispute between its shareholders, and a Kenyan court promptly restored the licence. He also cancelled a tender on a second national operator, citing irregularities and causing controversy. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Telkom is Ordered to Restore ISP Connectivity http://allafrica.com/stories/200503071551.html The East African Standard (Nairobi) March 8, 2005 Alari Alare Nairobi The Government has added its voice to the regulator's order to Telkom Kenya to immediately restore connectivity to ISP Kenya Limited. Information and Communications permanent secretary James Rege said it was wrong for the corporation to take the law into its own hands. http://www.oracle.com/go/?&Src=3188850&Act=19 Instead, he said, it should report any disagreements with its clients to the Communications Commission of Kenya (CCK). "It is CCK who should direct any disconnection of service. If Telkom felt that the service provider was not acting within provisions of their agreement, they should have reported the matter to the regulator", said Rege. He was responding to questions from journalists during the opening of the Association of Regulators of Information and Communications in Eastern and Southern Africa (ARICEA) workshop at a Nairobi hotel. Rege's sentiments come a week after the CCK instructed Telkom Kenya to restore a high capacity E1 telephone line that allowed Sema calling card holders to make international calls at an affordable rate. CCK director general Sammy Kirui said that like any service provider, Telkom does not enforce the law. "Enforcement of the law is the work of a regulator". The workshop will discuss wide-ranging subjects relating to policy guidelines on consumer protection, key performance indicators, numbering, e-strategy and a model postal bill.postal bill. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Tuju, Tell Us More On CCK http://allafrica.com/stories/200503080820.html The Nation (Nairobi) EDITORIAL March 9, 2005 Nairobi Minister Raphael Tuju on Tuesday dissolved the Communications Commission of Kenya board and sent its director on leave. He did not have the courtesy to explain. But the decision by the Information and Communications minister came a few days after a court ruled that the Government was liable for the Econet wireless fiasco. Therefore, one view has it that Mr Tuju's action may be linked to it. For a YEAR IN REVIEW excerpt from the Africa 2005 guidebook, click here. (Adobe Acrobat). To buy the book, click here. But who did right and who did wrong is not the point here. Rather, it is that, unlike the civil service, Kenyans who work in regulatory and executive agencies seem to have little protection against political whims. This is an anomaly. Executive agencies all over the world are given some level of autonomy from the Government partly to protect them from the arbitrary political actions. In practice, it seems that, in Kenya, the opposite is the case. In exercising their oversight functions over the various commissions and authorities, the ministers enjoy too much power to do as they please. The effect is not always undesirable. Abuses have occurred and, often, those sacked have often been incompetent or corrupt. But, in many cases, sackings have been unfair to the individual victims, affecting, moreover, some of the most qualified and most effective cadres. Even if they are reinstated, their reputations will have been damaged. If not, their replacements have frequently raised eyebrows, to say the very least. For these reasons, we believe that a more public and transparent review mechanism should be worked out - probably an independent agency - to govern dismissals and appointments and ensure an interview process that is always aboveboard. It is also hypocritical for political leaders to seek to exclude themselves from the same standards of behaviour they claim to demand from other public servants. When ministers are accused of corruption, or when their actions lead to losses of public funds or national embarrassment, they refuse to resign or apologise. They cannot claim justice for themselves and, at the same time, deny it to other Kenyans. Mr Tuju must explain to Kenyans why he sacked the team. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Charley Lewis LINK Centre E-mail: lewis.c@pdm.wits.ac.za charley@union.org.za Tel: + 27 + 11 + 717-3784 Fax: + 27 + 11 + 717-3910 Mobile: + 27 + 83 + 539-5242 Post: Box 81185, Parkhurst, 2120 Skype: charley.lewis IM: charleylws@hotmail.com URL: http://link.wits.ac.za Mwalimu House School of Public & Development Management University of the Witwatersrand 2 St David's Place Parktown From Lewis.C at pdm.wits.ac.za Thu Mar 10 10:18:38 2005 From: Lewis.C at pdm.wits.ac.za (Charles Lewis) Date: Tue Feb 27 14:14:20 2007 Subject: NITF ICT Forum: Kenyan service providers react to govt dissolution of CCK Board! Message-ID: Kenyan Govt dissolves Communications Regulator Board! http://africa.rights.apc.org/index.shtml?apc=n21843e_1&x=31166 03/08/2005 (TESPOK) -- The 7th of March 2005 will go down in history as one of the darkest days in Kenya's and Africa's communications sectors. This is the day that the Kenyan Government, in a totally incomprehensible manner dissolved the Communications Commission of Kenya's Board of Directors and relieved the Director General of his duties. The actions taken by the government can only be construed as intrusive,obstructive shortsighted and diversionary as they come in the midst of an ongoing liberalisation of the sector, end of exclusivity of Telkom Kenya and fast convergence of technologies that are currently presenting regulators worldwide with unforseen challenges. It is our contention, on behalf of the industry, that this was a hurried, unplanned and poorly thought out action. The ongoing disputes within the sector which have been prompted by the newly opened market demand that the country have a stable, objective and level-headed regulator. The immediate former Board of Directors and Director-General had successfully managed Kenya's transition into a competition framework. Besides this, the immediate former Director General is the current Chairman of the International Telecommunications Union Council which oversees telecommunications worldwide. This is due to recognition by the International community of CCK's outstanding efforts to reform Kenya's regulatory environment from one of the worst in the world to the current status where we are being emulated by countries such as South Africa because of our exemplary and progressive regulations. This action by the Government has thrown the entire industry into disarray. The CCK Board plays such a crucial role that now no further licenses can be issued, no disputes can be settled and no formal regulatory interventions can take place and there is no clear communication from the Government as to how affairs within the sector are to be managed. Currently over 100 companies await the processing of their licenses in order to establish business, employ Kenyans and bring communications facilities and services to the economy. This has all been cut short by interference from the very Government that committed itself to economic reforms, improved employment and support for private-sector driven development. The appointment of an acting Director-General from a Ministerial department also raises questions as to the sincerity of the Government in providing for an independent regulator as mandated by the Law (KCA '98). We do not need to emphasise the fact that the same Government has failed in it's primary role of providing policy guidance for the sector over the past 4 years and instead has resorted to frustrating and now completely disabling the only agency that has promoted investment and development within Kenya's communications sector. On hearing this news, the Chairman of the African ISP Association, Mr. W. Stucke, who is based in South Africa reacted by saying "Good grief! Now watch investments in Africa as a whole, not just Kenya wither up and blow away in the wind..." It is our understanding that the position of Director General has tenure of office under the Communications Act '98 and his removal from active duty without any explanation begs the question as to whether the government really respects the Law. This same law has safeguards to protect the regulator from interference but these seem to have been completely ignored by the Government who today are interested parties in the communications sector. We hereby express our outrage at the way in which this matter has been handled and demand an immediate explanation from the Government regarding it's actions and it's plans to restore confidence and stability in the communications sector in the shortest time possible. Mr. Joseph Mucheru, Chairman For Telecommunications Service Providers of Kenya (TESPOK) Date: 03/08/2005 Location: Kenya Theme: Laws and Regulation Source: TESPOK Charley Lewis LINK Centre E-mail: lewis.c@pdm.wits.ac.za charley@union.org.za Tel: + 27 + 11 + 717-3784 Fax: + 27 + 11 + 717-3910 Mobile: + 27 + 83 + 539-5242 Post: Box 81185, Parkhurst, 2120 Skype: charley.lewis IM: charleylws@hotmail.com URL: http://link.wits.ac.za Mwalimu House School of Public & Development Management University of the Witwatersrand 2 St David's Place Parktown From itnews at e-news.co.za Fri Mar 11 14:08:35 2005 From: itnews at e-news.co.za (ITWeb Telecom Weekly) Date: Tue Feb 27 14:14:20 2007 Subject: NITF ICT Forum: Sentech seeks R300m upgrade Message-ID: <20050311120835.5918835C62E@mx01.sangonet.org.za> An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://lists.sn.apc.org/pipermail/nitf_forum/attachments/20050311/fb633b94/attachment.html From itnews at e-news.co.za Mon Mar 14 14:59:43 2005 From: itnews at e-news.co.za (ITWeb Events) Date: Tue Feb 27 14:14:20 2007 Subject: NITF ICT Forum: VOIP : The `how to` without the hype conference Message-ID: <20050314125943.7DD2335C649@mx01.sangonet.org.za> An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://lists.sn.apc.org/pipermail/nitf_forum/attachments/20050314/c2944826/attachment.htm From itnews at e-news.co.za Fri Mar 18 13:40:56 2005 From: itnews at e-news.co.za (ITWeb Telecom Weekly) Date: Tue Feb 27 14:14:20 2007 Subject: NITF ICT Forum: Users snap up uncapped ADSL Message-ID: <20050318114056.E85F635C687@mx01.sangonet.org.za> An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://lists.sn.apc.org/pipermail/nitf_forum/attachments/20050318/28f49ded/attachment.html From itnews at e-news.co.za Thu Mar 24 13:09:10 2005 From: itnews at e-news.co.za (ITWeb Telecom Weekly) Date: Tue Feb 27 14:14:20 2007 Subject: NITF ICT Forum: IP boosts telephony integration Message-ID: <20050324110910.878E935C952@mx01.sangonet.org.za> An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://lists.sn.apc.org/pipermail/nitf_forum/attachments/20050324/7efdd632/attachment.htm From mzdssrbh at manchester.ac.uk Fri Mar 25 20:48:25 2005 From: mzdssrbh at manchester.ac.uk (Richard Heeks) Date: Tue Feb 27 14:14:20 2007 Subject: NITF ICT Forum: ICTs and Devel. PhD Fellowships at Manchester Message-ID: ICTs and Development PhD Fellowships at Manchester The University of Manchester is this year providing a set of graduate teaching fellowships which can be used to support PhD study in topics on ICTs/information systems and socio- economic development. The deadline for PhD application to be considered for a fellowship is May 6. Only very high-quality candidates will be considered. We are typically looking for a roughly distinction-level grade in an MSc from a Western or Western-equivalent university in an appropriate topic (which includes but is not limited to information systems, management, or development); good English skills; evidence of teaching capability; and a relevant topic for study backed by a proposal that demonstrates an ability to work with academic theory. Any selected candidate will join the University's Development Informatics Group; a fifteen-strong unit studying various aspects of the relation between information systems, ICTs and development. Given the nature of the fellowship, candidates will need to be based full-time in Manchester. Any topic related to development informatics will be considered although we have particular concentrations at present on: e-commerce and development; information systems in small/micro-enterprise; the ICT (esp. software) sector; theorising e-development; ICTs in mountain regions; Internet diffusion in Africa and the Middle East; and impact assessment of ICTs in development. Further details on the fellowship scheme, which is provided by the University's School of Environment and Development, including details on how to apply, can be found at: http://www.sed.manchester.ac.uk/postgraduate/funding/gtf/ Richard Heeks --------------------------------------------------------------------- Dr Richard Heeks Senior Lecturer, Information Systems & Development Development Informatics Group Institute for Development Policy & Management University of Manchester Harold Hankins Building Precinct Centre Manchester M13 9QH U.K. Phone: +44-161-275-2870 Fax: +44-161-273-8829 Email: richard.heeks@man.ac.uk IDPM Web: http://idpm.man.ac.uk/ From itnews at e-news.co.za Fri Mar 4 14:01:27 2005 From: itnews at e-news.co.za (ITWeb Telecom Weekly) Date: Tue Apr 17 18:18:19 2007 Subject: NITF ICT Forum: Cell C won't be a Virgin Co. Message-ID: <20050304120127.5380135C615@mx01.sangonet.org.za> An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://lists.sn.apc.org/pipermail/nitf_forum/attachments/20050304/7d60f971/attachment-0001.htm From Lewis.C at pdm.wits.ac.za Wed Mar 9 16:41:25 2005 From: Lewis.C at pdm.wits.ac.za (Charles Lewis) Date: Tue Apr 17 18:18:19 2007 Subject: NITF ICT Forum: Minister Under Fire for Sacking CCK Board Message-ID: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Minister Under Fire for Sacking CCK Board http://allafrica.com/stories/200503080708.html The East African Standard (Nairobi) March 9, 2005 Alari Alare Nairobi The Government's decision to sack the Communication Commission of Kenya (CCK) board has thrown the industry into disarray. This means that at the moment, no licence can be issued, no dispute can be settled and no regulatory intervention can take place. CCK staff yesterday refused to comment on the board's sacking by Information and Communications minister Raphael Tuju on Monday evening. The sector's umbrella body, Telecommunications Service Providers Association of Kenya (Tespok), criticised the move and said a vacuum had been created due to lack of communication by the Government on how affairs within the sector should be managed. Tespok chairman Joseph Mucheru said Tuju's move was a blow to Kenya's economy. "Over 100 companies await processing of their licences in order to establish business, employ Kenyans and bring communications facilities and services to the economy. This has all been cut short by interference from the very Government that committed itself to economic reforms, improved employment and support for private sector driven development", said Mucheru. Speaking during the opening of the Second National ICT Convention in Nairobi yesterday, Mucheru said the chairman of the African ISP Association, W Stucke, had lamented that Tuju's action would scare off investors in the continent. "Now watch investments in Africa as a whole, not just Kenya, wither up and blow away in the wind". Mucheru said Tuju's action could only be construed as intrusive and short-sighted. "The action can only be construed as obstructive and diversionary since it comes in the midst of the on going liberalisation of the sector". Tespok commended the sacked board and CCK's director general Sammy Kirui who was sent on compulsory leave on Monday. "The immediate former board of directors and the director general had successfully managed Kenya's transition into a competition framework", said Mucheru. Kirui is also the current chairman of the International Telecommunications Union Council that oversees telecommunications worldwide. "This is due to recognition by the international community of CCK's outstanding efforts to reform Kenya's regulatory environment from one of the worst in the world to the current status where we are being emulated by countries such as South Africa because of our exemplary and progressive regulations", said Mucheru. Mucheru also said Kirui had a security of tenure under the Kenya Communications Act of 1998 "and his removal from active duty without any explanation begs the question as to whether the Government really respects the law". He said the appointment of an acting Director-General from a Ministerial department raises questions of sincerity on the Government side in providing an independent regulator as mandated by the law. The disbandment of the board came only a day after reports that a powerful cartel was interfering with CCK operations. But sources had earlier indicated to The Standard that there was a disagreement between Tuju and the CCK board over the minister's move to cancel a GSM licence issued to Econet Wireless Kenya. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Kenya telecoms in flux after regulators fired Tue March 8, 2005 4:26 PM GMT+02:00 http://www.reuters.co.za/locales/c_newsArticle.jsp;:422dbe68:37d3dde29193a9b8?type=businessNews&localeKey=en_ZA&storyID=7839537 By George Obulutsa NAIROBI (Reuters) - Kenya's abrupt dissolution of its telecoms regulatory board infuriated companies on Tuesday, which said the disruption might further delay long-awaited liberalization and discourage new investment. Information and Technology Minister Raphael Tuju dissolved the board of the Communications Commission of Kenya (CCK) on Monday, saying in a statement only that he had ordered "investigations into various issues that have come to the attention of the ministry". The former board had moved toward speeding up the freeing of the sector, but experts say it had been frustrated by government officials keen to protect state-owned, loss-maker Telkom Kenya. "It was quite shocking that this thing happened. The board that was disbanded was very much into opening up the sector in terms of being able to get new players to come into the market," said Robert Kariuki Mugo, technical director at Internet service provider UUNET Kenya. A new board may not be as in favour of opening up the market, Mugo said. The government in July removed Telkom's monopoly over international gateways and Internet networks, but the licensing of new players has dragged, which has frustrated Kenyans tired of hefty phone bills and unreliable, slow Internet service. Industry sources said the dispute between the board and Tuju was triggered by a commission order to Telkom Kenya to reconnect an Internet company that offered cheap international calls, which undercut the state company's high prices. "I think CCK has unwittingly stepped into a snake's nest and they are bearing the brunt of it," said Brian Longwe, a director of the Telecommunications Service Providers Association of Kenya. STROKE OF A PEN "We really fail to understand how, with the stroke of a pen, our entire sector has been thrown into total chaos and anarchy," he added. The telecoms sector is one of the fastest-growing industries in the country, with two mobile phone companies and a third on the way and 4 million subscribers from a population of 31 million. CCK says the sector earns around 50 billion shillings annually. The investors who are needed to modernize Kenya's telecoms infrastructure may shy away because of the minister's decision. "This to us speaks of the highest level of government interference. Right now there are over 100 licences that are pending before the commission. They cannot be processed because there is no board to do so," Longwe said. It is not the first time Tuju has stepped into the liberalization fray. Last year he cancelled the licence of Kenya's third mobile phone operator, Econet Wireless, over a dispute between its shareholders, and a Kenyan court promptly restored the licence. He also cancelled a tender on a second national operator, citing irregularities and causing controversy. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Telkom is Ordered to Restore ISP Connectivity http://allafrica.com/stories/200503071551.html The East African Standard (Nairobi) March 8, 2005 Alari Alare Nairobi The Government has added its voice to the regulator's order to Telkom Kenya to immediately restore connectivity to ISP Kenya Limited. Information and Communications permanent secretary James Rege said it was wrong for the corporation to take the law into its own hands. http://www.oracle.com/go/?&Src=3188850&Act=19 Instead, he said, it should report any disagreements with its clients to the Communications Commission of Kenya (CCK). "It is CCK who should direct any disconnection of service. If Telkom felt that the service provider was not acting within provisions of their agreement, they should have reported the matter to the regulator", said Rege. He was responding to questions from journalists during the opening of the Association of Regulators of Information and Communications in Eastern and Southern Africa (ARICEA) workshop at a Nairobi hotel. Rege's sentiments come a week after the CCK instructed Telkom Kenya to restore a high capacity E1 telephone line that allowed Sema calling card holders to make international calls at an affordable rate. CCK director general Sammy Kirui said that like any service provider, Telkom does not enforce the law. "Enforcement of the law is the work of a regulator". The workshop will discuss wide-ranging subjects relating to policy guidelines on consumer protection, key performance indicators, numbering, e-strategy and a model postal bill.postal bill. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Tuju, Tell Us More On CCK http://allafrica.com/stories/200503080820.html The Nation (Nairobi) EDITORIAL March 9, 2005 Nairobi Minister Raphael Tuju on Tuesday dissolved the Communications Commission of Kenya board and sent its director on leave. He did not have the courtesy to explain. But the decision by the Information and Communications minister came a few days after a court ruled that the Government was liable for the Econet wireless fiasco. Therefore, one view has it that Mr Tuju's action may be linked to it. For a YEAR IN REVIEW excerpt from the Africa 2005 guidebook, click here. (Adobe Acrobat). To buy the book, click here. But who did right and who did wrong is not the point here. Rather, it is that, unlike the civil service, Kenyans who work in regulatory and executive agencies seem to have little protection against political whims. This is an anomaly. Executive agencies all over the world are given some level of autonomy from the Government partly to protect them from the arbitrary political actions. In practice, it seems that, in Kenya, the opposite is the case. In exercising their oversight functions over the various commissions and authorities, the ministers enjoy too much power to do as they please. The effect is not always undesirable. Abuses have occurred and, often, those sacked have often been incompetent or corrupt. But, in many cases, sackings have been unfair to the individual victims, affecting, moreover, some of the most qualified and most effective cadres. Even if they are reinstated, their reputations will have been damaged. If not, their replacements have frequently raised eyebrows, to say the very least. For these reasons, we believe that a more public and transparent review mechanism should be worked out - probably an independent agency - to govern dismissals and appointments and ensure an interview process that is always aboveboard. It is also hypocritical for political leaders to seek to exclude themselves from the same standards of behaviour they claim to demand from other public servants. When ministers are accused of corruption, or when their actions lead to losses of public funds or national embarrassment, they refuse to resign or apologise. They cannot claim justice for themselves and, at the same time, deny it to other Kenyans. Mr Tuju must explain to Kenyans why he sacked the team. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Charley Lewis LINK Centre E-mail: lewis.c@pdm.wits.ac.za charley@union.org.za Tel: + 27 + 11 + 717-3784 Fax: + 27 + 11 + 717-3910 Mobile: + 27 + 83 + 539-5242 Post: Box 81185, Parkhurst, 2120 Skype: charley.lewis IM: charleylws@hotmail.com URL: http://link.wits.ac.za Mwalimu House School of Public & Development Management University of the Witwatersrand 2 St David's Place Parktown From Lewis.C at pdm.wits.ac.za Thu Mar 10 10:18:38 2005 From: Lewis.C at pdm.wits.ac.za (Charles Lewis) Date: Tue Apr 17 18:18:19 2007 Subject: NITF ICT Forum: Kenyan service providers react to govt dissolution of CCK Board! Message-ID: Kenyan Govt dissolves Communications Regulator Board! http://africa.rights.apc.org/index.shtml?apc=n21843e_1&x=31166 03/08/2005 (TESPOK) -- The 7th of March 2005 will go down in history as one of the darkest days in Kenya's and Africa's communications sectors. This is the day that the Kenyan Government, in a totally incomprehensible manner dissolved the Communications Commission of Kenya's Board of Directors and relieved the Director General of his duties. The actions taken by the government can only be construed as intrusive,obstructive shortsighted and diversionary as they come in the midst of an ongoing liberalisation of the sector, end of exclusivity of Telkom Kenya and fast convergence of technologies that are currently presenting regulators worldwide with unforseen challenges. It is our contention, on behalf of the industry, that this was a hurried, unplanned and poorly thought out action. The ongoing disputes within the sector which have been prompted by the newly opened market demand that the country have a stable, objective and level-headed regulator. The immediate former Board of Directors and Director-General had successfully managed Kenya's transition into a competition framework. Besides this, the immediate former Director General is the current Chairman of the International Telecommunications Union Council which oversees telecommunications worldwide. This is due to recognition by the International community of CCK's outstanding efforts to reform Kenya's regulatory environment from one of the worst in the world to the current status where we are being emulated by countries such as South Africa because of our exemplary and progressive regulations. This action by the Government has thrown the entire industry into disarray. The CCK Board plays such a crucial role that now no further licenses can be issued, no disputes can be settled and no formal regulatory interventions can take place and there is no clear communication from the Government as to how affairs within the sector are to be managed. Currently over 100 companies await the processing of their licenses in order to establish business, employ Kenyans and bring communications facilities and services to the economy. This has all been cut short by interference from the very Government that committed itself to economic reforms, improved employment and support for private-sector driven development. The appointment of an acting Director-General from a Ministerial department also raises questions as to the sincerity of the Government in providing for an independent regulator as mandated by the Law (KCA '98). We do not need to emphasise the fact that the same Government has failed in it's primary role of providing policy guidance for the sector over the past 4 years and instead has resorted to frustrating and now completely disabling the only agency that has promoted investment and development within Kenya's communications sector. On hearing this news, the Chairman of the African ISP Association, Mr. W. Stucke, who is based in South Africa reacted by saying "Good grief! Now watch investments in Africa as a whole, not just Kenya wither up and blow away in the wind..." It is our understanding that the position of Director General has tenure of office under the Communications Act '98 and his removal from active duty without any explanation begs the question as to whether the government really respects the Law. This same law has safeguards to protect the regulator from interference but these seem to have been completely ignored by the Government who today are interested parties in the communications sector. We hereby express our outrage at the way in which this matter has been handled and demand an immediate explanation from the Government regarding it's actions and it's plans to restore confidence and stability in the communications sector in the shortest time possible. Mr. Joseph Mucheru, Chairman For Telecommunications Service Providers of Kenya (TESPOK) Date: 03/08/2005 Location: Kenya Theme: Laws and Regulation Source: TESPOK Charley Lewis LINK Centre E-mail: lewis.c@pdm.wits.ac.za charley@union.org.za Tel: + 27 + 11 + 717-3784 Fax: + 27 + 11 + 717-3910 Mobile: + 27 + 83 + 539-5242 Post: Box 81185, Parkhurst, 2120 Skype: charley.lewis IM: charleylws@hotmail.com URL: http://link.wits.ac.za Mwalimu House School of Public & Development Management University of the Witwatersrand 2 St David's Place Parktown From itnews at e-news.co.za Fri Mar 11 14:08:35 2005 From: itnews at e-news.co.za (ITWeb Telecom Weekly) Date: Tue Apr 17 18:18:19 2007 Subject: NITF ICT Forum: Sentech seeks R300m upgrade Message-ID: <20050311120835.5918835C62E@mx01.sangonet.org.za> An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://lists.sn.apc.org/pipermail/nitf_forum/attachments/20050311/fb633b94/attachment-0001.html From itnews at e-news.co.za Mon Mar 14 14:59:43 2005 From: itnews at e-news.co.za (ITWeb Events) Date: Tue Apr 17 18:18:19 2007 Subject: NITF ICT Forum: VOIP : The `how to` without the hype conference Message-ID: <20050314125943.7DD2335C649@mx01.sangonet.org.za> An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://lists.sn.apc.org/pipermail/nitf_forum/attachments/20050314/c2944826/attachment-0001.htm From itnews at e-news.co.za Fri Mar 18 13:40:56 2005 From: itnews at e-news.co.za (ITWeb Telecom Weekly) Date: Tue Apr 17 18:18:19 2007 Subject: NITF ICT Forum: Users snap up uncapped ADSL Message-ID: <20050318114056.E85F635C687@mx01.sangonet.org.za> An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://lists.sn.apc.org/pipermail/nitf_forum/attachments/20050318/28f49ded/attachment-0001.html From itnews at e-news.co.za Thu Mar 24 13:09:10 2005 From: itnews at e-news.co.za (ITWeb Telecom Weekly) Date: Tue Apr 17 18:18:19 2007 Subject: NITF ICT Forum: IP boosts telephony integration Message-ID: <20050324110910.878E935C952@mx01.sangonet.org.za> An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://lists.sn.apc.org/pipermail/nitf_forum/attachments/20050324/7efdd632/attachment-0001.htm From mzdssrbh at manchester.ac.uk Fri Mar 25 20:48:25 2005 From: mzdssrbh at manchester.ac.uk (Richard Heeks) Date: Tue Apr 17 18:18:19 2007 Subject: NITF ICT Forum: ICTs and Devel. PhD Fellowships at Manchester Message-ID: ICTs and Development PhD Fellowships at Manchester The University of Manchester is this year providing a set of graduate teaching fellowships which can be used to support PhD study in topics on ICTs/information systems and socio- economic development. The deadline for PhD application to be considered for a fellowship is May 6. Only very high-quality candidates will be considered. We are typically looking for a roughly distinction-level grade in an MSc from a Western or Western-equivalent university in an appropriate topic (which includes but is not limited to information systems, management, or development); good English skills; evidence of teaching capability; and a relevant topic for study backed by a proposal that demonstrates an ability to work with academic theory. Any selected candidate will join the University's Development Informatics Group; a fifteen-strong unit studying various aspects of the relation between information systems, ICTs and development. Given the nature of the fellowship, candidates will need to be based full-time in Manchester. Any topic related to development informatics will be considered although we have particular concentrations at present on: e-commerce and development; information systems in small/micro-enterprise; the ICT (esp. software) sector; theorising e-development; ICTs in mountain regions; Internet diffusion in Africa and the Middle East; and impact assessment of ICTs in development. Further details on the fellowship scheme, which is provided by the University's School of Environment and Development, including details on how to apply, can be found at: http://www.sed.manchester.ac.uk/postgraduate/funding/gtf/ Richard Heeks --------------------------------------------------------------------- Dr Richard Heeks Senior Lecturer, Information Systems & Development Development Informatics Group Institute for Development Policy & Management University of Manchester Harold Hankins Building Precinct Centre Manchester M13 9QH U.K. Phone: +44-161-275-2870 Fax: +44-161-273-8829 Email: richard.heeks@man.ac.uk IDPM Web: http://idpm.man.ac.uk/ From itnews at e-news.co.za Fri Mar 4 14:01:27 2005 From: itnews at e-news.co.za (ITWeb Telecom Weekly) Date: Wed May 23 11:04:39 2007 Subject: NITF ICT Forum: Cell C won't be a Virgin Co. Message-ID: <20050304120127.5380135C615@mx01.sangonet.org.za> An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://lists.sn.apc.org/pipermail/nitf_forum/attachments/20050304/7d60f971/attachment-0002.htm From Lewis.C at pdm.wits.ac.za Wed Mar 9 16:41:25 2005 From: Lewis.C at pdm.wits.ac.za (Charles Lewis) Date: Wed May 23 11:04:39 2007 Subject: NITF ICT Forum: Minister Under Fire for Sacking CCK Board Message-ID: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Minister Under Fire for Sacking CCK Board http://allafrica.com/stories/200503080708.html The East African Standard (Nairobi) March 9, 2005 Alari Alare Nairobi The Government's decision to sack the Communication Commission of Kenya (CCK) board has thrown the industry into disarray. This means that at the moment, no licence can be issued, no dispute can be settled and no regulatory intervention can take place. CCK staff yesterday refused to comment on the board's sacking by Information and Communications minister Raphael Tuju on Monday evening. The sector's umbrella body, Telecommunications Service Providers Association of Kenya (Tespok), criticised the move and said a vacuum had been created due to lack of communication by the Government on how affairs within the sector should be managed. Tespok chairman Joseph Mucheru said Tuju's move was a blow to Kenya's economy. "Over 100 companies await processing of their licences in order to establish business, employ Kenyans and bring communications facilities and services to the economy. This has all been cut short by interference from the very Government that committed itself to economic reforms, improved employment and support for private sector driven development", said Mucheru. Speaking during the opening of the Second National ICT Convention in Nairobi yesterday, Mucheru said the chairman of the African ISP Association, W Stucke, had lamented that Tuju's action would scare off investors in the continent. "Now watch investments in Africa as a whole, not just Kenya, wither up and blow away in the wind". Mucheru said Tuju's action could only be construed as intrusive and short-sighted. "The action can only be construed as obstructive and diversionary since it comes in the midst of the on going liberalisation of the sector". Tespok commended the sacked board and CCK's director general Sammy Kirui who was sent on compulsory leave on Monday. "The immediate former board of directors and the director general had successfully managed Kenya's transition into a competition framework", said Mucheru. Kirui is also the current chairman of the International Telecommunications Union Council that oversees telecommunications worldwide. "This is due to recognition by the international community of CCK's outstanding efforts to reform Kenya's regulatory environment from one of the worst in the world to the current status where we are being emulated by countries such as South Africa because of our exemplary and progressive regulations", said Mucheru. Mucheru also said Kirui had a security of tenure under the Kenya Communications Act of 1998 "and his removal from active duty without any explanation begs the question as to whether the Government really respects the law". He said the appointment of an acting Director-General from a Ministerial department raises questions of sincerity on the Government side in providing an independent regulator as mandated by the law. The disbandment of the board came only a day after reports that a powerful cartel was interfering with CCK operations. But sources had earlier indicated to The Standard that there was a disagreement between Tuju and the CCK board over the minister's move to cancel a GSM licence issued to Econet Wireless Kenya. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Kenya telecoms in flux after regulators fired Tue March 8, 2005 4:26 PM GMT+02:00 http://www.reuters.co.za/locales/c_newsArticle.jsp;:422dbe68:37d3dde29193a9b8?type=businessNews&localeKey=en_ZA&storyID=7839537 By George Obulutsa NAIROBI (Reuters) - Kenya's abrupt dissolution of its telecoms regulatory board infuriated companies on Tuesday, which said the disruption might further delay long-awaited liberalization and discourage new investment. Information and Technology Minister Raphael Tuju dissolved the board of the Communications Commission of Kenya (CCK) on Monday, saying in a statement only that he had ordered "investigations into various issues that have come to the attention of the ministry". The former board had moved toward speeding up the freeing of the sector, but experts say it had been frustrated by government officials keen to protect state-owned, loss-maker Telkom Kenya. "It was quite shocking that this thing happened. The board that was disbanded was very much into opening up the sector in terms of being able to get new players to come into the market," said Robert Kariuki Mugo, technical director at Internet service provider UUNET Kenya. A new board may not be as in favour of opening up the market, Mugo said. The government in July removed Telkom's monopoly over international gateways and Internet networks, but the licensing of new players has dragged, which has frustrated Kenyans tired of hefty phone bills and unreliable, slow Internet service. Industry sources said the dispute between the board and Tuju was triggered by a commission order to Telkom Kenya to reconnect an Internet company that offered cheap international calls, which undercut the state company's high prices. "I think CCK has unwittingly stepped into a snake's nest and they are bearing the brunt of it," said Brian Longwe, a director of the Telecommunications Service Providers Association of Kenya. STROKE OF A PEN "We really fail to understand how, with the stroke of a pen, our entire sector has been thrown into total chaos and anarchy," he added. The telecoms sector is one of the fastest-growing industries in the country, with two mobile phone companies and a third on the way and 4 million subscribers from a population of 31 million. CCK says the sector earns around 50 billion shillings annually. The investors who are needed to modernize Kenya's telecoms infrastructure may shy away because of the minister's decision. "This to us speaks of the highest level of government interference. Right now there are over 100 licences that are pending before the commission. They cannot be processed because there is no board to do so," Longwe said. It is not the first time Tuju has stepped into the liberalization fray. Last year he cancelled the licence of Kenya's third mobile phone operator, Econet Wireless, over a dispute between its shareholders, and a Kenyan court promptly restored the licence. He also cancelled a tender on a second national operator, citing irregularities and causing controversy. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Telkom is Ordered to Restore ISP Connectivity http://allafrica.com/stories/200503071551.html The East African Standard (Nairobi) March 8, 2005 Alari Alare Nairobi The Government has added its voice to the regulator's order to Telkom Kenya to immediately restore connectivity to ISP Kenya Limited. Information and Communications permanent secretary James Rege said it was wrong for the corporation to take the law into its own hands. http://www.oracle.com/go/?&Src=3188850&Act=19 Instead, he said, it should report any disagreements with its clients to the Communications Commission of Kenya (CCK). "It is CCK who should direct any disconnection of service. If Telkom felt that the service provider was not acting within provisions of their agreement, they should have reported the matter to the regulator", said Rege. He was responding to questions from journalists during the opening of the Association of Regulators of Information and Communications in Eastern and Southern Africa (ARICEA) workshop at a Nairobi hotel. Rege's sentiments come a week after the CCK instructed Telkom Kenya to restore a high capacity E1 telephone line that allowed Sema calling card holders to make international calls at an affordable rate. CCK director general Sammy Kirui said that like any service provider, Telkom does not enforce the law. "Enforcement of the law is the work of a regulator". The workshop will discuss wide-ranging subjects relating to policy guidelines on consumer protection, key performance indicators, numbering, e-strategy and a model postal bill.postal bill. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Tuju, Tell Us More On CCK http://allafrica.com/stories/200503080820.html The Nation (Nairobi) EDITORIAL March 9, 2005 Nairobi Minister Raphael Tuju on Tuesday dissolved the Communications Commission of Kenya board and sent its director on leave. He did not have the courtesy to explain. But the decision by the Information and Communications minister came a few days after a court ruled that the Government was liable for the Econet wireless fiasco. Therefore, one view has it that Mr Tuju's action may be linked to it. For a YEAR IN REVIEW excerpt from the Africa 2005 guidebook, click here. (Adobe Acrobat). To buy the book, click here. But who did right and who did wrong is not the point here. Rather, it is that, unlike the civil service, Kenyans who work in regulatory and executive agencies seem to have little protection against political whims. This is an anomaly. Executive agencies all over the world are given some level of autonomy from the Government partly to protect them from the arbitrary political actions. In practice, it seems that, in Kenya, the opposite is the case. In exercising their oversight functions over the various commissions and authorities, the ministers enjoy too much power to do as they please. The effect is not always undesirable. Abuses have occurred and, often, those sacked have often been incompetent or corrupt. But, in many cases, sackings have been unfair to the individual victims, affecting, moreover, some of the most qualified and most effective cadres. Even if they are reinstated, their reputations will have been damaged. If not, their replacements have frequently raised eyebrows, to say the very least. For these reasons, we believe that a more public and transparent review mechanism should be worked out - probably an independent agency - to govern dismissals and appointments and ensure an interview process that is always aboveboard. It is also hypocritical for political leaders to seek to exclude themselves from the same standards of behaviour they claim to demand from other public servants. When ministers are accused of corruption, or when their actions lead to losses of public funds or national embarrassment, they refuse to resign or apologise. They cannot claim justice for themselves and, at the same time, deny it to other Kenyans. Mr Tuju must explain to Kenyans why he sacked the team. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Charley Lewis LINK Centre E-mail: lewis.c@pdm.wits.ac.za charley@union.org.za Tel: + 27 + 11 + 717-3784 Fax: + 27 + 11 + 717-3910 Mobile: + 27 + 83 + 539-5242 Post: Box 81185, Parkhurst, 2120 Skype: charley.lewis IM: charleylws@hotmail.com URL: http://link.wits.ac.za Mwalimu House School of Public & Development Management University of the Witwatersrand 2 St David's Place Parktown From Lewis.C at pdm.wits.ac.za Thu Mar 10 10:18:38 2005 From: Lewis.C at pdm.wits.ac.za (Charles Lewis) Date: Wed May 23 11:04:39 2007 Subject: NITF ICT Forum: Kenyan service providers react to govt dissolution of CCK Board! Message-ID: Kenyan Govt dissolves Communications Regulator Board! http://africa.rights.apc.org/index.shtml?apc=n21843e_1&x=31166 03/08/2005 (TESPOK) -- The 7th of March 2005 will go down in history as one of the darkest days in Kenya's and Africa's communications sectors. This is the day that the Kenyan Government, in a totally incomprehensible manner dissolved the Communications Commission of Kenya's Board of Directors and relieved the Director General of his duties. The actions taken by the government can only be construed as intrusive,obstructive shortsighted and diversionary as they come in the midst of an ongoing liberalisation of the sector, end of exclusivity of Telkom Kenya and fast convergence of technologies that are currently presenting regulators worldwide with unforseen challenges. It is our contention, on behalf of the industry, that this was a hurried, unplanned and poorly thought out action. The ongoing disputes within the sector which have been prompted by the newly opened market demand that the country have a stable, objective and level-headed regulator. The immediate former Board of Directors and Director-General had successfully managed Kenya's transition into a competition framework. Besides this, the immediate former Director General is the current Chairman of the International Telecommunications Union Council which oversees telecommunications worldwide. This is due to recognition by the International community of CCK's outstanding efforts to reform Kenya's regulatory environment from one of the worst in the world to the current status where we are being emulated by countries such as South Africa because of our exemplary and progressive regulations. This action by the Government has thrown the entire industry into disarray. The CCK Board plays such a crucial role that now no further licenses can be issued, no disputes can be settled and no formal regulatory interventions can take place and there is no clear communication from the Government as to how affairs within the sector are to be managed. Currently over 100 companies await the processing of their licenses in order to establish business, employ Kenyans and bring communications facilities and services to the economy. This has all been cut short by interference from the very Government that committed itself to economic reforms, improved employment and support for private-sector driven development. The appointment of an acting Director-General from a Ministerial department also raises questions as to the sincerity of the Government in providing for an independent regulator as mandated by the Law (KCA '98). We do not need to emphasise the fact that the same Government has failed in it's primary role of providing policy guidance for the sector over the past 4 years and instead has resorted to frustrating and now completely disabling the only agency that has promoted investment and development within Kenya's communications sector. On hearing this news, the Chairman of the African ISP Association, Mr. W. Stucke, who is based in South Africa reacted by saying "Good grief! Now watch investments in Africa as a whole, not just Kenya wither up and blow away in the wind..." It is our understanding that the position of Director General has tenure of office under the Communications Act '98 and his removal from active duty without any explanation begs the question as to whether the government really respects the Law. This same law has safeguards to protect the regulator from interference but these seem to have been completely ignored by the Government who today are interested parties in the communications sector. We hereby express our outrage at the way in which this matter has been handled and demand an immediate explanation from the Government regarding it's actions and it's plans to restore confidence and stability in the communications sector in the shortest time possible. Mr. Joseph Mucheru, Chairman For Telecommunications Service Providers of Kenya (TESPOK) Date: 03/08/2005 Location: Kenya Theme: Laws and Regulation Source: TESPOK Charley Lewis LINK Centre E-mail: lewis.c@pdm.wits.ac.za charley@union.org.za Tel: + 27 + 11 + 717-3784 Fax: + 27 + 11 + 717-3910 Mobile: + 27 + 83 + 539-5242 Post: Box 81185, Parkhurst, 2120 Skype: charley.lewis IM: charleylws@hotmail.com URL: http://link.wits.ac.za Mwalimu House School of Public & Development Management University of the Witwatersrand 2 St David's Place Parktown From itnews at e-news.co.za Fri Mar 11 14:08:35 2005 From: itnews at e-news.co.za (ITWeb Telecom Weekly) Date: Wed May 23 11:04:39 2007 Subject: NITF ICT Forum: Sentech seeks R300m upgrade Message-ID: <20050311120835.5918835C62E@mx01.sangonet.org.za> An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://lists.sn.apc.org/pipermail/nitf_forum/attachments/20050311/fb633b94/attachment-0002.html From itnews at e-news.co.za Mon Mar 14 14:59:43 2005 From: itnews at e-news.co.za (ITWeb Events) Date: Wed May 23 11:04:39 2007 Subject: NITF ICT Forum: VOIP : The `how to` without the hype conference Message-ID: <20050314125943.7DD2335C649@mx01.sangonet.org.za> An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://lists.sn.apc.org/pipermail/nitf_forum/attachments/20050314/c2944826/attachment-0002.htm From itnews at e-news.co.za Fri Mar 18 13:40:56 2005 From: itnews at e-news.co.za (ITWeb Telecom Weekly) Date: Wed May 23 11:04:39 2007 Subject: NITF ICT Forum: Users snap up uncapped ADSL Message-ID: <20050318114056.E85F635C687@mx01.sangonet.org.za> An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://lists.sn.apc.org/pipermail/nitf_forum/attachments/20050318/28f49ded/attachment-0002.html From itnews at e-news.co.za Thu Mar 24 13:09:10 2005 From: itnews at e-news.co.za (ITWeb Telecom Weekly) Date: Wed May 23 11:04:39 2007 Subject: NITF ICT Forum: IP boosts telephony integration Message-ID: <20050324110910.878E935C952@mx01.sangonet.org.za> An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://lists.sn.apc.org/pipermail/nitf_forum/attachments/20050324/7efdd632/attachment-0002.htm From mzdssrbh at manchester.ac.uk Fri Mar 25 20:48:25 2005 From: mzdssrbh at manchester.ac.uk (Richard Heeks) Date: Wed May 23 11:04:39 2007 Subject: NITF ICT Forum: ICTs and Devel. PhD Fellowships at Manchester Message-ID: ICTs and Development PhD Fellowships at Manchester The University of Manchester is this year providing a set of graduate teaching fellowships which can be used to support PhD study in topics on ICTs/information systems and socio- economic development. The deadline for PhD application to be considered for a fellowship is May 6. Only very high-quality candidates will be considered. We are typically looking for a roughly distinction-level grade in an MSc from a Western or Western-equivalent university in an appropriate topic (which includes but is not limited to information systems, management, or development); good English skills; evidence of teaching capability; and a relevant topic for study backed by a proposal that demonstrates an ability to work with academic theory. Any selected candidate will join the University's Development Informatics Group; a fifteen-strong unit studying various aspects of the relation between information systems, ICTs and development. Given the nature of the fellowship, candidates will need to be based full-time in Manchester. Any topic related to development informatics will be considered although we have particular concentrations at present on: e-commerce and development; information systems in small/micro-enterprise; the ICT (esp. software) sector; theorising e-development; ICTs in mountain regions; Internet diffusion in Africa and the Middle East; and impact assessment of ICTs in development. Further details on the fellowship scheme, which is provided by the University's School of Environment and Development, including details on how to apply, can be found at: http://www.sed.manchester.ac.uk/postgraduate/funding/gtf/ Richard Heeks --------------------------------------------------------------------- Dr Richard Heeks Senior Lecturer, Information Systems & Development Development Informatics Group Institute for Development Policy & Management University of Manchester Harold Hankins Building Precinct Centre Manchester M13 9QH U.K. Phone: +44-161-275-2870 Fax: +44-161-273-8829 Email: richard.heeks@man.ac.uk IDPM Web: http://idpm.man.ac.uk/