Mobile Number Portability (MNP) launched in Ghana on 7th July 2011, enabling mobile subscribers to move from one mobile network to another, whilst still retaining their full mobile number. It has generated some buzz in the Ghana's mobile communications sector with all the mobile providers offering mouth-watering incentives to woo subscribers from other networks whilst keeping their existing subscribers. As of this morning (18th July 2011), over ... [Read more]
This is the 3rd and final part in a series of posts related to Esoko. Esoko: The Platform Esoko is an agricultural market information platform. It takes advantage of the explosive growth of mobile communication services in Africa. Managed on the web and delivered via mobile, individuals, agri-business, government and projects use Esoko to collect and send out market data using simple text messaging. The Esoko platform provides automatic and ... [Read more]
Following the launch of Mobile Number Portability (MNP) in Ghana on 7th July 2011, the mobile networks all launched campaigns geared towards enticing mobile subscribers to port to their network. Newspaper ads, radio jingles and TV ads have taken the lead but since the internet is slowing going mainstream in Ghana, the leading mobile networks have taken their marketing the internet, as well. I am highlighting the web campaigns ... [Read more]
Infinity TV, a direct-to-home satellite TV service on Astra 2B has gone premium. Most of the channels they offer which have hitherto been free since early 2010 are now ... [Read more]
This is the 2nd part in a series of posts focused on Esoko. While many web/software development entities in Africa focus on fancy applications (apps) that have little meaningful impact on their society, a fast-growing software company headquartered in Accra is focused on improving some agricultural processes through creating software for collecting, analysing and sharing data related to agriculture. Esoko Ltd is championing an unusual mix in ... [Read more]
In case you missed the memo, Africa is rising. Having been largely ignored in the development of the Internet, things have been changing rapidly in the past decade with telecommunication companies forming alliances with financial institutions to bring serious data connectivity into Africa, and with it, lots of potential for prosperity. You can thus understand my excitement each time a new submarine cable is announced. West Africa Cable ... [Read more]
I granted the following video interview to ICTWorks.org in January 2011, and spoke about ICT for development, mobile communications, e-commerce, web hosting in Africa. ... [Read more]
I was a bit amused by a bold promise from MTN Ghana's Facebook update recently: Dear All Thank you for your commendations .We are working hard to even give you much more better coverage for both voice and data services Indeed, MTN’s USD 90 million West African Cable System (WACS), the biggest in Africa, has landed from UK and soon subscribers across the continent like you will be receiving a broadband windfall ever. WACS (West Africa Cable ... [Read more]
MainOne "Feel The Impact" broadband promo for Accra Ghana MainOne Cable Company is set to launch a free broadband promo from 14th to 26th March inside Accra Mall, in collaboration with a local partner BusyInternet. The promo is similar to what they unleashed in The Palms Mall Lekki Nigeria in December 2010. The promo is meant to bring the high-speed experience possible via MainOne, directly to end-users. Though MainOne does not sell internet ... [Read more]
I am now headed back to my abode after a day at The Palms Shopping Mall in Lekki Nigeria. I had stumbled on a Facebook update from MainOne Cable just yesterday offering free broadband via Wi-Fi and so this dawn, I set-off to take "undue" advantage of the free broadband service. I was more excited with the potential speed, than it being a freebie. You see, Main One is a submarine cable system that carries gigabytes of data from Europe to West ... [Read more]
