The Telecommunication and Posts Regulatory Authority (ARPT) of the Republic of Guinea and the company Global Voice Group (GVG), a provider of ICT and RegTech solutions, have announced a partnership relating to the deployment of what is described as a leading-edge mobile and digital ecosystem regulation platform in Guinea.

While South Africa is home to the largest concentration of data centres on the African continent, the appeal of West Africa seems to be growing, with new developments planned for both Senegal and Nigeria.

ZTE Corporation has implemented Africa’s first live 3G/4G/5G Tri-RAT dynamic spectrum sharing solution, ZTE’s SuperDSS, in South Africa.

The past few days have seen the Tanzanian government take action after what has been described as ‘public uproar’ relating to new data bundle pricing from the country’s operators.

The original deadline for NIN-SIM registration in Nigeria was the end of 2020. It’s been moved three times since then. The new deadline – the fourth in total – is 6 May.

Pan-African group Smile Telecoms Holdings has agreed a debt restructuring plan with its lenders.

Botswana’s information technology and communication (ICT) sector may be about to receive a boost, after news that the country’s government has decided to direct more projects towards locally owned ICT businesses.

South Africa’s operators will be able to make use of their emergency spectrum allocations for an additional two months after regulator ICASA (Independent Communications Authority of South Africa) delayed a scheduled multi-band auction.

Senegal’s Sonatel has won a contract from Benin’s government to run the state-owned SBIN (Societe Beninoise d’Infrastructures Numeriques, or Beninese Digital Infrastructure Company) with the ultimate goal of launching a third network in the market.

Namibia will require all mobile phone users to register their SIM card prior to accessing services following the introduction of new regulation.

South Africa’s Public Investment Corporation (PIC) is holding discussions with shareholders in a bid to avert the liquidation of pan-African operating group Smile Telecoms Holdings.

Nokia and Safaricom have confirmed yesterday’s news that East Africa’s first commercial 5G services have been launched in parts of Kenya, and have added more detail about the technology involved.

Kenya’s leading operator Safaricom has announced plans to launch a 5G network this Friday in Nairobi and western Kenya.

Zimbabwe’s smallest mobile operator Telecel is reportedly courting investors to generate funds for a new network expansion.

Somaliland’s Somtel has begun its initial public offering (IPO), with interested parties able to acquire a minimum of 20 shares for US$100 apiece.

We briefly noted earlier this week that Liquid Intelligent Technologies, formerly Liquid Telecoms, had deployed a fibre network in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The company has now supplied more details of the deployment – and it makes some impressive claims for the new network.

Senegalese operator Expresso has launched its 4G network after extensive delays.

The Zambia Information and Communications Technology Authority (ZICTA) has published its Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector annual market report for the year 2020, and many of its findings – and predictions – are positive.

Digital fintech enablement provider Ukheshe Technologies and Infobip, a global cloud communications platform that enables businesses to build connected customer experiences, say they have developed South Africa’s very first WhatsApp payment gateway. It is to be used by mobile operator Telkom.

Botswana Fibre Networks (BoFiNet), a wholesale provider of national and international telecommunication infrastructure, has announced plans to build a data centre at the Science and Technology Park in Gaborone, the country’s capital.

Orange Cameroon has extended its Network as a Service (NAAS) contract with NuRAN Wireless to add a further 120 sites to its footprint in the market.

LogRhythm has partnered with Mideast Communication Systems (MCS) to deliver next-generation security information and event management (NextGen SIEM) solutions to organisations across the Middle East and East Africa.

A Zimbabwean union of communications workers is calling for the beleaguered state-backed mobile firm Telecel to enter receivership or a corporate rescue process.

Malawi has unveiled a five-year Digital Economy Strategy aimed at massively boosting access to connectivity by 2026.

Cape Verde is on track to clear its “digital dividend” spectrum by the end of June.

The saga of South African regulator ICASA and the release of more spectrum to operators has taken another twist, with ICASA now planning to appeal a recent court order halting a forthcoming spectrum auction.

Hard on the heels of South Africa’s similar announcement, Nigeria’s National Broadcasting Commission now says that the country’s Digital Switch Over (DSO) project will be completed by middle of 2022 when the country will fully transit from analogue to digital terrestrial broadcasting.

Guinean regulator ARPT (L’Autoritie de Regulation des Postes et Telecommunications) will deactivate any SIM cards that remain unregistered from 2nd May this year.

Last week saw Paratus Namibia announce the signing of its first fibre Open Access agreement, onboarding Africa Online as a client.

Zain’s local unit in South Sudan has launched a commercial 4G offering in the capital city Juba.

Ghana’s only Tier IV data centre has reportedly been bought by fund management group African Infrastructure Investment Managers (AIIM), which now promises to make the former Etix facility the largest data centre in the country.