The backlash to WhatsApp’s announcement of a new privacy policy continues. The latest adverse response has come from South Africa.

Guinea is planning to revive the country’s shuttered fixed line provider Sotelgui (Societe des Telecoms de Guinee) through international investment.

The  Raxio Group, a pan-African data centre developer and operator, has claimed a first. It will establish and invest in Raxio Kinshasa, the first in a series of state-of-the-art, privately owned, carrier-neutral data centres in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Spacecom, a satellite service provider and the owner and operator of the AMOS satellite fleet, together with its local partner in Nigeria, Intertel, and in partnership with Zinox, a leading Nigerian internet and e-learning service provider, has signed a multi-year contract to enable internet connectivity and e-learning solutions for schools in Nigeria.

Senegalese operator Expresso has been granted a 4G licence by the country’s regulator ARTP (L’Autorite de Regulation des Telecommunications et des Postes).

Vodacom DRC has partnered with mobile technology firm Mondia to roll out a new healthcare service aimed at new mothers across the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

Somalia’s Hormuud Telecom already offers mobile money services but, in an effort to formalise the country’s fast-growing digital payments infrastructure and integrate it with the global financial system, Somalia’s central bank has now awarded the country’s first mobile money licence to the operator.

Zimbabwean state-owned operator NetOne is collaborating with Huawei on the second phase of its ICT services upgrade.

Ethio Telecom has expanded its 4G coverage to six new regions in Ethiopia while at the same time pledging to extend this reach further in the near future.

Zambian communications regulator, the Zambia Information and Communication Technology Authority (ZICTA), has awarded the nation’s fourth mobile operator licence to Beeline Telecoms.

It looks like the long-awaited switch-off of South Africa’s analogue television transmitters to free up spectrum and transfer viewers to digital TV is finally going to happen.

According to local press reports, Ghana’s government is considering establishing a unified licensing regime for operators.

The South African technology press has been reporting that the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) is talking to aerospace manufacturer and space transportation services company SpaceX regarding its satellite-based Starlink internet service.

Orange DRC has signed a 10-year deal with Canadian vendor NuRAN that will help it to expand its rural coverage across the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

A merger between Airtel Kenya and Telkom Kenya could be back on the cards after the country’s High Court overruled objections from the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC).

Sao Tome and Principe’s incumbent provider CST (Companhia Santomense de Telecomunicacoes) has announced the expansion of its fibre optic network to the north of the island nation.

Senegalese regulator ARTP (L’Autorite de Regulation des Telecommunications et des Postes) has formally warned Expresso Telecom that it must improve its services or face being stripped of its operating licence.

According to local press reports, the Gabonese government is preparing to sell more shares held in three companies relating to telecoms, water and energy, and banking.

There’s been a lot of interest from the African press recently in the news that online payments services company JamboPay has obtained a license to operate as a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) in Kenya.

It’s official. African mobile technology company Africell has confirmed that it has finalised a deal that will give it a mobile telecommunications operator’s licence in Angola.

The Zambia Information and Communications Technology Authority (ZICTA) has announced that it is inviting applications from eligible licensees for issuance of spectrum in the 800MHZ band.

South African regulator ICASA has confirmed that it will challenge MTN’s legal appeal against a regulatory decision that the operator group claims is “unlawful.”

Teraco Data Environments, which describes itself as Africa’s largest interconnection hub and vendor-neutral data centre provider, says it has raised $170 million to fund its data centre construction efforts.

Among the growing number of recent satellite communications deals of relevance to Africa are two announcements from the southern part of the continent, where both Zimbabwe and South Africa are using satcoms to improve services.

The Ethiopian Communications Authority (ECA) has delayed the issue of two new nationwide operating licences.

Guinea’s telecommunications sector was given a tremendous boost following the market entry of MTN Group and Orange Group. Subsequently, the number of mobile subscribers grew strongly while revenue also increased steadily.

Further underlining the growing importance of cashless and paperless payment in Africa, Kenyan operator Safaricom has announced the launch of an M-Pesa Bill Management service.

Togolese regulator ARCEP (Electronic Communications and Postal Regulatory Authority) is implementing new frameworks aimed at protecting consumer interests.

Reports in the Kenyan press are making clear how much of a hit the country’s banks have taken from the recent surge in mobile money payments.