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21
Nov 2011 |
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Telkom says it is "considering ICT acquisitions", a move that CEO Pinky Moholi believes is "imperative" given that its traditional revenues and markets are shrinking. For years, executives have struggled to articulate and execute a strategy that would save the operator from becoming simply a wholesaler of fibre in the long term. Moholi-s five-year plan - easily the fifth in as many years - focuses on a big push into consumer broadband, achieving 12 percent to 15 percent revenue market share in the mobile... |
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21
Nov 2011 |
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Fixed-line operator Telkom this morning reported operating revenue from continuing operations, which strips out Multi-Links, down 3.2 percent - to R16.4 billion - in the first six months of the year. The company, which had a challenging first half to September, reported operating profit 16.7 percent lower, at R4.4 billion, while headline earnings per share declined 35.5 percent, to 191.7c. Its mobile arm, 8ta, reported a R1.158 billion loss, a 464.9 percent increase year-on-year. CEO Nombulelo "Pinky" ... |
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21
Nov 2011 |
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First National Bank is offering its customers' cellphone contracts with handsets at subsidised rates, in conjunction with cellphone operator Cell C. The Nokia C3, which will be available on a Control Chat 100 for R79 pm. The cellphone contracts are offered through the existing account opening process where the branch systems have been integrated with Cell C's retail systems. "This is yet another first from FNB and is in line with our philosophy of using innovation to add convenience and value to our... |
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17
Nov 2011 |
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Mobile newcomer 8ta announced yesterday that prepaid and hybrid subscribers can now buy airtime online via its Web site, using their credit cards. The cellular arm of Telkom, 8ta has added the ability to purchase airtime and data bundles to its free self-service portal at www.8ta.com. Subscribers need to register on the Web site and complete the SMS verification process that follows. According to Telkom Mobile managing executive Amith Maharaj, subscribers will be able to purchase airtime and data bundles ... |
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17
Nov 2011 |
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Questions are swirling after Telkom said this week that, for the first time since its listing on the JSE in March 2003, it will not hold a presentation to talk about its interim financial results, which are due to be published on Monday. The results presentations, held every six months to coincide with the publication of the group's interim and annual results, are keenly attended by journalists, analysts and investors, who have the opportunity to ask questions of the group's senior management team. Though... |
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15
Nov 2011 |
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Neotel yesterday reported a 40 percent increase in consumer subscribers, which sees its base jump from 50 000 to 70 000. The operator has been under pressure to grow this portion of its business as subscriber numbers have stalled since 2009. It introduced a number of new packages in August with aggressive pricing and the company says demand for these has helped boost customer numbers. New MD and CEO, Sunil Joshi, says the 40 percent growth rate in the first half of the financial year is below its earlier... |
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14
Nov 2011 |
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Telkom is involved in a multibillion-rand project to increase the throughput of fixed-line broadband to speeds of up to 40Mbit/s. The plans also include dramatically upping the speed of entry-level broadband services and introducing video-on-demand (VOD) services, possibly from international providers such as Hulu, Netflix and Nangu. In addition, the company is planning a trial using superfast fibre-optic cables from selected telephone exchanges, with the pilot project expected to kick off as early as 15 ... |
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11
Nov 2011 |
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Fixed-line telecommunications operator Neotel has reported "positive" second-quarter earnings thanks to a turnaround strategy that was implemented early this year. The company, which posted a loss of R1,8bn for the year to March from R1,15bn previously, said it had achieved positive earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amorti sation for the quarter to September. Neotel said it grew revenue about 25 percent in the first half of the 2012 financial year, thanks to a growing customer base and... |
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11
Nov 2011 |
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Telkom's sale of Multi-Links will result in a net loss of R1 billion, which will affect the second half of the financial year, says the JSE-listed fixed-line operator. The company yesterday issued a further trading update for the first six months to end September. Telkom says headline earnings per share from continuing operations will be between 33 percent and 38 percent lower, while basic earnings from continuing operations will drop by between 68 percent and 73 percent. A year ago, Telkom reported normal... |
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9
Nov 2011 |
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MTN SA is stepping up its investment in network infrastructure, promising to double the number of third-generation (3G) mobile base stations across the country in the next two years to 6 000 and extending wireless broadband access deep into underserved parts of the country. To do this, the company is "refarming" (reallocating) a portion of the spectrum it has access to in the 900MHz radio frequency band for 3G services, says chief technology officer Lambo Kanagaratnam. Until now, SA's operators have... |
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8
Nov 2011 |
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MTN SA is running a pilot of its high-speed long-term evolution (LTE) network in Cape Town this week. The company has been testing LTE using approximately 100 towers in Gauteng since late August and has reallocated part of its 1,8GHz spectrum allocation to do so. MTN will unveil the pilot at Cape Town's International Convention Centre during the 2011 AfricaCom conference, which kicks off on Wednesday. The pilot is being run in conjunction with Ericsson. Lambo Kanagaratnam, MTN SA's chief technology office... |
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8
Nov 2011 |
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After years of delay, government is now seriously considering giving Telkom's rivals accesses to its local exchanges. Known as local loop unbundling in industry jargon, the practice of giving its competitors accesses to its own infrastructure has the incumbent operator justifiably nervous, as it poses a major risk for Telkom's business. The problem for the group is that while the local loop unbundling looks certain to happen, it can't quantify what the effect will be until the Independent Communications... |
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7
Nov 2011 |
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Unfavourable weather conditions in the form of heavy rains and electrical storm activity are expected across South Africa during the annual rainy season. Telkom is gearing up to minimise network related faults caused by the adverse weather conditions and the effect this has on our customers. Thunderstorms are most prevalent at this time of year especially in the interior regions of the country - greater Gauteng and Free State areas being most affected. Gauteng, in particular, is predisposed to heavy rains... |
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7
Nov 2011 |
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Vodacom, SA's largest mobile operator, is on track to spend R6.3 billion on upgrading and improving the stability of its network in the 2012 financial year. During the first six months, the operator spent R3.5 billion on its operations, of which about R3 billion went into its local network. Vodacom has recently been plagued by network failures, the largest of which happened at the end of June, when millions of South Africans were unable to communicate across large parts of the country. The operator has... |
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6
Nov 2011 |
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South African mobile operator, Vodacom announced this week a promotion which will see data costs for Prepaid and Top Up customers reduced by 87 percent. This promotion introduces Vodacoms lowest per megabyte Prepaid mobile data price of 2.4 cents. The data promotion launches on 7 November 2011 and will continue until 9 January 2012. The price reduction will apply to Broadband Advanced MyGig 20 Prepaid and Top Up once-off data bundles, now priced at R499. The normal retail price of the My Gig 20 Advanced ... |
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