PROBABLY the biggest news of the past year was the switching on of the Seacom cable, and the industry`s hopes for faster and cheaper Internet connectivity. The mobile interconnect fee debate also topped the headlines, again bringing with it hopes of cheaper telecoms. Both issues look set to continue making news into 2010, as users hold their breath for the promised comms and broadband benefits. The recession also dominated the news, as local companies grimly rode out (what we hope was) the worst of the global downturn, and the proposed MTN-Bharti deal enjoyed a great deal of attention, until it fizzled out.
Analyst Paul Booth notes that this year has seen a shake-up in the telecoms industry. He mentions Telkom`s unbundling of Vodacom, MTN`s attempts to merge with Bharti, Orange coming into SA, the Huge scandal and the drop in interconnect rates.
Booth adds that in 2009, both locally and internationally, the economic situation led to many acquisitions because the recession presented companies with the opportunity to acquire at a lower cost, as well as being able to expand their portfolio for an added edge. It was also a year for antitrust issues, he notes, with companies like Microsoft, Intel and IBM involved in antitrust cases.
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