At Home

A spanner has been thrown in the works for Vox Telecom’s “low-cost satellite Internet broadband” service, following a delay with Yahsat’s YahClick Y1B satellite, initially scheduled for launch on 21 February. The launch has now been rescheduled for 15 April, due to unsuccessful launches of other satellites before Y1B at Kazakhstan, in December (2011) and January (2012). – ITWeb

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Stephen Elop" rel=tag>Stephen Elop" src="http://www.iweek.co.za/images/stories/2010/March12/stephen_elop.jpg" />Nokia chief executive Stephen Elop was in SA recently, as part of the final leg of a whistle-stop tour of Africa. The mobile phone maker did not disclose why the chief executive is in the country, but Elop came to SA after meeting with mobile phone application developers in Kenya the day before. – ITWeb

Another player has joined the precarious space of group-buying in SA. Launched earlier this month, www.flook.co.za was originated by media executives Craig Ross, Nic Wides, Larry Katz and Russel Stromin, and is SA’s first group-buying e-business that focuses exclusively on sports deals. – ITWeb

Lazarus Zim

Lazarus Zim will stay on as Telkom’s chairperson of the board, the national operator announced recently. Zim, who was appointed in February last year, for a 12-month period, has been reappointed to the position and will serve his term of office until the earlier date of either 31 August, or the company’s annual general meeting in 2013. – ITWeb

SA’s largest cellular operator, Vodacom, saw a 25% increase in subscribers over the three months to December, driving its customer base to 32 million locally. More than nine billion voice minutes were carried over the three-month period, says Vodacom CEO Pieter Uys, who attributes the growth to the operator’s summer campaigns, targeted promotions and handset deals – particularly in the rural areas. – ITWeb

The Democratic Alliance has called on National Treasury to intervene in the collapse of the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC). Acting CEO of the RTMC Collins Letsoalo, in a briefing to the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Transport, revealed the corporation is essentially insolvent. This is because of National Treasury’s refusal to write off its R200 million accumulated debt burden. – ITWeb

The Vodafone Smart Tab has been released locally by Vodacom. The branded tablet runs Honeycomb 3.2 and has built-in 3G and WiFi capabilities. The seven-inch version is priced at R3 699 prepaid, while the 10-inch Smart Tab goes for R4 699 prepaid. Alternatively, they are also available on the MyMeg500, MyGig1 or MyGig2 contracts. – ITWeb

The South African Municipal Workers Union (SAMWU) has tested the Gauteng Premier’s Hotline that was launched earlier this month. The hotline operates between 7am and 10pm, and can be reached on the toll-free number: 0860 428 8364, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , or by fax at 011 429-3223. The union adds that the service must be welcomed, because it empowers citizens to hold local politicians and local authorities accountable. – ITWeb

The Independent Communications Authority of SA has prioritised revenue collection of licence fees for 2012. Chairperson Stephen Mncube, talking about the authority’s plans for the year ahead, says enabling legislation mandates the regulator to collect licence fees – as service licence fees or radio frequency spectrum licence fees – on behalf of the national fiscus. However, it experienced challenges in the past financial year. – ITWeb

Into Africa

A mobile application that helps Kenyans diagnose their ailments and connects them to relevant specialists has been downloaded 43 000 times. The MedAfrica app, developed by Shimba Mobile for Android and Symbian phones, displays contact details and information of doctors and hospitals nearby to patients, after they have diagnosed their symptoms. – ITWeb

The British Coucil and Microsoft aim to build 80 digital hubs across sub-Saharan Africa, at an estimated cost of $2 million. The project, called Badiliko, which means ‘change’ in Swahili, is to set up digital hubs in schools across Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia, Ghana and Nigeria. The scheme kicked off in Nairobi with a four-day training session of 90 educators and school leaders. – ITWeb

About 2 000 Kenyans, who subscribed to Smart TV, now have obsolete decoders, after the pay-television provider went bust recently. The operator, which is owned by Transmex, is the latest casualty in Kenya’s pay-TV sector following GTV, which closed shop in 2009, owing to financial pressures. Problems have plagued Smart TV ever since the operator started its Kenyan business. – ITWeb

Ugandan telecoms service providers with poor service quality will soon have pay 10% of their gross income in penalties, if the communications regulator implements a new penalties schedule that seeks to curb the continued deterioration in service provision. Uganda Communications Commission said in consultation with stakeholders, the regulator had formulated a penalties schedule for telecoms that have failed to meet contractual obligations. – The Monitor

The Angolan satellite telecommunications system Infrasat intends to expand the rural “Liga-Liga” telephony services in the first half of 2012. The move will mark the reactivation of up to 600 antennas or tele-centres, said the director executive of the institution, António Rocha. – Angola Press

Nigeria’s Unity Bank said it will create more jobs for Nigerians through its mobile payment service called ‘Unity-Bank QikQik Mobile Payment Solution’. The ‘QikQik Kiosks’ would be stationed in all the 774 local government councils in the country to deliver financial services to previously excluded segments of the population, the bank’s group MD said. – Daily Trust

Kazuo Hirai

Abroad

Incoming Sony CEO Kazuo Hirai aims to re-shape Sony by linking hardware and software through online networks – a model he used at its PlayStation unit – dismissing any suggestion the battered brand would revert to a gadget-centred strategy under his management. – Reuters

Intel agreed to pay just $6.5 million to resolve an antitrust lawsuit in which New York’s attorney-general accused the world’s largest chipmaker of threatening computer makers and paying billions of dollars of kickbacks to maintain its market dominance. The settlement ends a November 2009 Delaware case brought by Andrew Cuomo, then New York’s attorney-general and now governor. – Reuters

Apple plans to introduce its latest iPad tablet at an event in the first week in March, the Web site AllThingsD reported, citing unnamed sources. The event will be held in San Francisco, likely at the Yerba Buena Centre for the Arts, which is Apple’s preferred site for product launches, the Web site said. An Apple spokeswoman declined to comment. – Reuters