At Home

Sam Paddock, GetSmarter

The Universal Service and Access Agency of SA (USAASA) launched a cyber lab at Lesodi Primary School, in the Mpumalanga town of Lydenburg. The agency says the initiative aims at promoting e-learning and improving ICT access in the province, and the Department of Education will provide educational software. The lab accommodates 21 learners and includes laptops, a projector, furniture and Internet access. – ITWeb

Local Internet service provider (ISP) XDSL is offering Internet connectivity at no cost to customers who take a full cabinet in its Centurion data centre 2Mbps. According to XDSL director Danie Fourie, all the ISP’s current and new fibre broadband customers will receive additional Internet connectivity from the data centre to complement the Internet service at the head offices they subscribe to. – ITWeb

Online courses offer a viable opportunity for students who might not secure a place in SA’s tertiary institutions this year, according to education and recruitment experts. Sam Paddock, co-CEO of online education company, GetSmarter, says the flexibility of Web-based studying allows students to tailor their learning experience. GetSmarter partners with organisations to offer online courses on both a part- and full-time basis. – ITWeb

The Western Cape Education Department (WCED) has turned to technology as a teaching tool and credits the Interactive Telematics Teaching Programme for improved results. The initiative is a collaboration with Stellenbosch University’s telematics services, and broadcasts live lessons to 145 schools in subjects including mathematics, science and geography. – ITWeb

Nedbank is using IBM’s predictive analytics solutions to improve customer experience and provide more responsive real-time services. According to IBM, as a result of this implementation, the bank has reduced social media monitoring costs by over a million rand a year, while boosting customer service productivity levels by 20%. – ITWeb

The Department of Basic Education (DBE) has withdrawn its decision to standardise software for ICT teaching in South African high schools this year. A new DBE circular withdraws September’s circular S9 and will maintain the status quo “after considering management and policyrelated matters, as well as concerns expressed by several education stakeholders”. – ITWeb

According to the Global Corporate IT Security Risks 2013 survey, three-quarters of South African companies are concerned about how the ‘bring your own device’ (BYOD) trend is a ‘growing threat to their business’. The survey involved interviews with representatives of companies in 24 countries. Fears of BYOD are greater in SA than many other parts of the globe, according to the study. – ITWeb

Version 7 of African mobile social networking application Mxit has quietly found its way onto the Google Android Play store, following official launches for Apple and Nokia devices last year. Mxit 7 has become available on the Google Android Play store only in beta mode, meaning the application is in a testing phase before a stable version is released. – ITWeb Africa

Into Africa

Internet group AccessKenya says it is ready to connect to five more Kenyan counties in a move that will see it delve into new business territories. The counties to be connected by wireless and fibre networks in the first quarter of 2014 include: Kisii, Narok, Bungoma, Transzoia and Laikipia. “We are committed to delivering localised ICT solutions to every county,” Jonathan Somen, AccessKenya group MD, said. – ITWeb Africa

Dr Kamugisha Kazaura, Tanzania Telecommunication

Fixed-line telecoms company Tanzania Telecommunication (TTLC) has reportedly collected only $2 million of the $6.5 million owed by the public and government. However, TTCL CEO Dr Kamugisha Kazaura has reportedly said the debt collection exercise is still on course. “We are working hard in collaboration with the science, communication and technology ministry and that of finance to ensure all the money is collected,” he added. – ITWeb Africa

Rwanda has set 31 July 2014 as its digital migration deadline, joining a range of African nations which are trying to beat a global June 2015 international deadline. The Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Agency (RURA) has announced the deadline after the country failed to deliver the digital shift in December 2012, blaming the delay on various technicalities, including a lack of enough set-top boxes (STBs) in the country. – ITWeb Africa

Nigerian broadcasters that fail to renew their broadcast licences could be shut down. The National Broadcasting Commission has said warning letters have been issued to all defaulters, and the commission plans to shut down television stations that fail to pay up by the end of January. “By the end of this month, any company that has not paid its broadcasting dues to the NBC will have to lose its licence,” chairman of the commission, Emeka Mba, said. – ITWeb Africa

An internet service that promises never to experience disruptions is launching in North Africa by US firm Mushroom Networks and French-based IT company Impartial-IT. Mushroom Networks plans to introduce its ‘broadband bonding’ service, which links several access points from different service providers enabling companies to have stable connections despite failure in any of the Internet access points. – ITWeb Africa

Segun Ogunsanya, Airtel Nigeria

Mobile operator Airtel Nigeria has launched a campaign to attract the youth to its network. The company hopes to capture a big portion of Nigeria’s 70% teeming youth population, with the campaign dubbed: ‘Come Alive’. Segun Ogunsanya, MD and CEO for Airtel Nigeria, said the company is committed to empowering young Nigerians. “As a youth-focused, mobile Internet network, actualising dreams can only be more realistic with us,” he said. – ITWeb Africa

Mobile operator MTN Nigeria has won a deal with Nigerian Communications Satellite and local wireless broadband firm, NetLink, to deliver ICT solutions across the country. The chief enterprise solutions officer of MTN Nigeria, Babatunde Osho, said the partnership is planned to benefit both the public and private sector. – ITWeb Africa ZAMBIA’S three mobile phone operators have increased mobile tariffs after government imposed an additional five percentage point hike in excise duty on airtime in the 2014 national budget. The excise duty has been increased to 15% from 10% in the 2013 national budget. MTN, Airtel and Zamtel have, however, reacted to the increase by boosting the cost of prepaid airtime by 5%. – ITWeb Africa

Abroad

Investors looking for specifics as to the future of Acer came away disappointed when the new CEO spent more time delivering a history of the company’s past mistakes than on where it was headed. Jason Chen said the Taiwanese company’s biggest mistake was investing too early in touch-panels and ultrabooks and not realising the extent to which tablet computers like Apple’s iPad would disrupt the PC industry. – Reuters

Target plans to make “significant changes” in light of the data breach over the holiday shopping season, when hackers stole personal information of millions of customers, the US retailer’s chief executive said in an interview. Malware was installed on the company’s point of sale registers, Gregg Steinhafel said, and Target was working with law enforcement agencies to determine who did it and when it was done. – Reuters

Australia’s biggest phone company, Telstra Corporation, has agreed to sell 70% of its directories unit, Sensis, offloading a struggling business challenged by digital transition for less than the market had anticipated. The sale of Sensis, following Telstra’s sale of a Hong Kong mobile phone business, would further boost the telco giant’s cash war chest to invest in new growth businesses and expand its mobile network. – Reuters

T-Mobile US reported a fourth-quarter boost in customer growth and offered to pay customers to switch from rival services, escalating already intense competition in the US wireless market. The company promised payments of up to $350 per line to consumers who break their contract with any of its bigger rivals and switch to T-Mobile. – Reuters