In the headlines this week are Algeria’s pending launch of 3G, a variety of stories from Egypt, broadband happenings in Kenya, the usual mix of Nigerian regulatory updates, and various outlooks for broadband in South Africa. More general stories look at African e-commerce and data on affordable internet access, to name a few. In total, there are 93 headlines from 21+ nations.

Algeria

• Algerian 3G launch delayed until ‘late December 2013’; fixed LTE likely in Jan-14 {TeleGeography}
• Government publishes 3G coverage obligations; bans transferability of 3G licences {TeleGeography}

Burkina Faso

• Burkina Faso: des femmes initiées à la création d’applications mobiles {AfriqueITNews.com}

Cameroon

• Viettel reporte de quelques mois le lancement de ses activités au Cameroun {Ecofin}

East Africa

• East Africa: Dell to Create Job Opportunities Through Their E-Waste Hub {AllAfrica.com}
• Why internet costs in East Africa remain stubbornly high {ITWeb Africa}
• Mobile Payments in East Africa: The World is Watching {Kopo Kopo Inc.}
• East African parliament seek harmonisation of internet access {Telecompaper}

Egypt

• Mobile subscriptions grew 57.3% in Egypt 2008 {Ahram Online}
• Agzakhana.com: A pharmacy in everyone’s pocket {Daily News Egypt}
• Egypt’s telecoms sector targets 20% growth by 2016 {HumanIPO}
• Egypt inaugurates cybersecurity team {HumanIPO}
• Egyptian Mobile Phone Operators Accused Of Forming Cartel {Ventures-Africa}
• Just off Tahrir Square, first companies move into Cairo’s new tech park {ZDNet}

Ethiopia

• Ethiopia: Cell Phones Boost Access to Contraceptives in Ethiopia {AllAfrica.com}
• Ethio telecom moves to next phase of expansion {BiztechAfrica}
• Vodacom preparing for Ethiopian presence {HumanIPO}

Gambia

• Gambia Reaches U.S.$33 Million Deal With Huawei Technology {AllAfrica.com}

Ghana

• Ghana: Youth Must Be Schooled On Use of Social Media {AllAfrica.com}
• Ghana Unveils New E-Shopping Portal {AllAfrica.com}
• Smart development for Africa: Building entrepreneurship at MEST {Deseret News}

Kenya

• Safaricom enhances M-Pesa to offer easier online integration and transactions {CIO East Africa}
• The story behind Kenya’s Open Data {Daily Nation}
• The little black box bringing the internet to Kenya {The Conversation}
• Safaricom buys yu stake in fibre firm to launch 4G grid {Business Daily}
• Festival season sees surging mobile money use in Kenya {Coastweek}
• Webmapping facilitates Kenyan rural service provision – startup {HumanIPO}
• Local content quickens pace of broadband service delivery in East Africa {IT News Africa}
• Kenya, bracing for $23 million in online fraud, to support African cybercrime pact {PC Advisor}
• Silicon Savannah: Africa’s Transformative Digital Revolution {Spiegel}
• IBM takes aim at Nairobi gridlock {TechCentral}
• Safaricom Buys Out Indian Rival’s Fibre Optic Network {Ventures-Africa}

Liberia

• Breaking the Silence: SMS Helps Liberian Schools to Improve Education {National Geographic}

Malawi

• Malawi-based entrepreneur has big plans for property listing site Pakwathu {How We Made It}

Mauritius

• Mauritius Telecom a signé avec l’Etat pour fournir 26 100 tablettes aux élèves du secondaire {Ecofin}
• Mauritius to install 144 additional Wi-Fi access points {TeleGeography}

Morocco

• Maroc Telecom enhances its 3G internet plans {Telecompaper}

Nigeria

• Nigeria: NCC Allays Fears of Monopoly in Broadband Infrastructure Rollout {AllAfrica.com}
• Nigeria launches local content guidelines {BiztechAfrica}
• NITRA seeks collaboration with regulator, operators {BiztechAfrica}
• Nigeria IT reporters seek partnerships in ICT development {HumanIPO}
• Nigeria’s telecoms subscribers lose $4.6bn annually {HumanIPO}
• Nigeria: NCC taps social media for mobile network complaints {ITWeb Africa}
• Affordable Internet services still a mirage {The Punch}
• NCC set to raise KPI levels for operators {TeleGeography}
• Why Nigerian Entrepreneurs Need To Fail More {Ventures-Africa}

North Africa

• SMS to help monitor elections in the Arab World {SciDev.Net}

Senegal

• Sénégal: l’Etat va débloquer 1 milliard FCfa pour faciliter l’accès des étudiants aux TIC {Ecofin}

South Africa

• SA’s 3G world class, fixed broadband poor: Naspers CEO {MyBroadband}
• Broadband policy for South Africa Cabinet-approved {MyBroadband}
• South Africa Connect: the new broadband policy {MyBroadband}
• Mining the developer pool: inside SA’s tech recruitment woes {ventureburn}
• VAT rules in SA to be updated for internet age {BDlive}
• 9.5% in SA will do Christmas shopping online – survey {HumanIPO}
• SA broadband goals realistic, collaboration necessary – Akamai {HumanIPO}
• Affordable satellite internet coming to Free State {HumanIPO}
• WeChat launches in SA {IOL.co.za}
• 2013 – a Connection Telecom retrospective {IT News Africa}
• South Africa’s retailers leading way in enabling mobile payments {IT News Africa}
• Driving universal broadband access to reach the digitally disempowered {ITWeb}
• IDC predictions for Africa in 2014 {ITWeb}
• 2013: What an exciting year! {ITWeb}

Sudan

• ‘Sudan, South Sudan have a bigger broadband market than Ethiopia’ {ITWeb Africa}

Swaziland

• Swazi MTN, Standard Bank partner on mobile banking {Swazi Observer}

Tanzania

• Planning for ICT literacy in public schools in Tanzania {IPP Media}

Tunisia

• Authorities urged to rescind decree creating communications surveillance agency {Reporters Without Borders}
• Tunis to host first ministerial forum on ICT {Afrique en Ligne}
• Tunisia to launch 4G in 2014-2015 {TeleGeography}

Uganda

• Uganda gives iPads to all MPs {BBC News}
• Use ICT to drive Vision 2040 {New Vision}

West Africa

• BBG, Gallup Issue Findings on Media Use in the Sahel {BBG}

Zimbabwe

• Zimbabwe: E-Learning in Rural Schools Vital {AllAfrica.com}
• Random thoughts on the state of technology in Africa {Techzim}
• Zim Asset: Zimbabwe’s Government plans for tech {Techzim}

General Africa

• Mandela’s Unsung Legacy of Science in Africa {Belfer Center}
• Online sales boom as Konga, Jumia lure shoppers {BusinessDay}
• Facebook’s head of MENA on ads, mobile and the focus on Africa {memeburn}
• African mobile penetration hits 80% (and is growing faster than anywhere else) {VentureBeat}
• Large bande : le point sur 7 pays africains {Ecofin}
• Will e-publishing help Africa discover the joy of reading? {BBC News}
• Airtel wins African operator of the year 2013 award {Capital Business}
• Smartphones have potential to bridge digital divide in Sub-Saharan Africa, says Ericsson ConsumerLab Report {Ericsson}
• VimpelCom partners WhatsApp for mobile messaging service {HumanIPO}
• Africa leads developing world on internet affordability – A4AI {HumanIPO}
• African election social media monitoring to get upgrade {HumanIPO}
• Africa’s ICT industry responds to Mandela’s passing {IT News Africa}
• Users urged to register .africa now {IT News Africa}
• More Africans doing Christmas shopping online, says DHL {ITWeb Africa}
• Microsoft hires first-ever African female country manager {ITWeb Africa}
• Poorer countries need privacy laws as they adopt new technologies {The Guardian}
• Access to mobile technology in Africa spurring social entrepreneurship {The Guardian}
• Can Bitcoin transform Africa? {Wamda.com}
• IBM’s first African lab: Why Big Blue is taking on the continent’s grand challenges {ZDNet}