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The population saw in the arrival of the 3G/4G technology an end to not-so-satisfactory call quality network. The technology that went operational in Cameroon in 2015 met with a lot of admiration and expectations. The hopes were however, gradually dashed by the operators who instead of upgrading customer services, plunged into warfare of who was the first to introduce the technology that is yet to positively impact users. Supporting Cameroon in its drive for emergency by decisively contributing to the New Digital World remains to be seen. Each of the country’s phone companies claims to be the innovative leader of telecommunications in Africa, though with little to show to earn customer loyalty. It is clear that one cannot conceive a customer-loyalty strategy without mentioning customer satisfaction even with extensive marketing tools. The consumer experience that hinges on variables like quality of service is yet to ring a bell in the minds of operators.
This is especially as the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications, Minette Libong Li Likeng, insists that call quality in Cameroon was not good enough to satisfy subscribers. The Minister says mobile telephone operators will henceforth explain why are where things are going wrong so that together they can find solutions. This explains the meeting she opened with stakeholders on August 11, 2016.
Government is increasing agreements and deploying optical fibre backbone to provide reliable support to operators, organizations, companies and individuals. More than 8,000 km of fibre now connects the country’s 10 regional chief towns, about 60 Divisional and Sub-divisional headquarters and like Chad. Government’s aim is to satisfy end-users by combating poor service quality and offering cheaper call billings. Meantime, government has also entered a deal with the African Development Bank to finance the Cameroon component of the Central Africa Backbone project that involves the laying of 916 km of optical fibre between Kumba-Mamfe (187 km), Mamfe-Ekok (82 km), Bertoua-Batouri-Kentzou (206 km), Sangmelima-Djoum-Mintoum-Ntam (331 km) and the Bamenda-Ndop-Kumbo (110 km), all covering the South West, East, South, and North West Regions respectively.
It is but clear that major operators are seemingly focusing on the growth in data (mobile money, mobile Internet) which is contributing significantly to their incomes despite the limited 3G coverage. Segmented offers which target the youths and high-value-consumers (who represent a minority in terms of number) who call through WhatsApp, Viber and Facebook, with serious impact on Voice call, is the twist facing the telecoms sector.
Cameroon Tribune
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- Rita Akana
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The smartphone game Pokemon Go has yet to officially launch in any African country. That’s not stopping African Pokemon fans, who are already braving the continent’s unpredictable streets to find the virtual monsters.
Determined not to be left out of the augmented reality craze which has swept the US and Europe, resourceful gamers in major African cities have found ways to download the game.
"Pokemon Go" was among the top google searches in Kenya in July, Kenyan media reported. The Facebook group "Pokemon Go South Africa" has nearly 10,000 members – a figure which has almost doubled since last week. Meanwhile players, or "trainers," in other African hubs like Lagos and Accra are also spotting Pokemon, short for pocket monsters, in their cities.
Pokemon addicts in Lagos
But the game is not without its perils. In Lagos, Nigeria's commercial capital, enthusiasts are braving the city's chaotic highways to find Pokemon – often risking accidents.
"Lagos traffic is quite dangerous," player Simdie Onuora told DW. "You could be trying to get the Pokemon and when that happens - you are hit by a bike."
But traffic is not the only danger. Glued to their phones and lost in a virtual world, players can fall prey to street gangs. Lagos' female trainers in particular are concerned about security.
"Holding our phones in the hand and trying to find a Pokemon might invite the wrong crowd," said Tobi Ayeni.
"You want to catch a Pokemon your mind is saying: I need to catch that Pokemon, I need to level up. At that point you are not aware of your surroundings. All you are aware of is trying to catch a Pokemon," she added. "Once you get to that level, so many things can happen. Somebody can come and snatch your phone, somebody can come and beat you up, somebody can just come and steal your bag," Ayeni told DW.
Mobile revolution
Not long ago, playing Pokemon Go would have been unthinkable in Lagos, which is infamous for its patchy mobile coverage. Many Nigerians carry two, even three mobile phones subscribed to different networks to circumvent the headaches of dropped calls and lagging internet. But more improvements are on the way. According to Bloomberg News, internet providers have committed to 3G coverage in 90 per cent of the country and are starting a fibre network roll-out in six cities.
Bad traffic – good news for Pokemon trainers
Despite dangerous streets and dodgy internet connections, players in Nigeria, Africa's largest mobile market, are quickly becoming unstoppable. Even Lagos' notorious traffic jams, which often keep people stranded on the roads for hours, are an opportunity for Pokemon fans, who use the long hours spent in traffic jams to search for rare finds.
"Sometimes I deliberately pray that there is traffic congestion in the morning because when the bus stops you know that there are Pokemon around there," said Samod Biobaku. "Of course I hope to get to where ever my destination is in good time, but of course that subconscious part of me, that Pokemon part of me, always wants to run into traffic and catch as many Pokemon as I can!"
DW
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- Rita Akana
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Boeing, South African Airways (SAA) and low-cost carrier Mango have operated Africa’s first sustainable-fuelled flights powered with tobacco-based biofuels.
The SAA and Mango flights from Johannesburg to Cape Town, operated by a Boeing 737-800, used sustainable biojet fuel produced from Sunchem’s nicotine-free tobacco plant Solaris, refined by AltAir Fuels and supplied by SkyNRG.
Project Solaris, launched in 2014, is an effort from SkyNRG, Sunchem SA, South African Airways and Boeing to develop sustainable biojet fuel from the Solaris crop. In 2015, Project Solaris earned the Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials (RSB) certification, one of the strongest sustainability standards for biomaterials in the world. The RSB certification provides a model to further expand the production of the Solaris crop in a sustainable way.
"It is fitting that on our 100 year anniversary we are flying on fuels that not only power the flight, but ensure a sustainable future for our industry," said Miguel Santos, managing director for Africa, Boeing International. "This project is a great example of environmental stewardship that delivers economic and health benefits to South Africa."
“Over the last two years Sunchem SA successfully worked side by side with local farmers in Marble Hall, Limpopo to grow the Solaris crop and make today's biofuel flight a success. We are very proud about this achievement as it shows that the patented Sunchem Solaris technology opens a new market for Southern Africa and beyond,” said Hayo de Feijter, CEO Sunchem SA.
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In a bid to boost tourism attraction in Cameroon, an entrepreneur, Mathieu Onguene has introduced a new way for tourists to enjoy sights.
In Ebolowa, a town in Southern Cameroon, unmanned vehicles also known as drones are being used to capture new aerial footage of some landmarks.
Onguene is one of the growing number of entrepreneurs who use drones to monitor large agricultural plantations and construction sites, which would prove difficult and dangerous for some other people.
He said he likes seeing images of Ebolowa town from a different perspective adding that drone tour cost between 170 and $250.
“My use of drones is mainly to take images of the different parts of the city. Of course we also use it to highlight some of the best tourist sites because seen from above, some of the sites have an even bigger impact on people,“he said.
The ministry of Malawi and UNICEF recently launched a project where drones would carry AIDS screening tests and results between hospitals in rural areas.
In May, Rwanda also introduced a project that deliver medical supplies to remote areas using drones.
In Cameroon, the growing use of drones has created an interest and a space for young innovators like William Elong.
“There is a lot being done today in Cameroon to try and manufacture drones locally. There is a lot of talent and knowledge, it’s not just me. What we want to do with this ,“he adds.
Cameroon like many other countries is yet to introduce comprehensive laws to monitor the use of commercial drones.
“The main challenge for Cameroon today is to regulate the use of drones. For example, we should be able to identify drones that are flown. We also need to define the areas and zones in which drones cannot fly,“said technology expert Beaugas-Orain Djoyum.
However, experts say the use of drones has some implications.
Apart from proper regulation, the device can crash and pose potential safety risk if not properly used.
Although some companies in the US and elsewhere for cheaper and faster delivery, but there are hurdles ranging from the risk of colliding with airplanes and longevity.
Reuters
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Africa’s first solar powered bus developed in Uganda to be show cased in a prominent United Nations Environmental Assembly world meeting next week.
Uganda will be highlighting the high levels of sustainable innovation taking place in the country by showcasing the Kayoola Bus in the world meeting set to be held in Nairobi.
The solar bus has already been flagged off from Uganda to Nairobi. Kayoola solar bus is a concept vehicle developed by Makerere University and the Kiira Motor Corporation.
“This is the right direction for our country to attain middle income status. And with your 13-year masterplan you cannot fail in this mission,” Gen Salim Saleh, the commander, Operation Wealth Creation told the staff of Kiira Motors Corporation during the flag-off ceremony.
cctv
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WhatsApp has been suspended in Brazil after failing to hand over information related to a criminal investigation in the country.
The messaging app, which has more than 100 million users in Brazil, will be unavailable for 72 hours from 2pm Brazilian time (6pm BST) on Monday after a judge ordered telecoms providers to block the service.
WhatsApp said it has repeatedly told the court that it does not have the information requested. Last month, the service started encrypting every message sent by its users, meaning they could not be intercepted or stored on servers. Even before then, many WhatsApp messages were encrypted, and the service does not store messages on its servers.
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- Elangwe Pauline
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