Mountain Communications wins major share in Telecom Lesotho
22 November 2000
News
The Lesotho government has confirmed Mountain Communications (MC) as the winner of a tender to participate in the privatisation of Telecom Lesotho. MC will acquire a 70% stake in the company and will contribute towards the upgrading of Lesotho's national telecommunications infrastructure.
MC is a consortium comprising Econet Wireless International, Eskom Enterprises and Mauritius Telecom, and its bid gives it a five year exclusivity to provide telecommunications services throughout Lesotho, including operating the fixed-line, satellite and Internet services, as well as the second competitive national GSM cellular network.
Walter Brown, a member of the MC management team that will lead Telecom Lesotho into the next generation of fully-converged telecom services, says the consortium brings to the people of Lesotho a wide range of communications expertise to ensure the deployment of high quality telecommuni- cations solutions using the most modern technology currently available.
Brown says the company's objectives are twofold: "Firstly, a commitment to modernise domestic and international connectivity of all types of telecommunications traffic, including voice and data; and secondly, the improvement of consumer access to networked services through expansion and appropriate tariff structures."
In line with international trends MC aims to increase the number of lines per person in Lesotho from the existing one line per hundred to more than five lines per hundred within the five-year exclusivity period. This improvement in teledensity will in turn support the government's efforts to promote economic growth and enhance the living standards for all segments of the nation.
According to Vusi Mgubeni, Executive Director for Eskom Enterprises: Telecom- munications, and Chairman of MC, the partnership with Telecom Lesotho comes at an opportune time as the company drives to become part of the international economy.
"The advanced technologies and skills sets that MC brings will ensure that the requisite infrastructure is in place to bolster business on a global scale. We are proud of this partnership - it is indeed a milestone in line with the tenets of the African Renaissance."
Further reading:
From the editor's desk: Exciting times ahead?
Technews Publishing
News
There are many subjects that excite me in this world, but two of the larger technical subjects are, firstly, renewable energy, and secondly, the idea of artificial intelligence as it continues to evolve
...
Read more...
Microchip expands partnership with TSMC
News
Microchip Technology has announced it has expanded its partnership with TSMC to enable a specialised 40 nm manufacturing capacity at Japan Advanced Semiconductor Manufacturing.
Read more...
Huge SA grid battery project
News
A standalone battery energy storage system (BESS) has won preferred bidder status under South Africa’s Energy Storage Capacity Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (ESIPPPP).
Read more...
Mouser sponsors NCP Cup 2024
News
The NXP Cup is an EMEA-based autonomous car competition, presented by NXP Semiconductors, which is designed to provide students with real-world experiences in autonomous vehicle programming and building.
Read more...
TrinaTracker brings its smart solar tracking to SA
News
The Vanguard 1P is designed to provide customers with trackers that combine suitability for flat terrain, together with outstanding system stability and reliability, quick installation, and flexible external compatibility.
Read more...
Nordex adding 830 MW of wind generation
News
Nordex Energy South Africa will be adding 830 MW of wind energy generation capacity to the company’s already-installed 1 GW base.
Read more...
Invertek produces its three millionth drive
iTek Drives
News
Invertek Drives Ltd, a global manufacturer of variable frequency drive (VFD) technology, has celebrated producing its three millionth VFD, just three years after its two-million milestone.
Read more...
Analog Devices’ digital storefront is live
News
Analog Devices has designed an improved digital experience with users in mind – a new analog.com website and eShop.
Read more...
Vicor Powering Innovation podcast
News
The episode explores electrification with Lightning Motorcycles, a company that produces the fastest electric motorcycle on the planet.
Read more...
ModusToolbox Workshop 3
News
This workshop will focus on enabling a PSoC development kit, connected over Wi-Fi and leveraging MQTT, to create the framework of an IoT application.
Read more...
printer friendly version