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They Call It ‘Silicon Savannah’: What an East African Nation Teaches About Innovation
Kenya giant mobile phone company Safaricom recently made a move that, if other technology firms in Africa follow, could have revolutionary effects. It launched a Shillings 50 million ($500,000) innovation fund.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Smile, The Pan-African Wireless ISP, Has Raised $365 Million to Expand Its Network
Three years after launching Africa’s first 4G LTE services in Tanzania, Uganda and Nigeria, Smile Telecoms has raised $365 million.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Viewpoint: Debate on Dominance in Telecoms Needs a Sober Approach in Kenya
Despite the hyped 87 per cent mobile phone penetration rate as of March 2015, the reality is that Kenya's unique subscriber base is probably around 45 per cent, meaning more than half of the country lacks "real" access to mobile services.
- Categories
- Technology
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Safaricom Withdraws Increased Charges for Equitel Customers
Safaricom has suspended the increased rates introduced for Equity Bank’s Equitel customers on 1st August 2015 and confirmed the revised rates will now take effect at the same time for all banks on December 1st 2015.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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How Text Messaging Curbs Infant Mortality in Africa’s Biggest Urban Slum
Almost half of Kenyan mothers do not give birth in a hospital and, thus, receive little professional care or education on basics such as how long to breast feed, what to do in the case of diarrhea and vomiting, or where to go for an emergency. In this issue of Digital Diversity, Cayte Bosler looks at an innovative text messaging service which helps parents differentiate between normal behaviors and signs that something might be wrong.
- Categories
- Health Care, Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Mobile Phone Records May Predict Epidemics of Mosquito-Borne Dengue Virus
A new study led by researchers at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health finds that mobile phone records can be used to predict the geographical spread and timing of dengue epidemics. More people around the world are becoming vulnerable to this deadly virus as climate change expands the range of the mosquito that transmits dengue and infected travelers spread the disease across borders. Utilizing the largest data set of mobile phone records ever analyzed to estimate human mobility, the researchers developed an innovative model that can predict epidemics and provide critical early warning to policy makers.
- Categories
- Health Care, Technology
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M-Pesa Opens Up to 3rd Party Developers in Kenya as Safaricom Launches API
When mobile payments and banking come to mind, one most likely thinks of headline-grabbing industry leaders such as Apple, Barclays and Visa. However, the reality is a bit different. The distinction of largest uptake of mobile payment adoption actually belongs to Kenya, and the M-Pesa payment solution.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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MasterCard Takes Fintech Incubator Global
MasterCard has launched Start Path Global, a globally available partnership programme for retail and fintech start-ups.
- Categories
- Technology
- Tags
- fintech, incubators
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