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Ecobank/MasterCard Partner to Expand Payments in Africa
MasterCard announced on June 15 a new partnership with Ecobank to push electronic payments over the next 10 years in 32 sub-Saharan African countries – where, according to Michael Miebach, MasterCard President, Middle East and Africa, 90 percent of transactions are made in cash.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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NexThought Monday – Needed: A New Kind of Infrastructure: Digital infrastructure must be a priority – and the need goes beyond technology
For decades, the development community has stressed the importance of infrastructure, usually focusing on things like roads and water systems. But to ensure that the benefits of the mobile revolution reach the world’s poor, we now need to consider digital infrastructure as well. And as USAID’s Nandini Harihareswara describes it, this must include more than cell phone towers and Internet cables.
- Categories
- Technology
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To Make India Truly Digital, Target the Poor, Not Rich
America’s Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the powerful regulator for all communication, has proposed that poor citizens of the US should have subsidised access to the internet via broadband.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- South Asia
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Mozilla Gives Up on Its Dream of a $25 Firefox Smartphone
Mozilla is learning that making smartphones dirt cheap doesn't guarantee success when you're running up against Google's Android operating system. CNET reports that in an email to employees sent out on Thursday, CEO Chris Beard made it clear that the company will soon be changing its mobile strategy. "We have not seen sufficient traction for a $25 phone," Beard wrote. He went on to say, "We will focus on efforts that provide a better user experience, rather than focusing on cost alone."
- Categories
- Technology
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South Africa Plans to Corporatise Post Bank
South Africa’s Telecommunications and Postal Services Minister Siyabonga Cwele says the process to corporatise Post Bank is at an advanced state.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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The Mystery of the Power Bank Phone Taking Over Ghana
Have you noticed an odd bulge in people’s shorts around Accra? It’s likely because, like many of my friends, they’ve recently acquired a new phone. But it’s not the iPhone 6 Plus, and it’s not the Samsung Galaxy S6.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Press Release: Orange Launches the 2015 Orange African Social Venture Prize
Orange (http://www.orange.com) is launching the call for applications for the 5th edition of the Orange African Social Venture Prize. This initiative aims to encourage innovative start-up projects which help to accelerate development on the African continent.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Vodacom’s M-Pesa Growth Still Not Reaching South Africa
Vodacom identified mobile money service m-Pesa as a growth engine but its 2014/15 results showed this to be truer internationally than in South Africa.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
- Tags
- lending, savings, telecommunications
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