Today: 8 February 2026
Subscribe
Browse Category

JSE:MTN News 7 February 2025 - 24 August 2025

How Guinea Is Quietly Getting Online: The Untold Story of Internet Access and Satellite Expansion

How Guinea Is Quietly Getting Online: The Untold Story of Internet Access and Satellite Expansion

As of early 2023, Guinea had 13.46 million active cellular connections, about 96% of the population. The National Fiber Optic Backbone was completed in 2020, spanning 4,352 km, built by Huawei with a China Eximbank loan, connecting 33 prefectures and 62 cities and providing backhaul for mobile operators. Fixed broadband is extremely limited, with fewer than 900 fixed broadband subscribers in 2022. GFO, a newly licensed wholesale fiber provider, began offering open-access fiber interconnection in 2023 to lower costs and expand fiber links. Orange Guinée dominated the mobile market in 2024 with about 75% of subscribers; MTN Guinea held about
24 August 2025
····
Inside Rwanda’s Internet Revolution: How the Nation Is Connecting Remote Villages and Launching Satellites

Inside Rwanda’s Internet Revolution: How the Nation Is Connecting Remote Villages and Launching Satellites

Rwanda’s first internet access occurred around 1996, and by 2000 there were about 5,000 users (less than 0.1% of the population). In 2004 Rwanda privatized Rwandatel and sold it to Terracom, opening the ISP market to competition. Between 2008 and 2010, Rwanda laid over 3,000 km of national fiber backbone across all 30 districts, linking to SEACOM, EASSy and TEAMS in 2009, driving international bandwidth costs from about $3,000 per Mbps in 2006 to roughly $25 per Mbps. In 2013, Korea Telecom Rwanda Networks (KTRN) built a nationwide 4G network on a wholesale-only basis, achieving over 95% population coverage by
6 August 2025
·
Iran’s Internet Access Exposed: From Aging ADSL to an Underground Starlink Revolution

Iran’s Internet Access Exposed: From Aging ADSL to an Underground Starlink Revolution

Iran aims to connect 20 million premises with fiber by the end of 2025 under the National Fiber Optic Plan, but rollout is behind schedule. As of early 2024, Iran had 73.1 million internet users (81.7% penetration) and 146.5 million mobile connections, indicating widespread multi-SIM use. Median download speeds were about 15 Mbps on fixed broadband and 37 Mbps on mobile as of May 2024, with mobile often outperforming ADSL. Iran’s 4G coverage is broad (around 90% device coverage), while 5G is in its infancy (about 29% coverage in 2023) with up to 4,000 5G base stations projected by March
24 June 2025
·
South Africa’s Internet Access Revolution: The Shocking Truth About Connectivity in 2025

South Africa’s Internet Access Revolution: The Shocking Truth About Connectivity in 2025

Telkom/Openserve is phasing out copper as fixed broadband shifts to fiber, with end-2024 ADSL subscribers under 36,000, down from a peak of over 1 million in 2015. FTTH subscriptions rose from 1.49 million in 2023 to 2.47 million in 2024, driven by aggressive rollouts from Telkom/Openserve, Vumatel, and other operators. Over 69% of internet users in SA go online via mobile devices, while about 13% of households have fixed-line home internet as of 2024. SA Connect Phase 2 (2023–2026) targets connecting over 5.5 million rural households by 2026 and includes 32,000 Wi‑Fi hotspots, 18,000 schools, 5,700 clinics and 8,200 tribal
19 June 2025
···
The Digital Lifeline: Inside Ghana’s Internet Revolution from Fiber to Satellite

The Digital Lifeline: Inside Ghana’s Internet Revolution from Fiber to Satellite

As of early 2025, about 24.3 million Ghanaians were internet users, representing 69.9% penetration, with 38.3 million active mobile connections. Over 93% of mobile connections are on 3G, 4G, or 5G networks, underscoring mobile broadband dominance. In 2021, internet use was about 80% among youth (15–29), with urban usage around 80% and rural usage about 54%. Fixed broadband subscriptions were about 113,640 by late 2023, less than 0.7% of the population, with more than 99% of users relying on mobile networks. MTN Ghana launched 4G LTE in 2016 and accounts for about 82% of Ghana’s 4G traffic. By 2020, 4G
15 June 2025
··
Côte d’Ivoire’s Internet Revolution: Fiber Optics, 5G Dreams, and Satellite Solutions

Côte d’Ivoire’s Internet Revolution: Fiber Optics, 5G Dreams, and Satellite Solutions

As of 2024, about 53.4% of Ivorians live in urban areas, while urban internet usage is roughly 50% compared with 22% in rural areas. Côte d’Ivoire has laid over 5,200 km of fiber under the RNHD backbone, targeting nearly 7,000 km by September 2025. The country is connected to the ACE and WACS submarine cables, and the 2Africa mega-cable is expected to land in 2023–2024, adding about 180 Tbps design capacity. By 2023, about 92% of Ivorians had access to at least one 4G network. MTN Côte d’Ivoire began 5G trials in 2021 and launched first 5G sites in late
8 June 2025
···
Internet Access in Cameroon: The Race to Connect a Nation

Internet Access in Cameroon: The Race to Connect a Nation

As of early 2025, about 12.4 million Cameroonians were internet users, representing 41.9% of the population. As of 2024, roughly 60% of Cameroonians live in urban areas, with internet access heavily concentrated in cities and rural areas almost inaccessible. Cameroon’s fiber backbone extends over 12,000 kilometers and is connected to five landfall cables: SAT-3, WACS, ACE, SAIL, and NCSCS, with SAIL linking Kribi to Brazil. Plans are underway to add more than 4,000 kilometers of fiber, expanding the backbone to about 17,000–22,000 km and improving regional redundancy. The mobile market is dominated by Orange Cameroon (about 11.7 million subscribers, 39.6%
4 June 2025
···
Internet Access in Nigeria: A Comprehensive Overview

Internet Access in Nigeria: A Comprehensive Overview

Infrastructure and Major Service Providers Nigeria’s internet infrastructure relies on a combination of undersea fiber-optic cables, terrestrial networks, and a handful of dominant service providers. Multiple international submarine cables land in Nigeria, connecting it to global internet hubs. Key cables include: These undersea cables terminate in Lagos and other coastal landing stations, feeding into national fiber backbones. A number of companies have deployed fiber-optic networks crisscrossing the country, including Phase3 Telecom, MainOne, Globacom, Suburban Telecom, and MTN​ Ecoi. Internet exchange points (IXPs) in at least five regions help route domestic traffic locally​ Ecoi, improving speed and reducing costs. Nigeria’s internet
3 March 2025
···
Internet Access in Sudan

Internet Access in Sudan

Sudan’s internet backbone is centered at Port Sudan and links land via the East Africa Submarine System (EASSy) and FLAG/FALCON, with terrestrial fiber reaching Egypt and Ethiopia. Sudatel (Sudani) is over 60% state-owned and operates the national backbone along with fixed-line, mobile, and internet services under the Sudani brand. Zain Sudan, a subsidiary of Kuwait’s Zain Group, is the largest mobile operator with roughly 50% of the mobile market and offers nationwide 2G/3G/4G services. MTN Sudan, part of South Africa’s MTN Group, holds about a 25% share of the mobile market and provides mobile voice and data. Canar Telecom is
25 February 2025
··
Internet Access in Yemen: Overview and Key Aspects

Internet Access in Yemen: Overview and Key Aspects

Yemen’s bandwidth is dominated by a single aging subsea cable, the FALCON/FLAG system, landing at the Red Sea port of Hodeidah, with only a narrow backup via Djibouti and some satellite links. During the civil war, land fiber links to Saudi Arabia were destroyed, leaving Yemen largely dependent on undersea cables. AdenNet was launched in mid-2018 by the internationally recognized government in Aden to provide fiber to institutions and 4G LTE to consumers, independently of Sana’a’s infrastructure and with tens of thousands of subscribers. There are four mobile operators—YOU (Yemeni Omani United, formerly MTN Yemen), Sabafon, Yemen Mobile, and Y
24 February 2025
··
Internet Access in Afghanistan: A Comprehensive Overview

Internet Access in Afghanistan: A Comprehensive Overview

Mobile subscriptions grew from zero in 2001 to nearly 100% penetration by 2021. A nationwide fiber-optic backbone was being rolled out, including a 400 km cross-border fiber link to China via the Wakhan Corridor that was near completion in 2021. The Taliban’s return to power in August 2021 stalled or halted many fiber and broader connectivity projects. The five dominant providers are Afghan Telecom (Aftel/Salam), AWCC, Roshan, Etisalat Afghanistan, and MTN Afghanistan, with MTN planning to exit the Afghan market. An Internet Exchange Point (IXP) was established in Kabul to route local traffic domestically. Since August 2021, Taliban authorities blocked
24 February 2025
··
Internet Access in Syria

Internet Access in Syria

History of Internet Development in Syria Syria was relatively late in opening internet access to the public. An internet connection was established in the country by 1997, but for years Syria was the only connected Middle Eastern country that did not allow general public access Hrw. In the late 1990s, only government institutions and a few individuals (often via proxy connections through Lebanon) could get online Hrw. This cautious rollout reflected official policy: the regime under President Hafez al-Assad took a “go-slow” approach, fearing the free flow of information. All media in Syria were tightly controlled, and officials were wary that the
7 February 2025
··

Stock Market Today

Nvidia stock ‘cheap’ again? AI spending surge puts NVDA back in the spotlight

Nvidia stock ‘cheap’ again? AI spending surge puts NVDA back in the spotlight

8 February 2026
Nvidia shares jumped 7.8% Friday, leading a rally in chip stocks after signs of continued AI hardware spending by major tech firms. The PHLX semiconductor index rose 5.7%, with AMD and Broadcom also gaining. The Dow closed above 50,000 for the first time. Investors remain split over whether soaring AI outlays will deliver sufficient returns.
Go toTop