📲 Ghana, Benin Ink Free Roaming Pact | ⚖️ Microsoft Under Antitrust Probe in South Africa Over Azure Cloud

In today’s menu ☕️

📲 Ghana and Benin Sign Bilateral Service Agreement for Free Roaming
⚖️ Microsoft Faces South African Antitrust Probe Over Azure Cloud Practices
📚 YouScribe Enters Ghana, Boosting Educational Access and Expanding English-Language Offerings
👩🏾‍💻 Opportunities

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📲 TELECOMMUNICATION

Ghana and Benin Sign Bilateral Service Agreement for Free Roaming

In a significant stride towards enhancing cross-border communication, the National Communications Authority (NCA) of Ghana and the Autorité de Régulation des Communications Électroniques et de la Poste (ARCEP) of Benin have inked a bilateral roaming service agreement. The landmark agreement, signed on March 27, 2024, in Cotonou, Benin, paves the way for seamless mobile communications between the two West African nations.

The primary objective of this agreement is to implement the regulation on roaming on mobile communications networks within the ECOWAS region. It aims to foster collaboration between the respective Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) in Ghana and Benin, facilitating the effective implementation of the ECOWAS Free Roaming Initiative. This initiative is poised to revolutionize regional connectivity by enabling subscribers to enjoy uninterrupted communication services across borders.

This is the third country Ghana is entering a bilateral roaming relationship with. In February 2024, Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire effectively put into operation the ECOWAS free roaming initiative. Prior to this, in November 2023, Ghana’s National Communications Authority and Togo’s Regulatory Authority for Electronic Communications reached an agreement to establish bilateral roaming services, facilitating seamless communication between the two nations.

In the forthcoming weeks, MNOs from both countries will collaboratively address outstanding issues to facilitate the activation and testing of the agreed roaming services so as to launch the service in July 2024..……continue reading

⚖ REGULATION

Microsoft Faces South African Antitrust Probe Over Azure Cloud Practices

Microsoft is set to face a formal complaint from South African competition regulators over allegations of anti-competitive practices related to its Azure cloud computing services. The South African Competition Commission (CompCom) is poised to accuse Microsoft of excessively high fees when businesses seek to switch their cloud licenses to Azure’s competitors.

This pending investigation mirrors ongoing legal challenges against Microsoft across Europe and aligns with increasing international scrutiny surrounding the dominance of major tech companies in the global cloud market.

The South African case has the potential to result in significant financial consequences for Microsoft. CompCom wields the authority to levy fines of up to 10% of the company’s revenue generated within South Africa........continue reading

📚 EDTECH

YouScribe Enters Ghana, Boosting Educational Access and Expanding English-Language Offerings

YouScribe, a leading digital library platform, is expanding its reach to Ghana in collaboration with Digital Virgo and MTN Ghana. This launch brings a wealth of educational resources to the West African nation, ushering in a potential revolution in learning accessibility and empowerment.

Ghana’s robust digital subscription market, coupled with high smartphone penetration, presents a fertile landscape for YouScribe’s vast library of educational content. The partnership aims to catalyse the nation’s burgeoning digital publishing sector and drive socio-economic progress through enhanced access to information and knowledge.

With over a million audiobooks, ebooks, newspapers, press titles, and educational documents, YouScribe opens new doors for students, educators, and lifelong learners across Ghana. The collaboration with leading Ghanaian publishers like Adaex Edu, Subsaharan Publishers, and the African Books Collective promises to enrich the platform’s collection with culturally relevant, high-quality learning materials........continue reading

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