Selected Breaking ICT News

Iran policy not swayed by MTN, SA says: South Africa denied on Friday it had been pressured by MTN Group into backing Tehran's nuclear programme and aiding its military when the Johannesburg-based mobile operator was bidding for a telephone licence in Iran. "South Africa's foreign policy is independent and it cannot be influenced by anyone," Foreign Ministry spokesman Clayson Monyela said. - engineeringnews

MTN says faces suit from Turkcell over Iran: MTN group, Africa's largest telecom group, said it faces a potential lawsuit from rival Turkcell that it asked South Africa to back Iran's nuclear development in return for a cellular licence in the country. Johannesburg-based MTN said in a statement the Turkish mobile operator, which unsuccessfully bid for the same licence, will also claim that MTN asked South Africa to aid Iran's military and that it bribed officials of both governments. - engineeringnews

Mobile commerce may make mobile operators, banks competitors: The growth of mobile payments, or mobile commerce, can lead to a situation where mobile operators, banks and credit providers compete with each other, says business research company Informa Telecoms & Media senior analyst Shailendra Pandey. - engineeringnews

White Male Facebook Board Prompts Questions: While most of Facebook’s more than 800 million users are women, and females are more active social networkers, the company’s board lacks women and minority members - business week

Seacom, Mozambique sign 20 yr capacity deal: Mozambique has signed a 20-year connectivity agreement with Seacom to access international broadband fibre connectivity on its network to Europe and the rest of the world. Permanent secretary of the Ministry of Science and Technology Dr. Evaristo Baquete said in a statement that the Mozambican government viewed affordable and high-quality data networks as a vital tool in achieving the country’s developmental goals. - engineeringnews

MTN ‘encouraged SA to back Iran’s nuclear plans’: MTN yesterday moved to manage the potential fallout from an impending lawsuit over its acquisition of a mobile-network licence in Iran, as a company that lost the bid — Turkcell — accused the JSE-listed entity of bribing Iranian and South African government officials. - business day

Vodafone Said to Abandon Greek Merger After Opposition: Vodafone Group Plc has decided to abandon an attempt to merge its Greek unit with rival Wind Hellas after facing European Union regulatory opposition, according to a person with knowledge of the matter. - business week

Court challenges Bharti's ownership of Airtel Nigeria: A Nigerian court has ruled that Bharti Airtel's ownership of its subsidiary Airtel Nigeria is "null and void" because co-founder and 5% shareholder Econet Wireless was not consulted on the transfer, according to a judgement seen by Reuters on Monday. South Africa-based Econet Wireless is disputing the Indian carrier's ownership of one of its most important Africa operations, company founder Strive Masiyiwa told Reuters by telephone. - engineeringnews

Telkom says KT Corp deal talk progressing: JSE-listed telecommunications group Telkom expects to finalise the results of a review of a potential strategic venture with Korean telecommunications company KT Corporation within the next few weeks. “The diagnostic review is well progressed,” Telkom reported in a statement on Friday. - engineeringnews

SA to probe threats against MTN, SacOil Nigeria Holdings: A movement known as MEND has threatened to attack MTN and SacOil. - moneyweb

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