Econet to launch email system for broadband subscribers

Econet Wireless has announced it will be launching an email system for its broadband subscribers before Christmas. Referring to email as the next phase of making Zimbabweans the most digitally connected people in Africa, Econet says it will issue broadband subscribers with free email addresses linked to the Econet mobile number.

The Econet broadband website has been hacked

The Econet Wireless broadband website www.econetbroadband.co.zw has been hacked. We just discovered this right now while working on a story for the new Econet Email system, which we will post later. If you visit the site right now, you will see it’s been defaced with the following banner:

Telco working on a mobile broadband offering for early 2011

In a response to an email we sent them, Telco (Telecontract) revealed that they’re working on a mobile broadband service to be launched in 2011. Telco says “deployment of the first base stations is underway and commissioning of the commercial services is scheduled for early in 2011.”

Econet to switch on fibre as early as next week

On Tuesday this week, Econet announced that it has connected the Seacom optic fibre cable and is ready to switch on once the green light is given by the regulators. Well, we have more news on that today.

Details on the winners of Zimbabwe ICT 2010 Achievers Awards

On Sunday, we posted the winners of the inaugural Zimbabwe ICT Achievers Awards. We had just come from the event the previous night and didn't have the full details of the achievements of the winners. I know it took a whole week to get these, and we're sorry for that. But let's focus on the positive: Courtesy of our friends at Just ICT, we now have the details.

ICT 2010 Achievers Awards Businessman of the Year: Douglas Mboweni

Mr Mboweni is an exemplary Zimbabwean businessman that has shown strong entrepreneurial orientation in finding creative solutions to the challenges of operating and developing a business that delivers convenience to the people of Zimbabwe during a time of considerable economic challenges.

ICT 2010 Achievers Awards Project of the Year Public Sector: NetOne

This project had a positive impact to society in that NetOne bridged the communication divide in all ten provinces of Zimbabwe were power outages are frequent. NetOne set up solar powered base stations in hard hit areas such that there is constant connectivity for the masses in the affected areas.

ICT 2010 Achievers Awards ICT Civil Society/ NGO: Childline Zimbabwe

Childline Zimbabwe's core function is to provide children with counselling services via the telephone. This ICT basis forms the foundation on which all awareness raising is conducted. Through promoting the toll-free 116 crisis line, Childline is promoting the use and access to ICT for all children across the country.

Zimbabwe’s Google Top Searches of 2010

Today, Google posted this year’s Zeitgeist, an interactive visual tool showing what the world searched on Google in 2010. Google’s version of the world’s list of 2010’s most trending topics. We should be getting a Twitter one and possibly a Facebook one as well before the year closes.

Econet connects to SEACOM undersea fibre cable

Econet just announced some 3 milestones today. The first and most significant is that Econet has established a direct connection to the SEACOM undersea optic fibre cable in Durban and is ready to connect customers once given the green light by the regulatory authorities.