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Telecom Entrepreneur Joel Mafenya Launches Africa's First Fully Black-Owned Mobile Network

South Africa’s telecom sector has introduced its latest innovation with a new Black-owned mobile network operator. According to Independent Online, South African entrepreneur and investor Joel Mafenya is making waves in the telecommunications market after launching what is said to be the country’s first fully Black-owned cellular network operator — Taxicom Mobile. Taxicom Mobile officially launched in Johannesburg on Dec. 9, as reported by NOW in SA, and claims to usher in a new era for the telecom industry even as companies around the world grapple with the effects of COVID-19. As stated by founder Mafenya, his company aims to “accelerate access to inclusive mobile telecommunications services to the underserviced and excluded,” Independent Online shares. “This will be done through an introduction of a different model of meaningful ownership – with preference given to subscribers, distributors and its agents,” he said. Taxicom Mobile itself is a lifestyle virtual mobile network...

Njera Perkins

Dec 21, 2020

Netflix Appoints Billionaire African Telecom Mogul, Strive Masiyiwa to Board of Directors

Netflix is making some more changes to its leadership ahead of the new year. Deadline reports the streaming giant has named Strive Masiyiwa — billionaire founder and chairman of telecom tech company Econet Group — to its board of directors. “We are delighted to welcome Strive to the Netflix board,” Netflix co-founder, chairman and co-CEO Reed Hastings said in a statement. “His entrepreneurship and vision in building businesses across Africa and beyond will bring valuable insights and experience to our board as we work to improve and serve more members all around the world.” Masiyiwa’s appointment to the board follows the news of former United Nations U.S. ambassador Susan Rice’s departure from the streamer’s team. According to Variety, Rice is relinquishing her board seat at Netflix to join president-elect Joe Biden’s administration on Jan. 20, 2021. Masiyiwa previously launched his mobile phone network, Econet Wireless Zimbabwe, in his native country back in 1998 after a years-long...

Njera Perkins

Dec 17, 2020

Net Neutrality Proponents Challenge Court Appeal Rulings

Mozilla, Google, Facebook, Vimeo, advocacy groups, and others headed to court last Friday to protest a recent ruling of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. The companies are spearheading an appeal in the fight for net neutrality, or the right to maintain an open Internet, without broadband provider manipulation of content. Provider manipulation could include restricting Internet access to unpopular points of view, charging providers of specific sites more to show their content, or changing the connection speed when displaying certain material. Those against net neutrality believe that it negatively impacts competitive corporate investment in Internet services . The October ruling by the D.C. Circuit supported the 2017 decision of the Federal Communications Commission under Trump appointee Ajit Pai to do away with net neutrality protections put in place during the Obama administration. Pai’s repeal also prevented states from determining their own net...

Emily Adeyanju

Dec 16, 2019