Mobile operator round-up: AT&T on WiFi, sales, signings and government intervention.

AT&T is reporting massive success on the WiFi front - and attributing it to smartphones. Government intervention seems to have yielded positive results in the South African mobile market. Mobile messaging from Synchronica has found its way onto the phones of another operator’s customers… and more.

Two location-based mobile social networking bits: Locle and The Grid

Both South Africa and Ireland have home grown news in location-based mobile social networking today. Irish company Locle is working on a service that will work on any mobile device, and South African Vodacom is introducing a location-based advertising option for it’s MoSo, The Grid.

What is location-based mobile social networking?
Very simply, an LBS mobile social [...]

Vodafone has agreed to acquire 15% more in Vodacom Group

Vodafone has agreed to acquire an additional 15% stake in Vodacom Group
(Proprietary) Limited (”Vodacom Group”) from Telkom SA Limited
(”Telkom”) for a cash consideration of ZAR22.5 billion (c.£1.4
billion) less the pro rata consolidated attributable net debt of Vodacom Group of approximately ZAR1.55 billion (c.£0.1 billion). The transaction will increase Vodafone’s shareholding in Vodacom Group from 50% [...]

Vodafone Vodacom

Vodafone notes the announcement issued by Telkom SA Limited and
confirms that it has made a non-binding proposal to acquire a 15%
stake in Vodacom Group (Proprietary) Limited for a cash consideration
of ZAR 22.5 billion less the attributable net debt of Vodacom at the
date of signing subject to, inter alia, the listing and unbundling of
Telkom’s remaining stake [...]

South Africa: Mobile Social Networks are New Advertising Medium

A really interesting article over at allfrica.com about how in South Africa Mobile Social Networks are the New Advertising Medium.

They Say:
A MXIT subscriber frantically punches some text before sending a message to a friend, who replies obligingly. Another acquaintance, chipping in on the conversation, introduces a new friend to the two buddies.
This hypothetical exchange not [...]

Mobile News for Leaders