High expectations for Angolan satellite

Russia and Angola have signed an agreement to place in orbit Angola's first satellite, branded as Angosat, reports Guardian.co.uk.

It is anticipated that Angosat will improve the south western African nation's telecommunications system.

Angola marks the final stop of Russian president Dmitry Medvedev's four-country trip to Africa, the first visit to the continent as Russian leader. Russia faces tough competition from the US and China for resources in Africa.

The United Nations (UN) and Ericsson have rolled out a project to drive mobile-health applications and services in rural Africa, states The Ghanaian Times.

Ericsson is a founding member of the UN's Digital Health Initiative and has been involved in the UN's Millennium Development Goals which aim to reduce poverty around the world.

Carl-Henric Svanberg, outgoing Ericsson president and CEO, says: “Telecommunications play a vital role in facilitating access to health services, which help end the cycle of poverty and empower communities to improve their own social and economic situations”.

Globitel reveals that Zain has agreed to extend the partnership to provide an advanced set of roaming solutions to all Zain mobile operations in Middle East and Africa, says Al Bawaba.

Zain's relationship with Globitel started a few years ago with the signing of agreements for Zain Group subsidiaries in Jordan, Bahrain and Sudan.

Zain group chief information officer, Mohammed Rafi, notes: "The initial decision we made has been sustained and boosted by the ability of delivery.”