CfDA: Empowering IXPs in Benin, Malawi, Rwanda - ITREALMS

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The Internet Society has joined forces with the Coalition for Digital Africa, an initiative launched by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) at strengthening Internet infrastructure across the continent, reports ITREALMS.

ISOC Director, Advocacy and Communications, Mr. Megan Kruse, said that the ISOC and ICANN partnership on this project under the auspices of the Coalition, is to help empower Internet Exchange Points (IXPs) in the continent, taking on the goal of enhancing five IXPs across Africa to improve Internet access by making it faster and more affordable.

Konga Yakata shopper wins business class ticket to Rwanda - ITREALMS

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In fulfillment of its reward to loyal customers, Konga Travels and Tours, a prominent player in the travel and tours industry, in collaboration with RwandAir has gifted the highest shopper during the Konga Yakata Black Friday sales with a prestigious business class ticket to Rwanda, reports ITREALMS.

The fortunate winner, Umoru Suleiman from Kaduna, soared above the rest with a remarkable purchase value of N6,220,000.

Ihaba, Rwanda partner on AIS’18

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The Ihaba is partnering the Government of Rwanda for the second Africa Innovation Summit (AIS II) slated for 6 through 8 June 2018 at the Kigali Convention Center in Kigali, Rwanda, reports ITRealms.

The AIS II, ITRealms gathered, will build on a very successful first Summit, to include activities before, during and after the Summit.

ITRealms reports that AIS seeks innovative and disruptive solutions for major challenges facing African countries, which include energy access, water, food insecurity, and health systems.

Director of AIS, Dr. Olugbenga Adesida, said, AIS II will be a three-day event and the program will include a set of plenary sessions on major thematic issues, over twenty facilitated workshops in focused workgroups to deepen the dialogue and to seek solutions to challenges facing African countries, as well as many side events and special programs.

He said, the summit will also include Satellite events in three to five locations within the continent, an exhibition by 50 African SMEs and institutions with scalable innovative ideas, products and/or services, and a Youth Innovation Challenge.

Adesida further said, leading up to the Summit, AIS will organize hackathons and blogs to mobilize practical popular engagement. Post-Summit, the AIS will work on a series of knowledge outputs, including policy briefs and book with case studies, as well as promote the implementation of the recommendations.

Ogo Nebenanya/GEE
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Rwanda, Microsoft partner for nationwide smart classrooms by Dec. 2017

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The Rwandan government and Microsoft have concluded plans to embark on a nationwide smart classrooms deployment by December 2017, reports ITRealms.

The Regional Education Industry Manager for West, East, Central Africa and Indian Ocean Islands, at Microsoft, Warren La Fleur told TheNew Times in Kigali that the first batch of smart classrooms will be ready by the end of the current fiscal year.

The report also added that Rwandan schools are expected to start using smart classrooms by the end of this year as a result of a partnership agreement signed three years ago between the Government of Rwanda and Microsoft on digitization of the country’s education sector.

ITRealms further gathered that the smart classrooms are expected to offer students access to computers and basic software in addition to internet access towards digitization of teaching and learning.

“I would say that before the end of the current financial year you will have smart classrooms in Rwanda where this new way of teaching with digital identity will certainly be in place,” Wareen said.

According to the Education Minister, Dr Musafiri Papias Malimba, recently, students in all schools are expected to have access to the internet by 2020, as currently, only 531 schools in Rwanda out of the 3,500 are connected.

Rwanda is touted as one of the fastest growing countries in Africa.

Uj. N. Dom/GEE

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Econet’s KweseTv takes off with pay-as-you-watch in Ghana, Rwanda, Zambia

ITRealms:

The operators of Kwese Tv networks in Ghana, Rwanda and Zambia, Econet, has launched a ‘pay-as-you-watch’ service that enables viewers to purchase three or seven day passes to its full programming bouquet, reports ITRealms.

Confirming this to ITRealms, the Econet Media President and Group Chief Executive Officer, Joseph Hundah, said the launch would put a stop for people never have to miss out on trending sports or entertainment programming.

In an official statement also made available to ITRealms, Mr. Hunday said the latest Africa’s satellite network is here to stay, beaming Kwesé’s full suite of superior entertainment and sports programming to households in Ghana, Rwanda and Zambia, which make up the initial phase of the Kwesé TV rollout across Africa.

According to him, other countries will be announced in due course, while viewers in these countries could now access Kwesé TV via Kwesé’s own satellite and set-top-box (decoder) available at leading retailers.

He explained that Kwesé TV has launched with a full-suite of top-shelf content which is unprecedented for a new broadcaster, with impressive portfolio of sports assets on its premium sports channels Kwesé Free Sports, Kwesé Sports 1 and Kwesé Sports 2, Kwesé TV introduced some fantastic entertainment programming to the mix including some exclusive, first-to-market content as well as original programming.

In addition to great content and its multi-platform, he said  the multi-screen broadcasting model, Kwesé’s key differentiator is its innovative payment options that offer flexibility and convenience.

“Kwesé offers a ‘pay-as-you-watch’ service that enables viewers to purchase three or seven day passes to its full programming bouquet so they never have to miss out on trending sports or entertainment programming,” he said.

These payment options, Hundah said, turns the traditional pay TV model on its head, provides unparalleled access to premium programming at an affordable price. The monthly subscription option, which gives subscribers access to the full suite of Kwesé TV programming, is available at an astonishing $25 (USD) per month excluding VAT.

“We are a dynamic, young company built to respond to the way audiences want to access and consume content, whether you subscribe for the full Kwese TV bouquet, watch amazing sports programming free-to-air or choose to watch TV on the move, we aim to be the first choice for viewers all over Africa by bringing them the best in programming, at an affordable price making it accessible to more people than ever before,” Hundah said.

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