MTN has again been named South Africa’s best mobile network by Opensignal, winning or sharing 10 of the 16 awards in the analytics company’s latest report, though it now shares the reliability award with Cell C. Opensignal’s November 2026 mobile network experience report, based on measurements from users’ devices between 1 July and 28 September,…
DJ Zinhle DJ Zinhle, one of South Africa’s best-known DJs, is launching her own mobile network. Bestie Connect is a prepaid mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) that runs on MTN’s infrastructure and is aimed squarely at her followers. The venture is being built with BlueStream Mobile, an MVNO advisory business run by Hymie Marnewick, who…
SpaceX is reportedly evaluating options to launch its own consumer mobile carrier service through potential transaction structures involving Boost Mobile, according to a report by The Washington Post. The Elon Musk-led aerospace company has held preliminary discussions with Boost Mobile’s parent company, EchoStar, as it seeks to expand its direct-to-cell satellite capabilities into a full-scale…
Icasa has concluded, provisionally, that South Africa’s system for letting new telecoms network operators into the market isn’t working, and that would-be operators should be allowed to apply to it directly for licences. In a discussion document published in the Government Gazette on Friday, the regulator said the current regime – under which a newcomer…
A decision by Elon Musk led to restrictions on Ukraine’s use of SpaceX’s satellite communications network, people familiar with the matter told CBS News. The satellite service, which is used for drone operations, hitting certain targets and protecting sites in Ukraine, was slowed significantly last week. Musk held multiple conversations with administration officials leading up…
The undersea cable systems associated with Openserve’s South African infrastructure and international connectivity include the Equiano. Openserve is introducing artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning into its Network Operations Centre (NOC), to help detect potential fibre faults before they disrupt connectivity. This, as the telecommunications infrastructure provider works towards more autonomous network management. During Digital…
US President Donald Trump has denied limiting Ukraine’s access to Starlink’s sister internet network Starshield after it restricted drone speed, hampering Kyiv’s ability to protect itself from Russian attacks. “It wasn’t me and I don’t think it was [Starlink owner] Elon [Musk],” Trump said, hours after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said speed had yet to…
The Reserve Bank will start piloting white-labelled ATMs in January, the first step in a plan to turn all of South Africa’s more than 30 000 machines into a shared, unbranded network where transactions below a set threshold are free. To get there, the central bank intends to establish a national cash utility by March 2027…
The Durban arrival highlighted growing EV choice and charging access, while industry representatives called for policy certainty to support wider adoption. South African Automotive Week (SA Auto Week) 2026 in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, was the destination for electric vehicle (EV) road-trippers from Johannesburg, Cape Town and East London. According to The Electric Mission, the 2026 road…
Vodacom invests R500 million to improve digital inclusion in the Western Cape. Mobile telephony group Vodacom says it will spend more than R500 million in network infrastructure and digital inclusion in the Western Cape this financial year. In a statement, the JSE-listed group says it will focus on network expansion, modernisation and upgrades, energy-resilience projects…
