In the headlines this week are 95 stories from 28+ nations. As usual, a wide range of themes, from 4G expansion to policy outlooks to e-commerce developments are covered.

Algeria

• Algeria enters 3G era amid lack of new telecom law {Globaltimes.cn}
• Ooredoo Algeria expects 2m subscribers to migrate to 3G {TeleGeography}

Botswana

• Bofinet to lower tariffs – chairman {Botswana Gazette}
• Operators and regulator exploring LTE networks in Botswana {HumanIPO}

Cameroon

• L’électricien AES-Sonel menacé de sanctions pour un projet de distribution low-cost de l’Internet {Ecofin}

Cote D’Ivoire

• Quatre nouvelles villes accueillent le réseau 3,75 G de Moov {Ecofin}

DR Congo

• La RD Congo veut s’inspirer de l’expérience égyptienne dans la lutte contre la cybercriminalité {Ecofin}

Egypt

• Meticulous planning needed to protect FTTH network investments {BiztechAfrica}
• Egyptian SMEs resist internet lure {Daily News Egypt}
• Cabinet plans to attract tourists through live online broadcasts {Egypt Independent}
• ICT leaders praise Egypt strategy {HumanIPO}
• A Day of Engagement in Egypt {ICANN Blog}

Ethiopia

• After seizing equipment, Ethiopia goes ahead with Huawei deal {Computerworld}
• Miscommunication – Telecoms Expansion Targets Quantity Not Quality {AllAfrica.com}

Gabon

• Ogooué Labs s’active pour un écosystème plus dynamique {AfriqueITNews.com}

Ghana

• MTN Hands Over ICT Centre {AllAfrica.com}
• Ghana continues laptop rollout to schools {HumanIPO}

Kenya

• 3 Ideas on Innovating Access to Information in Kenya {Beyond Access}
• Kenyan government launches bandwidth service for universities {HumanIPO}
• ‘91% of Kenyan organisations hit by cyber crime in 2013’ {ITWeb Africa}
• Kenya’s online content business expands {ITworld}
• The march of ICT in Kenya: 50 years of small, steady steps {nation.co.ke}
• Kenya, a crucible of technology and business {The Africa Report}

Liberia

• 2 Liberian Youths Participate in African ICT Week {The Liberian Observer}

Libya

• ZTE wins LD15m telecoms contract {Libya Monitor}

Malawi

• Local youth receive Web 2.0 training in Malawi {Swazi Observer}

Mali

• You’ve Never Heard Cell Phone Music Like This Before {Huff Post}
• US “concerned” by censorship of Mali website {Huff Post}

Morocco

• Le E-learning au coeur du débat à Marrakech {AfriqueITNews.com}
• « Nous comptons procéder à l’octroi des licences 4G avant la fin du 1er semestre 2014 » {Ecofin}
• Moroccan Minister withdraws controversial internet draft law {Morocco World News}

Namibia

• Citizen Connect project launched  {NAMPA}
• MTC expands LTE to pre-paid, upgrades 3G to fend off TN Mobile competition {TeleGeography}

Nigeria

• Nigcomsat Commits to Rural Areas {AllAfrica.com}
• Nigeria’s Ambitious ICT Local Content Target {AllAfrica.com}
• Software Firm Introduces Mobile Application for Churches {AllAfrica.com}
• Will the Slash in Telecoms Levies Impact Service Quality? {AllAfrica.com}
• Experts Decry Lack of IT Patency Law in Nigeria {AllAfrica.com}
• Mobile telecoms operators: Thriving in the perfect storm {BusinessDay}
• Yaba joins race to become Africa’s Silicon Valley {BusinessDay}
• ADA 2013: Stakeholders seek faster broadband deployment {National Mirror}
• Online real estate is increasingly gaining acceptance in Nigeria – Dapo Eludire {TechMoran}
• Networks set to go head-to-head over single spectrum licence in Nigeria {HumanIPO}
• Telecom subscribers hit 56 million {The Punch}
• Senate reverses decision on jail term for online critics {The Punch}
• Facebook rival hopes to link business, online shopping in Nigeria {Technology Times}
• Gagging Critics or Fighting Cyber Crime? {Global Voices Advocacy}

North Africa

• Digital Citizen 1.3 المواطن الرقمي {Global Voices Advocacy}
• 3 ways the Arab tech diaspora can stimulate regional development {Wamda.com}

Reunion

• Orange Reunion unveils HSPA+, DC-HSPA+ {TeleGeography}

Rwanda

• Future is tied to three letters {China Daily}
• YouthConnekt Hangout scoops UNDP innovation award {BiztechAfrica}
• Accélerer la croissance du marché d’internet avant le déploiement de la 4G {RFI}

Senegal

• Les vainqueurs du VDOChallenge dévoilés! {AfriqueITNews.com}
• Tigo teste le lancement de la 3G+ {Ecofin}
• Sonatel annonce avoir investi 120 milliards FCfa pour améliorer son réseau {Ecofin}
• Senegal’s mobile operators to all deploy 4G pilot trials before year-end, Reuters {TeleGeography}

Somalia

• Building a Mesh Network in Rural Somaliland {In The Tank: The New America Blog}
• Al-Shabaab claim they are back on Twitter {Al Jazeera}

South Africa

• Mandela’s Passion for Telecoms Growth in Africa {AllAfrica.com}
• Health-e Chosen As African Story Challenge Finalist {AllAfrica.com}
• Cyber Monday sales record for SA retailers {BusinessTech}
• First for SA: Internet pirate arrested in Cape Town {MyBroadband}
• Country Focus: South Africa {IT News Africa}
• MTN, Telkom in infrastructure sharing talks {Moneyweb}
• MTN pushes cheap internet on feature phones {News24}
• Vodacom must withdraw 3G speed claim {TechCentral}
• Share our mobile, broadband networks? No way’: South Africa’s big telco vows to fight unbundling {ZDNet}

Swaziland

• Swazi language and culture app to launch in February {HumanIPO}

Tanzania

• Partnerships at Base of Tanzania’s Maternal Health and Early Child Care Text Messaging Service Successful First Year {PRWeb}

Tunisia

• Tunisia to Create African ICT Centre of Excellence {AllAfrica.com}
• Facebook and Public Empowerment in Tunisia {ISN}
• National Forum on Internet Governance holds first meeting {TAP}

Uganda

• Uganda: Smile Slashes Price of New High-Tech Routers {PC Tech Magazine}
• Mobile money transfers hit $640m {EA Business Week}
• ICT can spur Africa’s education – experts {The New Vision}

West Africa

• Overview of the startup ecosystem in West Africa [Resource] {VC4Africa}
• Nokia targets Windows app developers in Ghana, Nigeria {ITWeb Africa}

Zambia

• Smart File Sharing System Tested in a Rural Zambian Village {MIT Technology Review}
• Protect consumers, ICT regulators told {Times of Zambia}

Zimbabwe

• Internet costs hinder development {The Financial Gazette}
• Shop online this festive season {The Independent}
• Watchdog uses internet to monitor MPs {The Zimbabwean}

General Africa

• MTN pushes e-commerce play in Africa {BusinessTech}
• Google Translate – now in 80 languages (Zulu, Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo and Somali launched {Google Africa Blog}
• Ministerial Forum in Tunis will discuss ICT integration policies that drive and accelerate the transformation of Africa’s education and training systems {AfDB}
• Google Maps Navigation Now Available In 25 More Countries Across Africa, Europe, The Caribbean, And Asia {Android Police}
• ISPs steal a march on mobile operators with LTE roll-outs – YooMe will go live in Cote d’Ivoire in February {balancingact-africa.com}
• How to achieve affordable internet for all {Business Daily}
• Hit the road, hack(er) … Africa’s techies hop aboard the StartupBus {CNN.com}
• Expect LTE network acquisitions in Africa – Alcatel-Lucent {HumanIPO}
• Major African cities lag behind global peers in ICT {ITWeb Africa}
• Let’s clean up our act on ICT, say African experts {SciDev.net}
• Radio, mobile phones could boost African farm yields {SciDev.net}
• New satellite could deliver MOOCs to Africa  {UWN}