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MultiChoice Converges Futuristic Technologies at Command Centre

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MultiChoice Africa proves its mettle by taking up cutting-edge technologies in digital broadcasting converged in its Command Centre, which enable the company beam clear signals to subscribers around Sub-Saharan Africa.
The Command Centre is the heartbeat of MultiChoice’s African operations, constantly monitoring the pulse of every channel on DStv and ensuring that subscribers in all the countries receive clear and uninterrupted signals. The centre’s most critical role is to ensure that things stay in sync with the complex satellite broadcasts that bring DStv channels to the continent.
Nested in the imposing MultiChoice complex located in Johannesburg, South Africa; the centre has rows upon rows of monitors simultaneously displaying all of the channels being broadcast on DStv. A massive central plasma screen can display four channels at once for closer viewing, with another six slim LCD screens flanking it. All the screens are fed from a rack of satellite decoders (more than 100 different types and models) which decipher signals, ensuring that what viewers at home see are well monitored, and down times mitigated.
In addition to these are large suspended plastic domes used to beam sound to individual operators so that they can check the sound quality of any broadcast, at the push of a button.
According to Llewellyn Pillay, manager, “the Command Centre is the centralized administration and monitoring point that ensures that MultiChoice Africa provides the best quality service to its customers. We make sure that everything goes on air as it should, and if anything goes wrong, we ensure that it gets fixed very quickly.”
The centre uses a collection of both machine and human monitors to watch video and sound quality. Any distortion or unwanted sound triggers an alert, and immediate action is enforced.
The Command Centre also monitors the Extended Electronic Programme Guide (EEPG), which is a detailed listing of every programme on all the DStv channels. For example, a movie on Movie Magic channel would have listed its start and end times, a summary of the movie’s plot, main cast and year of release.
Given the array of programming on the DStv bouquet, the EEPG helps viewers to get the most out of their subscription. The Comand Centre contributes by ensuring that the EEPG is always accurate for the programmes being broadcast at a particular time.
In addition to all these technological achievements, MultiChoice uses four different satellites to cover all of Africa alone. It was recently reported that the company reserved a space in Intelsat’s IS-20 scheduled for launch in the first quarter of 2012, which will  replace the Intelsat 10 satellite and will provide services to Africa, Europe, the Middle East and Asia.
The Eutelsat W4 satellite for example, broadcasts programmes first uploaded in South Africa to be received in West and Central Africa through a satellite uplink facility in Spain. More so, the signals of the SuperSports channels face a round trip of around 70,000km to reach a subscriber in southern Africa – a distance covered in just seconds.

 


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MTN Launches One TV with Free-to-View, Pay-as-You-Go

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MTN Group has begun rolling out MTN One TV, a new entertainment proposition designed to make digital video content more accessible, relevant, and flexible for customers across African markets.

MTN Launches One TV with Free-to-View, Pay-as-You-Go

Introduced in line with MTN’s Ambition 2030 strategy, MTN One TV brings together local storytelling, live channels, international programming, and market-specific viewing options tailored to how customers across the continent access and pay for digital entertainment.

The proposition is designed to give customers greater choice in how they watch content, with viewing models that may vary by market and can include free-to-view content, advertising-funded experiences, pay-as-you-watch access, and subscription offerings.

Depending on local availability, customers may also be able to pay through airtime, Mobile Money, and other locally supported payment methods, helping to reduce common barriers to streaming access.

Beyond enhancing customer experiences, MTN One TV creates new opportunities for African creators, broadcasters, advertisers, and ecosystem partners by helping connect content to wider audiences through MTN’s scale across connectivity, payments, and digital services.

By bringing together a broad mix of content experiences under a single proposition, MTN aims to support greater content discovery, broader audience reach, and sustainable growth across Africa’s digital entertainment ecosystem.

Anchored in MTN’s strategic platforms of Connectivity, Fintech, and Digital Infrastructure, MTN One TV forms part of the Group’s broader ambition to build digital experiences that create value for customers while enabling participation and growth across Africa’s digital economy.

“Entertainment is increasingly becoming an important gateway to digital participation,” said Selorm Adadevoh, MTN group chief commercial, strategy and transformation officer.

“Through MTN One TV, we are leveraging the scale of our connectivity, fintech, and digital capabilities to make relevant content more accessible while creating new opportunities for Africa’s creative and digital economies. This is aligned with our ambition to deliver digital solutions for Africa’s progress.”

MTN One TV is being introduced progressively across MTN markets through a phased rollout approach that reflects local market needs, existing services, and partnership opportunities.

Over time, MTN will bring together a combination of video capabilities, content partnerships, and customer experiences under the MTN One TV brand to create a more consistent and scalable entertainment proposition across its footprint.

Through MTN One TV, MTN continues to extend its role beyond connectivity by combining entertainment, payments, and digital services to deliver experiences tailored to the needs of African consumers.

The rollout supports MTN’s Ambition 2030 vision of leading digital solutions for Africa’s progress while expanding access to digital entertainment across the continent.

 


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IATA Drops Bombshell: Nigeria Among World’s Most Expensive Countries to Run an Airline

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International Air Transport Association (IATA) has identified Nigeria as one of the most expensive countries in the world for airline operations, citing high taxes, charges and operational costs that continue to weigh heavily on local carriers.

IATA Drops Bombshell: Nigeria Among World's Most Expensive Countries to Run an Airline

IATA’s Regional Vice President for Africa and the Middle East, Kamil Al-Awadhi, disclosed this during the association’s Annual General Meeting held in Rio de Janeiro.

Al-Awadhi said that although Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, had been pursuing reforms aimed at improving the aviation sector, airlines operating in the country still faced enormous cost pressures.

According to him, the high-cost operating environment has continued to affect the profitability and competitiveness of Nigerian airlines, making it difficult for the industry to realise its full potential.

He noted that excessive taxes, regulatory charges and other operating expenses remained major obstacles to airline growth across the region, with Nigeria ranking among the most challenging markets from a cost perspective.

Al-Awadhi urged member states of the Economic Community of West African States to adopt a proposed 25 per cent reduction in aviation taxes and charges to ease the burden on airlines and passengers.

According to him, lowering taxes and charges would reduce airfares, stimulate passenger traffic and strengthen the competitiveness of carriers operating within West Africa.

He stressed that a more supportive policy environment was critical to unlocking the economic benefits of aviation, including increased trade, tourism and regional integration.

Industry stakeholders have consistently advocated lower taxes and regulatory fees, arguing that the current cost structure makes air travel less affordable and limits the growth of the sector.

IATA’s latest remarks add to calls for governments in West Africa to implement policies that will promote a more sustainable and competitive aviation industry across the region.


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NASENI Trains 50 Women in Kano on Renewable Energy Technologies Under She-Powers Initiative

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The National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), under the leadership of its Executive Vice Chairman/CEO, Khalil Suleiman Halilu, has trained 50 women in Kano State on inverter and battery technologies through its She-Powers Energy Initiative.

NASENI Trains 50 Women in Kano on Renewable Energy Technologies Under She-Powers Initiative

The three-day programme, held at the Technology Incubation Centre, Farm Centre, Kano which ended yesterday, was designed to equip participants with practical renewable energy skills, promote women-led enterprises, and enhance sustainable livelihoods.

 The initiative forms part of NASENI’s broader commitment to empowering women, creating economic opportunities, and expanding participation in Nigeria’s growing clean energy sector. It also aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu by supporting job creation, entrepreneurship, and inclusive economic development.

 Through targeted interventions such as the She-Powers Energy Initiative, NASENI continues to demonstrate its commitment to leveraging technology and innovation to improve lives and drive sustainable development across the country.

Photos: Participants at the She-Powers Energy Initiative training organised by the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) held at the the Technology Incubation Centre, Farm Centre, Kano yesterday.


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