37 / 48
wiredInUSA - February 2014
37
ASIA / AFRICA NEWS
INDEXA disagreement between Dalcom
Somalia and Hormud Telecom concerning
distribution has brought the connection
process in Mogadishu to a standstill.
DalCom has been working on the fiber
optic connection process for a year, and
work was expected to be completed by
mid-2014.
The Somalian government has made efforts
to mediate between the two companies
but, to date, no progress has been made
and work has ceased. The cause of the
disagreement has not been revealed.
Analysts believe, however, that having
spent up to $7 million on the project,
Dalcom Somalia, a joint venture involving
several
Somali
telecommunication
companies, will be unlikely to allow the
project to fail. Since its introduction,
DalCom Somalia has been described as
the backbone of Internet operations in
Somalia. The company provides a wide
range of products and solutions for Internet
service providers including corporate and
learning institutions, media operators and
cyber cafes.
Somalia was among the last African
countries to have Internet access; its first ISP
was established in 1999.
Dispute halts fiber
connection
The Nicaraguan state-owned power
companyEmpresaNacionaldeTransmision
Electrica (Enatrel) has awarded a joint
contract to Daewoo International and
Hyundai Engineering to build 138kV
electricity transmission lines and five
substations.
Under the terms of the contract, believed
to be worth around $28m, the South
Korean companies will design, construct
and commission the power substations and
80km of transmission lines in the El Sauce
region in the northwest of the country.
An undisclosed Daewoo International
official said the Nicaraguan deal will
provide the company with a foothold to
further advance into the central American
market, adding: “We will do our best to
find more business opportunities in power
transmission and renewable energy
projects in Latin America and other
developing world markets.”
South Koreans move into
Nicaragua