Gateway Business has unveiled its brand to key customers, staff, regulators and other strategic partners. Going forward the business will operate under the Vodacom Business brand, completing the integration into its shareholders, the Vodacom Group, and aligning its brand promise to the Vodacom slogan ‘Power to You’.

Vodacom Business provides customers with a wide portfolio of enterprise ICT solutions ranging from pure access solutions to fully outsourced managed network services and managed hosted services. As more functions move towards cloud based services, Vodacom Business aims to launch competitive products that will transform the African landscape.

The rebrand is expected to accelerate Vodacom Business’ operations with customers in the banking and finance, oil and gas, mining and FMCG sectors – key markets earmarked for expansion. The company’s widespread terrestrial pan-African MPLS network that spans over 40 African countries and expands across the globe is key to delivering upon this objective.

Last month it was reported that Gateway parent company Vodacom Group was in discussions to sell the carrier business of Gateway Communications, as it was looking to exit the loss-making division.

Vodacom is looking to maintain the convergence operations of the business, which provides data services, with the remaining business being incorporated into the global enterprises portfolio of Vodafone, Vodacom’s parent company.

Vodacom acquired Gateway three years ago for US$675 million with the aim to provide wholesale carrier services, including Internet and voice, to telcos and enterprises.

Saudi Arabia will issue three mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) licences in 2012, the country’s telecom regulator told Reuters.

A spokesman for the Saudi Communications and Information Technology Commission (CITC) confirmed the regulator would sell the MVNO licences next year, but did not provide more details.

The regulator’s move to allow MVNOs instead of granting a fourth telecom licence is a sign Saudi operators are moving towards competing on service rather than focussing on building their own infrastructure.

Etisalat Group has announced the appointment of Ahmed Mohammed Alhosani as acting CEO Etisalat Afghanistan and Ahmed Khalfan Al Mutawa as CFO of Etisalat Zantel in Tanzania.

Alhosani, who replaces former Etisalat Afghanistan CEO Saeed Al Hamli has held various management positions since he joined Etisalat in 1992, and has served as the deputy CEO of Etisalat Afghanistan since 2010.

Ahmed Al Mutawa has held numerous roles within Etisalat including financial affairs and auditing since his employment in 2001. Prior to his promotion to CFO of Etisalat Zantel, he served as VP for financial affairs at Emirates Data Clearing House (EDCH), an arm of Etisalat.

Palestinian cellco, Wataniya Mobile plans to expand its network out of the West Bank and into Gaza in 2012, but says that it is being hampered by difficulties in securing radio spectrum from Israel.

According to the cellco’s CEO Bassam Hanoun, the company is looking to introduce 34 services during 2013.

Earlier this year, Hanoun said the cellco has already ordered equipment from network vendor Ericsson, and plans to invest around US$60 million in Gaza.

Wataniya Mobile successfully launched operations within the West Bank in November 2009, three years after winning a competitive bid for its licence. The launch was held up by delays in receiving access to the radio spectrum from the Israeli authorities.

Wataniya Mobile is estimated to have had around 433,000 subscribers in Palestine as at the end of September 2011, representing a market share of around 15 per cent.

Vodacom’s former CEO Alan Knott-Craig is reported to have held talks with South Africa’s smallest mobile operator, Cell C, with respect to the company’s future and a possible ‘rescue plan’ for the cellco, according to local news portal MyBroadband.

Cell C has been without a permanent CEO since Lars Reichelt departed the company in July.

Knott-Craig is currently prohibited from working in the country’s telecom sector until April 2012 as part of the severance package agreed when he left Vodacom.

Cell C has suffered the twin problems of stiff competition in the local market, as well as shareholder inertia from its parent company Saudi Oger, which appears undecided regarding its long-term involvement in South Africa.