Vodafone brought the mobile money service that has revolutionised banking in Africa to Romania on Monday, offering M-Pesa text-message transactions to millions of customers in its first push into Europe.

U.S.-based data centre firm Switch SUPERNAP has set up a joint venture with specialist investment companies in Egyptian tycoon Naguib Sawiris's telecoms empire to win business in Europe, Asia and the Americas.

High-speed internet for corporate clients is the big opportunity this year, but to extend mobile penetration to first-timers, prices will have to fall.

Apple's iPads lead the way in the tablet market in North America and Europe, but not in Africa.

Customers in Africa often pay ten times more than those in Europe for broadband access, the ITU says.

With a clutch of top-end smartphone manufacturers like Samsung, Nokia and BlackBerry targeting Africa, Apple's iPhone has a lot of catching up to do.