Broadcasting technology Understanding how satellites are key to Africa’s economic growth IBC 2017 A preview of this year’s show Mobile solutions Delivering mobile in rural areas Investing in data centres Unlocking Africa’s untapped potential Afrique Fatoumata Dieng, director general group, Orange Africa and other speakers at the recent Data centres: Invest in Africa Summit. Africa www.communicationsafrica.com Issue 4 2017 Édition 4 2017 features: ● Communications ● Mobile ● Satellites regular reports: ● Agenda ● Solutions
Transcript
Broadcastingtechnology Understanding howsatellites are key toAfrica’s economic
growth
IBC 2017A preview of this year’s show
Mobile solutionsDelivering mobile in rural areas
Investing in data centresUnlocking Africa’s untapped potential
Afrique
Fatoumata Dieng, director general group,Orange Africa and other speakers at therecent Data centres: Invest in Africa Summit.
This issue of Communications Africawill explore Africa’s emerging datacentre market and the opportunitiesand challenges it brings, featuringhighlights from Data Cloud Europe 2017.In this edition we also focus on wirelessnetworks - including the impact ofhigh-speed wireless network LiTESPEED on Zambia’s Internet sector andhow extended ranges of new backhaulsolutions means remote regions canconnect through a satellite network.
Une note du rédacteurCe numéro de CommunicationsAfrica explorera le marché descentres de données émergents enAfrique et les opportunités et lesdéfis qu'il apporte, mettant envedette les points forts de DataCloud Europe 2017. Dans cetteédition, nous nous concentronségalement sur les réseaux sans fil - ycompris l'impact du réseau sans filhaute vitesse LiTE SPEED sur Lesecteur Internet de la Zambie et lagamme étendue de nouvellessolutions de backhaul, les régionséloignées peuvent se connecter viaun réseau satellitaire.
Bulletin 4
Events 6
Agenda 10
Solutions 33
FEATURES
Automation 16We explore how companies are embracing the rise of new technology trends to better the workplace environment.
Technology 22How the latest microwave, RF and other solutions for backhauling across regions previously deprived of wireless.
Digital 24Following the launch of Zambia’s 4G LTE network in Lusaka last year, CEC Liquid offers a new 4G LiTE SPEED Internetservice expected to transform the sector.
Mobile 26An overview of how mobile technologies is transforming sectors across Africa and how operators are dependent onthe skills of vendors to make the networks deliver.
Data Centres 28We discuss the growth of Africa’s data centre market and how this presents new investment opportunities for operators in theregion.
Security 31Assessing the risk issues facing organisations when not being compliant to the new data protection rules that will beundertaken next year.
ARTICLES
Bulletin 4Un rassemblement de nouvelles de toutes les entreprises travaillant dans le secteur des communications.
Actualités 5Une sélection de nouvelles, produits et services pour l'Afrique francophone.
Diffusion 20Explorer le passage croissant aux accès Internet de haute qualité et la nécessité d'une technologie sans fil fixe à large
bande.
CONTENTS
www.communicationsafrica.com Communications Africa Issue 4 2017 3
USA Michael Tomashefsky +1 203 226 2882 +1 203 226 7447 [email protected]
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Huawei partners with WorldRemit on mobile moneyserviceDIGITAL MONEY TRANSFER service WorldRemit and Huawei have joinedforces making WorldRemit’s international money transfer service availableto all partners of Huawei’s mobile money service platform across Africa.
BBM Messenger brings movie tickets service to NigeriaCREATIVE MEDIA WORKS, in collaboration with BBM, has launchedMovie Tickets in Discover with partner, Nairabox. The service allowsNigerians to browse current movies playing in theatres, view show times,discover the latest movie trailers and purchase tickets - all withoutleaving the messaging app. “Launching Movie Tickets is just the latest ina year-long effort to bring more mobile services to this market, which isone of our key markets worldwide. Digital tickets make going to moviesand events so convenient, we’re sure that this will prove to be a verypopular new feature,” said Matthew Talbot, CEO of Creative MediaWorks.
Intelsat launches 2G service for sub-Saharan Africa INTELSAT HAS ROLLED out a managed services solution that will provide2G services in remote locations. According to the firm, the solutionleverages contributions of services provider BCom and technologyprovider Newtec for core components of the solution. Jean-PhilippeGillet, Intelsat’s vice president and general manager of broadbandstated, “Now that smaller, more portable kits can be used with our highpower Intelsat EpicNG platform, connecting those communities willbecome easier and more cost-effective.”
Microsoft Nigeria appoints new general manager MICROSOFT HAS ANNOUNCED Akin Banuso as the new general managerfor Nigeria. Banuso has been appointed to lead the company's digitaltransformation drive in one of the most dynamic, innovative and largesteconomies on the continent, the company noted. "I am very excited to leadthe Microsoft business in Nigeria. Our mission is to empower every personand every organisation on the planet to achieve more, and I see so muchpotential in Nigeria,” said Akin Banuso, new general manager for Nigeria.
Arianespace to launch Hellsas-Sat 3 satellite THE HELLAS-SAT 3 payload will deliver in-orbit backed up DTH andTelecom services in its designated coverage areas, maintaining andexpanding Hellas-Sat business reach with additional capacities andbringing video content in High Definition and Ultra High Definition formatto the covered regions. The FSS/BSS coverage zones are Europe, MiddleEast and sub-Saharan African countries, including a cross trap servicebetween Europe and South Africa.
MainOne launches Open-Connect service in Nigeria MAINONE HAS ANNOUNCED a new interconnect service for carriers,enterprises and ISPs called Open-Connect. The product is expected toallow the creation of an environment where customers connect tomultiple networks, cloud and content providers. “This solution will enable more operators and carriers take advantage ofthe connections of the IXPN within MainOne’s connected Data Centre
and enhance Internet traffic originating and terminating on any networkin Nigeria to remain in-country,” said Funke Opeke, chief executiveofficer of MainOne.
Mobile money programme supports thousands ofKenyans A NEW PROGRAMME is expected to combat food insecurity in drought-affected Kenya, where 250,000 people may be at risk. The money isprimarily transferred using the M-Pesa mobile phone-based moneytransfer service. “Even in very remote parts of the country, mobilephones are widely accessible. It makes it very easy for people to accessmoney and, more importantly, it gives them choice and flexibility in howthey spend their money,” said Dr. Abbas Gullet, secretary general, KRCS.
Panasonic signs first pan-EMEA distributionagreement with Nuvias for IP Phone Handsets PANASONIC BUSINESS HAS appointed Nuvias as its first pan-EMEAdistributor for its range of business IP phone handsets. Nuvias will act asa high value distributor for the full range of Panasonic IP handsets.“The Nuvias Unified Communications Practice will be able to replicate itswell-proven and successful model to drive sales through both existing andnew channel partners,” said Raphael Studer, European partner accountmanager for SIP Products at Panasonic System Communications Europe.
Jasco Broadcast at Mediatech 2017 JASCO BROADCAST WILL be presenting its full range of innovative, end-to-end digital broadcasting solutions at Mediatech 2017, southernAfrica’s premier media and entertainment technology event. “The broadcasting industry is undergoing accelerated changes in anumber of key areas at the moment, driven by significant advancementsin digital technology. MediaTech, as the only event of its kind for the localmarket, is an essential platform for us to showcase our solutions thataddress these changes, offering unique exposure to our key customers.”
Datatex announces new version of telephone softwareDATATEX HAS ANNOUNCED the official release of a fully re-engineeredversion of AMETHYST, its exceedingly popular, industry leading, web-based telephone call recording system and quality managementsoftware. “The original AMETHYST, which we developed 15 years ago,remains, without question, a really solid software solution, but thereality is that there are only so many upgrades you can do – especially ina 15-year time frame.” says Datatex CEO, Johan Landman.
Somalian government restores Internet access THE LOSS OF Internet and data services for nearly three weeks causedconsiderable economic damage to many sectors of the Somali economy,such as commerce, education, healthcare, and the delivery ofgovernment services. The Ministry is working on a nationalcommunication and information technologies policy in collaborationwith all relevant stakeholders. The Ministry of Post, Telecommunicationsand Technology put enormous focus and spared no efforts in trying tominimise the damage to the nation’s economy by assisting the owner ofthe fiber-optic cable to expedite the restoration of the services and byproviding permits and security protection to the repair ship.
Netflix reaches 104mn worldwide subscribers NETFLIX HAS ANNOUNCED its second quarter 2017 financial results, ITNews Africa reports. According to the firm, it has surpassed the 100mnsubscriber mark, with world wide subscriptions growing from 99mn t0104mn. “We are making good progress with our international expansionas improving profitability in our earlier international markets helps fundsignificant investment in our newer territories,” the company said. "Theshift from linear TV to on-demand viewing is so big and there is so muchleisure time, many Internet TV services will be successful.”
Huawei’s new service will beavailable across the continent.(Photo: testing/shutterstock)
Les opérateurs de télécommunications en Égyptereçoivent des fréquences sans fil 4GLES OPÉRATEURS DE télécommunications en Égypte ont reçu lesfréquences sans fil nécessaires pour fournir des réseaux à large bandemobile 4G, une étape important dans l’introduction à long terme deservices de télécommunications à grande vitesse. « L’autorité a envoyéune lettre attribuant les fréquences aux entreprises detélécommunications aujourd’hui » a confié un responsable de l’Autoriténational de régulation des télécommunications à Reuters.
Afrique subsaharienne devrait dépasser un demi-milliard d’utilisateurs mobiles Selon une nouvelle étude de GSMA, plus d’un demi-milliard depersonnes en Afrique subsaharienne seront abonnées à un servicemobile d’ici la fin d’une décennie. La croissance des abonnés devraitêtre concentrée dans de grands marchés interprénétrés tels que laRépublique démocratique du Congo (RDC), l’Éthiopie, le Nigéria et laTanzanie, qui représentent ensemble la moitié des 115 millions denouveaux abonnés attendus en Afrique subsaharienne d’ici 2020.
Avaya renforce son engagement envers latransformation numérique en Algérie AVAYA, UNE SOCIÉTÉ spécialisée dans les applications decommunication critiques en temps réel, s’est engagée à fournir unsoutien continu à la transformation numérique en Algérie. Avayatravaillera en étroite collaboration avec les clients des secteurs privé etpublic à travers le pays pour offrir des solutions d’engagement leurpermettant d’atteindre leurs objectifs numériques. « Nous nous sommesengagés envers le marché algérien et nous continuons à soutenirl’Algérie en travaillant en étroite collaboration avec les partenaireslocaux et en nous rendant pertinents pour les entreprises ici dans lepays», a déclaré Nidal Abou-Ltaif, président d’Avaya Asie-Pacifique,Europe, Moyen-Orient et Afrique.
La GSMA annonce des avancées dans le cadre desinitiatives du programme mobile pour ledéveloppement LA GSMA A annoncé un certain nombre de d’avancées dans le cadre deson programme mobile pour le développement qui appuie les Objectifsdu développement durable des Nations Unies (SDG). «L’adoption enpleine croissance de la technologie mobile et numérique en Afrique apermis de nouvelles opportunités à travers le continent, offrant uneplate-forme pour l’innovation, la création de nouvelles entreprises et desservices, et offre des opportunités d’emploi », a déclaré Mats Granryd,directeur général de GSMA.
Les opérateurs de télécommunications égyptiens livreront des réseaux àlarge bande mobile 4G. (Photo: Skreidzeleu)
LA TRANSITION NUMÉRIQUE dans la diffusion n’a pasété l’heure de gloire de l’Afrique. De nombreux paysont à peine démarré le processus. Toutefois, leSénégal est l’un des leaders en Afrique de l’Ouestdans la mise en œuvre. Russell Southwood s’estentretenu avec Jupiter Diagne, D-G, DTV, une partied’Excaf telecom sur avancées réalisées.En 2014, Excaf Telecom Group a remporté un appeld’offres public pour lancer et populariser l’offre TNTau Sénégal. Il possède déjà deux chaînes detélévision payante - La RDV et la RDV Music et Sport- ainsi que quatre stations de radio.Le processus de transition numérique qu’il gère adémarré il y a deux ans. Grâce à une combinaisonde terrestres, de satellites et de fibres, elle adéployé une couverture de 95 % à travers le pays.Le pays compte 14 régions et la couverture de larégion finale non couverte sera bientôt achevée etenclenchée, offrant une couverture de 100 %.Jusqu’à présent, 500 000 décodeurs ont étévendus, ce qui, sur la base de 5 personnes parménage signifierait que 2,5 millions de personnesd’une population d’un peu plus de 14 millionsreçoivent le nouveau signal numérique.30 000 décodeurs sont sur le marché et l’on
s’attend à ce que le chiffre global atteigne 700 000sous peu. De plus, le gouvernement sénégalaislance un programme d’électrification rurale parl’intermédiaire de son utilitaire électrique SENELECqui augmentera le nombre de personnes ayantaccès à la télévision. Le chiffre estimatif final deventes de décodeurs est d’1 million.Le décodeur le moins coûteux sur le marché vaut 10000 CFA (environ 15 euros) et Excaf propose undécodeur à 30 000 CFA (45 euros) doté d’unefonctionnalité PVR et également une interactivitédes données via une connexion mobile, ce qui lesrend capables de mener des enquêtes auprès destéléspectateurs.Un abonnement mensuel au bouquet DTV coûte 5000 CFA (7,50 euros) et peut être obtenu via MMDSou via la nouvelle plate-forme. Son bouquetcomprend des films, des documentaires, de lamusique et des sports.La plate-forme DTT que Excaf exploite au nom dugouvernement comporte les deux chaînesgouvernementales et 15 chaînes de télévisionprivées, existantes et nouvelles. Bien queopérationnels, les taux définitifs à fixer sur laplate-forme n’ont pas encore été décidés par le
gouvernement. Excaf a augmenté le financementdu projet et aura investi 9 milliards de CFA.Alors, quelle différence a été faite par la télévisionnumérique au téléspectateur sénégalais ? : « Laqualité des images est bien meilleure, de même quele son. Vous disposez également d’options pouravoir un PVR sur votre décodeur afin d’enregistrerdes programmes et les regarder plus tard. Il y aaussi l’option qui consiste à contrôler ce que tesenfants regardent. »Le plus grand changement opéré par la transition aété la création d’un nouveau paysageconcurrentiel. Auparavant, seuls les canaux d’étatavaient une couverture nationale et les 11 chaînesprivées étaient en grande partie à Dakar, lacapitale. Aujourd’hui, tout le monde a une portéenationale et cela pourrait bien exercer une pressioncommerciale plus grande sur RTS.Fait intéressant, le seul radiodiffuseur en directautorisé à exploiter une chaîne HD est RTS, mais legouvernement l’a permis en affirmant que leradiodiffuseur national sera le banc d’essai et queles autres seront autorisés par la suite.
Balancing Act (www.balancingact-africa.com)
Sénégal : Le déploiement et la couverture numérique de Excaf Telecom s’accroit à travers le pays
“Orange BusinessServices is helpingcompanies across
Africa and globally toharness the power offuture-proof digitalsolutions and flexible IT.”
- Luc Serviant vice president, Middle East andAfrica Orange
“The addition of theNigeria DTH platformfrom TSTV has
undoubtedly strengthenedABS’ presence in Africa.TSTV has the right contentand premium product tosatisfy the growing demandof Nigeria.”
- Tom Choi CEO ABS
“The representation ofand by women in theICT is still negligible.
Regardless of how bleakthe statistics are, there arestill pockets of remarkablewomen leaders in the ICTsector.”
- Mapula Bodibeexecutive for the ConsumerBusiness Unit MTN
“Mobile money is nowachieving mass-marketadoption in all corners
of Sub-Saharan Africa,enabling millions of peopleto access financial servicesfor the first time andcontributing to economicgrowth and socialdevelopment.”
- Mats Granryddirector general GSMA
“The telco market inSouth Africa and thewider region is
evolving at a rapid rate,with changing customerbehavior putting increaseddemands on serviceproviders.”
- Antonis Maniatis CEOHellas Sat
“I am delighted toannounce ourpartnership with
Orange for an interactiveand enhanced social mediaservice module. InstaVoiceChannels service hasgarnered massive popularityacross several countries inAfrica, with more than 350celebrity sign ups and23mn fan subscriptions.”
- Dr. Inderpal Singh Mumickfounder and CEOKirusa
“Satellite isfundamental toimproving connectivity
coverage in rural areas,especially relevant for theAfrican continent. Now thatsmaller, more portable kitscan be used with our highpower Intelsat EpicNGplatform, connecting thosecommunities will becomeeasier and more cost-effective.”
THIS YEAR’S IBC conference will takeplace from 14-18 September, alongsidethe exhibition being held 15-19September at the Rai Exhibition andConvention Centre in Amsterdam. The2017 edition is expected to welcomemore than 1,700 exhibitors - including ABSsatellite, AMOS Spacecom, Eutelsat and GazpromSpace Systems - focused on the creation,management and delivery of electronicand media entertainment. <ore than55,000 professionals from over 170countries across broadcasting, cloud,
mobile, telecoms, social networking, OTT, AR and VRare expected to attend. The Content Everywhere Hubhelps visitors make the most of their time at theshow with a host of presentations, demonstrationsand panel sessions that explore the contenteverywhere opportunity.
IBC the event will see high-profile speakers suchas product director, Facebook Saul Berman, VP &global chief strategist, IBM. The show creates anopportunity for industry experts to network anddebate the best way to deliver the future of contentproduction, management, delivery and consumption.
Some highlights include the C-Tech Forum whichwill explore how 5G will drive progress in thebroadcasting, media and telecoms industriesfeaturing C-level Professionals from across thetelco, mobile and BME sectors, the programme willaddress how, when & what needs to be done tomake 5G a success and how 5G will drive progress inthe broadcasting industry.
The flagship IBC Conference features a curatedprogramme including over 400 of the world’sleading industry influencers and experts providingan authoritative and independent view and helpingto shape the future of the industry.The IBC 2017innovation awards will also be announced onSunday 17 September in the RA Auditorium, with theevent hosted by scientist and broadcaster Dr HelenCzerski. A shortlist of the companies in the runningfor an award was recently announced.
“I was astounded by the quantity, and mostimportant the quality, of entries this year,” saidMichael Lumley, chair of the judging panel. “It was avery tough task and there were many excellentprojects which did not make the shortlist, often bya very fine margin.”
“The international spread of 2017 finalistsreflects the global reach of IBC, and the globalsignificance of these most highly-coveted awards,”Lumley added. “I look forward to congratulating allthe finalists and hearing the winners announced onSunday night at IBC.”
The international judging panel reviewed anarray of entries, settling on 11 finalists from aroundthe world, all offering very different solutions.
1 1 09:26
Communications Africa Issue 4 2017
AGENDA
8 www.communicationsafrica.com
IBC 2017 will take place at the Rai ExhibitionConvention Centre in Amsterdam. (Photo: IBC)
The World’s Leading Media, Entertainment & Technology Show
Join over 1,700 exhibitors showcasing the latest technologicalinnovations, 400+ speakers delivering the latest industryinsights and 55,000+ attendees providing unlimited networkingopportunities at IBC’s 50th annual conference and exhibition.
Register at show.ibc.org #IBCShow
Register Now!Conference 14-18 September 2017Exhibition 15-19 September 2017
insights and 55,000+ attendees providing unlimited networkingopportunities at IBC’s 50th annual conference and exhibition.insights and 55,000+ attendees providing unlimited networkinginsights and 55,000+ attendees providing unlimited networkingopportunities at IBC’s 50th annual conference and exhibition.
WITH AN AIM to roll out a fast and secure mobile payment solution inKenya, the Diamond Trust Bank (DTB) and Mastercard have enteredinto partnership to develop DTB Masterpass QR app for the country.Under the partnership programme, the users of the DTB mobile
banking platform will be able to pay for in-store purchases by scanninga QR code displayed at checkout on their smartphones, or by enteringa merchant identifier into their mobile phones. Commenting on the partnership, Mastercard said that the
consumers need not to carry cash or physical bank cards withthem, adding that the mobile-based app will enable a convenientand fast digital payment from anywhere and anytime.Chris Bwakira, vice president and area business head of Mastercard East Africa, said that the
partnership aims to deliver an efficient, secure and cost effective payment solution for the micro andsmall merchants in the country to help enhance and develop business.“According to Kenya’s Micro and Small Enterprises Authority, almost 80 per cent of the country’s
critical jobs are created by these small enterprises, therefore it is critical that we introduce relevantsolutions that address specific challenges,” he said.
Nasim Devji, group CEO and managing director at DTB also added, “The mobile solution will notonly eliminate the merchants’ reliance on costly point of sale devices, it will also remove thedangers and logistical issues of handling cash on daily sales.”The partnership is a part of the Mastercard’s commitment to impact more than 1,50,000 micro,
small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in Kenya in 2017, as well as supporting its global goal ofconnecting 40mn micro and small merchants, helping them to move beyond cash by the end of 2020.Recently, Mastercard partnered with Kenya’s merchant service provider Kopo Kopo, to roll outMasterpass QR across 11 markets in the Sub-Saharan Africa. According to the company, it will impactmore than 2,50,000 MSMEs in the next five years. DTB will coordinate with Kopo Kopo to ensure that the solution meets the needs of the merchants
working across various sectors in the country.
Communications Africa Issue 4 2017
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ERICSSON HAS LAUNCHED anopen Internet of Things (IoT)platform with China Telecom todeploy, control and scale themanagement of IoT devicesthrough global partnerships.Ericsson said that the globalmanagement platform will supportChina’s ‘One Belt One Road’strategy and accelerate the roll outof IoT solutions and services.Enterprise customers can alsointegrate their business processeswith the platform. Magnus Rahm, head of globalservice operations at Ericsson,said, “The IoT market is growingvery rapidly and we aim to use ourexpertise in this area to help ourcustomers capitalise on thisopportunity.”Launched in 2012, Ericsson’sdevice connection platformsupports more than 25 operatorsand over 2,000 enterprisecustomers worldwide.
AFRICACOM, ONE OF the biggesttechnology, media andtelecommunications (TMT) events inAfrica, has been scheduled to take placeat the Cape Town InternationalConvention Centre in South Africa from 7-9 November 2017.The event was launched on 12 July 2017,at a function at Rosebank inJohannesburg. Some of the mostprogressive thought leaders andcommentators on the continent fromMTN, Google South Africa, Qualcomm,Rekindle Learning, Praekelt Consultingand etc participated during the lunch ofthe event.Tom Cuthell, portfolio director ofKNect365, organiser of the event,explained, “2017 is a landmark forAfricaCom. Over the past two decades,we have grown from being a purelytelecommunications focused event to abroad digital communications show, nowhosting the foremost group ofinfluencers involved in every aspect ofthe African digital ecosystem.”The organiser explained that the 20thedition of AfricaCom aims to provideopportunities to discover pioneeringinnovation to influence Africa’s
progression and build network amongthe industry leaders and decision makersto move the business ahead.“As the digi-sphere continues to expandand impact every aspect of our personaland professional lives, AfricaCom hasgrown in scope to create a broadplatform for everybody involved inpowering the digital economy in Africa,”Cuthell said.“The event will continue to accelerateAfrica’s digital transformation, anchoringit for the future of the 4th industrialrevolution,” he added.Some of the key areas for 2017 eventinclude exploring the ways towards Africa4.0, accelerating Africa’s digital future forthe socio-economic development of thecontinent, interaction with nextgeneration technologies, expertpresentations aiming to providing avision on Africa’s future technical trendsand encouraging innovative businessmodels to shift towards a digital Africaecosystem in the next few years.In addition, AfricaCom will also showcasenew opportunities in artificialintelligence, the Internet of Things (IoT),big data, fin tech, blockchain, digital skillsand more, stressed the organisers.
The payment solution aims at enablingKenyan merchants to track and monitorthe business’s cash flow instantly.(Photo: Mastercard)
AfricaCom 2017 set to launch new technologyarena in the continent THE SUDATEL TELECOM Group of Sudan has joined GSMA’s Humanitarian
Connectivity Charter with 112 other mobile operators spanning 77countries.GSMA’s humanitarian charter was launched in 2015 to bring the
telecoms industry together to share best practice and experience ofproviding connectivity during wars, famine and natural disasters. It furtherfocuses on improving access to information and co-ordination among theaffected populations and governments, NGOs and the internationalhumanitarian communities such as the UN and Red Cross to reduce loss oflife and help people recover faster.Established in 1993 and partially owned by the Sudanese government,
Sudatel is currently providing mobile and fixed network services acrossnorthern and western Africa as well as wholesale services to internationalcarriers.Commenting on the collaboration, Tarig Hamza Zainelabdin, CEO of
Sudatel, said, “We have always been committed to improving people’slives through the provision of quality and reliable telecom services.We willcontinue to aim to keep our networks up and running in the most adverseof conditions as we know that connectivity is a lifeline for those affected.”Considering the geographical location of Sudan where crises are
frequent, Sudatel is expected to play a major strategic role in connectingAfrica and the Middle East to the rest of the world, thus serving the goal ofGSMA’s humanitarian charter. The company said that it will be investing inits domestic and pan-African operations during 2017, as demand for high-quality telecom services is rising across the region. In his opening speechduring the GSMA M360 Africa held in Dar es Salaam on 11-13 July 2017,Mats Granryd, director general of GSMA, welcomed Sudatel to the club ofthe GSMA’s Humanitarian Connectivity Charter.Sudatel’s operations comprise network services, mobile financial
services and other digital services including an app store facility forconsumers in North Africa, where many international apps are not relevant.
Ericsson launches IoTplatform
Mastercard to help Kenya’s digital payments solutions
Sudatel Telecom joins Humanitarian Connectivity Charter
KONNECT AFRICA POURSUIT deux objectifs principaux : être unpartenaire de choix sur le continent et démontrer comment latechnologie par satellite est actuellement la solution la plus pertinentepour débloquer l’accès à Internet en Afrique.KonnectKonnect Africa a décidé de remodeler l’industrie à large
bande par satellite.Avec les services de nouvelle génération en cours de développement
au Bénin, au Cameroun, au Kenya, au Lesotho, au Nigéria, en Afrique duSud, au Swaziland, en Tanzanie et en Ouganda, Konnect Africa confirmeses objectifs ambitieux pour l’Afrique subsaharienne. Les dernièresoffres et produits de la société comprennent des offres groupés inspiréesdes modèles « pay as you go » et des schémas d’accès Wi-Fi. SelonKonnect Africa, ces offres ont permis l’arrivée sur le marché d’un certainnombre d’opérateurs locaux, de sociétés de télécommunications et derevendeurs intéressés par ces nouvelles offres. Les premiers partenaires de Konnect Africa comprennent un large
éventail d’opérateurs, chacun avec son ADN spécifique : AfrikaNetGoSat, déjà actif au niveau du téléphone Internet à large bande, lesoptions VOIP et la fourniture de services à la clientèle et services dansl’industrie des télécommunications par satellite au Cameroun et en Côted’Ivoire ; Bentley Walker, connu notamment pour la conception desolutions efficaces pour les clients gouvernementaux et militaires avecune empreinte panafricaine; Bloosat, l’une des principales entreprisesoffrant des services par satellite au Cameroun et en Afrique centrale ;China Telecom (Afrique et Moyen-Orient), qui établit un lien decommunication entre le continent africain et la région Asie-Pacifique ;Coollink, un acteur majeur du Nigeria avec un large éventail de servicesrépondant aux besoins des entreprises et des consommateurs ; GlobalBroadband Solution, un leader dans les solutions Internet et de donnéesen République démocratique du Congo ; Ubora Systems, qui est axée surles solutions informatiques pour le gouvernement et les administrations
et l’automatisation des entreprises au Kenya; Terrace Projects, unfournisseur de solutions de services par satellite gérés en Afrique du Sud.Grâce à l’expertise et à la connaissance, ces partenariats reflètent
l’approche de Konnect Africa visant à s'adapter aux spécificités dechaque marché afin de toucher un vaste public. L’accès au point Wi-Fipeut être disponible pour quelques centimes, les offres familiales sontoptimisées pour quelques dizaines de dollars, tandis que des servicesd’entreprise de haute qualité sont également proposés pour permettre lavidéoconférence, le stockage, le développement de contenu audio-visuel et une communication sûre et fiable. Konnect Africa vise à donnerà ses partenaires les moyens de réussir avec chaque secteur concerné,grâce à un soutien commercial, marketing et technique dédié. La sociétéva également former et récompenser les installateurs locaux pouraméliorer la qualité du service et générer plus de talent dans l’industrie. « Cette initiative fait écho à une large ambition. Connecter l’Afrique
signifie changer la façon dont les gens vivent, étudient, font des affaireset transforment la vie quotidienne. Notre objectif est d’approfondir lalarge bande et la rapprocher de multiples secteurs de développementtels que le secteur de la santé, de l’éducation, de l’agriculture ou desPME », a expliqué Laurent Grimaldi, Directeur Général de Konnect Africa.« Nous sommes heureux de collaborer avec des acteurs éminents etenthousiastes à l’idée de se lancer dans cette entreprise vraimentunique », a-t-il ajouté. Contrairement aux technologies mobiles sans fil ou à fibre optique, la
large bande par satellite ne dépend pas de l’infrastructure terrestre etprovient littéralement «d’en haut». Elle est considérée comme lameilleure approche pour fournir aux populations des endroits éloignésl’accès à des solutions Internet efficaces, rentables et faciles à installer.Konnect Africa’s est une filiale d’Eutelsat, le principal opérateursatellitaire avec 40 ans d’expérience. Sa technologie par satellite avancéeest un outil puissant pour le développement social et économique.
Communications Africa Issue 4 2017
AGENDA
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WORLD TELECOM LABS a collaboré avec Icosnet, unopérateur en Algérie, pour lancer le service SMS A2P(Application to Person).
La nouvelle plate-forme sera utilisée par les entreprisesnationales et mondiales qui souhaitent communiquerdirectement avec leurs clients à travers le pays.
Malgré l’augmentation de l’utilisation de la messagerieIP, les SMS sont toujours utilisés en Algérie, les principauxopérateurs fournissant des services comprenant l’envoi etla réception de texte.
De plus en plus d’entreprises basées en Algérie utilisentdes SMS pour interagir et fournir un soutien à leurs clients,car on s’attend à ce que cela soit une meilleure forme decommunication que le courrier électronique.
WTL a noté que cette technologie a fonctionné avecIcosnet pour fournir son service de manière plus rapide etrentable grâce à la fourniture de passerelles designalisation SS7.
Selon WTL, cela a permis au trafic de transférer entre lesréseaux IP de Icosnet et les réseaux en place en Algérie.
À mesure que l’activité de Icosnet s’est développée et aévolué, WTL a offert une variété d’équipements, y comprisses commutateurs VoIP.
Andrew Kinnear, directeur exécutif chez Icosnet, adéclaré : « TL est un fournisseur fiable et très apprécié. Nosactivités et nos infrastructures ont évolué au cours des
années et WTL est toujours là pour nous soutenir. Nousapprécions vraiment les conseils et l’expertise de l’équipede WTL. »
Leigh Smith, MD de WTL, a également commenté : « Biensûr, l’avantage avec les messages textes est que,contrairement aux formes populaires de messagerie IP, ilspeuvent être utilisés pour envoyer et recevoir desmessages de tous ceux qui ont un mobile. Icosnet définit lanorme pour les entreprises africaines qui veulent un serviceA2P SMS rentable et fiable pour communiquer avec lesclients. Icosnet a toujours été un opérateur innovant etnous sommes heureux que notre solide relation sepoursuive. »
Les services SMS seront disponibles en Algérie. (Photo:Picturereflex/shutterstock)
World Telecom Labs soutient l’opérateur algérien pour le déploiement desservices SMS
ANGOLA CABLES A annoncé qu’ellea commencé la construction de sonnouveau centre de données sud-américain, situé à Fortalexa.
Le centre de données fait partiedes projets à grande échelle de lasociété dans l’objectif de promouvoirl’inclusion numérique etl’autonomisation de l’Afrique parl’utilisation de câbles Internet sous-marins reliant l’Afrique aux Amériqueset fournissant une connexion Internetà haut débit à quelques-unes des pluspetites vitesses de latence entre lesdeux continents. Antonio Nunes, PDGd’Anglo Cables, a déclaré : « Lessystèmes amélioreront les réseaux decommunications globaux, etfournissent un accès à des marchésplus importants. Ils offriront leroutage de latence le plus bas entrel’Afrique et l’Amérique du Sud. » AngolaCables est axée sur les 15 États membresde la Communauté de développement del’Afrique australe (SADC).
Les câbles d’Angolasont les bases de laconstruction d’unnouveau centre
Konnect Africa a décidé de remodeler l’industrie à large bande par satellite
MAKING BUSINESS-SPEED INTERNET POSSIBLE ANYWHERE IN AFRICA(and we mean anywhere)
Liquid Telecom’s award-winning VSAT offers you internet via satellite anywhere in Africa. From banks in remote towns, mines miles from anywhere to luxury Safari lodges in the isolated bush.
Liquid Telecom VSAT makes high-speed internet possible for business in Africa, no matter where that business is.
Communications Africa Issue 4 201714 www.communicationsafrica.com
SATELLITE FIRM, ARABSAT has announced a new frequency on its satellite BADR-4for the Tunisia Nat1, Tunisia Nat2, Hannibal TV and Al Janoubia TV to join AttasiaTV and M Tunisia TV on Tunisian Channels Bouquetfrom ONT Arabsat BADR-4 News frequency 12,643 MHz.Arabsat viewers will be informed about the change viaArabsat’s linear and non-linear media distributionnetwork, according to the satellite company.
“We are delighted with our partnership with ONT,to bring up the Tunisian channels from their homecountry looking forward to continue to offer theirunique services to Tunisian Broadcasters through thestrong partnership with ONT on Arabsat BADR-4 Newfrequency 12,643 MHz,” said Khalid Balkheyour,Arabsat President and CEO.
“This move supports our content strategy todeliver specialised video frequencies reflectingmarket demand to the Arabsat audience across theMENA and Europe and ensuring the best Free-To-Airviewing experience at home,” added Balkheyour.
“Arabsat has been and will continue to be a strongpartner for ONT and we warmly thank all the team thatsupported the launch of the ONT Platform on dedicated frequency to TunisianPublic and Private Broadcasters ” stated Dhaker Baccouch CEO of ONT.
Founded in 1976 Arabsat has been operating across Arab nations for morethan 40 years, headquartered in Riyadh-KSA, with two Satellite control stations
in Riyadh and Tunis.As one of the leading satellite provider in the
Arab world, it carries more than 500 TVchannels, 200 radio stations, pay-tv networksand also a wide variety of HD channels reachingtens of millions of homes in more than 80countries across the Middle East, Africa andEurope. According to the firm, this includes morethan 170mn viewers in the Middle East and NorthAfrica (MENA) region alone tuned into Arabsat’svideo “hotspot” The only satellite operator inthe MENA region offering the full spectrum ofBroadcast, Telecommunications and Broadbandservices. at 26° E.
Arabsat has an expanding fleet of satellites atthe 20°E, 26°E, 30.5°E, 39°E and 44.5°E,positions. This capacity is expected to expandwith the launching of new satellites, makingArabsat satellites’ fleet the youngest in the
region. The satellite firm has a number of strategic partnerships with the mainplayers in the sector.
Khalid Balkheyour, Arabsat President & CEO.
Arabsat announces new frequency for Tunisian channels
NORTH AMERICAN SATELLITE operator SkyVision has been awarded a contract byGlobal Ip to supply, build and maintain theground infrastrucutre of 11 ka-band gatewaystations in different European teleports forGlobal IP’s GiSat-1 satellite network. The newdeal is expected to transform connectivity inthe continent.
In an interview with Communications Africa,SkyVision CEO Ori Watermann said, “For manyyears we have been bringing connectivity toAfrica through satellites. In the past few yearswe were looking to diversify ourselves to seehow we can bring more value-added solutionsto the continent and to our customers.”
Construction of the turn-key gatewaystations will begin in 2017. SkyVision’sInstallation and Maintenance Group (I&M) willsupply eleven 9.4-meter Ka-band antennasystems including two TT&C earth stations,and M&C systems to manage the entirenetwork, with 24/7 maintenance and support.The GiSat-1 Ka Band Satellite is expected totransform connectivity in Africa both along thecoast and inland. Scheduled to be launched in2018 with a coverage area encompassing 39countries and more than 800mn people, thesatellite will deliver higher-data rates at lowercosts than previous satellites serving Africa.The 11 gateway stations with combined150Gbps tier-1 connectivity, es expected formthe foundation for reliable and high qualityservices, SkyVision revealed.
Ori Watermann, SkyVision CEO, stated,“Our SkyVison team designed the rightsolution for the GiSat-1 network. Winning this
contract validates our engineering,installation and maintenance capabilities. Iam proud of our team’s construction andmanagement solutions that, when coupledwith deep technical experience, enableSkyVision to offer superior ground satelliteservices around the world.”
Also commenting on the new deal, UmarJaved, COO of Global IP said, “Awarding thiscontract to SkyVision is a testament to theirteam, capabilities, and their strong in-field
engineering, design, project managementand delivery,” added Javed. “This agreementis one additional step in realising our visionto revolutionise the way the Internet isaccessed and used across sub-SaharanAfrica using our CloudCORE TM. Global IP willbring reliable and high-speed satelliteconnectivity to end users in Africa engagingthem with more and richer Internetexperiences. We look forward to movingforward in our relationship with SkyVision.”
Global IP selects SkyVision to supply Ka-band gateway stations
SkyVision’s GiSat-1 Ka Band Satellite is expected to transform connectivity in the continent. (Photo: photobyphm/shutterstock)
TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMPANY DJIBOUTITelecom is, historically, the public telecomoperator of the Republic of Djibouti. In recentyears, the company has seen the benefits of itsgeographic location, the economic stability ofthe country and its modern infrastructure todevelop IP peering and transit. Its hubinterconnects many operators and serviceproviders active in the region and the provisionof capacity and interconnection is the keygrowth driver.
Plans are now underway for DjiboutiTelecom to connect to the various Peering PointDEC-IX in Marseille and Dubai, France IX, LINX.Interconnection has been readily availablesince the landing of new last generation cable,SMW5 and AAE-1. For operators and service andcontent providers connected to the DjiboutiTélécom hub, this new deal means privilegedaccess and enhanced connection to the fullrange of services offered by the members ofPeering Exchange Point.
Over the past five years, Djibouti Telecomhas invested more than US$100mn ininternational markets to acquire interests insome of the largest Submarine Cable consortiain the world. In the long term, Djibouti Telecomaims to hold the biggest transit capacity in
Africa and to position itself as a major player inthe sale of related products and services, bothregionally and globally.
Founded in 1999, Djibouti Telecom providesInternet capacity via its cables to Ethiopia,Somalia, Yemen, Madagascar, Mauritius and theSeychelles. It provides fixed, mobile and Internetservices. Djibouti Telecom has since establisheditself as a regional centre providing voice, data /
IP and capacity services across its network thatextends into Eastern and Southern Africa, TheMiddle East and Europe. Djibouti Telecom alsooffers a wide range of communicationinfrastructure services from network connectivity,co-location services and data centres.
For more information, visit www.djiboutitelecom.dj
Automation in HR is more prevalent than ever before with companies all over the worldembracing the rise of new technology trends to better the workplace environment, writesKeith Fenner, Vice President: Sage Enterprise Africa & Middle East
Digital culture shock: HR’s newrole in the age of automation
DIGITAL Automation
WE’RE ON THE cusp of a brave new worldas technologies such as 3D printing,advanced robotics, artificialintelligence and the Internet of Things
reshape the workplace. Smart algorithms andmachines are taking on more and more of the tasksthat humans used to do on factory floors, infinancial call centres and even in hospitality andretail.
In manufacturing, we see the advent of Industry4.0 – a fourth industrial revolution driven byconnected devices and sensors, cloud computing,advanced robotics, intelligent software, and a rangeof other technologies. Companies like Tesla producecomplex products in a smooth, automated processusing specialist robots with very little human input.
Autonomous driving vehicles that use computervision are prowling the streets in pilot projects inmany of the world’s largest cities. Within a few years,driverless vehicles will be commonplace in thetransport and logistics centres. And natural languageprocessing (NLP) and machine learning are alreadyenabling wealth management companies to buildchatbots that offer basic financial advice to theirclients.
Against this backdrop, where many traditional jobroles will change or disappear, human resources (HR)departments need to become digital champions fortheir organisations. Their role is to help peoplemanage a digital culture shock as they adjust to arapid change in their roles and in the way theirorganisations operate.
Here are four imperatives most HR departmentswill face in the years to come.
1. Coordinating a blended workforceThe workforce of the future in most companies willcomprise of a pool of full-time employees, a growingcontingent of freelances, contractors and on-demandlabour services, and machines and AI. Usingcollaboration tools like Slack and videoconferencing,people from around the world will work together onprojects.
This model already exists in many multinationaltechnology companies, but it will become familiar inother sectors, too. Rather than having a job for life,workers will often be brought together into teams tocomplete a specific project, before moving onto thenext one when it’s complete. Business teams mayuse on-demand crowdsourcing and labour platforms
New technologies such as artificial intelligence is expected to reshape theworkplace. (Photo: CNStock/shutterstock)
Communications Africa Issue 4 201716 www.communicationsafrica.com
like Kaggle and Upwork to access skills as andwhen needed.
HR’s role: synthesising such a workforcewhere the old hierarchies and job descriptionsno longer exist. The focus will be on harnessingthe combined power and skills of a diverseworkforce, rather than on executing processes.
2. Managing change and reskilling employeesTechnology change is accelerating, leavingmany employees and their skills behind.Process workers, especially, need to bereskilled for a world where they’ll need to beentrepreneurial and creative rather than simplyable to follow instructions. Human qualitiessuch as emotional intelligence will becomemore important than technical skills.
HR’s role: to help build a workforceequipped with the digital skills we’ll needtomorrow—user interface design, customerservice, strategy and innovation are someareas where people still outperform machines.HR will also need to help existing employeestransition to new skills, new technologies andnew corporate structures.
Some of the questions that might arise inthe next few years will be profound. Should wedownsize people to a three-day working weekbecause of productivity advances we havereaped from automation? How do we strike abalance between privacy and control when wecan monitor employees 24/7 through wearablecomputers? Will people happily take guidancefrom an AI “boss”? It will be up to HR to guidethe workforce through these changes.
3. Analytics-powered decision-makingWith access to a growing pool of data aboutemployees and organisational performance,HR is following the example of marketing andbecoming an analytics-driven discipline. HRprofessionals are using data to get betterinsight into every HR process, from recruiting totraining and retention.
HR’s role: leveraging data about workforcebehaviour to drive better performance acrossthe business.
Today, in addition to historic reporting, HRprofessionals are using data for predictiveanalytics. It’s not just about tracking historic
performance indicators, but looking to theneeds and trends of the future. What skills willthe business need to support its growth?Where did it recruit its best-performing people?How many people will we need in our servicedepartment to support our forecasted revenuegrowth of 10 per cent for the next financial year?
4. Higher levels of process automationMany organisations have already automatedmany of their HR processes. A solution such asSage X3 People, for example, allows them toachieve more efficiency and more control overthe cost of their workforce. It lets organisationsstore full records of their employees, managetheir contracts, forecast and efficiently trackworking hours, absenteeism and bonuses.These solutions offer powerful reporting andcan be accessed anywhere through the cloud.They also offer employee self-service features.
HR’s role: implementing technologyplatforms and processes that give employees agreat experience and also empower managersto maximise employee satisfaction andperformance.
We’re already seeing the first intelligent HRbots coming to market. They can supportcolleagues with answers to routine questionssuch as: “When will we close for theChristmasbreak this year?” and assist with processessuch as on-boarding. This gives HR more timeto focus on human interactions that add valuethan on routine tasks.
The impact of automation on the workforceis passionately debated, with many fearingthat technology will put millions out of work. Iam optimistic that technology will create newwork as it changes our world and destroys oldjobs. Indeed, Deloitte estimated in 2016 that800,000 jobs were lost to technology in 15years, but that it seems that it also created 3.5million new, higher skilled, jobs.
That doesn’t mean that HR departments andemployees are not operating in a challenging(albeit exciting) time. It is up to every HRdepartment to seize the opportunities the nextwave of digital disruption offer to serve theworkforce and the business, and to help thebusiness use the newest tools to maximise thepotential of its people. �
Communications Africa Issue 4 2017 17
DIGITALAutomation
HR's role is expected to build a workforce equipped with the necessary digital skills.(Photo:michaeljung/shutterstock)
In manufacturing, we see the advent of Industry 4.0 – afourth industrial revolution driven by connected devices and
sensors, cloud computing, advanced robotics, intelligentsoftware, and a range of other technologies.
THIS DISPARITY, PART of the so-calleddigital divide, is especially evident inAfrica, where mobile broadbandpenetration at around 40 per cent
trails the developed world at 80 per cent orhigher, yet offers a huge untapped marketopportunity. Indeed, to close this divide isunderstood to be an economic imperative inall economies, developed and developingalike. Every 10 per cent increase in mobilebroadband penetration can improve GDPproductivity by more than four percentagepoints, according to a report from the GSM
Association, Deloitte. Not surprisingly, mobile use in Africa is
concentrated in urban areas where the publicutility infrastructure to support cell sites isreadily available—and in particular, withadequate traffic-carrying terrestrial backhaulfacilities, whether fiber, cable or microwave,connecting cell sites to the core telecom andInternet networks. In these areas, both capital(Capex) and operating (Opex) costs are moreeasily justified to expand cellular services tohigher speed 3G and eventually 4G broadbandfrom older generation, voice-oriented 2G. But
in lower density ex-urban, mountainous andrural areas, the cost of terrestrial cell sitebackhaul has been prohibitively expensive,often complicated by difficult terrain, poorroads and limited utilities—representing theprimary barrier to much-needed expansion.
The satellite solution and opportunityEnter today’s satellite technology. Bytransporting cellular traffic over the latestgeneration, high- throughput satellite backhaulconnections, Mobile Network Operators(MNOs) now have new revenue opportunitiesto expand outside urban areas—with thepotential to reach millions of unserved orunderserved customers, not to mentionincreasing roaming revenues. Regional AfricanMNOs can take advantage of new and low cost-
JUPITER System from Hughes offers a highly efficientnetworking solution that optimizes satellite backhaul of 2G,
3G and 4G cellular traffic.
Communications Africa Issue 4 201718 www.communicationsafrica.com
Over the next five years, this rapidly growing number of mobile broadband subscribers isexpected to reach more than 6.2bn, an increase of more than 50 per cent but most of itis in countries with developed economies.
Satellite is the key to unlocking Africa’seconomic development
per-bit, high-throughput satellites (HTS) andassociated VSAT (very small aperture antennaterminal) technology to extend their cell sitecoverage. As evidenced by its growing successglobally—with millions of satellite broadbandsubscribers already in the Americas, Europeand Asia—the bottom line is that HTS satellitetechnology presents the game-changingpotential to help bridge the broadband digitaldivide in Africa. And this holds true for bothfixed and mobile broadband services, so thelocation of the user is not a limiting factor.
As a case in point, the VSAT industry-leadingJUPITERTM System from Hughes offers a highlyefficient networking solution that optimizessatellite backhaul of 2G, 3G and 4G cellulartraffic, with low Capex and Opex to justifycoverage in lower density areas. This high-performance, field-proven solution can berapidly deployed virtually anywhere worldwide,providing a cost-effective means to connectcell sites in difficult-to-reach areas, where thecost of fiber, cable or microwave is prohibitive.Additionally, it can be configured as a backupor as a traffic off-load to urban terrestrial linksthat reach capacity limits. Using scalableplatforms such as the JUPITER system allowsMNOs to justify incremental capitalinvestments while using satellite capacity asefficiently as possible to lower operatingexpenses.
How it WorksCell sites carry varying amounts of trafficthroughout the day as users come in and out ofa base station coverage area, resulting inmultiple busy hours where traffic peaks up andthen comes down. This variable nature of trafficis well suited for backhaul using time-divisionmultiple access (TDMA) links, as employed bythe JUPITER solution. It constantly monitors cellsite traffic over TDMA links and adjusts thesatellite backhaul bandwidth assigned to aparticular site accordingly. Available satellitecapacity is shared among several cell sites,ensuring optimal utilization at all times.
Cell sites with a steady and high volume ofdata traffic (for example at the airport, rail andbus station, hospital, etc.), require dedicatedbandwidth. Such cell sites may be configuredto use TDM return channels, guaranteeing anunshared allocation of return bandwidth.However, outside of usual business hours,these cell sites may have steady, butsignificantly lower traffic volumes. Hence,
employing a dynamic TDM return channel thatautomatically adjusts the TDM channelbandwidth (similar to Multi-frequency, MF-TDMA) results in better efficiency. The MNO cantherefore configure either MF-TDMA or dynamicTDM return channels based on the real-timedata traffic volumes. The JUPITER System offersthe flexibility to choose between either of theaccess technologies, making it an ideal cellularbackhaul solution.
Large mobile operator example in DR CongoA well-known mobile operator in the DR Congo
has recently deployed more than 800 cell sitesto small villages, connecting them together andto the global village. The MNO made adeliberate investment in cellular infrastructure,installing a tower, shelter, solar plant, cell siteequipment, and Hughes satellite backhaulsolution. As soon as the service was available,the MNO gained a “first to market” advantage.The subscriber base has grown steadily andhas demonstrably increased economic activityin these newly connected towns and villages.The MNO has earned lifelong goodwill andloyal customers who will continue to purchaseadvanced mobile broadband services as thenetwork is upgraded over the years.
As evidenced by just this one case, thereremains a huge opportunity across Africa andindeed across the planet to take advantage ofrapidly expanding HTS satellite coverage andhelp close the digital divide— bringing muchneeded social and economic benefits topeople anywhere they live or work. �
Vinay Patel and Arunas Slekys, HughesNetwork Systems
Every 10 per cent increasein mobile broadband
penetration can improveGDP productivity by more
than four percentage points,according to a report from
Deloitte.
Cell sites with a steady andhigh volume of data traffic(for example at the airport,
rail and bus station,hospital, etc.), requirededicated bandwidth.
www.communicationsafrica.com
Across Africa, high-throughput satellites and efficient Hughes JupiterVSAT technology support much-needed cellular backhaul services. (Photo: Hughes
La technologie de haut débit sans fil fixe est particulièrement bien adaptée aux besoins du continent africain, qui connaîtune demande croissante pour des solutions de connectivité capables de combler le fossé numérique qui sépare les zonesurbaines des régions rurales.
Technologie de haut débit sansfil fixe pour l'Afrique
TECHNOLOGIE Sans Fil
L'AFRIQUE EST UN continentcaractérisé par une grande diversité,que l'on retrouve non seulement dansles paysages naturels, mais qui
s'exprime aussi sur le plan politique, social,technologique et environnemental, chaquepays et région présentant un ensemble dedéfis et d'atouts unique.Ces dernières années, on a pu observé des
changements monumentaux suite àl'introduction de la technologie 3G (et le hautdébit mobile basé sur la 4G/LTE lui emboîteaujourd'hui le pas), et notamment lapréférence croissante des consommateurspour les appareils mobiles en conséquencedirecte de l'absence d'infrastructure fixeadéquate. Le phénomène a conduit lesfournisseurs de haut débit sans fil à jouer unrôle beaucoup plus important, soulageant lapression en faisant transiter le trafic dedonnées issu des stations de base desopérateurs mobiles sur le reste de leur réseau.
On assiste aujourd'hui à l'explosion de lademande pour des plateformes internet fiablespar différents types de fournisseurs de servicesqui souhaitent remplacer l'anciennetechnologie WiMAX (WorldwideInteroperability for Microwave Access). À cettevolonté s'ajoute le besoin en solutions debackhauling de haute capacité du côté desopérateurs mobiles.
Les nombreux projets qui sont déjà en coursont non seulement commencé à façonner lemarché des télécommunications sans fil aux
quatre coins du continent (marché sur lequelnous opérons depuis de longues années),mais ont aussi introduit d'importantesaméliorations en termes de connectivité,progrès qui se traduisent par une valeurajoutée considérable pour les économiesnationales. Nos solutions sont idéales pour lesterrains hostiles d'Afrique, et constituent unealternative très rentable aux infrastructurescâblées : ces solutions, déjà déployées danstout le continent, ont été couronnées desuccès.L'un des projets à l'issue la plus positive a
été mené avec un fournisseur de servicesinternet (ISP) bien établi, basé en Algérie. Cefournisseur offre principalement des solutionsde connectivité aux entreprises du secteur del'énergie, aux fabricants de tout type, auxopérateurs de télécommunications et auxétablissements d'enseignement. Nous avonspris en charge la migration intégrale de l'ancienréseau WiMAX vers une plateforme InfiNet sans
InfiNet Wireless a migré avec succès l’héritage ensemble du réseauWiMax d’un FSI algérien basé sur leur plateforme. (Photo: mehdi33300)
Nous commençonsmaintenant à voir lademande énorme pour desplateformes internet fiablesde divers types defournisseurs de services.
Communications Africa Issue 4 201720 www.communicationsafrica.com
fil, permettant à l'ISP de servir encore plus declients et d'ajouter une valeur considérable àses propres modèles commerciaux.Les exemples de déploiement réussi inclut
également une infrastructure de gestionintelligente de la circulation à la pointe de latechnologie au Caire, en Égypte, qui avait pourobjectifs de décongestionner les routes,d'améliorer la qualité de l'air et de raccourcirles temps de trajet, et en fin de compte,d'augmenter la productivité grâce au suivi et àla gestion dynamiques de la circulationroutière.Au Gabon, notre équipement est utilisé pour
fournir des infrastructures de communication etrelier plusieurs bureaux appartenant à demoyennes et grandes entreprises, tandis qu'àZanzibar, le principal fournisseur de servicesde communications du pays a déployé lessolutions sans fil InfiNet à l'ensemble de sonréseau pour offrir une connectivité fiable ethaute performance à sa clientèle.À moindre distance, via nos partenaires sud-
africains, nous avons construit le tout premierréseau sans fil à Ladysmith, et nous pourrionsciter bien d'autres exemples (notamment desprojets de surveillance urbaine) où nossolutions ont pu faciliter différents niveauxd'intégration. En outre, nous avons construit ungrand nombre de réseaux pour un largeéventail de clients issus de secteurs tels quel'industrie minière, l'énergie, les servicespublics et le marché général.Lors de la conférence et de l'exposition
AfricaCom de 2016 (le plus grand événementconsacré aux télécommunications, médias ettechnologie africains au monde), nous avonslancé le tout dernier produit de notre
portefeuille : InfiLINK XG 1000, une nouvelleplateforme qui permet aux opérateurs deréseau de fournir à leurs utilisateurs unecapacité supérieure à celle qu'ils étaientjusqu'alors en mesure d'offrir.XG 1000 est la solution point à point la plus
rapide du marché, mais plus important encore,elle réduit considérablement le temps delatence. S'il est possible que l'utilisateur ne
remarque pas la différence pour le transfert dedonnées via le réseau, l'amélioration estclairement quantifiable pour la transmission devoix et de streams vidéo, avec un délai inférieurà trois millisecondes, norme acceptable envigueur pour de telles transmissions.Spécialement conçue pour répondre aux
besoins de backhauling des fournisseurs deservices internet sans fil (WISP) et à ceux desentreprises de tout type pour les applicationstelles que le backhauling 4G/LTE, laconnectivité des gisements pétroliersnumériques et la sécurité nationale, laplateforme XG 1000 peut fournir des débitsallant jusqu'à un gigabit (Gbit) par seconde partransmission sans fil sur des bandes defréquence de 5 GHz sans licence, soit le doublede la capacité actuelle. Pour l'Afrique, lesimplications sont importantes puisque latechnologie permettra aux WISP de fournirleurs services non seulement dans les zonesrurales, mais aussi dans les environnementsurbains, pour répondre à la demanded'utilisateurs réclamant toujours plus de bandepassante.
La plateforme XG 1000 confirme notreposition dominante sur le marché mondial destélécommunications sans fil, et vient soutenirnotre engagement et les efforts stratégiquesque nous déployons pour combler le fossénumérique qui divise le continent africain.Alors que l'Afrique prend les mesures
nécessaires pour développer et renforcer sonéconomie via l'adoption des technologies sansfil modernes, tous les acteurs et entreprisesmajeurs continueront de jouer un rôle capitalpour le progrès économique du continent dansson ensemble. L'utilisation d'appareils mobilesa considérablement augmenté au cours desdernières années, et selon les estimations,plus d'un demi-milliard de nouveauxabonnements mobiles seront souscrits d'ici2020.Face à la demande toujours croissante pour
de meilleurs services, des produits plusperformants et un nouveau mode de vie,l'amélioration de l'accès internet que l'Afriques'efforce aujourd'hui d'introduire sera sans lemoindre doute un facteur déterminant pourl'avenir du continent. �
Kamal Mokrani, vice-président mondial,InfiNet Wireless
Communications Africa Issue 4 2017 21
TECHNOLOGIE Sans Fil
Kamal Mokrani, vice président mondial, InfiNetWireless. (Photo: InfiNet Wireless)
Le XG 1000 est la solution laplus rapide point à point sur
le marché, mais plusimportant encore, il réduit
la latence significativement.
www.communicationsafrica.com
InfiNet Wireless a lancé le InfiLINK XG 1000 lors d’AfricaCom 2016. (Photo: InfiNet Wireless)
Greater range and technological capabilities mean there’s more choice for mobile operators when selectingterrestrial backhaul solutions and it’s no longer just satellite solutions that offer a viable route to delivering mobilein remote regions.
More choice in terrestrial backhaul
WIRELESS Backhaul
IN RECENT YEARS more and moreemphasis has been placed on cellularbackhaul from remote regions usingsatellite solutions, due to enabling
technologies bringing down the costs of whathad previously been a most expensive optionfor mobile operators to consider to deliverbackhaul mobile comms to remote regions.Satellite has certainly helped bridge thedigital divide for so many isolatedcommunities and remote enterpriseoperations. But while satellite has now firmlytaken its place in the arsenal of MNOs, withthe likes of Hughes Network Systems, iDirectand others offering satellite solutions thatcan now provide flexible, cost-effective coverand backhaul for remote applications,traditional infrastructure has also evolvedtechnologically and can reach places it couldnot in the past. Microwave (MW), millimetrewave (MMW), fibre, cable technologies haveall evolved with leading infrastructureproviders like Nokia, Ericsson and Huawei, aswell as smaller, versatile companies likeCableFree: Wireless Excellence and manyothers offering high-spec solutions all
playing their part in such scenarios. As aresult, operators now have a greater choice ofterrestrial systems for meeting the needs ofdifferent remote applications and as well asurban and semi-urban scenarios in Africa.
A View from IndustryTo find out more about the technologicaladvances that have now made it practical, insome instances, to use terrestrial solutions tobackhaul cellular over long distances fromremote regions, Communications Africa caughtup with Stephen Patrick, director at CableFree:Wireless Excellence. CableFree is a companythat operates in the same space as major radio,microwave and millimeter wave vendors, suchas NEC, SIAE, Dragonwave, SAF, Ericsson andothers. He told us that terrestrial wireless
consistently offers higher capacities and lowerlatency than satellite saying that most usersconsider satellite as a last resort form ofInternet connection, when other methods,such as terrestrial wireless or fibre, are notavailable.“Satellite has high latency,” Patrick said.
“Making it unsuitable for VOIP, voice or videoconferencing; it’s also very expensive for highcapacity usage. Terrestrial wireless, on theother hand, is almost always cheaper - andalways better - than satellite, providing you are‘in range’ and in line of sight (LOS) of a nearbypoint of presence or tower.”He continued by firmly stating that terrestrial
wireless is easy to defend noting that with aMW link the MW units are mounted at each endof a link or hop, in between which there can beup to 100 km or more of fresh air with thesystems available on the market today. Theseend points, he said, can easily be defended,protected, guarded, monitored andsurrounded with physical security barriers andpeople, which gives them an advantage evenover some of their other terrestrial backhaulcounterparts, like fibre or copper, which can be
CableFree 1Gbps FSO installed on an industrial park in SA.Point-to-Point FSO links from CableFree offer capacitiesfrom 2Mbps up to 1.5Gbps covering distances up to 4km.
CableFree’s directorStephen Patrick said thatMMW in 70-80GHz is thelatest technology for LTEbackhaul in Africa.
Communications Africa Issue 4 201722 www.communicationsafrica.com
interrupted, dug up or stolen at any distancealong their length. Such disruptions, whichoccur often, cost money and time to replaceand invariably cause long and unpredictablenetwork outages.“Wireless links can be run from alternative
power,” Patrick added, “such as solar+battery,wind+battery, or fuel cells, meaning that it'spossible to provision links and complete radiobase sites with no copper lines, or even powerentering the site. It is far easier to secure aterrestrial wireless installation than thecomparable fibre, or copper infrastructure,which is at risk of deliberate or accidentaldamage or theft.”
Of the latest terrestrial technologies beingused for backhauling cellular 2G/EDGE/3G/LTE4G etc and TETRA in Africa, CableFree’s Patricksaid that MMW in 70-80GHz is the latesttechnology for LTE backhaul in Africa. “Offeringup to 40Gbps capacity today, MMW enablesfibre-like capacity without the need for cables.With narrow pencil-beam technology, MMWlinks can be densely deployed in busy citieswith no risk of interference or congestion,making it the ideal choice for urbanenvironments in African cities.”For rural locations, longer range links are
required, for which MW, or In-band backhaul ispossible, re-using the LTE frequencies to formpoint-to-point links. Patrick again, “Ourexperience of radio and in-band backhaul atCableFree strongly confirms these as excellentsolutions for coverage of large rural spaces.MW links up to 100 km, or more, are possible,which is much longer than the inter-sitespacing of rural cell towers.”He added that the longest known microwave
link is 233 km, from Lebanon to Cyprus, overthe sea, which uses huge antennas situated ontall mountains at both ends to overcome theearth's curvature, which for a link this distanceis significant. According to Patrick modern MWlinks offer far higher capacity and resiliencedue to the increases in modulation and errorcoding that are now possible.As for CableFree’s own products for wireless
backhaul, Stephen Patrick said the companyhas supplied many customers throughoutAfrica with terrestrial wireless links andnetworks over the last decade. From Egypt'sMobiNil (now Orange), Vodafone, the SouthAfrican and Egyptian governments, as well asseveral ISPs and many corporate customers in
different countries, he said the solutions theyhave provided are ‘highly reliable, dependableand give trouble-free uninterrupted operation’for long-term communication requirements.“In the modern era, high-bandwidth ‘always
on’ services are considered critical by users.Increasingly, we see a global trend whereInternet and private links - and even Wi-Fi -have to be engineered to a far higher level ofresilience to ensure users are kept online. Themodern world is increasingly interconnectedwith real-time messaging and media services.Therefore, operators have to find ways to
deliver both high quality and high capacity tousers, whilst ensuring competitive pricingmodels throughout the network right down tothe end user. The challenge for equipmentvendors such as CableFree is to ensure ourproducts are leading the industry in all regards- reliability, capacity, speed of roll-out as wellcost model, to facilitate the deployment ofmodern networks. All of our technologies - MW,MMW, radio, WiFi, LTE and Free Space Optics(FSO) are key to enabling this. Used incombination to build urban, rural and national-scale networks, they create state-of-the-artnetworks with future-proof capacity andcapability to power user needs for many yearsto come.”
Use CasesCableFree currently has both cellular operatorsand public safety TETRA end customers usingits solutions for backhaul in Africa. Patricksaid that the cellular operators use thecompany’s MW, FSO and MMW links forbackhaul between sites, with one cellularoperator in North Africa using its radio links for‘last-mile’, 100Mbps Ethernet services to
customers, as a wireless alternative to leasedlines. “This gives them a major advantage tocorporate customers in being able to offerLAN/Ethernet services as well as mobilecoverage,” Patrick said. One TETRA user ofCableFree solutions in Africa uses its MW linksto interconnect towers, where fibre isimpossible or impractical to lay overmountainous areas. It simply is not possible todig and wireless is, therefore, the only way.“High availability is essential for TETRAnetworks, as the end-use is for emergency firstresponders, who rely on the coverage toconvey life-saving information to ambulances,fire service vehicles and more.”
As a final product of note in the terrestrialbackhaul stakes and one which CableFree hasspecialised in for many years, FSO isincreasingly valuable in cities, which sufferincreasing interference and congestion to MWand radio frequencies. “Cell sites are closertogether - more densely spaced - and that'sideal for FSO technology, which is well suited toshort-range urban links. Conversely, MWbands are having to be cleared or migrated toMMW, or FSO to ensure that they remain usefulfor the longer-distance links that only MW canrealistically serve,” Patrick concluded. �
Tim Guest
The CableFree MMW solution. Licensed andunlicensed point-to-point MW radios fromCableFree deliver capacities up to 3.5Gbps,covering distances over 100km, in popular bandsfrom 4 to 42GHz.
CableFree currently has bothcellular operators and publicsafety TETRA end customers
using its solutions forbackhaul in Africa.
For rural locations, longerrange links are required, for
which MW, or In-bandbackhaul is possible, re-
using the LTE frequencies toform point-to-point links.
www.communicationsafrica.com
CableFree 880Mbps Microwave link installed for anISP. Point-to-Point MMW radios from CableFreedeliver capacities up to 10Gbps+ cxoveringdistances from eight to 20km, operating in the60GHz band and 70-80GHz E-band.
CEC Liquid Telecommunication Limited recently launched its 4G LiTE SPEED in Kitwe on the Copperbelt, marking theofficial roll out of LiTE SPEED, a high-speed wireless Internet service to all the ten (10) provinces in the country.
CEC Liquid charts Zambia's digital future
DIGITAL Zambia
THE LAUNCH, WHICH took place on 8June 2017 was held at Ravens countryclub. “The world has changed somuch that accessing services from
your home or office, or even while on themove, is now the norm. Zambia is not anexception and the introduction of newtechnology such as LiTE SPEED means we aremoving with the rest of the world,’’ said thecountry’s minister of transport andcommunications, Brian Mushimba.‘’Last year on 28 November CEC Liquid
launched its first ever 4G LTE network in Lusakawith the intention of extending this network tothe rest of the country. The Lusaka project hasproved to be a huge success in improving thecountry’s Internet penetration levels. Thecompany has now rolled out the 4G LTEnetwork in Lusaka, Ndola, Livingstone, Mongu,Solwezi, Mansa, Kasama, Nakonde, Chipata,Kitwe and Kabwe. Soon, CEC Liquid will beextending this network to all the remainingtowns across the country,’’ he stated.This product launch demonstrates the way
businesses are evolving and bringing forthsolutions that benefit the Zambian people,according to Mushimba.‘’As a government, we recognise that ICT is
the cornerstone of almost every aspect of doingbusiness in Zambia. We are pleased to notethat due to the affordability of this service, moresubscribers will be able to access variousservices electronically. Services that will beaccessible through LiTE SPEED include accessto education, video conferencing, onlinebanking, efficient health care, cloud computing,just to mention a few,” he continued.‘’The government fully supports the efforts
by the private sector at supplementing itsefforts in delivering access to broadbandservices to the people. It is government’sdesire that all communities, both rural andurban, should have adequate coverage in orderto access ICT services. Although, it has beennoted that the Zambian ICT market continuesto face challenges in the provision of qualitybroadband services, it is commendable thatCEC Liquid Telecom is extending the coverageof this innovative product to the country’s 10provinces,’’ the minister said.
“There is so much that technology hasenabled and we at CEC Liquid Telecom foreseethat with LiTE SPEED, what is possible can onlyget better,’’ said Aaron Botha, the ActingCopperbelt Energy Corporation Plc Actingmanaging director who read the speech onbehalf of CEC Liquid Telecom board chairman.‘’I am proud to say that, the introduction of
this service on the Copperbelt will no doubtmove this province and Zambia to a higherposition on Africa’s informationcommunication technology pecking order. LiTESPEED will enable consumers to have mobileaccess to high speed Internet connection atvery affordable rates,’’ he further stated.CEC Liquid Telecom has realised that in a
highly competitive market and fast evolvingindustry in which it is operating an organisationwithout innovation will not in any way attain
market dominance. It is a reality that LiTESPEEDwill greatly add to the improvement of variousinstitutions’ efficient operations and livelihoodof society. For instance, key stakeholders likeGovernment institutions are now unable tooperate efficiently without internetconnectivity.Therefore, an affordable Internet solution
could not have come at a better time in thecurrent Zambian economy. LiTE SPEED willcertainly provide a high quality and affordablesolution to these institutions and the society asa whole affordably.CEC Liquid Telecom managing mirector,
Andrew Kapula, said that ‘’LiTE SPEED will addto the revolution of internet use in the countryand help enhance the use of a variety ofapplications and services for the Zambians asa whole.’’‘’CEC Liquid Telecom’s LiTE SPEED network
is the first network on the African continentfully supporting and operating Native InternetProtocol version 6 (IPv6) which is the mostrecent version of the Internet Protocol (IP).Licensed Internet Service Providers (ISPs) inthe industry are encouraged to partner withCEC Liquid Telecom and register as authorisedresellers for LiTE SPEED.LiTE can be accessed from any of the
following CEC Liquid Telecom resellers: Hai,iWay Africa, Microlink, Paratus and Telplus.CEC Liquid Telecom is Africa’s leading
independent data, voice and IP provider,committed to building Africa’s digital future. Itis a joint venture between Copperbelt EnergyCorporation (CEC) and Liquid Telecom.�
Nawa Mutumweno
The Zambian government aims to connect bothrural and urban communities to ICT services.
(Photo: shutterstock/asharkyu)
The Zambian ICT marketcontinues to face challenges
in the provision of qualitybroadband services.
Communications Africa Issue 4 201724 www.communicationsafrica.com
Demand for high quality voice services, data-intensive applications and superior connectivity in Africa is rapidly on the rise.However, in a region impacted by many extraneous variables how can mobile operators provide the services required?
Satellite brings Africa into connectivity orbit
CONNECTIVITYSatellites
THE ROLE OF satellite is crucial in creating astable, reliable and competitivecommunications market in Africa, writesClementine Fournier, Regional VP for Africa,
BICS. Africa poses somewhat of a connectivityconundrum; in recent years, the rapid uptake ofsmartphones, the growth of 4G and the rise of newdata and voice services have perpetuated a thirstfor connectivity that’s proven difficult for operatorsto sate. A lack of standardised telecomsinfrastructure across the continent – aggravated bylocal, micro and macro trends – has stifled growthand limited the roll-out of service across theregion. While submarine cabling has, in part,connected the outer borders, geographiclimitations and severe weather patterns in innerAfrica have affected the efficiency of thesemeasures. However, there is a remedy for Africa’sconnectivity ailments that will enable the region togrow into the fully-formed communications marketit strives to become. Satellite is paving the way fora more cost-effective, back-up solution to ensurethat Africa’s population – whether consumers orprofessionals – are enjoying all the benefits of theworld’s so-called ‘fourth utility.’
Consumer habits drive connectivity needsMove over North America and Europe – Africa isquickly catching up in terms of total smartphoneconnections. According to the GSMA, by the end of2015 there were a reported 226mn smartphoneconnections on the continent, with forecasts forthis number to reach 720mn by the end of 2020. It’sno surprise that smartphone penetration, and thedata services that these devices provide, areexperiencing a steep uptick. A lack of xSDL linesand fixed-line broadband has meant thatinhabitants have turned to alternative means foraccess to the internet, as well as many of the basicservices we take for granted today, such as onlinebanking or telemedicine.It’s not just basic services that require seamless,constant and reliable internet access. According toa 2016 article from The Guardian, Africa’s “fourthindustrial revolution” is propelling the region to theforefront of service innovation – apps for investingin cows and delivering blood and medicines bydrone are just a few of the new services that Africantech hubs are boasting to help improve livingconditions and professional opportunities on thecontinent. All of this needs to be underpinned by
connectivity services that are low latency and highperformance. The usual operator services can onlygo so far, but there is a solution that can boostservice provision for all.
Satellite secures Africa’s connectivity future3G has now launched in all countries in Africa. 4Gand LTE deployments are also making headway.These services provide the roaming capabilitiesrequired to access Internet-enabled services acrossthe region. However, the increased numbers oftransit routes and the current availability of lowlatency services for voice and data roaming trafficneed to be considered. Despite multi operatoragreements to help address connectivity challengesacross multiple borders on the African continent,supporting the virtual movement of inhabitants canbe complex. Enter satellite as a preferred backup. Itscapacity solutions provide reassurance to operatorsconcerned with disaster recovery and the stability ofcurrent backhaul infrastructure. In particular IP overSatellite (IPoSat) can be quickly deployed to coverany problems with existing backhaul solutions.Should primary infrastructure be compromised orimpacted by outages, satellite can step in as areliable solution that prioritises high value traffic (forexample voice, as a primary revenue stream foroperators). It can also increase bandwidth efficiencyby blocking less critical and high bandwidth servicesthat require a lot of data. Satellite also spells a muchimproved roaming experience – faster speeds andseamless connectivity that can support theincreased levels of smartphone penetration currentlybeing experienced in Africa.
Connectivity breeds innovationWhen it comes to connectivity services on thecontinent, Africa isn’t as far behind other regions aspeople may initially think. Legacy services are beingtransformed by satellite backup in more challengingareas and next-generation services are ultimatelykeeping customers served and satisfied. The future isbright for Africa’s telecoms infrastructure. Mobiletraffic in the region is predicted to increase 15-fold by2020, as Internet access pervades the region andconnectivity unlocks the potential for new value-added services. Amid a landscape that can provideunpredictable circumstances and environments,satellite lights the way for Africa to go from strength tostrength, driving growth and innovation like neverbefore. �
The use of mobile communications in Africa’s agriculture, health, banking and othersectors, is transforming the continent rapidly through the socio-economic benefits thatnew mobile applications of cellular are bringing to everyday life. Tim Guest reports.
Cooperation has always been key
MOBILE Developments
OPERATORS ACROSS THE continenthave always relied on the skills ofvendors to make the networksdeliver.
In 2007, huge progress was made by theGSM Association (GSMA) in reducing industry-wide, mobile-handset costs, that would, inturn, make mobile phones more affordable tousers across Africa. In the same year, anotherboost was announced by the GSMA at theConnect Africa Summit, in Kigali, Rwanda. Theassociation said that the mobile industrywould invest US$50bn in delivering mobilecoverage to 90 per cent of sub-Saharan Africa’spopulation over the next five years, to the endof 2012. This would support the expectedupsurge in the use of phones that was soon tobe expected. The main regional operators saidthey would take part in this massiveopportunity for operators and infrastructurevendors, alike, though the association addedthat it was the likes of vendors Ericsson andNokia which would need to roll out theinfrastructure to support the handset growth,thereby ensuring the remote communicationsneeds of ‘community-centric Africa were met’.“As well as extending coverage, the mobileindustry is focused on using its economies ofscale to connect these people. As the numberof users grows, so too will economicprosperity… an increase of 10 percentagepoints in mobile penetration can increase theannual growth rate of GDP by up to 1.2percentage points,” the GSMA said at the time.
Wind the clock forward 10 years and Kigalihas once again just played host to anotherevent driving the latest changes and thinking inconnecting the unconnected in Africa. The‘Transform Africa Summit’ in May saw theGSMA’s head of Africa, Akinwale Goodluck andsenior policy manager for Africa, Shola Sanni,participating in two key sessions somewhatreminiscent of the subject matter in the event10 years back. The two led exchange anddiscussions on the ‘Internet for All’ and‘Infrastructure and Connectivity’, echoingsimilar sentiments to the 2007 event, includingsuch things as the need for collaborationbetween governments and the mobileindustry’s operator and vendor community todevelop and nurture innovative business andfinancing models that will drive mobilebroadband and Internet adoption.
The association also highlighted theimportance of ICT to deliver on the UNSustainable Development Goals (SDGs) inAfrica, identifying collaborative options forpolicymakers, regulators and GSMA members,to address and eliminate barriers to digitalinclusion, mobile Internet adoption and usage.The association’s ‘Mobile for Development’team is the key entity in such activities andbrings together the GSMA’s mobile operatormembers, tech innovators, the developmentcommunity and governments, to prove thepower of mobile in emerging markets,identifying opportunities and deliveringinnovations with socio-economic impactacross the likes of: financial services, health,agriculture, water, sanitation, disasterresilience.
Operator-Vendor Cooperation in ActionIn 2015, the GSMA selected Tanzania as thefirst pilot market for pan-industrialcollaboration by bringing together three majoroperators - Airtel, Tigo and Vodacom - andthree vendors - Ericsson, Huawei and Nokia–and having them explore ways of reaching thenation’s unconnected 13mn citizens who live inrural areas with 3G services. Mobile broadbandinfrastructure has been lacking in the countryand the GSMA has been working to launch 3Gpilots in areas where there has been none.
Construction on the first six pilot sites beganin December 2016 outside a village in SouthernTanzania and in February, the site beganoperations making it possible for people in thisrural location to access 3G services from asingle shared tower. Some sites, such as thoseusing Ericsson’s new radio system, which isvery power efficient, are able to run only onsolar power. Operators are sharing theinfrastructure – one builds the site, but theothers share the tower and they all roam oneach other’s networks, co-operation, whichmakes it quicker and much more cost efficientto roll out in rural areas.
The model being used in these pilots isdesigned to be replicable and viable elsewhereand is currently now in operation in Chad andthe DRC, as well as Tanzania. �
13mn citizens in Tanzania living in rural areas with 3G services remain unconnected. (Photo: MilTer)
The‘Mobile for Development’team brings together theGSMA’s mobile operator
members, tech innovators,community and governmentsto prove the power of mobile
in emerging markets.
Communications Africa Issue 4 201726 www.communicationsafrica.com
This year, Datacloud Europe welcomed a host of experts in the data centre field at theGrimaldi Forum in Monte Carlo, Monaco - with a special colocated summit, 'Invest inAfrica's Data Centres' highlighting the opportunities and challenges the market faces.
Summit explores investment in Africa’s data centres
EVENTSData Centres
THE 2017 EDITION of the event for EMEA datacentre and cloud leaders was hosted bySpencer Kelly, presenter of BBC Click andkicked off 7 June at the Central Theatre - withpresentations from Microsoft, Uber, Huawei andSiemens that touched on a number of topics.These included: the challenges associated withchanging demand and building large scaleinfrastrucutre for the cloud, trends in ICTconsumption, and the future of the cloud. Theconference led with a key note debate on‘What’s wrong with Data Centres’, welcoming apanel of delegates. It also saw a number ofsessions take place including a special‘Disruption and Data Centre’ session whichexplored the potential of Artificial Intelligence(AI) in the data centre industry. Data centreproviders such as Amazon, Facebook, Googleand Microsoft have explored using AI systemsfor energy efficiency improvements or problemsolving within complex data centreinfrastructures. “The potential for AI to cut thepower consumption of data centres is an area ofgrowing interest in the industry after Google’smachine-learning trial with Deepmind, theBritish AI company it bought in 2014, proved itwas possible to cut the total energy usage at thetechnology-giant’s vast data centres fleet by 15per cent,” said Philip Low, chairman atBroadGroup, ahead of the event. The co-located summit saw presentations
from Paul François Cattier, President,Francophone Africa, Schneider Electric, EricCrabtree, chief investment officer, globalpractice lead for data centres of IFC, Dr.Shiyghan (Emmanuel) Navti, head of cloudadvisory group at Vodafone Global Enterpriseand director, Africa 2.0 Foundation and MarkO’Sullivan sales director EMEA at Flexenclosure.Also at the event was Global Cloud Xchange,
a subsidiary of Indian telecommunicationscompany Reliance Communications, whichrecently announced a new partnership withdata centre provider Soverign Buisness. “Withenterprises increasingly migrating criticalapplications into Cloud ecosystems, they areable to reap the benefits of a more cost-effectiveand flexible IT infrastructure. Add to this real-time access to top-end data centre facilities andhigh-performance, high-capacity connectivityinto those platforms, and this becomesbusiness-critical,” said Bryce Jewell, managingdirector, UK, Global Cloud Xchange.
The firm was recognised for ‘Excellence inCloud Service’ and ‘Excellence in Connectivityfor Data Centres’ at a gala award ceremony helda day ahead of the event at the Sporting MonteCarlo. “We are thrilled to receive these twoprestigious awards. It is indeed a great honourto be again recognised for our efforts andcommitment to service excellence andtechnological innovation in networkinfrastructure and cloud solutions supportingglobal enterprise requirements across theindustry,” said Co-CEO, RelianceCommunications & chairman/CEO Global CloudXchange Bill Barney. Winners were chosen byan independent expert panel of Judges fromacross Europe, with the goal of recognisingexcellence in data centre and cloud services.Global Cloud Xchange is now launching their
largest data centre ever - it will be built inMumbai and the building has already beenconstructed, Barney told CommunicationsAfrica. “We have 11 data centres - they aresmaller compared to the new one. Power wiseits bigger than all the 11 together. Its a 40 MWfacility - by any standards its huge, this willbecome the largest in India power wise.“ 60 per cent of our fibre sits in India and the
rest is around the world. Our ambition is to bethe connectivity guys rather than the datacentre operator itself. In India that will bedifferent we will operate the centres there butthat is because it is our domestic market.”Communications Africa also had the
opportunity to speak to both Alastair Waite,Global Data Centre Solutions architect Europeand Kam Patel, Global Data Centre Solutionsdirector, about a high speed migration solutionfor the African continent to meet the surgingdemand for data. Waite said, “We haveoperations in South Africa. AroundJohannesburg we have a number of salesoffices. We also cover a lot of countries aroundSouth Africa and the West of Africa. “Highspeed migration will support the growingdemand for data in the continent,” said Waite.The high speed migration platform usesmodular building blocks to support thegrowing speeds and densities that newapplications and architectures demand.Patel also noted, “We want to be where ourcustomers are. For example, we see some of
the financial sector moving in and we try tosupport those customers. We have a largedistribution network globally and we havesome manufacturers in South Africa.”Communications Africa interviewed Eric
Schwartz, CEO, of interconnection andcolocation provider Equinix at the show. “Thepreferred location for data centres is in cities”,says Schwartz and according to him, thereason behind this is that an Equinix site is anecosystem, where it builds commercialrelationships with some customers. “In an Equinix data centre when you walk in
you will see a lot of cages, they are relativelysmall and it will have 30 to 100 customers in adata centre. In different data centres there maybe one customer that takes the entire thing butthe reason we do what we do is that theinterconnection part of the business are thelinks for the Internet,” noted Schwartz. In 2012, Equinix extended its reach to the
MENA region and despite the challenges faced,a fair amount of the traffic connectivity is inDubai. “The reason of being in Dubai is a lot ofthe submarine cables that come off the Eastcoast of Africa are connecting through Dubai asthey head North,” Schwartz toldCommunications Africa.�
“With enterprises increasingly migrating critical applicationsinto Cloud ecosystems, they are able to reap the benefits of a
more cost-effective and flexible IT infrastructure.
Communications Africa Issue 4 2017 27www.communicationsafrica.com
A map showing 314 active tech hubsacross Africa at the summit
Arguably the biggest growth market on the planet, the continent of Africa represents a huge opportunity - and achallenge - for IT businesses across the board, including the specialist power suppliers that guarantee operations atvital data centres.
Powering Africa’s data centres
ICT Data centres
INDEED, THE EVOLUTION of data centressupporting Africa’s economic revivalunderscores an increased maturity tothis market, albeit one in which growth
remains very uneven.Wealthier and more sophisticated
economies, such as South Africa, tower aheadof many less developed markets in the central,interior regions.But, of course, data centre reliability hinges
on the provision of critical power serviceswherever you are in the world.In the 24/7, ‘always on’ global economy,
resilient power is a prerequisite forperformance. Key players in this niche include the likes of
Flexenclosure, Cummins, Eaton Corporation,ABB and Schneider Electric, among manyothers, all unsung heroes in keeping Africa’sdigital economy ticking over.What’s certain for these and other
companies is that the appetite for investmentin the continent’s data economy is on the up.That’s driven by rising growth, stabilising
governments and a surging population. Africa’s most populous state, Nigeria, for
instance, is expected to see its numbers swellfrom 190mn now to around 300mn by 2050.Add to that the fact that the continent has
leapfrogged technology and gone straight tomobile, plus inward eastern investment - fromthe likes of India and China - and all theingredients you need to guarantee fill rates fordata centres are in place. Spending on data centres, connectivity via
subsea cables and dark fibre, cloud, ITinvestment, risk and the availability of funding,are all issues of the day - as is energy supply,which continues to evolve to better meet theneeds of Africa’s data companies.
Hybrid power One leading player, Flexenclosure, recentlyannounced its entry into what marks its 21stAfrican market, with a new eCentre data centreorder in Ethiopia from ERP SoftwareTechnologies (ERPST).Its turnkey prefabricated eCentre data
centres and eSite hybrid power systems for off-grid and bad-grid cell sites have made thecompany a preferred supplier to the regionalmarket, with thousands of installations inplace already.The eCentres will house servers and
software to manage and run the activities ofthe Ethiopian Railway Corporation (ERC) as itexpands its rail network across the country.ERPST is a member of a consortium
implementing a major IT infrastructuredeployment for ERC.After construction of the data centre
modules at Flexenclosure’s Swedish factory,deployment will take place at two separatesites in Addis Ababa later this year.Flexenclosure unveiled its innovative eSite
x10 system - which it calls “the future of hybridpower” - in 2016. It calls it the world’s first hybridpower system purpose-built for outdoor telecomsites and to outdoor telecom standards. The system is a patented, sealed, tamper-
proof unit with passive convection cooling, nofilters, no moving parts and requires nomaintenance.
According to the company’s chief executive,David King, until now, hybrid power systems foroff-grid or bad-grid telecom sites had beenbuilt using indoor components and deployedin outdoor locations where they were exposedto the most challenging environmentalextremes.He says such systems weren’t fit for purpose
and were therefore unreliable. The constant flow of data is the lifeblood of
today's information-based economy, thereforedata centre facilities require reliable on-sitepower to ensure uninterrupted access to thiscritical data.
New investmentOne global brand with a footprint right acrossthe power sector, especially in Africa, isCummins which is increasingly active in thedata centre niche. Its African credentials alsoinclude supporting mainstream power grids forstate energy utilities, though it sees growingpotential in the data market.Another is Schneider Electric, a leading
provider of physical infrastructure solutions forthe entire data centre and its life cycle,delivering solutions for micro sites through tolarger data installations, requiring 1 megawatt(MW) of power or above. And it seems certainthat these companies and their solutions willbe in big demand with more data centres ontheir way across the continent.
eSite Myanmar. (Photo: Flexenclosure)
Flexenclosure unveiled itsinnovative eSite x10 system
- “the future of hybridpower” - in 2016. It calls it
the world’s first hybridpower system purpose-builtfor outdoor telecom sites.
Communications Africa Issue 4 201728 www.communicationsafrica.com
South Africa, the region’s most advancedeconomy, is now pulling in investment from thebiggest global data and cloud providers.Among them is AWS, Amazon’s fast growing
public cloud provider, which is looking to rollout its first data centre infrastructure in Africa,starting in South Africa.It currently operates 43 availability zones
across the globe, with 16 active regions andseveral more planned to come into operationsoon, according Amazon chief technical
officer, Werner Vogels, although no firmdates for South Africa are in place as yet.It follows Microsoft Azure’s
announcement in May that it will be openingtwo data centres in South Africa next year, inJohannesburg and Cape Town.“We’re excited by the growing demand for
cloud services in Africa and their ability to bea catalyst for new economic opportunities,”said Scott Guthrie, executive vice president,cloud and enterprise group at Microsoft.
Green innovationOne notable shift in the data centre powermarket is the shift toward cleaner energysolutions, such as Flexenclosure’s eSite hybridsystem.Its integrated support for solar power saves
both diesel costs and prolongs battery life, aswell as being generally kinder to theenvironment.This is a trend that is likely to continue,
however, with Microsoft certainly keen to drawon wind or solar power to support its new outAfrican centres, given its commitments torenewable energy.Africa’s strong push into solar power and
other renewable technologies makes it the idealsetting to deliver these solutions to data centres.For operators, it presents an opportunity to
save costs long-term; power efficiency, andultimately cost, is one of the major challengesoperators face above and beyond humanresources.In such hot African climates, a lot of
innovation has focused on alternative coolingtechnologies. Mobile phone giant MTN, for example, has
long deployed solar mirrors to keep its mainJohannesburg data centre cool.If such technologies can continue to provide
uninterruptible, essential power, and at thesame time deliver cost savings, as well asenvironmental benefits, and the flexibility toadapt to demand, then Africa’s data centre willbe well placed as the continent’s economyexpands in the decades ahead. �
Martin Clark Flexenclosure eSite x10 Hybrid Power System. (Photo: Flexenclosure)
Communications Africa Issue 4 201730 www.communicationsafrica.com
The Internet of Things (IoT) market is fast gaining traction across Africa, where increasing Internet access is presentingnew opportunities to connect a range of industries, goods, products and everyday objects.
Limitless opportunity for theInternet of Things
WHEN THE INTERNET was firstinvented over 25 years ago, noone could have predicted itwould have such enormous
social, technological and economical impact,attracting more than 3.5bn users today.Certainly, nobody envisioned it ever beingused to connect toasters, egg trays and dog collars.
The Internet of Things (IoT) is the logical nextstep for our increasingly connected world. IoTfocuses on embedding connectivity andintelligence in devices, enabling businesses tocollect vast volumes of data in near real-time.Using this new levels of data and intelligence,businesses are able to reinvent businessmodels and transform customer experiences.
The IoT ecosystem is rapidly taking shape.According to Gartner, there are already anestimated 8.4bn connected things in useworldwide in 2017, which is set to reach anastonishing 20.4bn by 2020.
Furthermore, the analyst firm believes IoTwill reach mainstream adoption in the next twoto five years in Africa, where it is expected tohave a “transformational impact” on localbusinesses.
Growing use casesThe use cases for IoT across a range of industryverticals is potentially limitless.
Smart city projects are emerging across theglobe, which share a vision to connect keyinfrastructure such as transport, energy, wasteand healthcare, in an attempt to create a moreefficient and safe public environment.Industries such as oil, gas and mining areunder pressure to improve efficiencies anddrive profitability, leading many organisationsto pursue greater automation and deploy IoT.
Compelling use cases for IoT are alsoemerging across Africa. In agriculture, remotesensors are being used to monitor crops,generating valuable information for farmers onwater and soil moisture levels. IoT is widelytipped to transform farming and foodproduction in the future. According to someestimates, agricultural IoT deployments willincrease food production by 70 per cent and befeeding up to 9.6bn people by 2050.
IoT technology is being used to improve watermonitoring, paving the way for new methods toconserve water, monitor usage and ensure
communities are supplied with clean water. With an estimated one million hand pumps
that supply water to more than 200mn ruralwater users across Africa, IoT can also play acrucial role in the maintenance of thisequipment.
In Africa, IoT has also been used for animalconservation, where special networks havebeen deployed to accurately monitorendangered species and improve operations atnational parks.
Barriers to adoption While IoT presents exciting new opportunitiesfor businesses, there are also significantchallenges to overcome. Cybersecurity hasbecome of global concern as high-profileattacks have dominated media headlines,raising awareness and fear of data breachesamongst consumers and businesses alike.
The increase in connected devices
potentially offers more entry points for hackers.While consumers are experiencing significantbenefits from smart home applications – suchas reduced energy consumption and a lowerelectricity bill – it can also create new securityrisks. IoT also presents an extension of existingprivacy issues for consumers - as more of theirlife becomes connected, how do they knowwhich data is off limit to the rest of the world?
Equally, industry can also leave itselfvulnerable in the migration to IoT. Think aboutthe potential consequences of cyberattacks oncritical infrastructure such as power grids andwater plants.
As the business case for IoT grows, moreenterprises will turn to vendors, telecomsproviders and systems integrators to help themon their journey. Increasing collaboration willhelp iron out technical complexities and drivedown cost.
A new report from Liquid Telecom will beavailable in July that explores some of thesethemes further and assesses how the appetitefor IoT applications is developing across theregion. AfriCAN IoT Report 2017 will take an in-depth look at some of the key industriespioneering the way and the IoT strategiesneeded for a successful future. �
Find out more by visitingwww.liquidtelecom.com
Smart city projects areemerging across the globe,
which share a vision toconnect key infrastructuresuch as transport, energy,
waste and healthcare.
TECHNOLOGY IoT
There are already an estimated 8.4bn connected things in use worldwide in 2017.(Photo: chombosan/shutterstock)
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is arguably the most significant change inglobal privacy law in twenty-two years and businesses must shore up their cybersecurityprocesses and procedures to avoid facing financial penalties.
The risks of not being GDPR compliant
SECURITYGDPR
GDPR IS DUE to be implemented on25 May 2018 and the regulationplaces important new obligationson any business that handles the
data of individuals living in the EU,independent of where the business islocated. Although many companies havealready adopted privacy processes andprocedures consistent with the directive, theGDPR contains a number of new protectionsfor EU data subjects and threatens significantfines and penalties for non-compliant datacontrollers and processors once it comes intoforce. With new obligations on such mattersas data subject consent, dataanonymization, breach notification, trans-border data transfers, and appointment ofdata protection officers to name a few, theGDPR requires companies handling EUcitizens’ data to undertake major operationalreform.
What are the consequences of not complyingto GDPR?The UK Government and InformationCommissioners Office (ICO) have declared thatno new legislation will be introduced to coverthe growing threat of cybercrime as this is abusiness owner responsibility to address.What they will enforce though is legislationabout the use of data. If data is protected thenat least any cyber-attacks will mean thatpersonal data is (or should be) protected and safe.
What are the GDPR fines or punishment?The penalties for non-compliance are eyewatering. Infringement on certain articles ofGDPR carry fines of up to €20M or up to four percent of total global revenue of the precedingyear, whichever is greater. Other fines carrypenalties up to €10M or up to two per cent oftotal global revenue of the preceding year,whichever is greater. These punishments showit is important that compliance is met andGDPR is not ignored.
For organisations it is not just about fines orpunishments. The risk of not meeting GDPRrequirement can be cost prohibitive in otherways. According to recent research cyber-attacks can cost businesses anywhere fromUS$14.00 to US$2.35mn per incident and databreaches and attacks are growing all the time.
Therefore, the cost of an attack on anorganisation can have significant impact.Lastly there is the cost of brand andreputational damage post attack. Interestinglyaccording to recent research by informationmanagement company Veritas, only 31 per centof companies surveyed are worried aboutreputation damage due to poor data policies,but it can destroy a business and the brandpost attack.
Why has the new GDPR legislation beenintroduced?The answer is simple; the threat of attacks onsensitive data is very real. And, not only are thethreats growing, but the magnitude of theseattacks is also increasing. This is down toaspects such as the broad adoption of IoT,which is seen to be easily compromised,coupled with poorly protected data, which isstill often held in legacy systems withoutadequate security.
This is why GDPR will be strictly enforced inorder to protect data. GDPR not onlystrengthens the rights that individuals have tocontrol their own data, in particular it protectsthe right to data portability. This means anindividual has the right to transport his/herpersonal data from one organisation to thenext. Every organisation that processespersonal data will need to make sure that thisdata is properly safeguarded against loss,theft, unauthorised access, etc. In fact, securityof personal data is so important that GDPRincludes a personal data breach notificationrule. This says that when a breach of securityoccurs it should be reported within 72 hours,
and if it is likely to result in a high privacy riskfor individuals, these individuals must beinformed.
To add to this data protection by design andby default are both included in the GDPR. Thismeans two things. First, it will be mandatorywhen designing a new system, process,service, etc to make sure that data protectionconsiderations are taken into account.Moreover, organisations need to be able toprove that they have done so. Second, the newsystem, process, service, etc must includechoices for the individual on how muchpersonal data they wish to share.
Be readyWithout a doubt, the protection of customerand partner data is essential for the survivaland success of every organisation. However, alltoo often security, especially encryption, hasbeen regarded as far too complex andexpensive for most small and medium-sizedenterprises to consider. But with GDPR comes aneed for companies of whatever size torecognise the value of their data and be awareof the ever-growing legal framework they needto meet, as well as the resulting penalties fornon-compliance. Now that the final text ofGDPR is known the next steps for anyorganisation is to identify how this newlegislation will impact them. The journey toGDPR compliance no matter how arduous andlong is a path that all organisations mustundertake, however reluctant they may be.
Alastair Hartrup, Global CEO of Network Critical
Communications Africa Issue 4 2017 31www.communicationsafrica.com
Businesses are being urged to shore up theircybersecurity processes. (Photo: Sergey
Ghana’s Crystal TV to develop pan-Africansatellite Pay TV platform
BROADCAST TV
The idea for the satellite platform came froma strong feeling from Crystal TV’s founderthat he had to keep up with the pace ofchange, ”I”ve been in the TV business in
Ghana for 22 years. You have to stay ahead ofbroadcast technology. With the move to DTT, we'vebeen in the forefront (of this transition). I was amember of the first taskforce on DTT.”But although he is still closely involved through
the Association of Private Broadcasters, he came tothe conclusion he had to set up his own satelliteplatform. It was launched in November 2014, ”Wespent time finding a reliable satellite provider and wenow have a partnership with Eutelsat. I wanted to do
something from A-Z, including the teleport and play-out. I wanted to own all parts of the chain. We now runtwo transponders.”Launched in January, the Mega-Choice Digital
Network has three of Crystal TV’s own channels on it:Prime (which includes sports), Extra (movies andentertainment) and Plus. A ten-year contract hasbeen signed with Eutelsat Communications forcapacity connected to the African service area of the Eutelsat 16A satellite to support the launch ofMega-ChoiceThere are also 16 other channels on the platform
including: France 24, Deutsche Welle, Al Jazeera, TV3,Kwese TV, Metro TV, EWTN Africa & Asia, Narrow GateTV, GMP Newsworld, CGTN, Paradise Music Channeland many others will be available to homes as Free-to-Air and Free-to-View programmes while FilmboxAfrica, Filmbox Arthouse, Filmbox Action, FightboxHD, Docubox, FashionBox, Fast & Fun Box,Madscreen Box, 360 Tunebox, Homeland TV, AMNET, Junior World TV and other premium channels including VOD content will be offered aspay-TV content.Several of the Ghanaian channels use the satellite
to feed their sub-stations. Crystal TV also has alicence for pay DTT and has set up access pointsacross Ghana with its three channels on it. Inaddition, it is also present on the Government-run,free-to-air platform operated by KNET.It intends to launch its own Pay TV service, ”We are
building up our own content and getting internationalcontent plus locally commissioned premium content.We want offer thematic programming covering health,entertainment, sport, culture and tradition. On theprice point, I intend to go very low. With a low price,you can get huge numbers and you can break even.The lowest price is currently US$10 per month and wewant to go lower,” the company revealed. The servicewill also be aimed at users outside of Ghana, including nearby neighbor Nigeria.So how will it finance these ambitious plans?:”The
cost of set-top boxes is high but you have to makesure you have the right equipment. There areinvestors and partners (like Eutelsat) who are in thebusiness to invest and a lot of thanks must go tothem. We will work together with them to face thechallenges. We have commissioned the majordistributors to sell set-top-boxes and have created anetwork of installers.” It will also be launching a VoDplatform with a Greek company. �
www.balancingact-africa.com
Communications Africa Issue 4 201732 www.communicationsafrica.com
Ghana’s Crystal TV has an ambitious plan to create a Pay TV bouquet across Africa.Working with Eutelsat, it has launched the Mega-Choice Digital Network. RussellSouthwood spoke to Crystal TV’s President and CEO, chief Paul Crystal-Djirackor.
Ghana's Crystal TV plans to launch its own PayTV service. (Photo: Rasulov/shutterstock)
Communications Africa Issue 4 2017 33www.communicationsafrica.com
GLOBAL PROVIDER OF contactless mobile payments and financial servicessoftware Youtap has announced it is offering its new X8 'micro' point of saledevice as a packaged solution for mobile money and payment serviceproviders. The firm revealed that the X8 package includes: a supply of NFCtags, cards, or wearables is needed to launch 'tap and pay' services, access toYoutap Pay Express, an integrated software and hardware payment processingplatform and various options for payment.
Youtap's new NFC X8 is a small, low-cost point-of-sale device that can eitherfit easily in a merchant's pocket or be worn around the neck. The X8 canprocess all mobile money transactions, including cash-in and cash-outtransactions, airtime top-ups, bill payments and in-store payments, notedYoutap. The small size of the device and low cost is suited to the needs ofmobile airtime resellers, small shops, wet markets, street vendors, taxi driversand other transport operators who need a secure way to receive mobile money.
More advanced than traditional mobile wallet transactions, Youtap’s deviceintegrates closed-loop mobile wallets with open-loop payment providers.
The Youtap Pay payment processing platform has rich APIs, which enablesintegration with solutions offered by banks, payment service providers andthird-party mobile wallets.
"Merchant payments are growing at a phenomenal rate in emergingmarkets," said Chris Jones, CEO of Youtap. "Youtap is at the forefront of thisgrowth, enabling more than 30 payment providers in Africa alone to processlarge volumes of in-store, transportation and cash-related transactions," he said. "By bundling X8 acceptance devices with the Youtap Pay Expressplatform, we're providing mobile money services with the latest in mobile money payment processing technology and an entry ramp intomerchant payments."
UNDER A NEW agreement betweenglobal streaming technology firmQuiptel (a Falcon Media HouseCompany) and providers of digital andbroadcast technologies LaserNet Groupthe two businesses will deliver OTTservices to millions of users acrossAfrica.
The partnership enables Quiptel tooffer its Q-Flow powered OTT platformto LaserNet, who will both createintegrated platform offers to telcos andmobile operators, as well as providinghosted streaming services toindependent content owners.
The Quiptel Media Platform (QMP) isexpected to deliver flawless streamsusing its patented Q-Flow technology.Designed to overcome the challengesof congested and slow connections todeliver content to the end user usingthe most efficient and cost effectiveroute. The joint solution will enable broadcasters and cable companiesto increase their market share with a lower capital expenditure.
“OTT players are thriving in Africa, driven by smartphone penetrationand the roll-out of 3G/4G networks, but the challenge is still how tominimise the cost of distribution and at the same time provide a greatvideo streaming experience,” said Sandip Sarda, CEO Quiptel.
Youtap offers new mobile payment solution Quiptel delivers OTT services to Africans
INTELSAT AND GILAT have partnered on a joint managed servicessolution to provide 3G infrastructure in the most remote locations aroundthe globe, where terrestrial services are not practical. Mobile Reach Solar3G is an end-to-end managed solution for mobile network operators(MNOs) who want to extend their reach to ultra-rural regions. Theturnkey, solar-powered package combines Intelsat connectivity,including services from the Intelsat EpicNG high-throughput satellite(HTS) platform, together with Gilat’s industry proven VSAT system forsmall cell and cellular backhaul.
“There is a massive transformation underway in the communicationssector, as technology advancements make it more economical toconnect the unconnected. The Mobile Reach Solar 3G service is anexample of the market expansion that will be enabled by the higherpower, more efficient services provided by our Intelsat EpicNG platform,”said Jean-Philippe Gillet, Intelsat’s vice president and general manager,broadband.
According the two firms, Mobile Reach Solar 3G is a small-cell oversatellite package that can be carried by hand and installed by just a fewpeople. It aims to support MNOs looking to extend services and addressmarket needs, where unreliable or non-existent power supplies requiresdiesel generators to provide consistent service levels. In thoseenvironments, maintaining equipment and securing fuel can be bothchallenging and expensive when trying to keep traditional cell towersoperational.
“There is a massive transformation underway in the communicationssector, as technology advancements make it more economical toconnect the unconnected,” stated Gillet. “One of satellite’s biggestadvantages is the ability to easily reach areas where terrestrialconnectivity is limited. Combining this with solar-based solutions meansthat our customers will be able to cost-effectively expand their networks.As they do so, remote regions will enjoy the economic benefit thatalways accompanies digital inclusion,”
Intelsat and Gilat unveils 3G mobile solution
OTT players in Africa havebenefited from smartphonepenetration and the roll-out of3G/4G network. (Photo: Essarawuth/shutterstock)
UNDER THE AGREEMENTS, Total and Worldline will support the roll out of theGuichet Unique solution in eight African countries — Burkina Faso, Cameroon,Côte d’Ivoire, Kenya, Mali, Morocco, the Republic of Guinea and Senegal. Thecompanies will fund the first phase of deployment of the Guichet Uniquesolution in the eight countries and become shareholders in InTouch, alongsideits founder, Omar Cissé.
According to the two firms, Guichet Unique provides retail networks with aunique device that enables customers to securely and seamlessly accept allmeans of payment, including mobile money, payments processed throughprivate label cards and cash, and to distribute third party services, such assubscriptions to media content, bill payment, money transfer, card top-up,banking and insurance.
The new solution was launched in more than 170 Total service stations andmore than 600 independent points of sale in Senegal, the Guichet Uniqueplatform manages more than 30,000 transactions per day in that country. Totalis expected to roll out the Guichet Unique solution in its service station networkin these eight countries, with plans being discussed for further deployment inanother 30 African and Middle Eastern countries.
Total and Worldline launch new payment solution
The Guichet Unique solution will be rolledout across eight African countries includingKenya. (Photo: Sopotnicki/shutterstock
The new IT GRC solution from new generation GRC solution provider OXIAL,integrates IT risks and threats with overall risk and compliance structures.
The new solution menas companies can now benefit from a real-time andintegrated view of all cyber security threats.
Based on years of experience managing IT systems, in partnership withinformation security experts, OXIAL IT GRC says it offers a high level ofsecurity and performance. The company notes the solution’s powerfulfeatures helps to manage IT priorities in line with business expectations.
OXIAL IT GRC offers risk, audit and control modules, including informationsecurity modules centred around IT Governance approach, for either theFinancial Services or Insurance Industry.
“The cyber threat in 2017 is more professional and targeted than everbefore and organisations are increasingly vulnerable to such attacks,” saidEric Berdeaux, CEO, OXIAL. “Because IT risks are now business risks that comewith business consequences, organisations must adapt the way they managethose risks. This is not an “IT Department” contained matter and it requiresan effective risk management capability, a common language and a commonframework for decisions and controls. Thus, reducing fires to fight, reducingcosts, re-focusing on more productive activities creating business value. Byincorporating IT GRC into a company’s overall GRC framework, employeeinteractions are moulded from the bottom up, with checks at all levels andtypes of access point.”
IT GRC offers a quantitative and qualitative measurement of the risks andtheir potential financial impact, and enables senior executives to makedecisions on how best to manage these risks.
ROHDE & SCHWARZ will sho showcase a number of new and enhancedingest, production, monitoring and OTT distribution workflow solutionsthat offer high quality, future-proofed migration pathways to multi-platform IP-based broadcast operations at IBC 2017.
The R&S VENICE is an ingest and playout system that enablesbroadcasters to deliver content in the most appropriate manner by mergingSDI and Video-over-IP technologies, empowering the user to migrate to IP-based production at a time and speed that best suits their situation.
“Through organic growth combined with strategic acquisitions, Rohde &Schwarz has built an elegant portfolio of products, system solutions andenabling technologies that combine some of the best established hardwaresystems combined with state of the art IP-based systems,” explained StephanKrafft, Vice President, Marketing & Technical Sales at Rohde & Schwarz.
New OXIAL IT GRC solution for cyber security threats
Rohde & Schwarz presents new broadcastsolutions at IBC 2017
Company .................................................................................... page
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The R&S TS-LBS from Rohde & Schwarz is a test system for testing GNSSand network-based LBS. (Photo: Rohde Schwarz)
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