Telecom (130)
Burundi is getting ready to deploy 5G. Investments in networks are planned to accommodate this technology, which could potentially breathe new life into trade and services based on internet-dependent models.
The commercial launch of 5G mobile technology in Burundi is planned for July 2024. This is indicated in the schedule established by the Telecommunications Regulatory and Control Agency (ARCT) in its "Roadmap for the Deployment of Fifth-Generation Mobile (5G) in Burundi".
According to the regulator, "The first part consists of ensuring the availability of frequency bands identified for 5G but which are currently used for other purposes, through rearrangement and sharing mechanisms of said bands. The second part consists of planning the frequency bands allocated to 5G, and the third part consists of assigning the released and planned frequencies by the end of 2025".
To meet requirements for the launch, traffic-wise, the ARCT plans to assign each operator a continuous band of 60 to 100 MHz in the bands below 6 GHz and at least 800 MHz in millimeter wave bands (above 6 GHz). From next December, the regulator also plans to release spectrum in the 700 MHz, 2.3 GHz, 2.5 GHz, 3.5 GHz, and 26 GHz bands, with authorizations granted to test 5G from January 2024.
Deploying 5G in Burundi is key to the country’s strategy for digitizing its economy, and foster digital inclusion nationwide. Under the ARCT’s roadmap, 5G will not just represent a simple increase in data rates, but it will drive Burundi’s economic digitization.
Also, it will yield new uses, particularly thanks to the decrease in latency times, thus opening the way to new possibilities and applications, especially relative to the Internet of Things and connected objects in general.
According to the GSMA's "5G in Africa: Realising the potential" report, 5G mobile phone networks should represent, across their entire value chain, an economic contribution of $26 billion in Africa by 2030.
Samira Njoya
By 2050 Africa’s digital economy could grow to $712 billion or 8.5% of the continent’s GDP. Being a promising area, several African countries, including Côte d'Ivoire, have been taking steps to speed up their digital transformation.
Amadou Coulibaly, the Ivoirian Minister of Digital Economy, inked on June 28, two memoranda of understanding with Cybastion Institute of Technology, a US tech consortium. The Ivoirian sealed the deals during a trip to the US. They will support two major projects in his country, knowingly the establishment of an administrative city and the construction of a data center.
The MoUs will enable the physical regrouping of all Ivoirian public bodies involved in the digital economy. They will also help set up an emergency data center where all of Côte d’Ivoire’s administrative data will be transferred, thus contributing to national digital sovereignty.
Two events led to the signing. The first is a trip to Côte d’Ivoire by a delegation from the US chamber of commerce, in 2022. Next is the signing of an MoU between the Ivoirian Ministry of Digital Economy and Cybastion Institute of Technology on December 15, 2022, during the Africa-USA Summit.
According to Thierry Wandji, CEO of Cybastion Institute of Technology, the new MoUs pave Côte d’Ivoire’s digital revolution.
Côte d’Ivoire, it should be emphasized, is seeking a lot of funds to implement its digital infrastructure program. Last October, the West African country said it needed $3 billion (over CFA2,000 billion) for the project.
Besides the recent MoUs, the two parties signed a framework contract to bolster cybersecurity support in Côte d'Ivoire.
Samira Njoya
In 2021, Gabon started a three-year acceleration plan for economic transformation. This comprises several priority projects including the construction of a national datacenter to store all administrative data.
Last Thursday, June 29, Gabon's Minister of Digital Economy, Jean Pierre Doukaga Kassa, and the CEO of the Indian company Shapoorji-Pallonji, Ransit Gajave, signed a memorandum of understanding for the construction of a national data center in Gabon.
The Ministry of Digital Economy said on social media that the project is a high-priority one. Thus, “he instructed the general manager of the Digital Heritage and Infrastructure Company (SPIN) to sign the memorandum with Shapoorji-Pallonji, which holds a leading position in India for data center construction.”
Before the MoU’s signing, a delegation from the Indian contractor was in Gabon last March. At the time, the Asian firm said it wanted to help the African country design, build, and maintain its digital infrastructures, including data centers.
The national data center is extremely important for the Gabonese government and that is why the minister of digital economy quickly sealed the deal with Shapoorji-Pallonji. The official was well aware of the firm’s experience and achievements in Africa, including Egypt, Ghana, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Building the infrastructure, according to Doukaga Kassa, aligns with Gabonese authorities' ambition to make Gabon a digital hub in the Central African sub-region.
Samira Njoya
The rapid advancements in technology, surging data consumption, and the deployment of 4G and 5G networks in Africa intensify the need for telecom infrastructures. In response, the government and international partners are working diligently to address these needs within the digital transformation landscape.
The International Finance Corporation (IFC) loaned $60 million to telecom tower manager Eastcastle Infrastructure. This was made public in a press release issued on Monday, June 26. The funds will be used to enhance digital connectivity in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), one of the least connected countries in Sub-Saharan Africa.
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Expressing his satisfaction with the IFC's investment, Peter Lewis, Co-founder and Director of Eastcastle Infrastructure Ltd., said: "We are delighted that following their equity investment in Eastcastle, the IFC has made $60 million in long-term financing available to our operations in the DRC. Together with the $34 million from Standard Bank of South Africa, this will enable us to surpass 1,000 towers in the DRC."
According to the release, the funding includes $30 million from IFC and an additional $30 million mobilized from the Emerging Africa Infrastructure Fund (EAIF). This is in line with Eastcastle's strategy to construct a maximum number of shared towers in the DRC. The main goal is to promote the digital economy in the region.
Back in 2021, the IFC had provided financing to support Eastcastle’s growth plans in Sub-Saharan Africa. Now with the new financing, the company will be able to lease its new towers to mobile network operators and other digital service providers in the DRC, thus helping expand their coverage, reduce operating costs, and minimize energy consumption through infrastructure sharing.
It is worth noting that the DRC has 48.4 million mobile phone subscribers. According to the latest data from the Regulatory Authority for Post and Telecommunications of Congo (ARPTC), the rate of penetration is 50.9%. However, the number of mobile internet users stands at 22.6 million, with a penetration rate of 23.8%. The expansion of Eastcastle's telecom towers network will improve the quality and coverage of telecom services in the country.
Samira Njoya
With the ongoing digital transformation, African businesses need more broadband capacity to support their activities. Local and foreign companies are stepping up investments in this direction to better meet the growing demand on the continent.
Africa Data Centres (ADC), a subsidiary of pan-African digital services provider Cassava Technologies Group, has been chosen by the London Internet Exchange (LINX) as the Point of Presence (PoP) for the new East African interconnection center, LINX Nairobi.
The new partnership aims to improve connectivity and support digital growth in the region, the company announced in a statement on Wednesday, June 21.
"With LINX Nairobi, we are not only creating a hub for Kenya but for all of East Africa. The rapidly growing region has a huge demand for low latency, high speed, and improved interconnectivity. LINX Nairobi will not only serve local networks but also attract international Internet providers and hyperscalers," said Nurani Nimpuno, LINX's Global Engagement Manager.
This news comes after last month's announcement of a strategic partnership between the two organizations, ADC and LINX, to secure growth and opportunities in new markets in Africa, improve connectivity and bring digital services to citizens.
According to the press release, this new partnership will enable customers based at Africa Data Centres' Nairobi data center (NBO1) to have direct access to LINX Nairobi's new peering community via a single cross-connection. These customers will also benefit from additional services such as 24-hour support and access to the LINX portal. In addition, networks connecting to LINX Nairobi from any data center will be able to establish peering agreements, fostering a strong digital ecosystem and guaranteeing the traffic will remain local.
LINX Nairobi, due to go live in the coming weeks, is the region's first interconnected, multi-site Internet Exchange Point (IXP). The platform is designed to the same standards as LINX in the UK and USA, offering redundancy and resilience to the networks connecting to it.
Samira Njoya
In Africa, millions of residents still live with no access to high-speed Internet. The situation, which is the result of several factors, including poor telecom coverage and the cost of suitable phones, threatens digital inclusion, which is supposed to drive development.
On Tuesday, June 13, Angola's LiraLink Tecnologia and China's ZTE signed a partnership agreement to set up a cell phone assembly plant in Angola. The assembly plant, due to be operational in 2024, will focus on the manufacturing of 4G and 5G handsets.
The documents officializing this agreement were signed by LiraLink Managing Director Walter João and ZTE Group Vice President Ni-Fei, under the supervision of Angolan ICT Minister Mário Oliveira, on the sidelines of Angola's International ICT Forum (ANGOTIC), held from June 12 to 14.
The project was initiated to bring quality and affordable phones to the Angolan market. In its 2020 report "From luxury to lifeline: Reducing the cost of mobile devices to reach universal internet access", the Alliance for Affordable Internet (A4AI) found that the cost of smartphones is still quite high.
In the 187 countries surveyed, the average cost of a smartphone represents around 26% of an average monthly per capita income, or $104 according to A4AI. In some countries and regions, the cost is even higher.
In South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, for example, the average cost of a smartphone exceeds 40% of the average monthly per capita income. "Even worse, in the Least Developed Countries, the average person would have to spend over half of their monthly income to buy a smartphone. Those in low-income countries have to spend almost 70% of their average monthly income to purchase the cheapest available smartphone on the market."
According to Lúcia Yang, ZTE's commercial zone manager, the smartphone assembly plant to be set up will also have a support center to meet customers' needs.
Muriel Edjo
Congolese authorities are keen on bringing better connectivity, including the 5G that presents numerous opportunities to African economies, in a context where demand for digital services is booming.
On Tuesday, June 6, telecom operator Orange announced the launch of the first test of its 5G network in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The country, which has been connected to Orange's fiber optic network since February, already benefits from superior bandwidth, which will certainly be multiplied with the advent of 5G.
By launching the tests for this new technology, "Orange is expressing its desire to offer its business and individual clients an ultra high-speed mobile Internet connection [...] to meet the ever-increasing need for connectivity,” Orange informed via a press release.
Beyond improving connection speeds, the 5G network will facilitate the emergence of a huge IoT (Internet of Things) ecosystem, improving internet access for billions of connected objects thanks to a balanced compromise between speed, latency, and cost.
This improvement in responsiveness will also open up new prospects for users. These include the emergence of cloud gaming, enabling users to access gaming platforms directly on their smartphones with a smooth, enjoyable experience.
In the DRC, the introduction of 5G, combined with new technologies such as big data, AI, and augmented reality, aims to increase the telecoms sector's contribution to the country's economy. According to the telecom regulator’s mobile market observatory, this high-potential sector grew by 7.18% in the third quarter of 2022.
Samira Njoya
South Africa, like most African countries, faces growing demand for high-speed connectivity amidst accelerated digital transformation. Data service providers need more capacity to meet this demand.
The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) announced, Tuesday (May 23) it has released the lower 6GHz frequency band (5925-6425 MHz) to allow the provision of high-speed Wi-Fi connectivity.
According to the regulator, the additional spectrum can support more simultaneous connections, offer reduced latency, and provide faster data speeds, resulting in less interference, especially in potentially congested high-density areas and campuses.
The operation was completed through an amendment of Schedule B of ICASA's 2015 radio spectrum regulations. The Regulatory Authority began the process last December, following pressure from Internet service providers in the Rainbow Nation months before.
According to the Wireless Access Providers Association of South Africa (WAPA), the opening of the 6 GHz frequency band is expected to enable the deployment of Wi-Fi 6E, the latest Wi-Fi technology, bringing in as much as $57.76 billion to the country over the next 10 years.
“Overall, the implementation of the lower 6 GHz frequency band is expected to provide significant improvements, more robust and reliable wireless communications, and an enhanced user experience for both the consumers and businesses throughout the country,” the ICASA writes.
Isaac K. Kassouwi
Orange launched Djoliba, West Africa's first pan-African backbone, in 2020 to support the digital ecosystem and meet the growing need for connectivity in the region.
Broadband connectivity provider Angola Cables and telecom operator Orange recently signed an infrastructure-sharing agreement on the West African Djoliba backbone. The collaboration allows Angola Cables to leverage Orange's Djoliba network to strengthen its presence in French-speaking West African markets.
“Access to the West Africa Djoliba network and our robust submarine infrastructure broadens the capability of businesses to access international markets and offers expanded traffic destinations across West Africa and other parts of the world,” said Rui Faria, Angola Cables’ global commercial director.
The Djoliba network was unveiled in 2020 by Orange. It is the first fully secured network in West Africa with more than 10,000 km of terrestrial fiber optic network, coupled with 10,000 km of submarine cable. It gives very high-speed offers (up to 100 Gbit/s) and a 99.99% availability rate. This network covers 16 points of presence with a mesh of nearly 155 technical sites and links 300 points of presence in Europe, America, and Asia.
Thanks to the agreement with Orange, Angola Cables will combine this new capacity with its global network of international submarine cables such as WACS, SACS, MONET, and EllaLink to offer secure, low-latency connectivity, digital and cloud services to businesses in the region.
The partnership is part of the strategy launched by Angola Cables in 2020 to increase partnerships and investments to meet the growing demand for broadband connectivity, in Africa and beyond.
Samira Njoya
Since 2020, Internet traffic and demand for broadband connectivity have been growing steadily in Africa. According to some institutions, IXPs could be a solution to localize traffic and improve connections.
The non-governmental organization "Internet for All" and the German company DE-CIX, in partnership with the Digital Development Agency (ADN), are set to launch Africa Congo Internet Exchange (ACIX), the largest Internet exchange in Central Africa, in Kinshasa today Monday.
“ACIX, Africa Congo Internet Exchange, provides an interconnection ecosystem for Central Africa to fulfill the growing interconnection needs of companies and end users – high-quality affordable connections for a better user experience, and for a more interconnected digital future,” ACIX explains in its “About” page.
The exchange is launched in the context of increasing Internet traffic across Africa, driven notably by digital transformation and new digital consumption patterns. According to the Internet Society (Isoc), Africa should invest more in Internet exchanges (IXPs) to improve connectivity on the continent and reduce access costs. To back its recommendation, in its report “Anchoring the African Internet Ecosystem: Lessons from Kenya and Nigeria’s Internet Exchange Points Growth,” the NGO indicates that Nigeria and Kenya boosted “the levels of Internet traffic that is locally exchanged from 30% to 70%” between 2012 and 2020 thanks to IXPs.
By enabling the local exchange of Internet traffic, IXPs save on large, recurring, and expensive international IP transit costs, reduce Internet costs, and significantly improve the quality and availability of connectivity, which in turn improves ISP revenues.
In that context, ACIX will be extremely useful. It is based in the DRC, the second largest country in Africa with nine border countries that have clearly stated ambitions for transnational and continental connectivity.
The exchange point is also part of the African expansion plan of the Deutscher Commercial Internet Exchange (DE-CIX), the world's largest Internet Exchange Point (IXP) in terms of traffic.
Samira Njoya
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Senegal is poised to join the exclusive group of African nations that have already adopted 5G technology. In line with its drive to implement a successful digital transformation, the country aims to upgrade to ultra-fast internet connectivity to realize its objectives.
Senegal will effectively proceed to the commercial employment of 5G in July 2023. The date was announced by the director general of the telecom regulator ARTP, Abdou Karim Sall (photo), last Friday, during the 6th edition of a forum that brings together the regulator and media professionals.
"Before the end of July, we would have already completed the license awarding and extension process. [...] We have already discussed with operators and shown them the need to provide 5G in Senegal,” he said.
In December 2021, Sonatel carried out a second 5G test, confirming its ability to offer broadband services in the country. In June 2022, Free, its rival, launched an experimental phase with technical support from Ericsson. About a month later, in July 2022, Orange also inaugurated its first African Orange 5G Lab in the country.
In Senegal, the 5G technology is expected to help develop some economic sectors, including e-sport, a revenue-generating activity driven by the increasing availability of affordable mobile devices, improved Internet access, and the birth of online gaming platforms.
Africa has great e-sport potential, which can generate important revenues for companies that have the right marketing strategies. According to a report by Mordor Intelligence, the African gaming market is expected to grow at a compounded annual growth rate of about 12% between 2021 and 2026.
Senegal is one of the first Sub-Saharna African countries to have adopted a legal framework for the promotion of esports.
Samira Njoya
Low Internet penetration and growing demand for broadband have attracted many international and local investors to the Democratic Republic of Congo. To meet the population’s demand, companies are joining forces to develop common strategies.
Last Friday, tech company CSquared and data center management operator Raxio signed a memorandum of understanding to improve Internet connectivity in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Yannick Sukakumu (photo, left), Raxio's general manager in the DRC, says the MOU provides the missing piece for Raxio to serve its customers in the country. It will allow CSquared DRC to connect the various Raxio data centers to offer quality internet to clients.
The partnership is part of Raxio's ambition to deploy several data centers to host IT equipment, and critical communication infrastructures, among others. For CSquared, this collaboration is part of a coherent strategy to expand its footprint across Africa in a context marked by high demand for broadband connectivity on the continent.
"By building infrastructure such as fiber optics and data centers and connecting them with existing technology solutions and services, we believe we are building an ecosystem” that will support the creativity of our youth, which is in dire need of such support, said Alain Malanda (photo, right), manager of CSquared DRC.
Samira Njoya
As of December 2021, the internet penetration rate was about 43% in Africa, according to the Internet Society. Some of the covered population do not even have access to quality internet. Nevertheless, telecom operators are beefing up their broadband infrastructure to better address this.
Mauritius Telecom, the largest Internet service provider and cellular service distributor in Mauritius, announced on Friday, March 24, that it has laid the T3 fiber optic submarine cable in Mauritius. The first end of the new infrastructure landed on Thursday, March 23, 2023, at the Baie-du-Jacotet landing station in the Bel Ombre region. The other end will land later this year in Amanzimtoti, KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa.
"With the rapid adoption of applications and services such as cloud computing, connected objects, video streaming, and others, it was essential for Mauritius Telecom to put in place the required infrastructure and capacity," said Kapil Resaul, CEO of Mauritius Telecom.
The 3,200 km long T3 cable has a capacity of 18 terabits per second, providing Mauritius Telecom with a more reliable, robust, and redundant network. It is scheduled to be commissioned by the end of 2023 and has an estimated lifespan of 25 years.
T3 is a partial takeover of the IOX submarine cable project that was to connect Mauritius to South Africa and India. First announced in 2017, it was abandoned in 2019. It will therefore join Mauritius Telecom's existing submarine cables, namely South Africa Far East (SAFE) and Lower Indian Ocean Network (LION), commissioned in 2002 and 2009 respectively.
Let’s note that Mauritius Telecom is 40% owned by Orange SA through Rimcom Ltd. Its remaining shareholders are the Mauritius government ( over 30%) and the local bank SBM (about 19%).
Samira Njoya
Burkina Faso, like several other African countries, is engaged in the digital transformation process. The country's ambition is to use digital technologies as tools to transform its society and accelerate socio-economic development.
The government of Burkina Faso has selected Bridge Fiber Solutions (BFS) to operate and manage the country's national telecommunications backbone. The company launched its commercial activities in Ouagadougou on Friday, March 10 in the presence of the Minister of Digital Transition, Posts and Electronic Communications, Aminata Zerbo-Sabané (photo, center).
Speaking about this new step towards an effective digital transition, Aminata Zerbo-Sabané said that "the government has made an important investment by building this national backbone that connects the entire territory with fiber optics and gives access to high-speed internet [necessary] to accelerate digitalization to businesses and the public administration.”
With the government's approval, BFS becomes the sole manager of the public backbone network in Burkina Faso. In that light, it will provide telecom companies and other entities with various services such as capacity leasing, dark fiber leasing, wavelength leasing, duct leasing, and Internet access. It will also invest in the modernization and extension of the network as needed.
The national telecommunications backbone project was launched in 2016 to develop national and international connectivity by interconnecting the country’s 45 provinces with a 3,000 km long optical fiber.
According to BFS director general Boris Compaoré, the launch of BFS is the beginning of a long process that aims, in the short term, to reduce the digital divide and offer quality Internet and favorable conditions to various digital companies and the administration at very competitive rates.
Samira Njoya