Converged open-access digital infrastructure company WIOCC Group has launched what it calls “the first truly holistic managed network and infrastructure services company to serve Africa”.

Launched at the ongoing AfricaCom event in Cape Town, the new company, Open Access Technical Services (OATS) enables carriers, operators, hyperscalers, major enterprises and governments to outsource the building, management, operation and support of their digital network and infrastructure in Africa to a company with the experience, expertise and local licenced entities to meet their requirements.

In the field of logistics OATS can provide expert support for CDNs (content delivery network operators) and multinationals wanting to establish or expand their footprint in Africa.

For CDNs, carriers and hyperscalers that require connectivity or fibre pairs, OATS can terminate capacity and manage the infrastructure at the cable landing station (CLS), power feeding equipment (PFE) hub or in a carrier-neutral data centre.

OATS can also support services such as backhaul and licence termination, as well as providing comprehensive, expert field service support, while CDNs, carriers and hyperscalers with terrestrial dark fibre management requirements can take advantage of the dark fibre economics with managed capacity expertise from OATS.

In addition, for providers who own a percentage share of spectrum on fibre, OATS can oversee spectrum management and provide a comprehensive solution that encompasses the design, operation and support of core infrastructure.

OATS can also provide an outsourced managed network and operations centres (NOC) service.

As well as OATS, WIOCC Group is the parent company of WIOCC, described as Africa’s digital backbone, and Open Access Data Centres (OADC), Africa’s fastest-growing data centre company.

As the 5G revolution rolls on, coverage specialists like Nextivity are seeing more room to run in the enterprise space and beyond. Maintaining coverage everywhere within an enterprise location is key to using the next generation of automation and connected device technologies. The range of communications tasks that can be called ‘critical’ is only going to grow from here. Nextivity and others are actively preparing for that future. With us today to tell us about Nextivity’s approach and the company’s plans for the future is Stephen Kowal, Chief Commercial Officer. … [visit site to read more]

Tunisian national operator Tunisie Telecom, and mobile transaction platform Telepin have announced the signing of a partnership agreement for the launch of the converged charging system for Tunisie Telecom’s customers.

The main objective of this partnership is to migrate Tunisie Telecom’s charging system, currently distributed among several suppliers, to Telepin’s unified converged charging platform.

This transition, says Telepin, promises to offer a better customer experience by providing a consolidated and more secure solution for mobile and landline top-ups.

Telepin says its platform is designed to meet all of Tunisie Telecom’s charging needs. From the migration of legacy vouchers to the generation of on-demand e-vouchers, the system ensures a smooth transition and an improved user experience for Tunisie Telecom’s large customer base.

In fact Tunisie Telecom has more than six million subscribers, including both companies and individuals, to whom it offers a wide range of services in the field of fixed and mobile telecommunications, data centres, cloud, IoT and managed security. 

Headquartered in Ottawa, Canada, with a regional presence in the Middle East, the UK, Tanzania, and Tunisia, Telepin serves leading operators in the Middle East, Africa, Asia and the Americas.

Telepin says it has the capability to deliver, install, and commission, including the necessary integration with third-party systems such as banks, billers, merchants and agents. Its ties with Tunisie Telecom began in 2007.

According to a number of recent reports, Saudi Arabia’s new Red Sea International Airport has become an early example in the region of the benefits of neutral host technology.

Advanced Communications and Electronics Systems (ACES), a neutral host digital infrastructure provider, and Red Sea Global (RSG), the multi-project developer behind two ambitious regenerative tourism destinations, The Red Sea and Amaala, have joined forces “to revolutionise the connectivity experience”, as they put it, at Red Sea International Airport (RSI).

Simply put, this is a deal that will provide indoor 5G coverage for all mobile network operators in Saudi Arabia, but without the clutter of individual rollouts.

That’s because, under the neutral host model, ultra-high-speed 5G coverage is delivered through a robust shared infrastructure, ensuring seamless connectivity for subscribers of all licensed service providers in the country. This means that the services of operators like STC, Mobily, Zain, Virgin Mobile, Lebara, Salam Mobile and Red Bull Mobile can all be received inside the airport via a shared system.

The project partners explain that the introduction of the new indoor 5G shareable solution at Red Sea International Airport enhances the overall 5G network performance. An estimated 80% of mobile data usage happens indoors, so it certainly helps that the ACES neutral host solution empowers mobile network operators to deploy indoor networks quicker, providing their subscribers with a superior indoor 5G experience characterised by ultra-high speeds.

The Red Sea International Airport is a very recent development but is now operational, receiving its first flights last month, and the first two hotels are taking bookings.

Upon full completion in 2030, the destination will comprise 50 resorts, offering up to 8,000 hotel rooms and more than 1,000 residential properties across 22 islands and six inland sites. The destination will also include luxury marinas, golf courses, entertainment, food and beverages, and leisure pursuits.