In February we had Windstream Wholesale’s Buddy Bayer here to talk about the company’s plans for 2022. Now we follow up to see how things went with Joe Scattareggia, who has been instrumental in driving forward the company’s new infrastructure construction activity on multiple fronts. On the menu are multiple intercity, high-fiber-count network buildouts and many new customer relationships that you wouldn’t have associated with the Windstream of old. … [visit site to read more]
Pan-African operator MTN has followed 5G launches in South Africa and Nigeria with the news that MTN Zambia has become the first mobile operator in the country to offer 5G services commercially.
Not too surprisingly, there was a formal ceremony to celebrate the occasion, with the country’s president and a number of ministers in attendance as well as senior MTN figures.
Discussing markets, MTN CEO Ralph Mupita said, possibly with a nod to private network rollouts, that « in Zambia, we see great opportunities across many sectors, and in the mining industry in particular”.
MTN’s 5G services, which follow 5G trials over the past 11 months, have been activated to cover about 65% of the population in the cities of Lusaka, Kitwe and Ndola as well as parts of Chingola, Solwezi and Kalumbila – about 15% of the whole country’s population. The aim, it seems, is to reach 100% 5G coverage in Lusaka, Kitwe and Ndola by the middle of 2023, while gradually expanding the 5G network to other locations.
The introduction of 5G is described by MTN Zambia as part of a wider network strategy that includes the optimisation and modernisation of existing 3G and 4G networks, the building of a fibre ring in Zambia with MTN GlobalConnect, and the extension of coverage in more rural areas.
This is quite a coup for what is, according to market research firm Omdia, the second-biggest mobile operator in Zambia, with around 7.1 million mobile subscribers against Airtel Zambia’s total of nearly 7.9 million subscribers. Number three player Zamtel has about 4.2 million subscribers.
MTN Zambia may not be the country’s sole 5G player for long, however. In October Airtel Zambia purchased 60MHz of additional spectrum spread across the 800MHz and 2600MHz bands for around US$29 million. It plans to use the spectrum for expanding its mobile and fixed services; that will include 5G rollout.
A report from Analysys Mason commissioned by Ericsson highlighted the potential economic, consumer and environmental benefits from 5G connectivity in 15 emerging markets, stating these countries could see GDP growth between 0.3% and 0.46% through 2035.
The countries addressed in the report are Bangladesh, Brazil, Chile, Columbia, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, Nigeria, Pakistan, South Africa, Thailand and Turkey.
Ericsson head of government and policy advocacy Andrew Lloyd said: “With the backing of governments, regulators and policymakers, each of these 15 countries, and their citizens, stand to benefit significantly from 5G connectivity. In addition to economic benefits, 5G can also reduce climate impact, increase social inclusion, wellbeing and tackle the digital divide in areas where fixed infrastructure availability is poor.”
Analysys Mason partner Janette Stewart added: “The study highlights the benefits from having the right spectrum available for 5G deployment, both for geographic coverage, for which the low-bands are very suitable, and in the 3.5GHz band where most of the high-capacity 5G deployments in other markets are already taking place.”
Expanding on mid-band 5G coverage is a “key success factor” for emerging markets as the airwaves have the potential to deliver 80% of the earmarked economic growth. Upgrading industry and rural areas with smart technology can account for 85-90% of the total economic benefits in each emerging market.
Agriculture is a significant sector for all 15 markets as it accounts for up to 10% of GDP in some markets. The report estimates that enhanced rural 5G coverage could deliver up to a 1.8% uplift in long-term GDP from agriculture. 5G will also promote sustainable farming methods, increase efficiency and reduce agricultural waste.
Other study findings include:
Governments, regulators and policymakers can support this potential growth by treating 5G as a national infrastructure and having a national strategy and roadmap, the report read.
Ericsson and Analysys Mason advised implementing 5G spectrum policies that facilitate rapid and widespread deployment such as trading off spectrum fees for deployment targets, collaborating with service providers to enhance coverage in less connected areas, and incentivising 5G use in industry and manufacturing.
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Pan-African payments technology company Cellulant is in the news again, this time thanks to a partnership with B2C e-commerce platform Copia focused on the Kenyan market.
Copia Global describes itself as the only B2C e-commerce platform providing e-commerce solutions for 800 million middle-to-low-income African consumers.
Remittance inflows to Kenya have increased tenfold in the last 15 years, reaching an all-time high of US$3.72 million dollars in 2021, according to the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK). For many Kenyans, digital payments made by diasporans to rural families provide a financial lifeline to millions of households. Diasporans and people living in urban areas can use Copia’s online platform to pay for goods and have them delivered to friends and family back home.
Copia combines mobile technology, over 40,000 digitally enabled local agents, and an innovative last-mile logistics system to provide a broad product offering and efficient, reliable delivery to rural consumers. The streamlined process enables customers to simply provide the phone number of a friend or family member at checkout and Copia will do the rest, including locating the recipient, identifying the nearest delivery centre agent, and delivering the goods.
This partnership enables Copia’s diaspora and urban customers to conveniently initiate transactions and purchases for their loved ones in rural areas in Kenya using the Cellulant network. This, the partners say, provides greater choice, affordability, and convenience for both urban and rural shoppers when shopping for everyday items.
This agreement may not only be applicable to Kenya, it seems. Tim Steel, Chief Executive Officer, Copia Global, says: “This will enable us to provide diaspora and urban customers with alternative and convenient payment options when they shop on Copia’s platform for friends and family across Kenya and Uganda.”
The Thanksgiving break is upon us here in the US, but here are a few interesting items from around the world first: … [visit site to read more]
As Thanksgiving weekend approaches, Ciena has made a pair of inorganic moves. The optical and software vendor has acquired Benu Networks and signed a definitive agreement to acquire Tibit Communications. … [visit site to read more]
Global digital infrastructure firm DigitalBridge Group has announced the acquisition of an ownership stake in AIMS Group from Malaysian telecoms firm TIME dotcom and the formation of an edge data centre platform focused on the high-growth markets of the Southeast Asia region.
AIMS is a leading operator of highly connected ecosystem-centric data centres based in Malaysia. Its Kuala Lumpur flagship Menara AIMS facility anchors the Malaysia Internet Exchange.
AIMS’ facilities provide highly inter-connected environments to a diverse customer base, comprising domestic and international telecommunications carriers, major enterprises, hyperscalers and content distribution networks. AIMS also operates a state-of-the-art purpose-built data centre campus in Cyberjaya and a new facility in downtown Bangkok.
The stake has been sold for about 2 billion ringgit (US$436.7 million). Proceeds from the stake sales will be partly used by TIME to pay a special dividend of up to 1 billion ringgit to its shareholders. The balance will be reinvested into TIME. The transaction, which is subject to customary closing conditions, is expected to close in 2023.
Reuters points out that the deal, announced at a time of political upheaval in Malaysia, underscores booming demand for infrastructure assets such as data centres in Southeast Asia as investors are lured by their stable, long-term returns.
Describing TIME as having a long heritage of building connectivity-linked businesses across Southeast Asia, Justin Chang, Managing Director and Head of Asia for DigitalBridge, has been quoted as saying: “AIMS is a leading operator in the region poised for significant growth, with a strong management team, a robust development pipeline and considerable expansion capacity.”
By Andy Burrell, Head of Portfolio Marketing, CNS Business Applications, Nokia
The term observability is gaining recognition in the telecoms industry. Experts predict it to cross the chasm and become a mainstream telecom topic in the near future – and it’s all because of the cloud. … [visit site to read more]
