Benin-based broadband provider Isocel Telecom has announced ambitious plans to expand its network to reach up to half a million households, emphasising that fibre is still essential to fill the gaps that mobile connectivity cannot yet address.

Speaking to Developing Telecoms at the Africa Tech Festival in Cape Town, Isocel Telecom’s Founder and CEO, Robert Aouad (pictured), revealed that the company has already connected 100,000 households with 80,000 serviceable plugs and is now entering the second phase of its deployment. This next phase will increase the number of active plugs from 20,000 to 80,000, supported by €20 million in funding. The expansion aims to improve service quality and enable the launch of new offerings, such as on-demand Internet Protocol Television (IPTV).

Aouad explained that the first phase of Isocel’s rollout focused on densely populated urban areas, resulting in the provider now serving between 8,000 and 10,000 subscribers. The company also offers Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) services for areas not yet covered by its fibre network. FWA accounts for 10% of Isocel’s subscribers, catering to customers in regions without broadband infrastructure.

Reflecting on the journey, Aouad highlighted a significant reduction in the cost of internet access, which now stands at $25 per month—down from hundreds of dollars a decade ago. A key factor in achieving this affordability, he noted, was Isocel’s access to international bandwidth through its participation in cable consortiums, including the Africa Coast to Europe (ACE) submarine cable system. “That helped a lot because we’re not buying IP on the market. Also, because we own the network, we can reduce costs, and our return-on-investment model focuses on the mid- to long-term rather than the short term,” Aouad explained.

The CEO also echoed calls from telecom executives across Africa for lower taxes on the sector, arguing that such reductions are critical to financing costly network expansions. High tariffs imposed by governments seeking to fund public services have posed challenges to operators, he added.

Public utility Namibia Water Corporation (NamWater) and mobile network operator and ISP MTC have announced a partnership to modernise Namibia’s water sector through digital innovation – and, importantly in a country where supply is more limited than most, save water.

NamWater and MTC signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) early this week with the stated aim of enhancing service delivery, optimising operations and integrating cutting-edge technologies. These technologies will include smart water metering, digital payment systems, data analytics and cloud computing, all used to streamline water management and resource allocation. The implementation of such technologies will, it is hoped, help to reduce water losses and improve services across the country.

The partners also highlight joint research efforts which, they say, will foster the development of tailored digital solutions for water utilities in Namibia.

This agreement is more than just helpful; it could be crucial. As the Ecofin news service points out, Namibia is one of the driest countries in sub-Saharan Africa, with limited water resources due to its arid climate. Recurring droughts and over-extraction of groundwater remain critical challenges.

Meanwhile, water demand is growing, and inefficient water management is a pressing issue. Losses from leaks, overuse, and mismanagement hit potential revenue and worsen water scarcity. Technology adoption can help to address these inefficiencies and enhance water management.

Indeed, Ecofin says that Namibia has earmarked N$10.82 billion (about US$598.8 million) for water infrastructure development, aimed at improving access and ensuring sustainable resource management.

This partnership is at an early stage; specific details and a timetable are not yet available. Nevertheless it provides a useful reminder of the positive effects IT and telecoms can have in water-deprived areas, especially at a time when data centre rollout in particular is straining water supply in places like Mexico.

The China Satellite Navigation System Management Office (CNSO) has reportedly revealed its roadmap to upgrade China’s Beidou positioning and navigation system by 2035 by adding next-generation LEO satellites to the mix.

The roadmap, released by CNSO on Thursday, calls for key technology research for the next-gen Beidou system to be wrapped up by the end of next year, after which three test satellites will be launched in 2027, according to a report from the official Xinhua News Agency.

If the tests go well, launches for the actual Beidou LEO satellites will commence in 2029, with the entire constellation in place by 2035. The roadmap also outlines the establishment of an integrated ground system “to ensure resource flexibility, data sharing, and continuous operations”, the report said.

The current generation of the Beidou constellation (known as BDS-3) features 30 satellites: 24 medium Earth orbit (MEO) satellites and three geostationary satellites, plus another three satellites in inclined geosynchronous orbits. Including the previous two generations, Beidou had a total of 44 satellites in operation as of the end of 2023. 

Beidou’s deputy chief designer Xie Jun told state media outlet Global Times that the existing constellation would serve as the core for the upgraded system featuring the new LEO satellites.

Xie also said that adding LEO satellites will give Beidou faster positioning speeds and better accuracy. Neither state media report mentioned how many LEO satellites will be added to the Beidou constellation.

China has been lobbying developing countries under its Belt and Road Initiative to adopt Beidou as a superior alternative to the more popular (and aging) GPS system operated by the US – not least for its unique multi-orbit design and its ability to support SMS.

Various state media reports claim that China has signed Beidou cooperation agreements with Russia, Pakistan, Belarus, Egypt and South Africa, among others, with recent efforts focused on Africa and the Middle East. The Global Times report claims Beidou products are currently exported to over 140 countries and regions.

Meanwhile, the US has been looking to add a LEO component to its geostationary GPS constellation, primarily as a backup network.

In September, the US Space Force (USSF) awarded contracts to Axient, L3 Harris Sierra Space and Astranis to develop competing designs for its Resilient Global Positioning System (R-GPS) programme, which seeks to deploy smaller and cheaper satellites to add resiliency to the existing GPS constellation. The winning designer(s) will be contracted to build an initial fleet of eight satellites scheduled for launch in 2028, according to Space News.

Philippine telco PLDT has reportedly launched what it’s billing as an “uninterruptible fiber internet connection” service that uses fixed wireless access (FWA) LTE as an automatic backup connection in case of a fibre outage.

According to ABS-CBN News, the “Fiber Always On” service from PLDT Home uses a hybrid CPE modem that supports both fibre access and LTE. The LTE connection is provided by PLDT’s wireless arm Smart Communications.

Roy Victor Añonuevo, PLDT VP and head of home broadband product management, told ABS-CBN that the modem will automatically switch to LTE if it detects a fault in the fibre connection. After that, customers will get unlimited LTE until the fibre connection is fixed.

The modem also notifies automatically PLDT Home’s support centre when it makes the switch to LTE, after which a ticket number is automatically generated and a repair team dispatched within 24 to 36 hours, the report said.

While the always-on hybrid modem is available as an add-on for existing PLDT Home customers, service availability depends on the quality of Smart’s LTE signal in the customer’s service area. PLDT Home technicians will test the LTE signal before installing the hybrid modem, the report added. PLDT Home customers can also use a form on the service provider’s website to check if the always-on option is available in their location.

Even with a good signal, PLDT Home subscribers are likely to experience a noticeable drop in connection quality once the modem switches from fibre to LTE.

According to the latest report from Opensignal, Smart’s LTE network delivered average downlink speeds of 28.6 Mbps, ranking second between DITO Telecommunity (34.6 Mbps) and Globe Telecom (20.9 Mbps). Meanwhile, according to Ookla, PLDT Home’s fibre broadband speeds for Q1 and Q2 2024 clocked in at just over 131 Mbps.

Two expansion projects in the far east, some power in southern Europe, and a railway SAN upgrade: … [visit site to read more]

Optical networking vendor Ciena says that HGC Global Communications is deploying its connectivity solutions to support the telco’s recently announced data centre interconnect (DCI) service in the Philippines.

According to a release issued  by Ciena on Monday, Ciena’s local partner CommVerge Solutions will deploy the vendor’s 6500 Packet-Optical Platform – powered by WaveLogic Ai coherent optical technology – to give its network more flexibility, improved scalability, and adaptability.

CommVerge will also deploy Ciena’s 3928 routing and switching platform to improve efficiency of operations and service consistency across applications. HGC will use Ciena’s Navigator Network Control Suite, which supports rapid planning, provisioning, turning-up, and troubleshooting of services. It also uses analytics and intelligent network control to optimize network performance.

HGC said the Ciena equipment will enhance its edge capabilities the Philippines and improve connectivity into and out of the country.

Last month, HGC launched DCI clusters in key data hubs across Asia, including the Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore and Hong Kong to offer an extensive DCI infrastructure connecting major data centres across Southeast Asia.

That launch came just after HGC beefed up its data centre PoP in the Philippines by joining PLDT Enterprise’s Vitro Partner Network (VPN), which enabled it to expand its footprint to the new Vitro Sta. Rosa data centre.

“As the Philippines rapidly digitizes, HGC is advancing high-speed, reliable connectivity through its operations on the ground in partnership with local entities, ensuring the country’s connectivity needs are met,” said Michael De Castro, first VP of in-country project investment for HGC’s international business unit, and president of HGC’s Digital Well Infrastructure Corp (DWIC), in a statement. “With this robust infrastructure, the country is set to enhance connectivity, drive innovation, and attract global investments.”

Two bits of news from the northeastern US, one from the Mediterranean, and a couple from Australia: … [visit site to read more]

MTN Group announced on Monday it has commercially launched its 5G network in Congo-Brazzaville, making it the group’s sixth 5G launch in Africa along with last week’s launch of 5G in Benin.

MTN Congo has been trialling 5G in a pilot project since October 2022, and announced last month that it was ready to launch 5G services. The official commercial launch ceremony was held last Thursday, although no details were given in terms of coverage.

Ebenezer Twum Asante, MTN Group’s VP of the East, West and Central Africa, said in a statement that 5G would serve as a cornerstone for Congo-Brazzaville’s economic and social development.

“In a context where digital infrastructure has become the basis of economic growth, MTN Congo intends to actively contribute to making Congo a digital innovation hub in Central Africa,” he said.

MTN Group first launched commercial 5G in its home base of South Africa in June 2020. Since then, its subsidiaries have also launched 5G in Nigeria, Uganda and Zambia. On Friday, MTN officially launched Benin’s first commercial 5G network, with initial services available in select areas of the port city of Cotonou and Abomey-Calavi.

MTN said 5G trials are currently underway in South Sudan, and the group is working to secure the spectrum and licences to extend its 5G footprint. The group says it rolled out 2,251 5G sites across its various markets in 2023, and added another 829 5G sites in the first half of this year.

“5G is more than a technological advancement – it is the foundation for innovation, economic growth, and the creation of new opportunities,” said MTN Group chief technology and information officer Mazen Mroue.

There was a bit of FTTx consolidation news on Friday on the east coast. IQ Fiber has announced an agreement to acquire ThinkBig Networks in a move that will take it northward into the state of Maryland. … [visit site to read more]

Telecom operator MTN Benin officially launched the country’s first commercial 5G network on Friday, with initial services available in select areas of the port city of Cotonou and Abomey-Calavi.

At the launch ceremony, MTN Benin touted 5G’s potential role in accelerating digital transformation for enterprises and expanding digital services in Benin, especially in terms of streaming, video games and Internet of Things (IoT), according to the Ecofin news agency.

Bolaji Adeola, senior network manager at MTN Benin, also said 5G can enable smart agriculture and boost healthcare access with services like remote care and teleconsultation, as well as improve logistics services, the report said.

MTN’s business director Chary Doumbia said 5G services will expanded throughout Cotonou and the rest of the country “soon”, but gave no specific timeline for rollout plans.

According to Ecofin, MTN Benin’s 5G network is partially funded by a syndicated loan of XOF65 billion (US$103.8 million) it obtained in July from various regional financial institutions, including West African Development Bank (BOAD), Banque Atlantique, Société Générale, Banque Internationale pour l’Industrie et le Commerce (BIIC), and BGFI Bank.

In January this year, MTN Group pledged to invest US$215 million in infrastructure in Benin over the next three years after seeing positive results from 5G trials in the country.

According to the latest figures from Benin’s telcoms regulator ARCEP, MTN Benin was the biggest mobile operator in the country at the end of June 2024, with just over 11 million subscriptions – 6.1 million of which are active mobile Internet subscriptions.