Ethio Telecom, Djibouti Telecom, and Sudatel Telecom Group have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to create a multi-terabit, redundant terrestrial fibre optic link interconnecting Ethiopia, Djibouti and Sudan.

The plan – billed as the Horizon Fiber Initiative – will leverage the combined infrastructure of Ethio Telecom, Djibouti Telecom and Sudatel to create “an efficient and fluid data transmission network”, according to a Facebook post from Ethio Telecom on Tuesday.

The Horizon Fiber Initiative has been in the works since June 2024, when representatives from all three telcos formed a technical team to carry out a detailed feasibility study and problem analysis.

With that phase now completed, the three telcos said they will finalize contracts by next month, while the interconnected fibre network is scheduled to be ready for commercial services by April 2025.

The resulting interconnected fibre network “will allow companies and individuals to benefit from better communication capabilities, reduced latency and increased access to broadband services, » Ethio Telecom said.

Ethio Telecom, Djibouti Telecom and Sudatel are also pitching the Horizon Fiber Initiative as a terrestrial alternative to reliance on subsea cables after a year of frequent disruptions due to subsea cable cuts, particularly along the Red Sea route. The telcos said the new terrestrial route would be cheaper and easier to deploy and maintain compared to subsea cables, and provide extra resilience while reducing dependence on subsea links.

The initiative is also aimed at attracting hyperscalers, content providers, and wholesalers by providing low latency, more reliable connectivity and expanded access to international markets.

Ethio Telecom CEO Frehiwot Tamru said in a statement that the Horizon Fiber Initiative is “aligned with Africa’s Digital Transformation Strategy 2030.”

A set of interesting infrastructure items from around the world: … [visit site to read more]

Kenyan telco Safaricom has reportedly revamped its “5G for Businesses” offering with new packages aimed specifically at small and medium enterprises (SMEs) that promise to support their digital transformation plans with faster and more reliable connectivity.

According to various media reports, the upgraded service offers speeds five times higher than previous offerings, which Safaricom says will provide not only better connectivity, bus also a better customer experience, and an improvement in overall business operations.

Safaricom CEO Peter Ndegwa said on Friday that the new 5G for Business offering will give SMEs more affordable access to enterprise-grade internet performance.

“This will empower them to enhance productivity, improve customer interactions, and scale operations efficiently in today’s increasingly connected marketplace,” Ndegwa said in a statement.

To sweeten the deal in terms of cost, Safaricom is also offering a 25% discount for all 5G plans for SMEs that sign up between now and the end of this month.

According to a June 2024 report from Safaricom and Financial Sector Deepening Kenya (FSD Kenya), there are around 7.4 million micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in Kenya, although only 21% are licenced. Most of the unlicenced MSMEs are micro-sized businesses operating at the household level.

MSMEs also account for around 98% of all business, create 30% of jobs annually and contribute 40% to the country’s GDP, the Safaricom/FSD Kenya report said.

In October, Safaricom established a partnership with Cloudflare to reduce the costs of integrated cybersecurity services for MSMEs.

Safaricom launched 5G services in Kenya in October 2022. In August 2024, the telco revealed its 5G network was available in all 47 counties in the country, although it only covered 14% of the population.

A few interesting items to catch up with: … [visit site to read more]

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Two items in the subsea world, plus one in data center management: … [visit site to read more]

South African telco Vodacom says it has launched the first 4G base station in the village of Thathe Vondo in Thohoyandou, Thulamela Municipality in Limpopo province as part of its effort to expand rural coverage in the country.

The new 4G site, located in Thathe Vondo’s Tshivhase Nature Reserve, will serve thousands of households in the area that up to now had no mobile coverage at all, Vodacom said in a release issued Thursday.

Vodacom said the site in Thathe Vondo is part of the telco’s Rural Coverage Network Expansion Programme, which aims to expand network coverage for people who live in deep rural areas of South Africa.

Vodacom said it has invested over R750 million in network rollout and capacity upgrades in the past two years across Limpopo province. In the past financial year alone, Vodacom Limpopo has deployed 14 new base station sites in Thohoyandou.

Earlier this month, Vodacom Limpopo said it had activated ten new base station sites, including two 5G and eight 4G LTE sites, connecting people in Malamulela, Polokwane, Lebowakgomo, Burgersfort and Hoedspruit.

Omphile Mosegedi, executive head of operations for Vodacom Limpopo, said the base station in Thathe Vondo will empower communities there to gain access to digital services and the economic benefits therein.

“As a result of this deployment, school-going kids can now access the internet for the first time and have the option of using online learning platforms, whilst those who are actively looking for jobs can now use their smartphones to access jobs portals that are zero-rated for Vodacom subscribers,” he said in a statement. “Crucially, community members who previously had to travel long distances to make calls and do banking will be doing this on their devices from the comfort of their homes without incurring and save on travelling costs.”

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.