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This Industry Viewpoint was authored by Igor Cernjava, Product Manager at Quectel Wireless Solutions

The advent of 5G technology has revolutionized the telecommunications landscape, promising higher speeds, lower latency, higher network flexibility, higher security and increased connectivity. … [visit site to read more]

Nairobi-based IXAfrica Data Centres and Schneider Electric have launched what they say is the first AI-ready hyperscale data centre in Kenya, and the largest such data centre in all of East Africa.

According to media reports, Schneider Electric said in a statement that the new facility, labelled ‘NBOX1’, is a Tier 3+ carrier-neutral data centre capable of supporting advanced AI applications. The statement said that NBOX1 is “the largest and most technologically advanced digital habitat for cloud, colocation, and connectivity in East Africa”.

A LinkedIn post from IXAfrica Data Centres says NBOX, located at its 4.3-acre IXAfrica Nairobi Campus, sports 4.5MW of IT power. The data centre features 780 racks in three data halls, with 4,000 square metres of teleport space.

The facility is supported by Schneider Electric’s ‘EcoStruxure for Data Centres’ architecture and solutions, which Schneider says provides NBOX1 with “resilience, uptime and cost efficiency, enhanced security, and the ability to meet IXAfrica’s sustainability objectives.”

Schneider also said the power train for the facility is based around its MV and LV switchgear to offer “stable and reliable cloud services renewably powered by Kenya’s grid.”

“The solutions provided by Schneider Electric are engineered to support N+1 redundancy with four independent power trains, meeting IXAfrica’s immediate and long-term objectives, including design 1.25 PUE across the campus, as well as a 99.999% uptime guarantee,” said Ifeanyi Odoh, Schneider Electric’s country president in East Africa, in a statement.

IXAfrica CEO Snehar Shah noted that the Nairobi campus site “is built on land formerly part of Schneider’s complex, and the power engineering for the site was designed by Schneider’s local partners.”

IXAfrica Nairobi Campus One has been in the works since early 2021, backed by a US$50 million capital investment from investment firm Helios. In August last year, IXAfrica said it signed a deal with real estate developer Tilisi Developments to purchase 11 acres of prime land to build a second data centre campus in Nairobi.

Shah also touted Kenya’s role as a digital technology epicentre for East Africa, serving a regional population of over 300 million people and supporting an innovation ecosystem that includes a skilled workforce, cloud and content providers, and colocation and connectivity services.

“Kenya is a hypercloud-ready region with advanced cloud adoption propensities, a digitally savvy environment, access to diverse internet fibre connectivity, high availability, and low-carbon power sources,” Shah said. “All of this takes place in a country with a stable regulatory and political climate, as well as a strong economy expected to grow by 5.2% in 2024.”

In May this year, Microsoft and AI-focused UAE-based technology group G42 announced a comprehensive package of digital investments in Kenya as part of an initiative with the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Digital Economy. With an initial investment of US$1 billion from G42, the package includes a green data centre built by G42 and its partners in Olkaria that will run on and provide access to Microsoft Azure through a new East Africa Cloud Region.

Telecom Fiji announced on Wednesday it has signed an agreement to become an authorised reseller for LEO satellite operator Starlink, and is already pitching it as a connectivity solution for businesses in underserved areas.

Telecom Fiji said that the Starlink reseller deal will help expand its broadband service footprint and target a wider range of customers, including rural communities, schools, health centres, and government departments.

Of those, the business sector seems to be the initial primary target, as Telecom Fiji said it is already putting together “comprehensive connectivity packages” for businesses to access cloud-driven ICT solutions using Starlink as a backhaul connection.

“We will be announcing our attractive and flexible product offerings shortly for small to large businesses, and customers will be able to order conveniently through our online portal,” said Telecom Fiji CEO Charles Goundar in a statement. “In addition to the Starlink kit, customers will be able to choose from various other service options such as managed firewall for cybersecurity, cloud applications, backup and storage at Telecom’s data centre, amongst other services.”

Goundar added that business customers will benefit from uninterrupted operations with mission-critical backup links, seamless integration with cloud-based applications and services, and efficient communications and productivity. “This collaboration allows us to bring advanced satellite technology to the most remote parts of Fiji, ensuring that every business and community can thrive in the digital age.”

Starlink officially went live across the more than 300 islands in the Republic of Fiji in May, six months after receiving a telecoms licence from the Telecommunications Authority of Fiji and a spectrum licence from the Ministry of Trade, Co-operatives, SMEs and Communications in November 2023.

Telecom Fiji is the second company to become a Starlink reseller in Fiji, following managed services provider Lightspeed Pacific, which sealed a deal with Starlink last week.

Lightspeed Pacific executive chair Richard Broadbridge told news portal Islands Business that he’s already seeing “big demand” from local shipping and tourism operators for Starlink receiver kits. He also said that around 600 Starlink kits will arrive in Fiji within four to six weeks, 30% of which have already been pre-ordered by customers.

Avanti Communications a global multi-orbit provider of fully integrated connectivity services and solutions, says it has undertaken a satellite connectivity test with BankservAfrica, Africa’s largest automated clearing house, and with Capitec Bank, one of South Africa’s top retail banks.

The successful completion of this connectivity test heralds a movement towards greater transactional security, Avanti says, explaining that the satellite connection exhibited durability with consistent stability, a crucial factor in ensuring financial transactions are carried out without interruption on Avanti’s GEO Ka HTS satellite.

In addition, financial traffic was routed purely on an Avanti satellite link, demonstrating that Avanti’s link is capable of handling mission-critical applications during the loss of terrestrial links or unstable connectivity caused by fibre cuts or power issues.

High transaction volumes were efficiently managed during intensive production testing, showcasing the robustness of the satellite link.

As for why this is relevant to Africa, Gamze Aydin, Senior Vice President of Sales and South Africa Country Manager at Avanti, explains: “With South Africa’s financial institutions facing the threats of power grid instabilities and undersea cable malfunctions, this test is a forerunner of strengthened operational resilience. By enabling direct satellite connection to European traffic hubs, Avanti’s solution reduces reliance on local infrastructure, which is prone to disruption.”

Avanti adds that the initiative is a major step towards reinforcing the resilience of financial services across Africa. It describes the successful completion of the test as ‘an important milestone’, demonstrating the viability of satellite communication in maintaining stable and reliable transaction environments.

A data center upgrade, some FTTH funding, a new edge data center deployment, and a core network upgrade over in Spain. … [visit site to read more]

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South African fibre installation company Lightstruck has entered into an agreement with the Namibian City of Windhoek’s City Link initiative to advance the city’s fibre network commercialisation efforts.

City Link is a dedicated business unit established within the City of Windhoek entrusted with the responsibility of overseeing the commercialisation of the fibre network.

This partnership will reportedly enable a 1GB per second connection. The project has been awarded Class Comprehensive Electronic Communications Network Services/Electronic Communications Services (ECNS/ECS) Spectrum licences by the Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (CRAN).

According to Namibian business publication The Brief, the move, announced late last week, comes as part of the city’s Strategic Plan (2022-2027), through which it intends to optimise the total capacity of approximately 120 kilometres of underutilised fibre network by commercialising it.

City of Windhoek’s Councillor and Chairperson of the Financial Sustainability, Performance Management, and Policy Advisory Committee Sam Shafiishuna Nujoma has been quoted as saying: “The commercialisation of the fibre network presents a significant business opportunity that can potentially create a much-needed revenue stream for the City. This strategic initiative not only enhances the Council’s operational efficiency, but also improves service offerings to residents, businesses, and investors. It also facilitates seamless online transactions and provides access to real-time, reliable data.”

Lightstruck Holdings is busy elsewhere in the country too; it is planning to roll out a N$500-million (about US$27.6 million) project to develop the country’s first-ever open-access fibre network. The network went live in Khomasdal, a suburb of Namibia’s capital, recently, with another suburb, Rocky Crest, up next, along with Rehoboth, 90 kilometres south of Windhoek, and Osona, 60 kilometres north of Windhoek.

Late last year, the Namibia Infrastructure Development and Investment Fund acquired a stake in Lightstruck Holdings which will support the expansion of last-mile fibre infrastructure into towns and communities that were previously underserved.

Lightstruck Namibia was established through a collaborative venture between Lightstruck South Africa and Africa Merchant Capital Holdings. Its mission is to develop, own, and operate open-access, high-quality last-mile fibre networks, utilising an investment approach that prioritises the deployment of long-term fibre optic networks for the economic and social upliftment of the Namibian communities served.