One network upgrade and three data center expansion projects: … [visit site to read more]

In the New York/New Jersey metro area there are a few iconic facilities that everyone in the industry knows.  One of those is Newark’s 165 Halsey, which has long been a key node in the region’s internet infrastructure, and which celebrated its 25th birthday in the telecom and infrastructure world this past spring.  With us today to talk about 165 Halsey and where it fits in the ecosystem is James Fitzgerald, EVP of Tishman Real Estate Services, which is the real estate investment and development firm that manages the facility. … [visit site to read more]

Keep up-to-date with all the latest news, articles, event and product updates posted on Developing Telecoms.
Subscribe to our FREE weekly email newsletters for the latest telecom info in developing and emerging markets globally.

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]

Keep up-to-date with all the latest news, articles, event and product updates posted on Developing Telecoms.
Subscribe to our FREE weekly email newsletters for the latest telecom info in developing and emerging markets globally.