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For communications professionals in north, west, east & central Africa NORTHERN AFRICAN WIRELESSCOMMUNICATIONS FEBRUARY/MARCH 2020 Volume 19 Number 1 l Key industry players discuss smart cities in Africa l Connecting refugees within the continent l The ATU’s call to arms over Covid-19 Simon Fletcher, RealWireless CTO, offers advice to government and regulators NAWC 2003 p1 (Cover).indd 1 16/04/2020 13:47 NEWS 4 SOUTHERN AFRICAN WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS January/February 2019 NAWC 2001 p36 (Hughes).indd 4 14/04/2020 17:53 NORTHERN AFRICAN CONTENTS COMMUNICATIONSWIRELESS FEBRUARY/ 5 NEWS u MARCH 2020 Balloons to access Kenya’s airspace u Orange gives extra €3m to help Africa Volume 19 u Moroccan operators offer free internet Number 1 u MTN Benin gets AI managed services u Liquid ready to enter Eritrea, says CEO 5 NEWS u Hormuud Telecom becomes ISO certified u Operator’s plans frustrated by pandemic u OneWeb declares bankruptcy u Safaricom and Vodacom complete deal Real Wireless is the world’s leading independent wireless advisory rm. 14 WIRELESS BUSINESS Our network of experts includes Telecom Egypt boosts internet packages engineers, physicists, economists, 18 ROUNDTABLE security advisors, business strategists 18 ROUNDTABLE and deployment specialists. Our clients Four key industry players give us the latest on Africa’s ‘smart city’ journey bene t from a comprehensive portfolio 26 WIRELESS SOLUTIONS of specialists and custom tools that analyse radio network performance, 26 WIRELESS SOLUTIONS TE Connectivity extends M12 range with right- techno-economic impact and the angle connectors for PCBs and panels business model implications of wireless systems. With this unmatched resource 28 WIRELESS USERS we are able to advise the industry and Avanti is donating solar satellite broadband all user groups, spanning businesses, connectivity and laptops to refugee governments, mobile operators, settlements in east Africa regulators and technology companies on every aspect of wireless technology. 30 INDUSTRY VIEW Changing the landscape of the cellular We’ve applied this unique range of backhaul market in Africa and beyond technical and strategic expertise to a 32 WORLD NEWS wide range of wireless infrastructure 28 WIRELESS USERS u Dare1 lands in La Siesta, Djibouti projects – from major stadium u MWC to offer refunds for cancelled event connectivity to shopping malls and u Inmarsat launches new services in Saudi transport systems. We work with u Bladon sign deal to supply Alkan CIT operators, vendors and regulators u Paraguayan network to be completed on all forms of wireless connectivity, u Broadband growth predicted for Argentina advising governments and the u Spanish firm Sateliot partners with IEEC u Comtech acquires Gilat Satellite Networks European Union on the technical, 32 WORLD NEWS social and economic implications of u Cellnex buys out OMTEL communications policy. SUBSCRIPTIONS: Turn to page 7 where Simon Fletcher, Northern African Wireless Communications is a controlled circulation bi-monthly Real Wireless CTO, offers advice to magazine. Register now for your free subscription at www.kadiumpublishing.com Readers who do not qualify under the terms of control can purchase an annual subscription regulators and governments. at the cost of £110. For more information and general enquiries please contact Suzanne Thomas at [email protected] or call +44 (0) 1932 886 537. www.real-wireless.com EDITORIAL: ADVERTISEMENT SALES: Editor: Robert Shepherd Sales: Kathy Moynihan Designer: Sean McNamara [email protected] Sub editor: Gerry Moynihan +44 (0) 1932 481731 Contributors: Chris Mason, David Sumi, Justin Farnell, Keith Matthews, Production & circulation: Suzanne Thomas Murat Sahinoglu, Semir Hassanaly, [email protected] Sebastien Codeville, Shank Kulam Tel: +44 (0) 1932 481728 Editorial enquiries: Publishing director: Kathy Moynihan [email protected] [email protected] Tel: +44 (0) 1932 481729 +44 (0) 1932 481730 ISSN No: 1751-8296 © 2020 Kadium Limited. All rights reserved. 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Printed in England by The Magazine Printing Company NAWC 2003 p3 (Contents).indd 3 16/04/2020 12:06 NEWS 4 SOUTHERN AFRICAN WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS January/February 2019 NAWC 2003 p4 (Eshailsat).indd 4 14/04/2020 17:54 NEWS Balloons to access Kenya’s airspace and enhance 4G network coverage Kenya’s Telkom and partner Google Loon have received permission from the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority to allow balloons to access airspace and enhance 4G network coverage across the country. The approval will facilitate com- munication and satellite internet connectivity in remote areas of the country and enable Kenyans in these localities to retain and enhance remote access to their offices and enterprises, while ensur- ing universal 4G data coverage is available throughout the country. According to the release, “this intervention will enable Kenya to retain her competitive advantage in ICT and innovation in the midst of the current crisis while at the same time laying foundations for greater expansion once the current health challenge is contained. The devel- opment will also enable Telkom Kenya and Google Loon to start the commercial rollout of a 4G data network in our country. These two companies have been testing this service for the last two years”. The balloons, which will be launched in the US and reach Kenya in weeks, will undergo network integration The balloons, which will be procedures to provide the country with the needed connectivity in the short term launched in the US and reach Kenya in weeks, will undergo network in- fordable internet services. I know the coronavirus, there is more reliance ble operations that will continue to tegration procedures to provide the gesture by Google Loon and Telkom to on internet connectivity to carry out serve Kenyans for the long-term”. country with the needed connectivi- offer their 4G to support our efforts commercial activities from homes, He added: “Like many businesses ty in the short term. in surveillance and management thus these technologies come in big and small, Loon’s operations “Once inaugurated, this service will of coronavirus infections and this handy in a time such as this. have seen some impacts as a result extend Telkom Kenya’s 4G network to will go a long way to containing the Alastair Westgarth, the chief of the Covid-19 pandemic. With the areas that are not covered by any of present health challenge.” executive officer (CEO) at Google groundwork we have already laid in our mobile network providers,” the With government enforcing a Loon said his team is working as Kenya, however, we’re confident that document said. “Therefore, all Ken- curfew on movement and non- fast as it can to deploy the Loon we can address these challenges yans, wherever they are in the country, essential businesses and services service in Kenya “to help in the and begin providing meaningful ser- will enjoy access to high speed and af- as a move to mitigate the spread of short-term and establish sustaina- vice to Kenyans in the near future.” Orange gives extra €3m to help Africa Orange has allocated an additional ange has a large presence will receive the Orange Foundation will also the 40 FabLabs involved in this €3m to the Orange Foundation, a fund protective equipment (masks, hand support an initiative to use digital program to help them buy the to support a variety of healthcare and sanitizer, gloves, glasses, overalls, tools to manufacture reusable raw materials necessary for the preventive initiatives and to provide etc.) as well as a specific allocation protective visors for healthcare staff production of 20,000 certified visors. essential supplies in all countries in for sourcing medical equipment to in hospitals. This initiative was first Production has started in France and which the operator is present. support NGOs and local health au- launched by the six Solidarity FabLabs Tunisia and the visors are distributed The fund supplements thorities in their crisis actions. in Tunisia, in partnership with the in local hospital structures. contributions of €5m already A total fund of €2.5m will be health ministry, in order to meet high The entire Orange Group, present committed by Orange Foundations made available for the Africa-Middle demand by local health services. in 26 countries, has mobilized itself in countries in Europe and the East region, in addition to the €3m The initiative is now being extended in order to contribute in the best Africa and Middle East region. already committed by the countries. to other countries. Supplementary possible way to efforts to manage In Africa, each country in which Or- Through its Solidarity FabLabs1, financial assistance will be provided this global health crisis. February/March 2020 NORTHERN AFRICAN WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS 5 NAWC 2003 p5-11 (News).indd 5 16/04/2020 16:01 NEWS Moroccan telecom operators offer free internet to students Morocco’s telecom operators have that Inwi, Orange, and Maroc The ministry replaced in- the education ministry also offered the country’s students free Telecom will afford free internet person lessons and classes with broadcasts classes for primary, internet access to websites hosting access to all online learning portals. remote educational activities, secondary and high school on the online classes amid the coronavirus- The move seeks to ensure the allowing students to stay at home Arrabia television channel. induced school suspensions. continuity of the pedagogic approach while continuing their studies.