DECEMBER 2014/JANUARY 2015 northern african Volume 13 Number 6 Forwireless comms professionals in north, west, east & central Africa COMMUNICATIONS l The latest satellites for Africa and what they offer l Why open architecture is best for critical communications l Should you invest in used network equipment? NAWC 1501 p1 (Cover) AM RN.indd 1 05/02/2015 16:59 NAWC 1501 p2 (CSG) .indd 1 05/02/2015 18:09 wirelessnorthern african CONTENTS COMMUNICATIONS DECEMBER 2014/JANUARY 2015 northern african Volume 13 5 News review Number 6 DECEMBER 2014/ Forwireless comms professionals in north, west, east & central Africa COMMUNICATIONS JANUARY 2015 > Hytera overhauls Nigeria’s TETRA system l The latest satellites for Africa and what they offer > Safaricom introduces LTE-A in Kenya l Why open architecture is best for critical communications l Should you invest in used network equipment? Volume 13 > Ooredoo – fastest network in North Africa? Number 6 > MEASAT boosts satellite spectral efficiency > iSAT helps Es’hailSat commercialise Ka-band 5 News > Ghana launches TV white spaces service > One “virtual” position for satellite broadcasts NAWC 1501 p1 (Cover) AM RN.indd 1 05/02/2015 16:59 11 News focus > Etisalat geolocates in Egypt with JDSU Since 2007, Acsys has deployed its 11 News focus solutions with great success in Africa and > How ICT is helping the fight against Ebola in a very short period of time, has become the market leader for securing remote sites 13 Wireless business for the telecom and tower industry. > Massive funding for IHS’ tower expansion Our motto is to “Reduce downtime, 16 Wireless solutions Stop unauthorized access, Control users > Nokia Networks launches OSS-as-a-Service in real-time and Eliminate theft” on all remote sites. With tens of thousands of Features: sites already deployed in all types of harsh climatic and social conditions, we 18 Satcoms 18 Satcoms have today unprecedented experience > RAHIEL NASIR begins the countdown to in the field. this year’s key satellite launches. Our solutions are focused on site security 23 Buying used hardware and workforce management giving the > The secondary user equipment market is an system administrators the possibility to option worth considering, says TOM PARKER. control “Who goes where, why, when, 27 Industry view for how long & in Real-Time”. All of this 23 Used hardware > Open architecture is crucial for critical is achieved through our patented battery- communications, says ALLAN DETLEFSEN. free padlocks and electronic keypad keys 34 World news remotely controlled by SMS using a single-usage random code, which is 30 World news generated automatically by the software. > SES plans hybrid satellite for Asia All problems related to access control, key > Getrak and Wyless partner for Brazil M2M management, copied/lost/un-returned > Super speed from Indosat in Indonesia keys are completely solved. > Orange to provide connectivity for Tesla cars www.acsys.com SUBSCRIPTIONS: of control can purchase an annual [email protected] Northern African Wireless Communications is subscription at the cost of £110. a controlled circulation bi-monthly magazine. For more information and general enquiries Register now for your free subscription at please contact Suzanne Thomas at Turn to page 12 www.kadiumpublishing.com [email protected] to find out more about Acsys Readers who do not qualify under the terms or call +44 (0) 1932 886 537. EDITORIAL: ADVERTISEMENT SALES: Editorial director: Rahiel Nasir Sales apprentice: Laura Cooley Staff writer: Abdul Montaqim [email protected] Designer: Alan McClenaghan Contributors: Allan Detlefsen Production & circulation: Tom Parker Production: Suzanne Thomas [email protected] Tel: +44 (0) 1932 886537 Editorial enquiries: Fax: +44 (0) 1932 886539 Tel: +44 (0) 1932 886537 Fax: +44 (0) 1932 886539 Publishing director: Kathy Moynihan [email protected] +44 (0) 1932 886537 © 2015 Kadium Limited. All rights reserved. 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Printed in England by The Magazine Printing Company NAWC 1501 p3 (Contents) NEW.indd 3 06/02/2015 17:49 NAWC 1501 p4 (Hytera - DMR).indd 1 05/02/2015 18:06 NEWS Hytera delivers nationwide TETRA system in Nigeria Briscoe Technologies will replace But the company faced a and expand its TETRA network challenge in replacing its existing in Nigeria with the help of PMR systems without causing disruption specialist Hytera Communications. to customers. It also had to ensure Lagos-based Briscoe is the owner that any new infrastructure offered and operator of Nigeria’s biggest compatibility and flexible network TETRA network. With more topology to satisfy different industry than 10,000 users from multiple requirements. industries, it covers Lagos, Abuja Hytera’s complete TETRA and Port Harcourt, and is claimed to solution for Briscoe includes 30 be the first network in Africa to be base stations and 2,500 of its PCS based on all-IP TETRA technology. terminals with system control, With the need for broader dispatch, and PABX service. Hytera’s PMR experts are working with Briscoe Technologies which owns and coverage in areas such as Port As part of the first phase, 15 base operates Nigeria’s biggest TETRA network and has more than 10,000 users. Harcourt and Rivers State, stations have already been deliv- plus increasing demands for ered. They are being used to replace will be extended to most of the Hytera is also providing Briscoe higher security and stability, the existing network and extend Niger Delta region as well as in the professional services including net- Briscoe needed a new exclusive coverage to parts of the Niger Delta Abuja Federal Capital Territory. All work topology design, site selection, communication system based on a where the oil and gas industry is sites are expected be completed and commissioning of network, training, customised design. located. During phase two, coverage operational by mid-2015. and local technical support. RedCloud platform helps launch Sudan’s first MFS RedCloud Technology has provided Hassa (which means ‘now’) was bills, carry out bank transfers, and Sudan’s adult population is currently the platform behind Hassa, Sudan’s launched last August by the Bank buy mobile airtime. Additionally, served by financial services, while first mobile financial service (MFS). of Khartoum (BoK) in conjunction customers will be able to use Hassa mobile penetration is 75 per cent. The UK-based firm – which with mobile operator Zain. It’s been shops or BoK ATMs to deposit cash He adds: “Hassa will provide easy, claims to be renowned for developing designed to enable customers to and make withdrawals directly from instant and convenient access to M-PESA – says its ICENI platform easily access mobile financial services their mobile accounts. RedCloud financial services through any mobile is a customisable solution for such as fund transfers, cash in/out says that more than1,000 Hassa phone and improve lives.” m-commerce, allowing financial transactions, and account tracking. agents are already supporting the Established in 1913, the Bank institutions to deliver MFS at a Over the last few months, Hassa service across the country. of Khartoum is Sudan’s oldest and “fraction of the cost” of operating a has been upgraded and will now According to BoK CEO Fadi largest Islamic bank, and operates 55 traditional branch network. also allow subscribers to pay utility Salim Al Faqih, only 15 per cent of branches across the country. Safaricom introduces LTE-Advanced network in Kenya Safaricom has notched up another Flexi Multiradio 10 base station. The operator adds that it plans first for Kenya with the launch of an Nokia has also implemented its to launch “affordable” 4G-enabled LTE-A network. It is initially rolling subscriber data management devices, including phones, routers out 4G services in Nairobi and system, cloud-ready NetAct OSS and modems. A sub-KES9,000 Mombasa before launching in major platform, and is providing planning, (USD98) handset is expected to be towns over the coming months. optimisation, and competence launched early this year. Safaricom’s LTE-A network was services, amongst others. Safaricom currently has more than launched in December 2014 and aims Safaricom’s core LTE-A network uses Safaricom’s LTE-A launch is part 21 million subscribers and says it’s to offer peak speeds of up to 100Mbps. Nokia’s Flexi Multiradio 10 base of its push to “democratise data”, invested KES27.78bn (USD303m) in Carrier aggregation is a key feature station for 2G, 3G and 4G services. according to CEO Bob Collymore. infrastructure over the last year. of LTE-A. This enables operators to “The direct impact of data on our Its network features more than 3,200 create larger, virtual carrier bandwidths It has contracted Nokia Networks economy has already been noted BSTs, nearly half of which are 3G- for services by combining separate for a variety of products and services through the increasing number enabled,