Northern African Volume 14 Number 4

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2015 northern african Volume 14 Number 4

Forwireless comms professionals in north, west, east & central Africa COMMUNICATIONS

● Will LTE usher in a new age of VAS? ● Building the Internet of Things in Africa ● Why BSS is not just another managed service

To see how IDT can help you reach out and grow your business, email [email protected] or visit idtcarrierservices.com wirelessnorthern african CONTENTS COMMUNICATIONS

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2015 northern african Volume 14 5 News review Number 4 AUGUST/

Forwireless comms professionals in north, west, east & central Africa COMMUNICATIONS SEPTEMBER 2015 > Africa has lowest broadband penetration > ATU supports no change to UHF and C-bands Volume 14 > RSCC launches second satellite for Africa Number 4 ● Will LTE usher in a > Eutelsat 8 West B promises vast coverage new age of VAS? ● Building the Internet of Things in Africa ● Why BSS is not just another managed > Liquid and MTN join forces for connectivity service 8 News > Quantis satcoms enhanced with Newtec To see how IDT can help you reach out and grow your business, email [email protected] or visit idtcarrierservices.com > Yahsat completes review of Al Yah 3 16 Wireless solutions > Vodafone Egypt saves with prefab exchange > Gilat offers HTS a year before Intelsat launch Because big is best. In a competitive > WACS gets fi rst upgrade world, size can be the difference between success and failure. 13 Wireless business > Row breaks out following LPTIC consolidation IDT Carrier Services is one of the largest global carriers of international voice traffi c, 16 Wireless solutions generating over 30 billion minutes last > Antenna capacity boosted by lens technology year. Under the BOSS Revolution brand, 18 VAS IDT Retail has a global distribution network serving foreign-born communities. IDT Features: Carrier Services represents these billions of outbound minutes, creating buy and 18 Value-added services sell opportunities throughout Africa. > The advent of LTE should boost VAS in Africa, as DAVE HOWELL discovers. To see how we can help you reach out and grow your global telecoms business, 23 Internet of Things email [email protected] or > Will IoT and machine-to-machine take-off visit idtcarrierservices.com. in Africa? RAHIEL NASIR fi nds out.

Grow with us 27 Industry View > ALAM GILL explains what ‘Billing as a Turn to page 12 23 Internet of Things Service’ should really mean. to ﬁ nd out more about IDT 33 World news 30 World news > Upgrade for biggest critical comms in SA > Advanced LTE with the help of ZTE > TETRA steps in after DMR disappoints > Bonded WAN on world’s longest ship > Tier IV data centre supports hybrid broadband > Vodacom’s unique data centre on wheels

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NEWS

Africa has world’s lowest The new satellite features C-, Ku-, and L-band transponders. broadband penetration RSCC’s SUBS. Broadband internet is failing to Guinea, Eritrea, Gabon and RANK ECONOMY PER 100 reach those who could benefit most, Guinea-Bissau all ranked at the Express-AM8 CAPITA according to the 2015 edition of the bottom with a zero or an estimated 25 Libya 80.6 ITU’s State of Broadband report. It says zero number of active mobile- now in orbit 59 Cape Verde 51.3 while broadband internet access is broadband subscriptions per capita. 67 Tunisia 47.6 reaching near saturation in the world’s The union says among the The Russian Satellite Communica- rich nations, it is not advancing fast in challenges that need to be overcome to tions Company (RSCC) has launched 74 Egypt 43.5 the developing world. expand web access is to create a truly another satellite aimed at Africa. 105 Sudan 27.2 The report reveals that 57 per cent multilingual, multicultural internet, Following lift-off from the 106 Morocco 26.8 of the world’s population remains and make services and devices more Baikonur Cosmodrome on 14 108 Côte d’Ivoire 24.6 offline. The situation in the 48 affordable. The cost-effective rollout September, a Proton-M/Block DM-03 110 Senegal 23.7 UN-designated ‘Least Developed of networks into remote and rural rocket successfully placed Express- 112 Algeria 20.8 Countries’ – which mostly include areas is also a key obstacle. AM8 into a geostationary orbit. The 120 Uganda 14.7 African nations – is particularly The ITU says one factor spacecraft is now under the control of critical, with more than 90 per contributing to the slowing of RSCC specialists who are checking its 122 Mauritania 14.4* cent of people without any kind of internet growth is that the business functionality, testing all systems and 125 Sierra Leone 13.0* internet connectivity. case for service providers is less deploying onboard equipment before 130 Nigeria 11.7 The lowest levels of internet access compelling for the areas in which commissioning it for operations. 131 Mali 11.3 are mostly found in sub-Saharan the remaining 57 per cent of Express-AM8 will be stationed 135 Congo (Rep.) 10.8* Africa, with internet available to less unconnected people live. in geostationary orbit at 14˚W to São Tomé & than two per cent of the population It cites the World Bank which provide what RSCC describes as 138 9.8* Príncipe in Guinea, Somalia, Burundi, Timor calls for the private sector to take “state-of-the-art” communications 139 Burkina Faso 9.6 Leste and Eritrea. the lead in providing internet and broadcasting services to users 142 Kenya 9.1 In its table of 189 member states infrastructure and services, but in European Russia, Europe, with active mobile-broadband notes that public investment or Africa, the Middle East and Latin 143 Gambia 8.0 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants, intervention is sometimes justified America. The satellite is equipped 146 Liberia 7.6 the ITU ranks the top three where the private sector is unable to with 24 C-, 16 Ku-, and two L- band 147 Ethiopia 7.5 countries as Macao (China) provide affordable access. transponders, and has been designed 162 Malawi 4.1 Singapore and Kuwait, respectively. The union also recommends with an operational life of 15 years. 164 Djibouti 3.2* Libya is the first African nation levies on operators to finance USFs, RSCC CEO Yuri Prokhorov 168 Benin 2.8 to appear in the table (see left). mandatory infrastructure-sharing, says: “Express-AM8 paves the way for 169 Guinea 2.2* Cameroon, Chad, Equatorial and government-led national RSCC to the regional market of Latin 171 South Sudan 1.3 strategies. Research conducted for America, and provides additional the UN’s Broadband Commission in opportunities to develop business in 173 Somalia 1.0* Active mobile-broadband subscriptions 2013 suggested that the introduction Africa, Europe and the Middle East.” 175 Niger 0.9* per 100 inhabitants in northern or adoption of a broadband plan is The operator’s first satellite for 177 Burundi 0.5* equatorial African ITU member states, associated with an average 7.4 per Africa was Express-AM6 which was Central African 178 0.3* 2014. *ITU estimate. cent increase in mobile broadband launched in October 2014 (News, Republic SOURCE: STATE OF BROADBAND REPORT, ITU, SEPTEMBER 2015 penetration. Oct-Nov 2014). ATU supports “no change” position for UHF and C bands The African Telecommunications also support this “no change” position. secure adequate spectrum for the way for people to access the internet.” Union (ATU) will reject proposed Europe – which is in ITU Region broadcasting industry.” Giusti said the L-band for mobile changes to certain spectrum 1 along with Africa, the Middle East But the ATU did agree that the has the potential for widespread allocations that will be discussed at the west of the Persian Gulf including L-band (1452-1492MHz) should be global support at WRC-15, driving ITU’s World Radiocommunication Iraq, the former Soviet Union and allocated to mobile services, a move economies of scale that will benefit Conference 2015 (WRC-15) in Geneva Mongolia – is also against any welcomed by the GSMA’s deputy consumers in Africa and elsewhere. this November. changes to the spectra. chief regulatory officer John Giusti. But he warned that more work At their final preparatory meeting Simon Fell, director of technology “WRC-15 will determine what still needs to be done to ensure there held in July in Kenya, ATU members and innovation at the European spectrum bands will be allocated is sufficient spectrum allocated for agreed a common position which Broadcasting Union, said: “We are for mobile services. These decisions mobile broadband. Giusti believes opposes the allocation of the UHF pleased to see another continent will determine the future of the increased support for an allocation in band (470-694MHz) and the C-band in ITU Region 1 confirm their mobile internet. This is particularly the sub-700MHz UHF band, which (3600-4200MHz) to mobile services. support for DTT below 700MHz. important for Africa, the world’s offers good geographic coverage, Each of the continent’s sub-regional It is important that we continue fastest-growing mobile region, where will be essential for connecting rural groups, SADC, ECOWAS and EACO, to voice our common position to mobile broadband is often the only communities in Africa.

August/September 2015 NORTHERN AFRICAN WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS 5 Register to receive your free copy of this & other business magazines: NEWS www.kadiumpublishing.com

8 West B to cover “vast” region Eutelsat has successfully launched It is equipped with 42 x 36MHz- success in sales of capacity connected its 38th satellite. EUTELSAT 8 West equivalent Ku-band transponders to footprints serving a vast region B blasted off into orbit on board an and 20 x 36MHz-equivalent C-band stretching from Morocco to the Gulf.” Ariane 5 rocket from Kourou, French transponders. The new satellite will Azibert added that 8 West B is the Guiana on 20 August. also introduce a C-band mission with 25th Eutelsat satellite built by Thales After a series of performance 10 physical transponders connected Alenia Space and the 30th launched tests, the new satellite will transfer to to footprints covering Africa and for the company by Arianespace. 7/8°W and is expected to enter full reaching west to South America. Eutelsat plans to offer further commercial service in early October. Eutelsat says 8 West B enables it to coverage across sub-Saharan Africa 8 West B is primarily designed to meet the demand to broadcast more later this year. It is leasing capacity on serve DTH TV markets in North digital and high definition content to the Russian Satellite Communication Africa and the Middle East. more than 250 million viewers. Company’s new Express-AMU1 that “[It] gives us more coverage options, will be launched to 36ºE. 8 West B is the 25th Eutelsat satellite enabling broadcasters to target This will provide follow-on and built by Thales Alenia Space. This photo their audience,” said deputy CEO expansion capacity for EUTELSAT shows the integration of the satellite’s and CCO Michel Azibert. “These 36A, and will be commercialised fairing during its manufacturing stage. features underpin the 100 per cent under the name EUTELSAT 36C. Wananchi to provide free ZTE completes Equatorial internet for Nairobi schools Guinea comms institute Kenya Education Network and the the creation of a ‘digital Kenya’. ZTE has constructed Equatorial by the ZTE University. Gao Linfeng, County Government of Nairobi have Christopher Khaemba, Nairobi Guinea’s first communications ZTE’s national representative in teamed up with the Wananchi Group County’s minister of education, said: training institute. The new facility Equatorial Guinea, said: “We will for the provision of free internet in “By deploying the free internet pro- in Oyala is part of the government’s work with our partners in the country schools. As part of the USD2m WazED gramme in schools we believe we are aim of promoting the development and Africa to increase investment project, city authorities will leverage modernising Kenya’s classrooms and of ICT-based education. in ICT education and help more Wananchi’s fibre infrastructure to help teaching students new technologies.” The institute features a network- African customers enjoy high- deliver ICT services to an estimated He added that the county is keen wide communications laboratory built quality education resources.” 2,715 schools in Nairobi County. on promoting emerging trends by by ZTE to provide an environment The company adds that its ‘Smart Initially, the project will be piloted implementing e-learning through for students to practice cutting-edge Education’ solutions have so far for 15 months in 245 schools. Fibre partnerships with the private sector technologies. It will be used to train been used in more than 30 countries. will be rolled out during the first three to invest in telecoms infrastructure. communications professionals to In Africa, they support distance months while the rest of the time will According to the Wananchi Group, work for the government. learning programmes in Egypt and be spent on evaluating progress. Kenya is the fastest growing ICT The firm says it will also help run Mozambique, as well as Ethiopia’s The launch of WazED follows the hub in the region. the facility with knowledge service National Digital Library. government unveiling its Vision 2030 Newtec satellite hub to enable internet support and its extensive operations Econet Wireless Burundi chooses ZTEsoft national broadband strategy to facilitate access in Moroccan schools – p8 management experience provided for consolidated network billing – p9 Liquid and MTN to offer “largest” connectivity footprint Liquid Telecom and the MTN Group Liquid will now have a presence are: MTN’s Elia Tsouros for the time being in West Africa have teamed-up to offer what’s claimed Benin, Cameroon, Congo Brazzaville, says customers so that we can immediately meet to be the largest wireless and fixed Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea Bissau, will be able to demand from businesses there.” network footprint across Africa. Guinea Republic, Liberia, Nigeria, go beyond the According to MTN, the Their partnership covers wholesale, South Sudan, Sudan and Swaziland. cellco’s current partnership furthers its ambition carrier-to-carrier, broadband, The partnership gives MTN the footprint. to be the ICT partner of choice enterprise and fixed data services. ability to service its multinational for customers looking to expand Each company will be able to access enterprise customers in Burundi, round-the-clock customer service. geographically. Elia Tsouros, the the other’s networks in countries on the DRC, Tanzania and Zimbabwe. It adds that the collaboration is in company’s enterprise business continent where one of them may not Together, the two companies response to the increasing demand unit head of global sales, believes currently have a presence. say they will be able to provision from enterprises in West Africa for its it reinforces MTN’s “extensive” MTN’s connectivity footprint networks with complex requirements broadband service. “We have a well- service offerings both on a national includes POPs for its global MPLS faster, and sell each other’s services deserved reputation in East, Central as well as an international scale. network which covers 22 countries, on the combined network to provide and Southern Africa for providing “We will be able to leverage each while Liquid’s fibre stretches 20,000km greater choice to all businesses. quality broadband to businesses,” other’s products and services to across Africa and is complemented Liquid says it will be able to offer claims group CEO Nic Rudnick. “We improve our offerings to carrier and by its satellite service for rural areas. enterprise users gigabit speed services are laying 100km of new fibre every enterprise customers in Africa, the The additional countries in which accompanied by negotiated SLAs and week, but have decided to partner Middle East and Europe.”

6 NORTHERN AFRICAN WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS August/September 2015

Quantis to use Newtec Dialog for enhanced satellite services Quantis has ordered Newtec’s Dialog The system features Mx-DMA, the multiservice hub to complement firm’s new patented return link tech- its existing satellite infrastructure nology for cross-dimensional multiple and enable more advanced and access. Combined with HighResCoding, customised services. Mx-DMA, is said to incorporate the Madrid-based Quantis uses capacity best features of MF-TDMA and SCPC from Avanti and Eutelsat to offer Ka- technologies, enabling services to run band services in North Africa and the even more efficiently over satellite. Middle East. It claims to be one of the ■ In a separate deal, UK-based few satcoms providers in the region satcoms provider Talia will use Dialog that operates its own hubs in order to to provide better network services manage the end-to-end quality of the Quantis’ NOC in Spain operating the Newtec Dialog platform located in Morocco. and more applications for its growing services offered to customers. customer base across Africa, the Nortis – Quantis’ subsidiary in access for students in 4,000 schools deploying 3G and 4G infrastructure Middle East, Europe and the Americas. Morocco – will use Dialog to deliver while teachers will be able to benefit who are hindered because of the lack It will use the platform to address satellite broadband services in various from courses through distance learning. of fibre or terrestrial infrastructure needs in specific target markets, markets such as maritime, enterprise Newtec says backhaul is another to backhaul the thousands of BSTs including enterprise, oil and gas, and M2M. As part of the GENIE area which Quantis will be able to needed for extensive coverage. and construction. Talia says its project, the company has already been address immediately and cost- Newtec claims its multi-service new services are being launched on awarded a contract by the Ministry effectively using Dialog. Its says platform “guarantees” optimal Arabsat 5A and will be deployed to of Education. It will provide internet the platform will support MNOs modulation and bandwidth allocation. other satellites in the near future. Partnership to bring m-payment to 25 new countries Beyonic claims it will become over multiple mobile carriers using a Safaricom’s M-PESA in Kenya. Beyonic Beyonic adds that by using Africa’s largest mobile money single, easy-to-use system. will now leverage Mobile Accord’s its online interface, NGOs and aggregator following a partnership As a result, Beyonic says firms expertise in building mobile solutions businesses can easily utilise mobile with Mobile Accord. making mobile payments no longer and relationships with leading mobile money to manage payments to Kampala-based Beyonic aims to need to connect individually to every carriers to expand its reach to 25 addi- employees, aid beneficiaries and eliminate what it describes as the carrier they want to send money tional countries. The two partners will vendors. It says the platform has “rampant” use of cash in emerging through, thus saving time particularly if work to implement a roadmap for ex- enabled organisations such as markets. It has developed an online they are operating in multiple countries. pansion, starting with 10 key markets: Save the Children, Educate!, and platform that enables businesses to The platform is already integrated Côte D’Ivoire, Ghana, Liberia, Malawi, Innovations for Poverty Action to quickly deploy, track and manage with MTN’s and Airtel’s mobile money Mozambique, Niger, Rwanda, Sierra reduce the need for cash payments two-way mobile money payments systems in Uganda, as well as with Leone, Tanzania and Zambia. and increase operational efficiency. COVERAGE ZONES SHOWN FOR ILLUSTRATIVE PURPOSES ONLY. Yahsat completes critical design review of Al Yah 3 Yahsat says it is now “one step closer” Al Yah 3 is an all Ka-band, high to expanding satellite broadband throughput satellite that will be built by across the continent. Orbital Sciences Corporation using the In August, the UAE-based operator GEOStar-3 platform and a hybrid electric said it had successfully completed the propulsion system. Yahsat says it will critical design review (CDR) for its bring high-speed, affordable satellite Y1B KA-BAND COVERAGE third satellite Al Yah 3 (also see Wireless broadband services to the African and AL YAH 3 KA-BAND COVERAGE Business, Sep-Oct 14). This means that all Brazilian markets, as well as high data BOTH Y1B & AL YAH 3 COVERAGE specifications and requirements have rate backhaul links for ISPs and telcos. been captured into the spacecraft’s final Once operational, the operator says Once Al Yah 3 is design, and that its components can its Ka-band footprint will be significantly operational, Yahsat now be put together. expanded in Africa. Al Yah 3 will says its combined ﬂ eet As a result, Yahsat says it remains cover 16 additional markets across will cover 60 per cent on track to launch the satellite during the continent and means Yahsat’s fleet of Africa’s population. the final quarter of 2016. will cover 60 per cent of the population.

8 NORTHERN AFRICAN WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS August/September 2015 NEWS

Vodafone Egypt prefab MTX saves on time and money Vodafone Egypt has built a unique, pre- Writing in a co-authored blog, consumer demand, Vodafone therefore fabricated mobile telephone exchange Ahmed Abdelwahab, Vodafone Egypt’s needed a faster solution. (MTX) in the Nile Delta region. MTX planning and optimisation expert, While an MTX is usually built According to the operator, because said: “In Egypt, the amount of mobile where it is to be deployed, the operator The three-storey MTX in the Nile Delta. mobile networks now offer a greater data being used by our customers has decided to try something different range of services they need an MTX been growing by over 20 per cent per with a prefabricated MTX in the Nile before being sent in containers to the which offers a more extensive and auto- quarter over the past two years. As a Delta region, Egypt’s most populous site, ready for assembly. mated switchboard system to manage result, the business needed to quickly area where a high percentage of “We designed the new MTX and all customer calls and data requests. and cost effectively increase the mobile traffic is concentrated. set up the industrial processes and Vodafone says on average, each number of MTX units in its network, Vodafone says its engineers created machinery in the factory so that one of its MTXs serves one million particularly in highly populated regions, a three-storey, 400m2 building that everything would be replicable,” writes customers within a defined geographical without losing any of the resiliency.” was ready to ship in 12 weeks and Abdelwahab. “Our prefabricated MTX area at any one time, although they have Abdelwahab said that presented a operational in six months. All the will not be a one-off. Building more, the capability to manage traffic from challenge because an MTX can take up components for the facility were even if different sized units are required, up to five million active subscribers. to two years to build – given increasing manufactured and tested in advance will be straightforward and rapid.” Econet converges billing Libtelco’s migration to following Burundi merger IP blossoms with Orchid Econet Leo will use a convergent for easy integration, along with Cataleya will deliver a turnkey support the delivery of Unified billing system from ZTESoft to support Big Data analytics. It claims this solution for interconnection, Communications as a Service its consolidated network in Burundi. will enable Econet Leo to deliver a billing, and session and application (UCaaS) to the country’s growing With around three million higher quality customer experience management to Liberia’s incumbent small- and medium-sized businesses. subscribers, Econet Leo is said to be and manage loyalty, as well as operator, Libtelco (Liberia Libtelco serves local consumers the country’s biggest mobile operator support multiple business models. Telecommunication Corporation). and enterprises as well as Liberia’s and is the result of a merger between ZTE adds that the new billing The foundation for the solution domestic MNOs. According to Econet Wireless and U-COM that system also provides the operator will be Cataleya’s Orchid One GSMA Intelligence, at the end was finalised earlier this year in July. with a foundation for long-term platform which will be used to of last year the country had 2.6m Following the combination of the business development and business support the operator’s migration mobile connections and a SIM two companies’ operations, Econet agility for time-to-market demands. from legacy TDM infrastructure to penetration rate of 59 per cent. Wireless needed a convergent billing “Customers today expect IP networking. Singapore-based Cataleya system to offer its customers a communication service providers Phase 1 of the modernisation will specialises in IP networking unified experience. It will use ZSmart to compete and innovate on enable the delivery of both domestic solutions and is a wholly-owned cvBS from ZTESoft, a subsidiary of new services quickly,” says Xiao and international VoIP services to subsidiary of Epsilon Global ZTE Corporation which specialises Zhengcang, GM of ZSmart BSS local enterprises and government. It Communications. Its Orchid One in OSS/BSS solutions. product line. “A fully convergent will be completed over the next 12 platform is also being used by The vendor says the latest version billing system enables CSPs to months and will allow international Interconnect Clearinghouse Nigeria of its platform features open and provide innovative new services calling from fixed line phones – as it moves from TDM interconnects cloud-based architecture designed with a unified experience.” a first for Liberia. Phase 2 will to IP. (Also see News, Jun-Jul 2015.) Gilat offers next-gen HTS services ahead of Intelsat launch Gilat Satcom says it can provide satellites and an automatic upgrade Gilat Satcom’s new Intelsat Epic HTS service, about customers in Africa with a high to Intelsat’s service once it goes live. Eran Yoran reckons a year before the first [satellite].” throughput satellite (HTS) service The company says this “innovative” his company is Gilat Satcoms claims to be one today, one year ahead of Intelsat’s approach to HTS will mean that its helping customers of Africa’s fast-growing providers launch of its EpicNG platform. customers will be amongst the first take a “giant step of broadband over both satellite and EpicNG is Intelsat’s much-vaunted to benefit from the new satellites. forward”. fibre. It operates three international high-performance platform for HTS The firm adds that users will not teleports in Europe and the Middle and will be available in Africa in 2016 need to redirect antennas or replace development, says: “We are always East, fourteen hubs/PoPs in Africa, following the launch of IS-33e and IS-36. equipment to access the superfast saying that the future is coming – get two PoPs in Europe, and one in the Gilat Satcoms is now offering speeds that the platform promises. connected. Today is about helping US. In addition, the company is a customers Epic contracts which Eran Yoran, Gilat Satcom’s our customers to take a giant step shareholder in WACS as well as in provide HTS cost per MB on existing director of marketing and business forward by providing them with the WIOCC which operates EASSy.

August/September 2015 NORTHERN AFRICAN WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS 9 Register to receive your free copy of this & other business magazines: NEWS www.kadiumpublishing.com

4G tests Uros adds Africa to mobile for Tunisia Ooredoo is working with Wi-Fi roaming-free zone Nokia on what it says are the first 4G technology tests in Uros has added a dozen new countries The Goodspeed Tunisia. They began at the start of to its Goodspeed mobile Wi-Fi hotspot hotspot (far September with Ooredoo deploying service. The Finland-based company left) can pilot networks in two major cities. says it now covers the majority of the accommodate While the initial results have shown globe and has enhanced its presence in and switch a download speed equal to 69Mbps, Africa in particular. automatically the operator claims its 4G technology The announcement follows a between ten may exceed 100Mb speed when it’s recent partnership with Vodafone to SIM cards launched in the first half of 2016. increase Goodspeed’s footprint. The (left). Ooredoo’s operation in Tunisia was first stage of the deal has now been previously known as Tunisiana, but implemented in 12 new countries changed following a global rebrand. which include DRC, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Mozambique, South Africa fixed and affordable fees “guarantee” and Tanzania in Africa, as well predictable mobile data costs, while a ABS-3A as Albania, Malta, New Zealand, secure personal Wi-Fi connection also Romania and Turkey. ensures company data is kept inside the “By enhancing Goodspeed’s offering goes live Uros claims its service offers business even when staff are on the go. on such a large scale it is a huge “affordable mobile data, helping The service is enabled by the acceleration in our campaign to put ABS says its “revolution- companies overcome their connectivity Goodspeed hotspot which has been an end to mobile connectivity issues,” ary”new ABS-3A satellite is challenges”. In the new African designed to accommodate and switch says Uros CEO Tommi Uhari. “We now in full commercial use. destinations and New Zealand, it says automatically between ten SIM cards. can now offer our service in large parts Services covering Africa, the Middle Goodspeed users can now consume up The device and destination SIMs can of Africa which is the fastest growing East, Europe and the Americas to 500MB of data a day for a flat rate be purchased from Goodspeed or its mobile market in the world, and where began at the end of August following of USD13.99. It adds that the service’s official distributors before travelling. roaming fees have been checkered.” the satellite’s launch in March 2015 and the successful completion of all in-orbit tests. Built by Boeing, ABS-3A is one of the world’s first satellites to West African Cable System gets upgrade use an all-electric propulsion system The West Africa Cable System September. It will see the upgrade of as it serves as a transiting station for which makes it more cost effective to (WACS) has been upgraded for the Fibre Pair 2 (South Africa-Nigeria- landlocked countries such as Botswana, launch and operate. It features 48 C first time since it was commissioned Portugal), Fibre Pair 3 (South Africa- Zambia, Zimbabwe and Malawi. and Ku-band active transponders, and in May 2012. Angola-DRC-Côte d’Ivoire-Portugal), Phase 2 will increase the capacity is equipped with high-performance Phase 1 of the upgrade was and Fibre Pair 4 (all landing stations). It of the upgrading parties from 11 to 45 beams to support regional markets. completed in July and focused on the will add eight 100G wavelengths to the per cent of their total entitlement of the ‘Express Fibre Pair’ (Fibre Pair 1) 32 10G wavelengths that currently exist WACS system design capacity. between South Africa and Portugal. across the three Fibre Pairs. Because there has been significant It resulted in the addition of nine At the Swakopmund landing station uptake of the system’s bandwidth, BICS IPoSAT 100G wavelengths to the existing 24 in Namibia, an additional four 100G the WACS consortium says it had to 10G wavelengths. wavelengths will be added on top of the put out a tender for the upgrade. At the solution Phase 2 is now under way and is existing eight 10G wavelengths. end of last year, it appointed Huawei due for completion by the end of Swakopmund is significant to WACS Marine Networks to carry out the work. BICS has developed an auto- mated optimisation solution to help improve connectivity Elitecore platform boosts Wi-Fi networks in Africa. RouteFlex aims to provide intelligent and cost-efficient backup Elitecore Technologies’ service Akshat Joshi “Elitecore’s pre-integrated and modular via IP over satellite, and is supported management platform is being used says Elitecore’s platform seamlessly integrates with by an SDN. BICS claims it enables to support Wi-Fi networks across 10 modular platform the operator’s existing IT and network operators to handle high volumes of countries in Africa. offers seamless infrastructure resulting in a quick time IP traffic across satellite by applying According to the India-based integration with to market, faster rollout of services, end-to-end differential treatment vendor, its platform is enabling the existing network and hence better capex savings.” to different types of aggregated data unnamed telcos to extend their data infrastructure. The Wi-Fi network has enabled f lows during peaks or outages. It also services via a network of Wi-Fi the launch of bundled 3G and Wi-Fi enables dynamic switching between hotspots that integrate with existing plans, allowing all 3G subscribers to fibre and satellite facilities. The firm 3G mobile infrastructure. Nigeria, Tanzania and Zambia, as access higher throughput via Wi-Fi says optimisation can be performed It is being used by one “large well as another operator in Morocco. using their existing 3G balances. Those across regions, with operators able telecom group” in Burkina Faso, Akshat Joshi, Elitecore’s VP of without smartphones can also access to move capacity between markets. Congo, DRC, Gabon, Ghana, Niger, Wi-Fi product management, says: Wi-Fi via OTP-based authentication.

10 NORTHERN AFRICAN WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS August/September 2015

Because Big is Always Best

Africa links to USA network generating billions of retail consumers to international telecoms During the last 40 years the US foreign- minutes and millions of transactions providers and back again. born population from Africa has roughly every month. In the USA, through a IDT Carrier Services is one of the doubled each decade according to a presence across tens of thousands of largest global carriers of international recent US Census Bureau brief. Numbers retailers, BOSS Revolution’s size and scale voice tra c, generating over 30 billion have increased from approximately allows it to penetrate the states where minutes last year. Owning both sides 80,000 in 1970 to 1.6 million in 2012 African-born demographics have their of the business model – the retail and and are currently at 5% of USA foreign highest geographic distribution – New international carrier businesses – provides born. African foreign born face similar York, California, Texas and Maryland. greater control, exibility and an exciting challenges to other immigrants, how to Partnering with BOSS Revolution can platform to explore new buy and sell voice call and send money to friends and grow your African business. transactions as well as new and exciting family back home. opportunities to grow your nonvoice Grow your business business initiatives. Be the BOSS Globally 25 Billion minutes are terminated So enhance your voice business and BOSS Revolution delivers communications into Africa and over $40 Billion of money grow your nancial service opportunities and nancial services that allow foreign- transfers are transacted every year, are you in the USA. Leverage BOSS Revolution’s born customers to stay in touch and share receiving your share? BOSS Revolution African reach in the US marketplace. resources with their loved ones around can grow your business by extending your the world. Under the BOSS Revolution reach into the core USA marketplace. In brand, IDT Retail has a global distribution addition to our presence across tens of www.idtcarrierservices.com thousands of retailers, BOSS Revolution works really closely with our partners on connectivity, product advancements and co-marketing activities driving constant ongoing innovation.

Work with IDT IDT’s Carrier and Retail businesses have a unique and linked relationship transferring value from foreign-born WIRELESS BUSINESS

LPTIC consolidates assets as CEO questions unaccounted for funds

The Libyan Post, Telecommunications LPTIC said the restructuring USD208m to LAP GreenN. It claimed believes the “intransigence” of its and Information Technology Company will enable it to “safeguard and that while it has been able to trace then management proved a major (LPTIC) has begun a restructuring stabilise” important African telecoms USD118m going to UTL in Uganda, obstacle. programme amidst allegations of investments. It said this will be done GEMTEL in South Sudan, as well “It seems to me the current story broken investment promises. through the implementation of a as to operations in Côte d’Ivoire and about LAP GreenN being rescued by LPTIC is a sovereign holding renewed management strategy drawing Sierra Leone, the whereabouts of the LPTIC is just to cover the fact that the company that was established for on the skills, procurement and funding remainder are unknown. promises made to Uganda to provide the purpose of developing Libya’s synergies of a wider group business. “It is not clear to us how the rest USD56m of funding to UTL (69 per ICT sector and investing in telecoms LPTIC chairman Faisal Gergab was used, as access to our audit firm cent owned by LAP GreenN) during infrastructure both locally and abroad. added: “Our priority is to ensure was declined repeatedly using the foreign minister [Mohammed al-] In late August, following a that the asset base is operating current political division as an excuse,” Daery’s visit to Uganda could not be directive issued by the country’s effectively and sustainably. Once we alleges LAP CEO Mohsen Derregia. fulfilled. Uganda has been in touch with interim government, the have achieved this, we will look to He added that the total funding us, but we are unable to continue to company announced the strategic explore new opportunities for growth provided to LAP GreenN by LAP and fund a poorly managed LAP GreenN.” consolidation of several Libyan- and demonstrate our value to both the Libyan Investment Authority (LIA) The LIA claims Derregia is no owned shareholdings in mobile and the Libyan economy as well as other is USD1.45bn of which over USD500m longer LAP CEO and is therefore fixed-line operators. It involves the growing economies in the region.” were soft loans. Additionally, LAP not authorised to speak on its behalf. aggregation of assets in Côte d’Ivoire, But in the days following LPTIC’s GreenN has over USD150m of debt But a spokesperson for Derregia says South Sudan and Uganda that were announcement, LAP issued a press funded by third parties. the dispute is due to Libya currently previously managed by LAP GreenN statement which said that between According to Derregia, the LIA lacking a unified government, and which is owned by Libyan African November 2011 and August 2014, has made several attempts to save ongoing wrangles between the rival Investment Portfolio (LAP). it had awarded funds totalling LAP GreenN since 2011. But he administrations in Tripoli and Tobruk.

Smile secures USD365m to ﬁ nance Smile CEO Irene Four G Capital and the International Nic Rudnick says: “Mobile operators LTE network expansion Charnley says the Finance Corporation. are relying on internet access and Smile Telecoms has raised USD365m aim now is to Afrimax is aiming to build the data services to grow their revenues. of debt and equity financing to help subscribers largest portfolio of 4G wireless MNOs, and in particular Airtel, have expand its existing LTE portfolio and get the most out broadband networks across sub- managed to attract a large number launch a new broadband network in of 4G services. Saharan Africa. It already has 4G of customers on their 3G and 4G the DRC early next year. licenses covering 12 countries and networks and now need to strengthen Smile currently owns and operates The deal is said to be one of the 222 million people, and says further their backhaul to deliver a superfast LTE networks using 800MHz in largest capital raises ever for an African licenses are being acquired. internet access service.” Nigeria, Tanzania and Uganda. The telco, and brings the total funding Following a framework agreement Airtel Africa believes the operator’s aim is to deliver superior voice committed to Smile since its founding with Vodacom last year (see Wireless partnership with Liquid is a services and have national coverage by in 2007 to approximately USD600m. Business, Dec 2014-Jan 2015), Afrimax “milestone” in providing fast the end of 2015 that is comparable to Smile CEO Irene Charnley says: launched Vodafone Uganda in broadband services to customers in the largest 3G networks in each country. “Our priority is to [now] ensure February 2015, combining the a cost-effective way. CEO Christian The new funding comprises USD50m that our customers experience and deployment of new high-speed 4G de Faria says: “Airtel has invested of equity, raised from the Public benefit from the power of high speed networks with the use of existing significantly in mobile broadband Investment Corporation (PIC) on behalf mobile broadband compared to the infrastructure for 2G and 3G services. technology across its African of the South African Government narrowband services available to date, footprint and this agreement will Employees Pension Fund. The including how to effectively manage Liquid Telecom to provide ﬁ bre deliver end-to-end fibre connectivity remaining USD315m is a multi-tranche the superior experience in terms of connectivity to Airtel to our 3G and 4G base stations.” debt facility led by the African Export- data consumption.” A new framework agreement will Airtel Africa has operations Import Bank with participation from enable Airtel to use Liquid Telecom’s in Burkina Faso, Chad, Congo the Development Bank of Southern Global investors back Afrimax 20,000km fibre network in Africa and Republic, DRC, Gabon, Ghana, Africa, Diamond Bank, Ecobank The Afrimax Group has secured benefit from new fibre routes on an Kenya, Malawi, Madagascar, Niger, Nigeria, the Industrial Development USD120m of growth funding from a ongoing basis. The operator claims Nigeria, Rwanda, Seychelles, Sierra Corporation of South Africa, the consortium of investors to accelerate this will allow it to rapidly connect its Leone, Tanzania, Uganda and PIC, and Standard Chartered Bank. the rollout of its LTE led business mobile base stations and enterprise Zambia. It is currently in non-binding The funding will be used to model across multiple African markets. customers with unlimited capacity. talks about a possible sale of its accelerate national network rollouts The consortium is led by Tokyo- According to Liquid, its tie-up with networks in Burkina Faso, Chad, including products provided by Alcatel based multinational Mitsui & Co. Airtel answers the need for mobile Congo and Sierra Leone to Orange. Lucent and Ericsson, a full MPLS Other backers include Torreal, one of operators to increase the internet This latest deal for Liquid follows network, a London POP, and expanded Spain’s largest private investment firms, speed delivered over their mobile its earlier announcement of a partner- international backhaul services. in addition to existing shareholders broadband networks. Group CEO ship with MTN (see News, p6).

August/September 2015 NORTHERN AFRICAN WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS 13 Register to receive your free copy of this & other business magazines: WIRELESS BUSINESS www.kadiumpublishing.com

Orange increases Méditel holding by Orange, Fipar-Holding (the population. In March 2015, the local after becoming a member of the Orange has acquired an additional nine Moroccan Caisse de Dépôt et de regulator, ARPT, also assigned one of consortium behind the system. per cent in Méditel and now holds 49 Gestion group) and FinanceCom. three 4G licenses to Méditel which went Orange is the main backer in the per cent of the Moroccan telco’s shares. Created in 1999, Méditel’s networks on to become the country’s first operator USD700m ACE system which will Its board will be composed of five now include more than 5,400km of to launch an LTE service in June. cover 17,000km after its second phase members proposed by Orange and four fibre, including 870km in Morocco’s ten is completed by the end of next year appointed by Moroccan shareholders. largest urban areas. In addition, the telco MTN joins ACE consortium (see News, May-Jun 2015). As part The value of the deal has not been is aiming to complete the overhaul of The MTN Group is planning to bring of this second phase, the cable will disclosed. It followed application its mobile network this year, extending the African Coast to Europe (ACE) be extended from São Tomé and agreements signed in December 2010 its 3G coverage to 95 per cent of the submarine cable to South Africa Príncipe to Cape Town.

INVESTMENTS, MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS

Date Buyer Seller Item Price Notes

Public Investment South African The government had been considering selling its 14% stake for some time as part of 1/7/15 Vodacom stake USD2.3bn Corporation Government plans to raise funding for ailing state power ﬁ rm Eskom Holdings.

SAIT SAIT Communications specialises in providing L-band satellite services in the southern 28/7/15 SpeedCast International Company NA Communications European maritime market, particularly Greece & Cyprus.

Education IBM will fund training initiatives over three years in Africa to develop stronger regional 28/7/15 – IBM USD60m training capabilities in cloud services, Big Data & analytics.

Keysight says the acquisition strengthens its wireless portfolio & helps expand its 13/8/15 Keysight Technologies Anite Company USD600m software offerings as it transitions to a software-oriented solutions company.

Acquisition of the US-based provider of LTE & 3G small cell solutions will expand 8/9/15 CommScope Airvana Company NA CommScope’s capabilities in providing indoor wireless capacity & coverage.

LATEST COMPANY RESULTS

Sales EBITDA EPS Date Company Country Period Currency Notes (m) (m) (units)

Total revenues are up 4.0% YoY. Targets revenue growth of 2-3% for FY 15-16, & will continue to focus its investment 30/6/15 Eutelsat France FY15 EUR 1,476.4 1,131.7 1,590 policy on high growth markets in Africa, Latin America, Middle East, Asia-Pacifi c & Russia. 41% rise YoY in sales across all divisions in sub-Sahara Africa is in contrast to a weak 1H14. The fi rm says regional increase is 17/7/15 Ericsson Sweden 2Q15 SEK 60,671 20,135 0.64 driven by strong data growth as well as positive development of managed services. African revenue grew to $240m, a QoQ organic growth rate Millicom of 15.3%. EBITDA was $52m, a YoY fall of 17.5%, mainly 21/7/15 Luxembourg 2Q15 USD 1.7 (bn) 561 0.05 International because of diffi cult trading conditions in Chad & adverse currency movement, particularly in Tanzania. Revenues & EBITDA up 6.4 & 6.7% respectively. O3b Networks, in which SES has a 45% interest, has made a productive start 24/7/15 SES Luxembourg 1H15 EUR 999.1 740 0.68 to its fi rst full year of commercial operations. Of around 40 committed clients, 25 are now live on the system. 4.5 million net additions to mobile customer base in MEA. 19.557 5.807 28/7/15 Orange Group France 1H15 EUR 0.2 Began talks in July with Airtel to acquire its operations in (bn) (bn) Burkina Faso, Chad, Congo Brazzaville & Sierra Leone. Group revenues down 4.9% but subscribers up 3.4% to reach 5/8/15 MTN Group South Africa 1H15 ZAR 69,210 30,274 4.8 231m. Diffi cult regulatory environment & weak macro- economic conditions continue to impact overall performance. EBITDA for 2Q15 was a loss of $2.5m compared with an income Gilat Satellite 12/8/15 Israel 2Q15 USD 44.3 (2.5) 0.21 of $3.9m in 2Q14. Interim CEO Dov Baharav blamed weaker Networks performances in defence sector & Colombian market. Group recorded a net exceptional gain of S$47m with 13/8/15 Singtel Singapore 1Q16 SGD 942 NA NA divestment gains from venture investments & Airtel Africa’s tower assets. 43.1% profi t rise was helped by increased international 1/9/15 ZTE China 1H15 RMB 45.9 (bn) NA 0.47 orders for LTE equipment. Strong orders also reported for optical transport networks & broadband systems.

YoY revenue up 29.9% helped by contract wins with key target Avanti 16/9/15 UK FY15 USD 85.2 16.0 NA customers including SENTECH, Tanzania Telecoms Company & Communications Orange Telkom Kenya. HYLAS 4 on track for 2017 launch.

14 NORTHERN AFRICAN WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS August/September 2015 WIRELESS BUSINESSNEWS

MTN has acquired an eight per services for its Dynamic Tariffing solution IN BRIEF... NEC Europe has invested in cent stake in ACE, according to the for voice, SMS and data. sub-Saharan ICT group XON. group’s GM for network, IT projects Digitata CEO Ted Bartlett believes Etisalat will use CommScope’s The two firms will combine and carrier services, John Unterhorst. the merger was a “logical next step” products and services to their local sales expertise to accelerate He says the operator’s involvement in the relationship between the two upgrade its wireless networks growth in the telecoms, government, will facilitate the extension of the companies. “The joining of the two will and deploy new technologies across enterprise and energy sectors. Eugene cable to South Africa. ensure a closer working relationship the Middle East and Africa, including Le Roux, NEC Africa president and “MTN will build and provide and will allow us to improve our service LTE in selected markets. As part of MD, says: “Benefits of the deal include the ACE cable landing station and to our customers, expand our product a recently signed international frame the reinforcement of our South African backhaul in South Africa. Until now, offering and streamline our operations.” agreement, CommScope will supply B-BBEE credentials to level 3, and our MTN’s participation in ACE has As well as offering improved base station antennas, filters, high- customers in the region gaining use of been through its subsidiaries in Benin, efficiencies in its Dynamic Tariffing quality coaxial cables and connectors, XON’s network and security operations Liberia and Guinea Conakry.” service, Digitata reckons the acquisition and other RF network solutions. centres. There is also a wider regional The cellco’s investment, which is also brings other lines of business that synergy around sharing IP and reportedly worth USD50m, has been will be of interest and benefit to MNOs. Orange Côte d’Ivoire has security competencies.” committed via the group’s wholly These include NetCM, Rorotika’s launched what’s claimed to owned subsidiary, MTN Dubai Ltd. vendor-agnostic network configuration be Africa’s first mobile crowdfunding Microsoft reportedly plans A rollout is expected during 1Q16. management solution. platform. Collecte uses Orange Money and to write off the USD7.4bn In addition, Rorotika’s Mobile is offered in partnership with HelloAsso, it paid to Nokia for its mobile phone Digitata now controls Rorotika subsidiary will also now fall under the French firm that specialises in business in 2013 and cut 7,800 jobs. Digitata has acquired a controlling stake the Digitata brand. It has developed a crowdfunding for charities. By using According to sources, Microsoft CEO in Rorotika Technologies. The value of USSD-based mobile gaming platform the platform Orange says individuals Satya Nadella wrote to employees the deal has not been disclosed. which it claims can be used by MNOs and charities can finance personal and told them the company is Since its inception in 2008, Digitata and brands to unlock revenue. “There and fundraising projects by making an refocusing its effort in mobile phones. has worked closely with South Africa- are clear synergies between this mobile appeal through the mobile network. Bloomberg said Microsoft still plans based Rorotika Technologies which gaming offering and Digitata’s own Contributors will be able to make to release new handsets, but only at a provides development and support MeMe Mobile offering,” states Digitata. donations using Orange Money. rate of one or two devices per year.

NEW APPOINTMENTS

Date Name New employer New position Previous employer Previous position

20/7/15 Jonathan McKay CBNL Chairman Ubiquisys Chairman

23/7/15 Abdelkrim Benamar Astellia COO & executive committee member Alcatel-Lucent VP EMEA

28/7/15 Nitin Madhavan Neural Technologies Sales executive for India & Africa Connectiva Analytics & Insights Sales

31/7/15 Bart Morselt VimpelCom Group head of investor relations Swisscom Head of investor relations

1/8/15 Heiko Schlittke Airtel Gabon MD Airtel Malawi MD

1/8/15 Charles Kamoto Airtel Malawi Acting MD Airtel Malawi CCO

6/8/15 Emmanuel Hamez Econet Leo (Burundi) CEO Expresso Telecom, Senegal CEO

6/8/15 Darlington Mandivenga Econet Wireless Deputy group CEO Econet Leo (Burundi) Acting CEO

9/8/15 Teddy Bhullar Emtel Mauritius TBC Airtel Rwanda MD

9/8/15 Tano Ware Airtel Rwanda Acting MD Airtel Rwanda Finance director

11/8/15 Jeremy Povey Dialogue Group CFO Capita Integrated Business Solutions Finance consultant (interim)

17/8/15 Judd Cain Tait Communications Regional manager for EMEA & UK Tait Communications Head of global services

24/8/15 Mats Granryd GSMA Director general (as from Jan 2016) Tele2 Group President & CEO

26/8/15 Cynthia Gordon Millicom CEO & EVP Africa division Ooredoo Group CCO

1/9/15 Nick Walden Inﬁ nera SVP, EMEA sales Ciena EMEA VP & MD, carrier business

3/9/15 Eric Bouquillon Orange Guinea CEO Orange Réunion & Mayotte CEO & GM

3/9/15 Alassane Diene Orange Mali CEO Orange Guinea CEO

3/9/15 Thierry Marigny Sonatel Deputy CEO Orange Group Global brand VP

2/9/15 Mitchell Klein Z-Wave Alliance Executive director Universal Remote Control Senior executive

28/9/15 Santosh Desai MEASAT Sales director – Africa Bharti Airtel Business head – IBS

1/10/15 Bruno Mettling Orange Deputy CEO, Africa & Middle East Orange Deputy CEO, HR

1/10/15 Marc Rennard Orange Deputy CEO, MFS & customer experience Orange EVP MEA & Asia

1/10/15 Jean-Marc Vignolles Orange COO, Africa & Middle East Orange Spain CEO

August/September 2015 NORTHERN AFRICAN WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS 15 Register to receive your free copy of this & other business magazines: WIRELESS SOLUTIONS www.kadiumpublishing.com

Antenna capacity boosted with new lens technology CommScope has developed a new lens technology that focuses antenna sector roll-off. CommScope claims antenna to help wireless operators signals like a magnifying glass into it provides more than double relieve overloaded cell sites and three narrow beams, sculpting an the signal strength inside of the support high concentrations of overloaded sector into three sectors. sector, resulting in better building subscribers in special venues. According to CommScope, the penetration and at least 4dB better The Tri-Beam antenna uses new result is nearly three times the signal to noise ratio. capacity as the original sector The company pairs the Tri-Beam MANUFACTURER: without adding a new cell site. It with RET (remote electrical tilt) CommScope adds that when deployed in cell to offer maximum flexibility for clusters, the antenna can achieve up optimising each beam. used for the dielectric lens reduce its PRODUCT: Tri-Beam antenna to four times the capacity with the Part of the its Andrew portfolio weight by about 90 per cent, making optimised overlap between cells. of wireless solutions, CommScope it viable for tower mounting. The MORE INFORMATION: With 4dB more gain than a developed the Tri-Beam in firm adds that the antenna features www.commscope.com standard single-beam antenna, partnership with RF lens specialist better wind loading thanks to its the Tri-Beam is said to optimise Matsing. It says the meta materials rounded form factor. “Simple and versatile” point-to-point IP backhaul Advantech Wireless describes its outdoor microwave radio is designed frequency bands from 6GHz to a two-way VSAT system with new Transcend 900 as a “simple and to provide low latency and power 23GHz, and unlicensed frequency the high bandwidth efficiency of versatile” point-to-point IP backhaul consumption, and can operate over bands at 5.8GHz, 10.5GHz, 17GHz DVB-S2 in both directions, or can solution. It says the compact, all a wide temperature range and in all and 24GHz. There’s also network work as part of a star DVB-RCS weather conditions. synchronisation with SyncE and an network supporting DVB-S2 in the MANUFACTURER: The Transcend 900 features PoE and optional SFP slot for optical GE. forward link and DVB-RCS/ Advantech Wireless optional coaxial (N-type F) power In a separate product RCS2 in the return link. connection, up to 1024 QAM, and announcement, the company has PRODUCT: Transcend 900 900Mbps uncompressed full duplex also added a new VSAT terminal throughput with errorless ACM. aimed at broadcasters. The VR7400 MORE INFORMATION: Advantech Wireless says it supports DVB-S2 SCPC point- www.advantechwireless.com supports high availability and to-point /multipoint operation. reliability based on licensed Advantech Wireless says it provides DMR handset certiﬁ ed for Network manager also hazardous environments has WLAN controller

Hytera has added a new radio to trunked radio systems as well Proxim Wireless has introduced It also includes the critical feature its range of intrinsically safe DMR as in its XPT mobile radio ProximVision Advanced, a carrier-class support needed for deploying hetnets. handhelds. The PD715 Ex operates solution. network management system (NMS) For instance, Proxim says PVA without display and keypad and has The firm adds that the PD715 that combines WLAN controllers. removes the NMS as a single point of been developed as an inexpensive Ex is certified in accordance It aims to provide seamless failure by supporting redundant servers alternative to the vendor’s fully with the European ATEX command over a hetnet RAN and databases. It includes a full REST equipped PD795 Ex. standard, which makes it deployment via a single software API implementation allowing users to Like its stablemate, the new the ideal radio for users platform. PVA offers detailed fault define precisely the interface to higher PD715 Ex supports the DMR who are working in reporting and support for all of level NMS or back office systems. standard as well as classic particularly hazardous Proxim’s radio products including The initial release of the software analogue mobile radio. Hytera environments. APs, backhaul links, and point-to- supports up to 10,000 nodes per says it can also be used in DMR It has an IP67 rating multipoint solutions. server or via the cloud. for protection against The system includes common MANUFACTURER: Hytera dust and moisture, controller features such as topology MANUFACTURER: Proxim and is also said to be maps for a visual representation of PRODUCT: PD715 Ex especially robust and the network, the ability to perform PRODUCT: PVA reliable in accordance software updates and configure MORE INFORMATION: with the MIL-STD-80 all network elements in a single MORE INFORMATION: www.hytera-mobilfunk.com C/D/E/D/G US keystroke, and detailed accounting www.proxim.com military standard. of what has been deployed.

16 NORTHERN AFRICAN WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS August/September 2015 WIRELESS SOLUTIONS

Next generation terabit ALSO LOOK OUT FOR Hybrid Mesh packet transport switch technology for Transmode’s PT-Fabric is a modular plane-equipped EMXP III switching The company commercial IoT terabit switching solution that aims unit (pictured). It’s claimed this adds that the to take packet transport and Ethernet supports up to 960Gbps of switching frontplane applications switching in metro networks to in a single module. enables the terabit levels and 100G. Transmode – which was recently PT-Fabric to be Greenvity Communications reckons It extends the company’s native acquired by Infinera – says the deployed in any it’s come up with unique mesh packet optical architecture to terabit innovative optical frontplane takes combination of networking technology that pro- switching with a new optical front- vertical cavity surface emitting available slots in single or multiple vides a highly reliable communica- laser (VSEL) technology used in TM Series chassis, such as its TM-301. tions link for commercial building MANUFACTURER: Transmode supercomputing and brings it to data Multiple switches can be deployed in and industrial applications. transport equipment for the first a single chassis giving a total of 4Tb The US-based company says its PRODUCT: PT-Fabric time. The frontplane is used to create of switching. patented Hybrid Mesh technology the PT-Fabric by interconnecting the Other features include power on a single chip utilises mixed- MORE INFORMATION: EMXP III switch with 10G and 100G consumption as low as 20W per 100G medium IEEE 802.15.4 wireless www.transmode.com I/O modules or directly to local third- when equipped with eight 100G ports, and wide-band powerline party switches or routers. and very high switching density. communication (PLC). It claims this enables always-connected links that penetrate concrete walls and cover entire buildings. IIOT device connects machinery via Wi-Fi The fi rst technology of its kind Industrial Wi-Fi specialist Wi-NEXT a wide variety of digital on the factory floor, and even in the industry, Greenvity says reckons its new End Node Digital is industrial machines. quickly reconfigured when Hybrid Mesh supports multiple currently the only device that can Wi-NEXT says necessary, at a fraction hops for range extension, connect Modbus, CANbus, Profibus this turns them of the cost of bridging and self-healing. and general digital machinery for the into intelligent alternative According to the fi rm, IIoT (Industrial Internet of Things) assets that can be solutions current standard methods of via a Wi-Fi network. easily monitored, on the mesh networking have been The node is said to offer a low- controlled and market. wireless only or single medium, power affordable Wi-Fi appliance optimised. The presenting a challenge when that allows easy interconnections to It claims the device can node also has concrete walls degrade wireless connect to on-premise Wi-Fi the capacity signals and inhibit communication MANUFACTURER: Wi-NEXT infrastructure via RS485 or Ethernet to enable value- throughout the building. ports in a flexible, energy-efficient added services such as predictive Greenvity CEO Hung Nguyen PRODUCT: End Node Digital way, with a very low impact on the maintenance, energy efficiency says: “Lighting and security deployment or overall project cost. audits, and usage reports, plus handle applications require a higher level MORE INFORMATION: With the End Node Digital, the the ever-increasing data transmission of link reliability than other IoT www.wi-next.com/products vendor says a wide variety of digital via what’s described as “state-of-the products and the communication machines can be installed anywhere art” open-standards. between these devices needs to be virtually always-connected.” Combining the best of both wireless and PLC, modules with Analyse broadband and signals up to 85GHz Hybrid Mesh networking rely on The FSW85 signal and spectrum According to the company, since an algorithm to make dynamic analyser is the only instrument on the no external harmonic mixers are decisions on whether powerline market to cover the 2Hz to 85GHz required, the device makes the or wireless is the better medium range in a single sweep, claims Rohde test setup much simpler. It says an in the current environment. & Schwarz (R&S). It says this makes internal pre-selection suppresses Each node repeats the same it possible for users to test baseband the image frequency and other data to the next node, selecting and RF with a single analyser. spurious emissions that commonly PLC when wireless strength is occur during harmonic mixing. pulse parameters and chirp signals weak, and choosing wireless MANUFACTURER: When combined with R&S’ for radar systems. when the PLC signal is degraded Rohde & Schwarz FSW-B2000 option and its RTO R&S adds that the unit offers easy due to circuit breakers or noise. oscilloscope, the FSW85 can achieve touchscreen operation with clear The fi rst Greenvity modules PRODUCT: FSW85 an analysis bandwidth of 2GHz. diagrams and a flat menu structure. with Hybrid Mesh operation are This is said to enable developers Various measurements can be the GV7011-MOD for commercial MORE INFORMATION: to analyse broadband signals displayed simultaneously in separate and industrial applications, and www.rohde-schwarz.com for 5G next-generation mobile windows on the large 31cm screen to the GV-LED-11 smart LED controller communications signals, or complex simplify interpretation of results. and general IoT controller.

August/September 2015 NORTHERN AFRICAN WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS 17 Register to receive your free copy of this & other business magazines: FEATURE: VAS www.kadiumpublishing.com

PHOTO: VODAFONE PHOTO: Sowing the seeds of next-generation VAS

Vodafone has identiﬁ ed six mobile services which it says could boost the incomes of 70 million farmers by USD9bn over the next ﬁ ve years.

Will the advent of LTE boost the availability of value-added services in Africa? DAVE HOWELL ﬁ nds out.

ased on forecasts from TechNavio, the faster speeds and greater capacity significantly launches in 2014 occurred outside the continent, worldwide mobile VAS market will grow at changes the ways in which subscribers can use their sub-Saharan Africa still accounts for 53 per cent of a CAGR of 10.62 per cent from 2013-2018. mobile devices. “These faster speeds and lower live services globally (also see Figure 2: Number of live BWhat began with non-voice services such as SMS latency gives a better experience for dense data mobile money services for the unbanked by country). and MMS now includes mobile banking and more. services, like real-time video and apps, while also Banking is clearly a focus for VAS across Africa. According to Tecnotree, which specialises providing sufficient bandwidth to enable strong For instance, there are 174 million mobile phone in telecom IT solutions for the management of security without undermining performance.” owners in Nigeria, but 57 per cent do not have access products, customers and revenue, 4G/LTE is Synchronoss provides personal cloud solutions to formal financial services according to research currently being planned or is in its initial phases and software-based activation for connected by the Grameen Foundation. It also found that only in Africa, and although the continent is a bit devices across the globe using its patented 0.1 per cent of adults actively use mobile money. behind in its development, the technology will technology. Halbard believes the advent of Airtel Nigeria CEO Segun Ogunsanya says: “The bring more opportunities for mobile operators. LTE provides mobile operators with the perfect overwhelming majority of the adult population “In Europe, for example, mobile broadband is opportunity to use the cloud as a low-cost VAS is unbanked. However, mobile penetration a serious threat for the fixed line ISPs providing for subscribers. More on that later. is approximately 78 per cent. The market cable connectivity and is quite rapidly replacing opportunity for mobile money is therefore vast.” landlines,” says Pekka Kangas, the company’s Follow the money Despite that, it is still illegal in some countries, business development director. “On the VAS side, such as Uganda and Ghana, for telcos to offer the extended bandwidth is enabling the delivery Mobile financial services (MFS) have been a focus financial services. This clearly has to change if of richer content, more applications, etc. This for VAS providers across developing regions that the real power of mobile banking as a VAS is to means that the role of the operator can continue to are driven by the need to ‘bank the unbanked’. take hold across a greater part of the region. go in the direction of bit pipe providers.” In its State of the Industry – Mobile Financial Having said that, there is no doubt that Africa That may be true if the MNOs let that happen. Services for the Unbanked report published last is leading the way when it comes to MFS, What’s clear however is that the development of fast year, the GSM Association says services are now and operators elsewhere in the world are now access thanks to LTE is the foundation onto which available in 61 per cent of the world’s developing beginning to follow the examples of some of the all next-generation VAS will be built. For instance, countries (see Figure 1: Percentage of developing markets continent’s operators who have created intra- Chris Halbard, EVP of Synchronoss, says LTE’s with mobile money per region). While half of all country ‘remittance corridors’ between their

18 NORTHERN AFRICAN WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS August/September 2015 FEATURE:NEWS VAS

operations, or made their mobile money services Europe & interoperable with another. The latter include Central Asia 14% Figure 1: Percentage of Airtel, MTN and Vodafone, but it was Tigo in developing markets with Middle East & Tanzania that was the first. North Africa 46% mobile money per region Since 2014, Tigo Pesa’s four million customers as at December 2014. East Asia 63% in Tanzania have been able to exchange funds & Paciﬁ c SOURCE: GSMA with Airtel’s and Zantel’s mobile money Latin America & the Caribbean 65% subscribers. Earlier this year, the interoperability was extended and now includes the country’s South Asia 75% six million Vodacom M-PESA users. This means Sub-Saharan mobile money customers in Tanzania are the first Africa 81% in Africa to be able to transact with users of all 0 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% their country’s mobile money networks. Tigo – which is a subsidiary of Luxembourg telco Millicom – is using Mahindra Comviva’s Mobiquity Money platform for its interoperable services. Mahindra Comviva claims the secure, reliable and fast platform simplifies off-net money transfers. According to the vendor, Mobiquity Money is designed to seamlessly integrate consumer touch points with a wide ecosystem of banks, billers, merchants and third-party payment systems, creating a convergence powered by interoperability. As well as delivering convenience to consumers, Mahindra Comviva says the solution enables financial service providers to acquire new customers, create long-term loyalty with existing One mobile ones, and seize new revenue opportunities to money service expand their market footprint. Two mobile money services Leveraging technology Three or more mobile money services Synchronoss believes the cloud can help operators Interoperable realise LTE’s potential. But Halbard warns markets that it’s up to operators to develop and roll out new and innovative features and services Figure 2: Number of live mobile money that maximise 4G’s extra speed and capacity, services for the unbanked by country as while also delivering the smooth, high-quality at December 2014. SOURCE: GSMA experience that subscribers expect. He continues by saying operators who provide cloud services to their subscribers enjoy better Huawei has also set its sights on the cloud in Worldwide, it’s claimed inCloud has aggregated results than those that haven’t, in terms of increased Africa. Earlier this year at the annual VAS Africa more than 2,000 partners with digital content that service uptake, higher data usage and improved summit in July, it launched its Digital inCloud includes music, mobile games, videos, open APIs, subscriber loyalty. And it doesn’t end there. Eastern and Southern Africa regional centre. The traffic monetisation, B2B cloud and M2M. “Operators with their own self-branded cloud company reckons its solution will facilitate ease of However, cloud isn’t the only solution available solution can provide innovative features and distribution and trade between consumer, carriers, to MNOs when it comes to delivering VAS via products that complement their storage offerings, and partners of digital products/services in Africa. LTE. Rich Communication Services (RCS) such as mobile music sharing and media streaming “This facilitation will be achieved through represent the evolution of operator messaging services. These extra services lower churn rates, improved content aggregation, and better from legacy circuit switched services such as since customers have little or no reason to move management of local and global digital content,” SMS/MMS to one that is IP-based. to OTT players who offer similar services.” said Felix Tang, Huawei’s director of Eastern and Openmind Networks offers a single platform He points out that what’s important for the Southern region, carrier software department. enabling customers to deliver VAS such as RCS. operator is to offer a broad range of VAS that According to Tang, the inCloud centre will build It points out that as LTE infrastructure becomes appeal to an equally broad range of audiences. Africa’s digital ecosystem through the coopera- more widespread across key mobile economies, Synchronoss has developed a white-label cloud tion of operators and local and global partners. RCS enable operators to offer many of the platform which it says can be used by operators to Huawei is partnering with MTN in South Africa features that users have come to expect from optimise wholesale business, provision subscribers and Safaricom in Kenya. The firm believes this OTT players, including presence and location with new smartphones, and also provide them localised business operation promotes African information capabilities. with their own personal cloud-based backup and carriers and partners to develop digital products Derek McElhinney, the company’s senior storage service for mobile data. and services enabling them to compete globally. consultant, says: “RCS over LTE enables the The vendor says its network and device “Huawei helps operators and partners generate best quality of experience and drives greater activation service solutions are carrier-grade SaaS revenue securely and in a transparent manner,” data usage (LTE users consume a lot more data). platforms. It claims they enable MNOs and OEMs said Tang. “Through global partner agreements, Furthermore, the real business case for RCS lies to activate and provision new devices and service Huawei brings the best channels to distribute in the evolution of operator services in order bundles for users, seamlessly and automatically. local digital content globally.” to stay relevant to their users in the face of stiff

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competition from OTT messaging players. It is managing their own preferences and services. Telenity points out that to protect employee this relevance that is of the highest importance.” While they could be considered as VAS, the privacy, the solution enables selection of the days McElhinney says operators can deploy RCS nature of these apps is more in the care/CLM/ and hours for tracing and limits the location either as a hosted platform or build it in their own BSS side of the operator business.” visibility to working hours only. network. “One of the advantages of using a cloud- Apps aside, the challenge for operators is based hosted platform in emerging markets such that they now need to take the massive installed The real value of VAS as Africa is that operators can begin to develop, mobile user base and expand with VAS to create a test and deploy new richer services very quickly, new environment for growth. What differentiates the significance of mobile with minimal disruption and cost.” “Within many operators, cooperation is needed technologies in developing markets compared to He adds that other operators may opt to build internally, and recent organisational trends have developed ones is that they have a proven socio- their own RCS platforms as part of an ongoing caused deep silos in their internal operations/ economic impact. This is where VAS really comes infrastructure investment. For example, many are communications,” says Kangas. “It is clear that into it’s own in the developing world. already making investments in IMS platforms to VAS vendors today struggle slightly in ‘mingling’ For example, earlier this year Vodafone support VoLTE which shares the same investment between operator organisations, and some VAS published research which concluded that the and capabilities as RCS. vendors have needed to bring various different introduction of six simple mobile services could “Embracing VoLTE enables voice, data and operator functions to the same table.” boost the incomes of small-scale farmers by an video services to be more cost effectively and One of those functions has now grown to average of USD128 a year. According to the simply delivered over a single IP network. If include data analytics. France-based Intersec study, which was conducted with Accenture an operator has made this initial investment in specialises in solutions for mobile operators to Strategy, six mobile services offer the potential to IMS for VoLTE, it is then a straightforward and leverage ‘Big Data’ and capture and monetise transform farmers’ lives and livelihoods: affordable process to install an RCS application their subscriber information. The company’s Agricultural information services to provide server into the network,” says McElhinney. CMO Laurent Michel says that as the world early warnings of weather events, information But will any of this work in developing markets becomes increasingly mobile and connected, our on the best times to harvest, and advice on crop that are still dominated by pre-paid basic or feature way of communicating and consuming media techniques to enhance yields. The services could phone users? If the future of VAS depends upon and services is radically changing. increase farmers’ annual incomes by an average LTE then greater smartphone penetration is “What is considered a comfort service today of USD89 a year in 2020. essential for its success. However, as McElhinney will become a must-have tomorrow. LTE holds Receipt services to provide greater points out, another advantage of RCS is that full strong promises of value development by being transparency in daily commodity supply chains, LTE coverage is not a pre-requisite for deployment. the key enabler to increase the share of VAS in allowing farmers to raise their incomes by He says richer communications can be deployed revenue mix beyond the usual ~10 per cent we improving efficiency and eliminating fraud. over 2G and 3G, allowing operators to get a experienced in the 2G/3G era. Payments and loans enabling farmers to access headstart instead of waiting for 4G to succeed. “Whether it will be achieved depends on the simple and secure financial products and services The GSMA adds that in terms of MFS, the telecom operators’ ability to design new business using mobile money payment systems such as diversification of the types of interfaces customers models that value LTE beyond the sole argument M-Pesa. The operator says access to highly cost- can use to access mobile money accounts can help of speed. Operators should take advantage of the effective micro-finance and quick and transparent providers to target different market segments. LTE capacity by working with other industries electronic payment systems could provide an For example, in its report above, the association (e.g. healthcare, financial, transportation, etc.) to annual benefit of USD690 for some farmers in states that the IVR interface can be adapted to create new VAS products for subscribers and for 2020, representing a 39 per cent increase in their numerous local languages and dialects, thus new revenue streams.” average farming incomes. helping providers target illiterate communities as One of the advantages of analysing subscriber Field auditing to enable the monitoring well as people who aren’t comfortable interacting behaviour is that it enables MNOs to target of quality, sustainability and certification with data services (typically USSD) on a mobile. specific customers with specific services. For requirements. This allows farmers to move away Furthermore, the GSMA says well-designed example, Bharti Airtel’s TraceMate+ service is from paper records and adopt instead electronic apps can “dramatically improve” user experience aimed at enterprise users, enabling them to track reporting via tablets and mobile data, greatly by providing rich user interfaces and enhanced employees and corporate resources via their enhancing efficiency and potentially increasing functionality. “Apps are also helping operators to mobile phones. It is based on Telenity’s CanVAS annual average income by USD612 for some. target the growing segment of smartphones users SmartTrail platform which utilises mobile network- Supply chain networking enabling small-scale in developing markets. As low-cost smartphones based positioning technologies to determine and producers to transact with local cooperatives and data packages become more widely available, track the location of selected cellphones that have through simple but robust information services and the number of operators offering mobile money been registered to the TraceMate+ service. mobile money systems. These could boost some apps is likely to increase.” CanVAS SmartTrail provides enterprises with an farmers’ annual incomes by USD271 in 2020. administrative account to add, delete and modify Smartphone-enabled services to provide deeper VAS in action information about the mobile phones to be traced. functionality and richer sources of information An interactive GUI presents an instant snapshot than is possible using basic SMS and voicemail Mobile financial services are key VAS of the current location of all registered employees services. These could lead to an increase in average applications in emerging market today. But through a heat map-style window. annual farming incomes of USD675 for more as mobile data penetration increases, VAS Service administrators can zoom in and out of than four million farmers in 2020. will continue to reach into other areas such as the map to get a more detailed view of teams and While Vodafone’s research focused on India, Serpil entertainment and enterprise applications. individuals. They can create multiple ‘geo fence’ Timuray, Vodafone Group’s regional chief executive While Tecnotree’s Kangas believes VAS are areas to receive automatic email alerts when a for MEA and APAC, said: “One-third of humanity not about apps, he says it’s quite obvious that tracked resource ‘enters’ or ‘exits’ these areas. relies on food grown by 500 million smallholder operators will need to think carefully about Historical location information of a selected farmers with less than two hectares of land. Mobile incorporating their own apps for various handset employee is also drawn on the map showing has a critically important role to play in increasing platforms. “These clients could include self-care the details of the routes he/she has taken with agricultural resilience and enhancing quality of apps, opening new horizons for end users by timestamp information. life for some of the poorest people on Earth.” ■

20 NORTHERN AFRICAN WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS August/September 2015

FEATURE: INTERNET OF THINGSNEWS IMAGE: GSMA IMAGE:

Is Africa ready for the IoT? Research says there were around 230 million cellular M2M subscriptions globally at the end of 2014. This number is expected to grow substantially in the coming years. In the machine-to-machine world, data from connected devices is transferred to networks to create the ‘Internet of Things’. But will the IoT take-off in Africa? RAHIEL NASIR ﬁ nds out.

t was Ericsson that first predicted a future of According to the report, there were around mobile data traffic in the region by 2019, compared more than 50 billion connected devices by 230 million cellular M2M subscriptions globally to just one per cent at the end of 2014. The only 2020 in a paper published in February 2011. at the end of 2014, and it says this number will African country featured in the index is South IOver the last few years since then, many in the “grow substantially” in the coming years. Africa. Here, it is predicted that M2M traffic will industry have been citing that figure, particularly Cisco agrees. Its annual Visual Networking grow at a CAGR of 97 per cent from 2014 to 2019. when it comes to the potential offered by Index (VNI) is also used as an industry benchmark Cisco says while M2M modules represented 8.68 machine-to-machine (M2M) connectivity. and in its latest forecasts for mobile traffic growth per cent of device connections in South Africa last But at the same time, other market observers published in late May (see News, Jun-Jul 2015), it year, they will account for 19.1 by 2019. have criticised Ericsson’s forecast as being predicts that global M2M connections will more somewhat exaggerated. Indeed, in its latest than triple over the next four years, growing to “Local solutions to local problems” Mobility Report published in June 2015, the 10.5 billion by 2019. It adds that annual global company is now expecting 26 billion connected M2M IP traffic will increase 15-fold over the The ITU believes the Internet of Things (IoT) devices worldwide by 2020. Of these, almost 15 period, from 308PB in 2014 to 4.6EB by 2019. promises a wealth of new opportunities for billion will be phones, tablets, laptops and PCs. So how does Africa figure in all of this? Cisco economic growth and social development. In June, While that revised total excludes passive sensors reckons M2M traffic in the Middle East and its members established ITU-T, a new study group and RFID tags, Ericsson says M2M is expected to Africa will grow 38-fold from 2014 to 2019 to reach that will be responsible for international standards show strong growth, driven by new use cases such 50PB per month in four years time. Furthermore, to enable the coordinated development of IoT as in cars, machines and utility metering. it says M2M will account for two per cent of total technologies, including M2M communications

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and ubiquitous sensor networks. The union information independently. This justifiably raises said African experts contributing to ITU-T have Mteto Nyati, concerns over who will be accessing the mHealth identified “numerous” IoT use cases relevant to CEO, data and how secure it is. the continent, and it expects a wide variety of MTN Group “To overcome these, communities would need to innovators to answer the demand for applications. be educated on how to use the technology including “New players can enter the market from the benefits. Most importantly, before the potential edge of the network, and the key in the IoT sphere of mHealth can be realised across the continent, will be local solutions to local problems,” says individuals need to reach a level of comfort in Bilel Jalousie, chief of the ITU-T study groups using the devices and trust that their information department. So what are those use cases? is secure and will remain confidential.” TEOCO specialises in planning, analytics He said that one step to resolving the challenge is and optimisation solutions, and has worked with “In South Africa, the wholesale to take measures to ensure data is stored securely. operators such as Vodafone in Ghana, Orange, as For example, he said Vodafone secures the data well as with Zain’s former operation in Nigeria. M2M market – one aspect of the stream through a dedicated M2M platform with no Steve Bowker, the firm’s VP of technology and access to the open internet. But in many cases, the strategy, believes M2M does present a very real IoT – is already worth an estimated data is encrypted by customers themselves which opportunity in Africa, but in very specific markets. means that not even the M2M service provider has “Education, health and agriculture in particular ZAR350 million and is expected to access to it without the required encryption key. are areas where M2M is likely to make a big impact “Another step is to operate a transparent system in Africa. However, for certain usage models, grow to ZAR1.2 billion by 2017.” of access. Inspiring confidence means making M2M in Africa is ahead of other markets. For people aware that they are in charge, and can example, PoS devices in Africa have a multitude the region. This has been designed to enable the control which healthcare providers view which of connectivity options in order to make sure measurement and control of energy consumption data, and also for how long,” said Smallwood. payments can be processed.” for the metering and lighting markets. He added that without building more While luxury cars and fleet vehicles have been XLink claims that it currently manages M2M bureaucracy into systems already weighed down tracked using mobile networks for more than ten solutions for more than 68,000 businesses in Africa, by regulation, it is also vital for national and years in South Africa, Bowker thinks connected facilitating 35 million monthly connections via international policymakers to take an active cars will generally be far less popular in Africa its portal. CCO Hymie Marnewick believes the role. “For example, as smartphones become all- than elsewhere in the world. (Also see ‘Connected cars continent needs solutions for the smart monitoring capable devices with an app for everything, it is to create network traffic jams?’, opposite page). of any remote asset – electricity, manufacturing, important to define what constitutes a medical Econet Wireless is unlikely to agree here. generators, etc. – to better manage and utilise device for the purpose of mHealth.” Last year, the Zimbabwean mobile operator valuable resources such as water and electricity, as announced a new focus on connecting the IoT well as to optimise current human capital. Will the networks be able to cope? starting with vehicles. Under its Connected Cars “In South Africa, we see a huge focus on smart initiative, customers can use the Econet network metering. We see new government regulations While Smallwood focuses on the challenges of to track the movement of goods and passenger and [tax] incentives being introduced to encourage implementing mHealth applications on an M2M vehicles, monitor driver behaviour, and receive better reporting/monitoring of environmental network, others would argue that there are bigger safety alerts, customised fleet management sustainability. This will create the required hurdles that have to be overcome before you can reports, as well as other services. platforms and focus for the IoT in Africa.” even get to that stage. At the launch of the initiative in October, According to Cisco’s VNI, the consumer “The challenges of implementing the IoT Econet said its ambition was to connect most of health segment will have the fastest growth in are bigger in Africa than elsewhere, notably Zimbabwe’s more than 1.2 million cars within a global M2M connections and is forecast to rise because of the lack of universal connectivity few months. While the company has not revealed 8.6-fold from 2014 to 2019. The implications for or secure, inclusive network access,” says the the precise number of vehicles that have been this in terms of mHealth applications in Africa is ITU’s Jamoussi. “International standards will connected to its network since then, in May it particularly significant. be critical in offering common platforms for announced an upgrade of the Connected Cars The World Health Organisation says sub- innovation by improving interoperability and platform. Customers now have a more “user Saharan Africa is home to 12 per cent of the reducing barriers to market entry.” friendly” interface to view and monitor their planet’s population but carries 26 per cent of its So doesn’t GSM present the solution here? fleet in real-time, and to customise any reports disease burden. For instance, 90 per cent of the According to Ericsson’s Mobility Report, 75 per dependent on their particular requirements. Econet world’s malaria cases occur in Africa as do 60 per cent of cellular M2M modules today are GSM- claimed this was to meet “increasing” demand for cent of HIV/AIDS incidences. only and serve applications that do not require its recently launched fleet management service. In a thought leadership article written last year, high network throughput. For UK-based M2M specialist Cyan Technology, Tony Smallwood, Vodacom Business’ executive TEOCO’s Bowker agrees and says most M2M Africa’s IoT will be driven not by cars but by energy. head of machine-to-machine and industry applications in developed markets currently “The US Trade and Development Agency has vertical solutions, said M2M is providing the use 3G infrastructure (or better) for their data forecast that South African utility executives will healthcare industry with greater control over transfer. But he warns that 3G coverage in many spend USD11 billion on grid modernisation over the medical data and enabling patients to take a more African countries is often sketchy at best, and 2G next decade,” says the company’s VP Mark Coyle. proactive role in their own treatment. connections severely limit the amount of data Cyan is collaborating with Adenco Construction But he warned that while M2M offers that can be transmitted. to deliver smart energy solutions that will help “unrivalled opportunities” to get information to “There are two solutions to this – either improve increase energy security and reduce supply costs the right place at the right time and as quickly 3G infrastructure or create solutions that can in South Africa. Earlier this year, it also signed as possible, there are several barriers that be used even when data bandwidth is extremely a deal with Johannesburg-based M2M specialist impact the adoption of mHealth technologies limited. The former is unlikely in the short term; XLink Communications for the distribution of in Africa. Smallwood pointed out that in M2M instead, we will see applications developed that its smart energy communication technology in communication, devices collect and transmit don’t use a great deal of data in order to be useful.”

24 NORTHERN AFRICAN WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS August/September 2015 FEATURE: INTERNET OF THINGS

LTE may be vital here. In its Mobility Report, Ericsson says LTE modem prices will enable new CONNECTED CARS TO CREATE NETWORK TRAFFIC JAMS? applications with very low latency requirements. It adds: “New developments and 5G capabilities In June, Juniper Research forecast that the are expected to extend the range of addressable telematics sector will continue to outperform applications for massive machine-type all other M2M markets over the next five years communications deployments.” in revenue terms, with one-in-five passenger But according to Cyan, all types of networking vehicles connected globally by 2019. technologies have a role to play in the IoT. Among That’s perhaps not good news given an the wireless options, Coyle says that while independent study published earlier this year Bluetooth and ZigBee transmit signals over shorter by Machina Research on behalf of TEOCO. It distances, Wi-Fi and sub-GHz have a longer range. warned that rush hour traffic will have “grave “In urban areas, a sub-GHz standard performs implications for mobile networks”, with certain most effectively, as the lower the operating cells set to experience a 97 per cent increase in Connected cars during rush hour will have “grave” frequency, the higher the transmission range data traffic over the next ten years. implications for MNOs as some cells could see a 97 per for the signal. In simpler terms, operating on a Connected cars will be the key driver of this cent increase in data trafﬁ c over the next ten years. 433MHz frequency ensures that the signal can sharp increase in network usage. easily propagate through concrete walls and can “Connected cars, as with other M2M The report outlined a number of areas that reach longer distances. devices, don’t behave like smartphones,” said operators must prioritise to cope with the uptake “Many IoT and M2M devices must continuously Machina Research CEO Matt Hatton. “They in M2M connections. These include: dynamic be connected to other components of the network represent a very diverse set of challenges to network management and optimisation for and the utilities; a compromise on the range is operators through highly varying network both RAN and backhaul planning; support for generally not acceptable. Also, because of their traffic patterns at different times of the day.” greater diversity in access networks including longer range, sub-GHz systems require fewer While connected cars don’t present much the management of both licensed and unlicensed data collectors to serve the same number of smart of a problem in terms of overall data volumes, spectrum; more sophisticated planning tools; meters as compared to ZigBee for example, thus Hatton pointed out that network resource and an increased focus on device management. reducing the cost of deployments.” management is not based on total traffic It added that a more considered approach Ericsson largely supports this view. Despite volume but on particular cell sites during peak to spectrum re-farming will also be required: the dominance of GSM, it says more things will times of network use. “M2M devices are more sensitive to spectrum be connected through capillary networks using “If connected cars regularly cause network re-farming. They will have lifespans measured short-range radio to cellular gateways: “This will traffic spikes in a particular location that can’t in decades and be installed in hard to reach leverage the ubiquity, security and management be met, there are implications for operators in places making them difficult to swap out. This of cellular networks. One example is home alarm meeting SLAs and delivering a positive quality will have a big impact on how operators choose systems where sensors on doors and windows, as of experience,” he warned. to re-farm their spectrum,” said Machina. well as motion detectors and fire alarms, all connect to an alarm centre through a cellular gateway.” seen developments in this area from as far back for MTN in this respect is providing solutions to as six to 10 years ago. Reflecting on Supervisory address the need for basic necessities like clean Getting connected Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) and the and drinkable water, driving energy efficiencies, inception of machine-related data communica- economic inclusion and citizen engagement.” Africa currently has an internet penetration rate tions, it is clear that we have the building blocks He continues by saying MTN’s IoT environment of around 16 per cent and includes eight out of and now need to enhance and facilitate greater has eased the above mentioned dependencies by the top 10 countries worldwide with the lowest efficiencies with our own solutions.” providing a dedicated management platform that internet access rates (also see News, p5). While this MTN claims its IoT platform will provide runs on a dedicated network. indicates yet another barrier to the IoT, Coyle says enterprises in Africa with greater control and “This allows us to provide a consistent service it also presents clear opportunities for growth. advanced management features for their connected experience across our footprint and manage “As the continent does not possess the same devices and SIMs. The company has also launched costs accordingly. With the addition of an open entrenched infrastructure as Western countries, its a global machine-to-machine SIM card and says architecture software development kit and API, cities can be more easily adapted for IoT solutions,” this gives customers the same rate for M2M activity we have opened our toolsets to allow the developer he says. “Consulting firm McKinsey estimates across its network footprint in Africa. community in Africa to build African solutions that by 2025 Africa will have tripled internet MTN’s IoT platform is now live in South to address our uniquely African problems.” penetration to over 50 per cent, or around 600 Africa, and its other operating countries are set As part of the IoT platform launch, application million people. The GSMA says this will give Africa to follow over the next 12 months. Echoing other developers from across South Africa are the opportunity to ‘leapfrog’ and go to the latest in commentators here, Nyati says how the Internet of participating in MTN Business’ first Mind-2- innovation and technology at the same time.” Things is used and what that means for customers Machine Challenge. The initiative aims to identify Ultimately, it doesn’t matter how many billions are the questions that now need to be asked. and enable talented local developers to create or millions of connected devices the world is “Africa has a unique set of problems that cannot scalable and relevant business solutions that solve predicted to see in the coming years: the reality be compared to other territories. The continent real-world problems. is that there is real potential for the IoT in Africa. faces issues largely related to health, environmental Nyati concludes by saying that there’s money to And if proof was needed, then it came earlier this sustainability, public safety and agriculture. be made from the IoT on the continent. “In South year in May when MTN, the continent’s biggest Underpinning these are the constraints faced Africa, the wholesale M2M market – one aspect of mobile operator, unveiled what it described as the in relation to connectivity and data costs. the IoT – is already worth an estimated ZAR350 first truly pan-African IoT platform. “Therefore, there is certainly an appetite for million and is expected to grow to ZAR1.2 billion “The IoT/M2M opportunity is real,” says MTN solutions to address the aforementioned problems. by 2017. This means there are significant business Group CEO Mteto Nyati. “It is no longer a matter By addressing these we create a viable ecosystem to opportunities for aspiring developers in South of if or when IoT/M2M will take off, as we have drive solutions and their adoption. A key focus Africa and the rest of the continent. ■

August/September 2015 NORTHERN AFRICAN WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS 25

INDUSTRY VIEW: BSS Don’t be a sheep when it comes

A managed service provider who offers BSS must be able to understand the intricacies of a billing system and all the functions it supports. to BaaS Should you follow the industry trend of handing over your BSS to a managed service provider? ALAM GILL explains what ‘Billing as a Service’ should really mean.

lobally, recognition of the part that managing specific requirements, rather than Delivering business outcomes improved communications plays in focusing on business outcomes such as delivering delivering economic growth during tangible improvements in ‘time to market’ and BSS applications, and billing systems in particular, Ga time of worldwide recession has led to several managing and expanding customer experience. are an integral part of the business. So naturally, governments taking action to increase the take- This means if requirements are not 100 per cent many critical business outcomes are directly tied up of high-speed broadband services. But at what accurate and complete, then the basis of the to such platforms. The effectiveness of the billing price? After more than 20 years working with project is fundamentally unstable. system can impact the ability of service providers telecom companies across the globe, I can speak More importantly, by managing purely for to launch timely offerings, and almost always has a from experience when I say the world is littered requirements, service providers and system direct correlation with customer satisfaction. with failed billing projects. integrators fall into the trap of being bound to For example, improving the billing experience has Common symptoms of such projects include: carefully crafted sets of words which always a huge impact on an organisation’s net promoter score, constant delays; significant cost overruns; unrealised tend to favour one party over another and also which measures customer loyalty and the likelihood potential of strategic platforms that become legacy assume a constant and non-changing world. And that he or she will recommend your products and replicas; and continual scope versus change therein lies the fundamental problem: billing services to a friend or colleague. management angst and disputes between service transformations take time and time means So unlike system integrators (SIs) and independent providers and their system integrators/vendors. change; yet requirements are static and fixed. software vendors (ISVs), MSPs tend to take a Despite these common multiple symptoms, This is why managed service providers (MSPs) holistic view of the business. They start with a clear what is interesting is that most stem from a single in general aim to shift the focus from ‘delivering understanding of the challenges and the expected common root cause. to requirements’ to ‘delivering to business outcomes to deliver solutions and services that are Often, billing projects tend to focus on outcomes’. Creating a world-class billing capability ‘fit for use’ rather than just conform to requirements. ‘managing to requirements’. Enormous amounts fit for today’s business requirements and future More so, effective MSPs understand the need of energy and effort are spent on capturing and innovation is a journey, not a point in time solution. and value of innovation, and recognise that

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the world is forever evolving. Hence, they tend but with the ability to be delivered on any service, but how will that new service impact core to ensure that business outcomes incorporate platform, hosted or otherwise systems such as ordering, billing and everything continuous innovation and ongoing service ❖ Quality management frameworks and risk in between? And most importantly, what type of improvement as part of their core offering. management models that control and assure experience will the customer have? How do we So the real question is, can any MSP truly billing specific conditions make the customer journey a smooth and fast one? deliver billing as a managed service? ❖ Billing domain knowledge and best practices A service-driven approach looks at the entire founded on years of global operations and billing process from beginning to end and maps the Are all MSPs equal? technology experiences technology to that process. It understands how all ❖ An inherent understanding of billing pain systems interrelate across the whole experience – The simple answer is no. Generally speaking, points, and a proactive approach to continually not just one point along the journey. while most people would visit their general medical improve billing maturity Thirdly, the approach focuses on putting in practitioner for a check-up and/or to address minor ❖ An internal ongoing investment in billing place the people, processes and technology to work ailments, no sane person has ever agreed to have heart technology and operational best practices to ensure in harmony instead of in silos. It’s people – and surgery performed by anyone other than a specialised continual innovation and service improvement their skills and expertise – that bring new products heart surgeon. In this respect, the approach to using a ❖ A service-oriented billing approach able to to life, create innovative opportunities and enable billing platform as a managed service is no different. capitalise on the digital era faster time to market. Processes and technologies BSS, and especially billing systems, hold the heart The billing system is one of the best places to help bring those ideas to fruition. Businesses of the organisation (i.e. the product model) and pump leverage managed services and a service-oriented must take into account all three to support new the events continuously from downstream systems approach. No other system touches the customer digital services and meet customer expectations. and through to upstream systems and direct users. experience so frequently, nor has the potential to They are the central nervous system of telecom significantly improve the customer interaction Africa’s growing need for a operations and impact key business success factors and time-to-market. holistic view such as time to market, customer satisfaction and of But just focusing on the billing system as a piece course, profitability. As a result, in-depth, specific of technology won’t get you there – consideration Nowhere is digital transformation poised to expertise is needed to get the billing system right. of the entire ecosystem of people, processes and trigger dramatic changes than in Africa, where So handing over the transformation of the technology as a whole must be at the forefront of mobile and internet penetration has remained billing domain to a generic MSP is no different to any managed services endeavour. lower than in the rest of the world. asking a general medical practitioner to perform Today’s digital world requires a new way of The continent’s telecoms market is still in its open heart surgery. While they might be familiar thinking about all of these three elements as early stages of development but it is also one with key concepts and processes, they lack the enablers of the customer journey, and that’s where of the fastest-growing. Since the 2000s, mobile intimate understanding and experience that a the next generation of managed services, the telephone services in Africa have boomed, and specialist surgeon possesses. service-oriented approach, fits in. This approach their use is now substantially more widespread How can a generic MSP truly understand the is built upon collaboration of stakeholders from than fixed line telephony. intricacies of the billing system and services if it across the business (not just IT), and looks to solve But while the region’s mobile subscription doesn’t live and breathe this for many years across business problems without creating new ones. rate is now over 50 per cent and rapidly growing, many customers? How can it manage to deliver A new business model is emerging in leading national and regional differences are substantial. business outcomes if it doesn’t have an inherent telcos. They have created an ‘innovation team’ West Africa holds a 30 per cent mobile rate and understanding of the billing domain and how it comprised of marketing, IT, product management Central Africa is below 20 per cent. North and affects customer satisfaction? and the MSP to identify business objectives, South Africa raise the continental average. More importantly, how can an MSP contribute establish common goals, and proactively identify The continent is poised to undergo significant to innovation and deliver continuous service issues that can thwart results. growth as existing barriers to bandwidth have improvement if it is not investing R&D money The service-oriented approach can create kept penetration in some isolated geographical into billing technology roadmaps? BSS specialists dramatic and meaningful results for the business. areas low. And soon, the geographical disparities have defined frameworks and models that A great recent example is work CSG performed in mobile usage across the region will be a thing anticipate billing issues and proactively aim to for one of its managed services clients who of the past. Mobile penetration rates and internet eradicate them based on years of best practice. wanted to shorten the amount of time it took to usage are expected to skyrocket as companies The reality is this: generic MSPs will strive to create and launch a new product. CSG helped like OneWeb works toward its goal of providing deliver business outcomes, and will most likely the provider look across the entire process of global internet broadband service to individual deliver cost optimisation across a broad cross- launching a product to identify the gaps and consumers through a proposed constellation of section of the organisation. However, they will address each one. With this more agile, holistic approximately 700 low-orbit satellites as early as not be able to exploit and enhance the fundamental approach, the provider was empowered to release 2019 (see News, Jun-Jul 2015). business outcomes that are critical in today’s digital four to five new offerings every week. Amidst all of this change, the timing is perfect to era, such as time-to-market, customer satisfaction This transformation didn’t happen overnight, explore a service-oriented approach to designing and service predictability/agility. To realise these and it didn’t look to a single technology for the teams, business processes and systems that will benefits requires a deep understanding of billing answer. Instead, it required collaborating with all prepare operators for success as the market grows. ■ technology and billing services to assess, baseline, of the company’s relevant stakeholders, mapping and continually improve billing service maturity. out a process, and optimising the right systems to Alam Gill, make it all happen. SVP of The service-oriented approach also puts the ‘BaaS’ – what should it really mean? international customer at the centre of the business, and explores managed services, ‘Billing as a Service’ (BaaS) invokes connotations every opportunity to build better interactions, CSG International of cloud-based billing solutions. However, what it create loyalty and build new revenue streams. should mean is something much broader and yet While technology can address parts of the much more specialised. It should encompass: interaction it often overlooks the whole. The ❖ The agility that a SaaS cloud solution implies marketing department may want to launch a new

28 NORTHERN AFRICAN WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS August/September 2015

“Clear connection” between wireless devices and cancer Radiation from wireless described as an imbalance between the say a precautionary approach is now Writing in the online forum, The devices could be the link to production of reactive oxygen species needed in using wireless technologies. Skeptics Guide To The Universe, Novella health risks such as various neuro- (ROS) and antioxidant defence. However, other experts have says: “This review does not look at degenerative diseases and cancer, According to the study, the oxidative dismissed the study as yet more studies which examine whether or according to a recent study. stress due to RFR exposure could scaremongering. For instance, Dr. not there is an actual increase in brain Writing in a review article published explain not only cancer but also other Steven Novella, an academic neurologist cancer or other illness associated with in Electromagnetic Biology and Medicine minor disorders such as headaches, at the Yale University School of cell phone use. While there are still by the Taylor and Francis Group, fatigue and skin irritation, which could Medicine in the US, says Yakymenko minority dissenters, there is a growing Dr. Igor Yakymenko of Ukraine’s develop after long-term RFR exposure. and his team have only looked at consensus among scientists that National Academy of Sciences The article explains that ROS are literature and proclaimed that it cell phone use does not cause brain explores experimental data on a often produced in cells due to aggressive confirms what they already believed. He cancer. Most reassuring is that, as cell metabolic imbalance caused by low- environments, and can also be provoked points out that they have not presented phone use has skyrocketed over the intensity RF radiation in living cells. by “ordinary wireless radiation”. As a any new data, or conducted any last 20 years, the incidence of brain Also known as oxidative stress, this is result Yakymenko and his colleagues experiments or an observational study. cancer has not budged.” Reliance Group aims to YahClick launches Ka-band boost IoT in India broadband in Pakistan Reliance Group has its will be easy to deploy and efficient to Yahsat has officially Yahsat CEO Masood Mahmood sights set on developing operate, and can grow in functionality launched its YahClick claims “exceptional” demand has the Internet of Things (IoT) in India as the market develops.” satellite broadband service in Pakistan. led to YahClick’s rapid growth to as part of two new partnerships. Under a second partnership, The UAE-based operator says become the largest satellite internet Reliance Energy, the power Reliance Communications (RCOM) consumers anywhere in the country, provider in Africa and a dominant distribution arm of Reliance will use Jasper’s Control Center platform including places where terrestrial player in the Afghan market. Infrastructure, annually distributes in conjunction with its 11 data centres infrastructure is currently not yet He adds: “Our consumer launch more than seven billion units and global Cloud Exchange (Cloud X) available, will now be able to instantly in Pakistan is a significant milestone of electricity to its 2.9 million service. RCOM recently launched five connect to broadband via a small for YahClick. Regulatory approval consumers spread across 400km2 in Cloud X nodes in Delhi, Mumbai, satellite dish and modem, without the by the Pakistani authorities for Mumbai and its surrounding areas. Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad. “frustration” of congested networks. consumer use paves the way for It is working with Swedish vendor By using Control Center, it aims YahClick uses Ka-band connectivity us to continue our global growth Connode on building a smart sustain- to give more than 39,000 enterprise via Yahsat’s Y1A satellite that was strategy in this promising market.” able city network that will connect customers the ability to quickly and launched in 2011 and Y1B which Clicksat will distribute the smart meters, streetlights and distri- cost-effectively launch IoT services. went up a year later. The service is service in the country, and also offer bution automation equipment using Reliance Group companies will already being used to link more than operational and customer care. Intel’s IOT Gateways and the Connode 4 be the anchor clients on the IoT 154 ATMs for many of Pakistan’s Part of REDtone Pakistan, Clicksat IPv6-based wireless mesh system. platform, but discussions are also leading banks serving its most isolated is said to be one of the fastest growing The system aims to provide a under way with several organisations locations, as well as for connecting satellite solution companies in highly f lexible and cost-effective and state governments across India 1,600 students and supporting Southern Asia, deploying more than total communications solution that for further deployments. election offices in remote areas. 300 VSATs across the region last year. Upgrade for biggest critical comms network in SA The City of Cape Town was last upgraded in 2008, enabling with the telephone network – remain has upgraded its TETRA Cape Town to meet its communication secure and private. Encryption ensures infrastructure using the latest system requirements for the 2010 World Cup. those with police radio scanners from Motorola Solutions. In June 2015, Altech Alcom Matomo cannot listen in on conversations, The city’s TETRA network is said upgraded the infrastructure’s master while real-time GPS tracking and to be the largest in South Africa. It switching station using Dimetra IP 8.2. mapping enables the command centre serves 11,000 public safety, security Motorola says efficiency, safety and to monitor users and instantly dispatch and utility services, and also provides incident response time have all now support to their exact locations. communications for 2,500 external been improved through enhanced To complete the project, Altech needs users from surrounding municipalities. network management, security and to upgrade the 32 remote repeater sites Motorola’s Dimetra system was new location-based capabilities. and dedicated microwave infrastructure first commissioned by city authorities The system is set up so that all that links them to the master switch. In addition to public safety, Cape Town’s to provide coverage across the Cape communications – across a range This is planned to take place over the TETRA network extension covers key Metropolitan Area (CMA) in 2000. It of radio groups and interconnected next three years. utilities such as the Wemmershoek Dam.

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WORLD NEWS

Advanced LTE with the help of ZTE

Smartfren, the first Indonesian The operator has deployed ZTE’s In 2011, Smartfren became the carrier to operate both hybrid evolved node B (eNB), Cloud Radio world’s first mobile operator to launch LTE and CDMA networks, has gone network coordination system, and CDMA EV-DO Rev.B technology. live with new LTE-A services covering evolved high rate packet data to deliver By using products such as its 22 cities across the country. what’s claimed to be the “best user Universal Subscriber Profile Platform, Following the national government experience possible”. ZTE says the operator’s core nodes authorising the use of 1800MHz Smartfren has opened new galleries, The network supports both the in both its CDMA and LTE networks spectrum for 4G, Indonesia’s five such as this one in Jakarta, to showcase FDD-LTE and TDD-LTE standards. are “highly integrated” to provide a largest cellcos – Telkomsel, Indosat, its 4G products and services. Smartfren CTO Christian Daigneault unified user database, policy control XL Axiata, Hutchison’s 3 and Smart- says: “We leverage both TDD and and charging policies.The company fren – have all been racing to roll out This followed a successful trial period FDD technologies to get best of both claims this allows LTE to be deployed LTE services in various cities. and the June launch of its Andromax worlds: high capacity and throughput rapidly, facilitating maintenance and Smartfren’s LTE-A network was range of 4G smartphones and LTE on TDD at 2300MHz, and large operation of 3G and 4G networks in switched on in August in Jakarta. compatible portable Wi-Fi devices. coverage with FDD at 850MHz.” the future, as well as lowering opex. Satellite TETRA steps in after DMR disappoints When an upgrade to Stavanger-based 1-2-3 Communi- efﬁ ciency DMR failed to meet its cation was called upon to design and communications needs, engineering commission the solution. record firm Subsea 7 is now using TETRA It deployed DAMM’s TetraFlex at its spoolbase on the island of Vigra system which features intelligent Intelsat and Newtec say on the northwest coast of Norway. decentralised infrastructure as well they have achieved a world Subsea 7 produce pipes for the oil as a built-in Dispatcher application. first for the amount of throughput and gas industry. Its spoolbase runs TETRA hardware from Sepura, in a single satellite transponder. 3.7km across the island, and includes comprising a dispatcher solution and In a demonstration conducted a purpose-built deepwater quay area the STP9000 hand-portables, was at Intelsat’s Fuchsstadt teleport in covering 284,505m2, making it one also included. Germany, engineers from the two of the longest facilities of its type. Subsea 7’s 3.7km Spoolbase is one of the Kenneth Furnes-Røsand, HSE firms used Newtec’s MDM6000 For several years, the company longest facilities of its type in the world. base manager for Subsea7 Spoolbase, satellite modem with built-in all used an open communication system says: “The reliable audio clarity digital Bandwidth Cancellation based on analogue UHF with 10 system consisting of five repeaters of the STP9000 enables clear and (BWC) to put 20Mbps into 2MHz. channels and six repeaters. While this and 60 hand terminals. precise communications, a vital Newtec says its modem combines initially worked well, Subsea 7 found But the company soon realised requirement in the environment a number of elements to improve that it had unauthorised traffic on that this new system did not meet its in which we operate. We intend efficiencies currently available the network which disrupted its daily needs, especially in terms of voice to expand the TETRA system to a on the market and lower overall communication and production. As a quality. It therefore went back to UHF larger number of talk groups and TCO. It includes new modulation result, it replaced UHF with a DMR before deciding to invest in TETRA. users in the months to come.” and FEC codes up to 256 APSK in the DVB-S2X standard, while embedded technologies bring the satellite link to full efficiency. Bonding solution provides diverse The firm claims adding built-in BWC – which allows transmission connectivity on world’s longest ship of two carriers in an overlay fashion With an overall length of Peplink. To maximise WAN – as well as optional network 382m Pioneering Spirit is the diversity, two of the vendor’s optimisation technologies, improves world’s largest twin-hulled vessel and MAX HD2 IP 67 rated routers the performance even more for any is also the widest at 124m. Owned are used and placed on each point-to-point application. by Allseas, the USD2.3bn ship is side of the vessel spread Newtec reckons the achievement ostensibly a crane platform and will 300m apart to maximise demonstrates its modem’s be used for the decommissioning of signal reception. “unparalleled” efficiency at any Shell’s 24,000-ton Brent Delta oil rig Peplink says this setup rate, whether on a low-speed voice off the coast of Scotland. is designed to maintain or data connection, or for medium- Instead of using VSAT, Allseas a continuous link and is With a length of 382m, the Pioneering Spirit now speed backhaul links all the way up felt that additional diversity and also configured to prioritise has the widest area network on the open seas. to ultra high-speed trunks. communication redundancy was the most affordable WAN PHOTO: FaceMePLS from The Hague, The Netherlands. “With a spectral efficiency of needed to supplement Pioneering Spirit’s connections. Licensed under CC BY 2.0 via Commons more than 10bps per Hz, one can, for existing ship-to-shore communications. At shore, Pioneering Spirit initially the vessel moves out of all terrestrial example, handle a bidirectional E1 At the core of its new system is the connects using point-to-point Wi-Fi coverage, VSAT takes over with tethered in just 400kHz,” says Dave Suffys, Balance 710 from internet load balancing or cellular connections provided by data via an Iridium satellite phone as an product manager for IP modems. and VPN bonding solutions specialist the routers if this is unavailable. When additional failover option.

August/September 2015 NORTHERN AFRICAN WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS 33 Register to receive your free copy of this & other business magazines: WORLD NEWS www.kadiumpublishing.com

Orange plans Tier IV data centre supports IoT in 2016 Orange plans to begin hybrid broadband network rolling out an Internet of Things (IoT) network early next year Flexenclosure will build that will eventually cover the whole Myanmar’s first Tier IV of metropolitan France. Since May, data centre for broadband service the telco has been experimenting provider Burst Networks. with LoRa (long range) technology Headquartered in Singapore, Burst in a trial conducted with more than will deliver enterprise broadband 30 business partners in Grenoble. services from its teleport in Myanmar. It says this was carried out under As as well a data centre, the site will real conditions to test the network’s also include a NOC connecting a The modular, pre-fabricated data centre will be built at Flexenclosure’s factory in main uses – collecting data from hybrid network of local fibre and Vara, Sweden ready for deployment in Myanmar in early 2016. sensors, controlling objects, regular- satellite infrastructure that supports ly locating objects, etc. In addition, C-, Ku- and Ka-band frequencies. it will be certified to host mission of 330m2 consisting of a 220m2 data Orange says it is also continuing Under a multi-million dollar critical systems. The classification centre and a 110m2 energy centre. It the work on the standardisation of contract, the operator will use eCentre, also means that all HVAC systems will support a total of 72 racks with future 2G/4G networks for the IoT Flexenclosure’s customised pre- are independently dual-powered for two secure pods, two secure cages, which will be operational in 2017, fabricated modular data centre. It will redundancy, and their fully fault- two ‘meet me’ rooms, and 40 racks in and for 5G by 2022. be assembled in the Thilawa Special tolerant site infrastructure gives an a common data centre area. Power is Economic Zone on the outskirts of availability of 99.995 per cent. designed for a total IT load of 150kW, LTE-A FDD/ Yangon, and as a Tier IV facility The facility will have a total area with 2N+1 power redundancy. TDD ﬁ rst Sierra simpliﬁ es IoT with Acceleration Swisscom has demon- Sierra Wireless has and third-parties, all managed by a to build custom analytics, Big Data, strated Europe’s first fully launched what it says is single connectivity system. or IoT applications. Sierra reckons commercial LTE-A three-carrier the industry’s first integrated service In addition, Sierra says it has this will enable them to leverage the aggregation solution combining both platform that combines Internet of natively connected its AirVantage data collected from the devices and FDD and TDD modes. The demo Things (IoT) hardware, cloud, and cloud platform to Google’s cloud- their connected assets in a broader featured two TDD carriers each with managed connectivity services to based services which support the context, thus increasing its value. 20MHz in the 2.6GHz band and support worldwide deployments. creation of anything from simple As a result, the company claims one FDD carrier with 15MHz in the The new IoT Acceleration Platform is websites to complex applications. it can now provide customers with a 2.1GHz band. Swisscom says this said to be unique because it provides Customers can collect and store comprehensive end-to-end solution set-up achieved a maximum down- global multi-operator coverage by sensor data in the Google Cloud that includes the hardware, AirVantage, link of 335Mbps. The live demo was combining SIMs from Sierra Wireless Platform and use the tools it provides and managed connectivity. supported by Ericsson’s RAN software and hardware and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X12 LTE modem. The Vodacom’s ‘data centre on wheels’ operator plans to roll out a service in metropolitan areas by summer 2016 to coincide with three-carrier FDD/ makes its network more resilient TDD smartphone availability. In what’s claimed to be an The mobile data centre African first, Vodacom has carries complete power developed a mobile recovery solution backup with on-board Bangladesh to ensure its network is even more generators, network resilient in the case of an unforeseen, equipment, and more. catastrophic incident. bus Wi-Fi The RAN Mobile Recovery Solution officer Beverly Ngwenya: “We call To further ensure it is able to meet In what’s claimed to be is essentially two mobile data centres this a ‘hole-in-the-ground’ recovery its 48 hour turnaround time, the a first in Bangladesh, housed on board a lorry. The operator solution because it’s used in the very company commissioned two solutions. Green Line bus passengers on the says the solution gives it the ability unlikely event that our entire facility’s The first, based in Pretoria, services Dhaka-Cox’s Bazaar and Dhaka- to restore functionality at any of functionality completely disappears.” the northern part of the country; the Sylhet routes will be able to access its South African mobile telephone Testing the new solution required second is in Bloemfontein to ensure the internet via Wi-Fi connectivity exchange (MTX) sites which link its the cellco to simulate the recovery of quick access to southern areas. provided through Grameenphone’s RAN to the core network. an entire MTX site. It chose Midrand Each recovery solution consists 3G devices. Green Line says it plans “These mobile data centres effectively which provides connectivity to of complete power backup with on- to introduce the service across all its allow us to recover our site within hundreds of thousands of customers board generators, fire suppression, air routes in the future. Grameenphone 48 hours instead of the two years it in the southern and central parts of conditioning, raised flooring, building states its ambition is to provide typically takes to build a new MTX site,” Gauteng. Vodacom claims the tests management systems, security “internet for all” in Bangladesh. says Vodacom network engineering ran smoothly with no loss of service. systems, and network equipment.

34 NORTHERN AFRICAN WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS August/September 2015