Southern African Volume 20 Number 6

MARCH/APRIL 2016 southern african Volume 20 Number 6

Forwireless communications professionals in southern Africa COMMUNICATIONS

● What you need to know about network security ● How wireless comms are boosting education ● HTS: hyperspace connectivity or just hype?

One Source. Global Site Solutions. wirelesssouthern african CONTENTS COMMUNICATIONS

MARCH/APRIL 2016 6 News southern african Volume 20 5 News review Number 6 MARCH/

Forwireless communications professionals in southern Africa COMMUNICATIONS APRIL 2016 > Namibia claims ﬁ rst with LTE-AdvancePro ● What you need to know about network security > VAST mall Wi-Fi network deployment ● How wireless comms are boosting education ● HTS: hyperspace connectivity or just hype? Volume 20 > Cell C unveils LTE-A in South Africa Number 6 > Cable system to connect Angola and Brazil > Vodacom launches managed cloud service > Unique ‘RAN’ helps protect rhino > Avanti approval for C-COM mobile antenna One Source. Global Site Solutions. 16 Wireless solutions > Watly delivers power, water and connectivity > Orange unveils USD40 smartphone Amphenol Antenna Solutions (AAS) is a leading global manufacturer of high 13 Wireless business performance antennas. > More than four billion SIMs shipped in 2015

As wireless networks have evolved so has 16 Wireless solutions the company and today AAS offers OEMs > DC generator claims to cut off-grid costs and operators the convenience of a one- stop shop, not only for quality antennas, but for transmission line products like Feeder Features: Cable, Hybrid Fibre, Surge Arrestors and 20 Network security Connectors as well as RF peripherals like > DAVE HOWELL on how to prevent hackers TMAs, Combiners, Couplers and Splitters. and fraudsters from killing your billing. 20 Network security The company provides a comprehensive suite of solutions for virtually all 24 Wireless users applications and global frequencies and > Mobile technologies are playing a key role all products support next generation in helping educators across Africa. wireless communication systems. 28 Industry view Whether it’s a complex Base Station, an > Do HTS platforms now represent the future 24 Wireless users for satcoms in Africa? DAVE REHBEHN fi nds out. InBuilding System or Private Network Application, Amphenol supplies over 6,000 products with best-in-class performance. 30 World news Contact: > Gogo for fi rst GEO/LEO shared network > Connected cones protect road crews Paul Eveleigh > Sri Lanka buys into Project Loon Amphenol Africa > Market leaders miss out in Thai 4G auction Suite 26, K&W Building, 34 World news > XL Axiata and Indosat Ooredoo share 4G RAN 114 West Street, Sandton, 2146, Rep of South Africa SUBSCRIPTIONS: of control can purchase an annual Southern African Wireless Communications is subscription at the cost of £110. Tel: +27 11 783 9517 a controlled circulation bi-monthly magazine. For more information and general enquiries Register now for your free subscription at please contact Suzanne Thomas at Cell: +27 83 442 0514 www.kadiumpublishing.com [email protected] Readers who do not qualify under the terms or call +44 (0) 1932 886 537. Email: [email protected] EDITORIAL: ADVERTISEMENT SALES: Visit: www.amphenol-antennas.com Editorial director: Rahiel Nasir Sales executive: John Davies Designer: Alan McClenaghan [email protected] Turn to page 12 to fi nd out more about Contributors: Dave Howell about Amphenol Antenna Solutions Gerry Moynihan Production & circulation: Dave Rehbehn Production: Suzanne Thomas [email protected] Tel: +44 (0) 1932 886537 Editorial enquiries: Fax: +44 (0) 1932 886539 Tel: +44 (0) 1932 886537 Fax: +44 (0) 1932 886539 Publishing director: Kathy Moynihan [email protected] +44 (0) 1932 886537

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NEWS

Namibia claims African Towerco secures ﬁ rst with LTE-AdvancePro Tanzania Namibian operator MTC has deployed around the world. Namibia, said: “As an ICT advisor to commercially launched LTE-A, and According to the vendor, 4.5G is many governments around the world, also claims to have inaugurated the the natural evolution of 4G and a we also look forward to sharing our ﬁ nancing continent’s first 4.5G trial which necessary transition to 5G. Compared global expertise and solutions with Helios Towers Tanzania (HTT) has delivered unprecedented mobile to 4G, it says 4.5G has much better the government of Namibia, in order has secured a USD95m equivalent speeds of almost 1Gbps. network performance in terms of to promote ICT development and upsizing of its syndicated term During a closed trial held in mid- bandwidth, capacity and latency, and boost digital economy here.” loan facility led by Standard Bank. April and attended by dignitaries will allow for speeds of up to 1Gbps As well as trialling LTE- Since the launch of the Helios such as the country’s president Dr over mobile and latency of less than AdvancedPro, MTC also successfully Towers Africa subsidiary in 2011, Hage Geingob, the operator worked 10 milliseconds. Huawei adds that demonstrated LTE-A with speed tests the number of BSTs in Tanzania has with Huawei to demonstrate 4.5G or 4.5G will be better for developing reaching close to 300Mbps. The oper- grown by around 5,500, whilst the LTE-AdvancedPro. the IoT with its ability to support up ator said its LTE-A network is already number of towers has only increased Huawei claims it came up with the to 100,000 connections per cell. commercially available in several by 2,900 due to increased sharing. concept of 4.5G in 2014, and says it Huawei said it will continue to parts of Windhoek, and following HTT believes this highlights the has already become a “major player” work closely with MTC to provide a the release of additional spectrum impact it has had on driving efficien- in developing the technology with 20 faster and better broadband network to it will be rolled out to all towns and cies and reducing the environmental commercial and trialled networks Namibia. Wallace Yin, MD, Huawei cities that have LTE technology. impact of delivering the telecoms services needed to facilitate development in emerging economies. “The continued support of our VAST mall Wi-Fi network deployment lenders re-emphasises the appetite VAST Networks has successfully on the site for nearly six months to of investors for this market,” deployed what’s said to be the largest make sure the Wi-Fi network would said Helios Towers Africa CEO shopping centre Wi-Fi installation work without any glitches once the Kash Pandya. “The new facility on the continent. The company says mall opened for business. in Tanzania will help us expand consumers and retailers can now VAST said the teams installed more tower sharing solutions across the benefit from “a reliable and fast Wi-Fi than 1,000 “highly advanced” APs country and meet new demand for experience” throughout the 130,000m2 together with the network backbone to tower sharing, benefiting both the Mall of Africa in Johannesburg which deliver a solution that could not only citizens and the environment.” opened towards the end of April. VAST Networks CEO Grant Marais said handle the capacity requirements of Over the last five years, HTT states Formed last year, VAST Networks Wi-Fi on this scale has never been more than 300 shops and thousands of that it has acquired and upgraded brought together the Wi-Fi assets of delivered before in Africa. anticipated daily visitors, but also cope 2,068 operator towers for colocation, MWeb and Internet Solutions, and with ever growing data demand. and built more than 1,000 multi- claims to be the first open-access partners including Ruckus Wireless VAST Networks CEO, Grant tenant towers in Tanzania. network provider in Africa (see News, on the Mall of Africa deployment. Marais, added that a deployment of New software helps Eaton Towers raise Jan-Feb 2016). They planned the rollout for more this scale is a “massive undertaking by USD350m in equity funding – Wireless The company collaborated with than a year, with technicians working world standards and an African first”. Business, p15. Emcom sets up DMR system for Lesotho Electric Company The Lesotho Electricity Company to pinpoint the location on the grid and a year designing, building and testing (LEC) is using a nationwide digital a further couple of days to get communi- the system under different conditions. mobile radio (DMR) system, designed cation to head office to despatch a team One notable aspect of LEC’s and deployed by South African-based with the correct spares for repair.” DMR network is its integration PMR specialist Emcom Wireless. Emcom’s project team, led by with a RediTALK dispatcher loaded Prior to implementing DMR, LEC’s sales director Tony Sibanda, began with Google Maps. This enables the communication system was said to be by carrying out a detailed field study operations team at head office to not only costly but often cumbersome. that involved extensive travel across have real-time location visibility The company used a combination of the entire country. Sibanda said: “Our of all radios and vehicles on the standalone analogue repeaters, cellular initial scoping days involved trekking network, talk to specific radios when systems and landlines for communica- up some of the wildest terrain in Emcom’s Tony Sibanda (right) required, and monitor elements such tions between its management, centres Africa in search of suitable summits to experienced some of Africa’s “wildest as standing time, speed and distance and field staff that are all scattered mount repeaters, and we had to face terrain” when scoping the project. from an incident, all on one screen. across the mountainous kingdom. snow, lightning and rain as challenges Also pictured is LEC CEO Mots’oikha. The new system has allowed LEC to LEC’s GM Seitlheko said: “When a in determining the best locations.” identify and resolve maintenance issues problem arose in the field, it often took This gave Emcom a valuable insight It selected DMR Tier 3 products from much faster, as well as given it constant several days to get a maintenance team into what LEC needed as a solution. Tait Communications, and then spent control of the utilisation of its resources.

March/April 2016 SOUTHERN AFRICAN WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS 5 Register to receive your free copy of this & other business magazines: NEWS www.kadiumpublishing.com

Cell C unveils LTE-A in South Africa Cell C has commercially launched devices in LTE areas can experience only operator to offer Wi-Fi Calling. access fibre network operator Vumatel, LTE-A in three of South Africa’s data download speeds of up to This gives customers an affordable and is also in discussions with other largest cities: Cape Town, 100Mbps. alternative to international roaming firms to provide an end-to-end service Johannesburg and Pretoria. Over the According to CEO Jose Dos by turning any Wi-Fi hotspot into a elsewhere across South Africa. coming months, it also plans to start Santos, the launch of LTE-A on “mini Cell C base station” (see News, C-Fibre will initially be available rolling our services in KwaZulu-Natal such a large scale in South Africa Sep-Oct 2015). in packages offering 20, 50 and expects to complete this during is the latest in a series of firsts from In a separate development and 100Mbps. Each one offers the third quarter. the company. As well as offering announced earlier in April, Cell C unrestricted symmetrical data, and Cell C’s LTE-A and existing free access to OTT services such has now made C-Fibre FTTH service includes installation, connection and LTE footprints overlap, meaning as Facebook and WhatsApp, he said commercially available. The company a Wi-Fi router with LTE failover, all customers that have LTE-A capable Cell C was the first and currently covers a footprint offered by open for free. SES will Cable system to connect Angola and Brazil Angola Cables and NEC will build Angola Cables CEO in the south hemisphere, providing provide the southern hemisphere’s first António Nunes said term and peak capacity product subsea fibre optic cable system to SACS will support offerings and support for the region’s high-speed link Africa and South America. the region’s expanding data requirements of The USD160m South Atlantic Cable expanding data today and for tomorrow.” System (SACS) will connect Luanda requirements both The project will be partially connectivity to Fortaleza in Brazil 6,200km away. for today as well co-funded by the Japan Bank for From there, it can join the 17,800km as into the future. International Cooperation and to Facebook America Movil Submarine Cable Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation System-1 (AMX-1) which stretches to wavelengths x four fibre pairs) and with the support of Nippon Export Facebook will use satellite Miami, enabling Africa to connect is expected to go live by mid-2018. and Investment Insurance through the technology to provide high-speed directly to the USA. Angola Cables says it will enable Banco de Desenvolvimento de Angola. broadband services to Africa as It’s claimed the system will feature high-speed and large capacity Founded in 2009, Angola Cables’ part of its Internet.org initiative to the latest optical technologies to international data transmissions, and core business is selling capacity in connect the world. provide the most advanced submarine also help to boost global trade and international circuits for voice and data The company will use three telecoms system. It will also be growth in both continents. through submarine cables connecting satellites from SES: ASTRA 4A integrated with a control plane “Our main objective is to improve Africa to Europe and the Americas, which covers sub-Saharan Africa based on SDN technology to serve the quality of communications and also between South America from 5ºE; ASTRA 2G which covers bandwidth-intensive applications. between Africa and the Americas,” and North America. It also runs a West Africa from 28.2ºE; and SACS will have an initial design says company CEO António Nunes. data centre in Luanda which hosts ASTRA 3B which covers North capacity of 40Tbps (100Gbps x 100 “[We will create] a totally new route the Angonix, Angola’s largest IXP. Africa from 23.5ºE. Facebook will also deploy the operator’s customised Enterprise+ Gazprom supports satellite news broadband services. SES says this utilises its satellite, data centre and implementation services with gathering services across the continent integrated features such as security, Telemedia will use Gazprom Space protocol enhancement and hosting. Systems’ Yamal-402 satellite to provide Telemedia uses a range of vehicles with The solution includes Gilat SNG (satellite news gathering) services ﬂ yaway antennas and portable satellite Satellite Networks’ X-Architecture to markets across the continent. equipment to provide SNG services. which runs on its SkyEdge II-c Since 2014, the South Africa- platform. It’s claimed this will based media specialist has been enable Facebook’s local African regularly using capacity on Yamal-402 partners to deliver internet for broadcasting African channel services to under-connected and packages and Angolan state TV. It unconnected communities using recently signed an agreement for the social networking company’s further capacity for the SNG services Express Wi-Fi access product. it develops to support political events, SES CCO Ferdinand Kayser elections, sport competitions, etc. of more than 10kW with its fleet of Systems has strengthened a partnership said: “An agreement such as this Launched to 55ºE at the end of flyaway vehicles and portable satellite that has so far lasted more than with Facebook, where we designed 2012, Yamal-402 features various communication stations, Telemedia says ten years with IABG. The German a whole new customisable, flexible Ku-band beams and is said to provide it will quickly and efficiently organise technology and science service provider and scalable solution, is another “optimal” coverage of sub-Sahara occasional use broadcasting and TV will also leverage Yamal-402 capacity step SES has taken to satisfy Africa, as well as the availability of contribution both in Africa as well as on an occasional use basis for the the fast expanding broadband an Africa-Europe cross-connect. from Africa to Europe. organisation of television and other connectivity market in Africa.” Using the satellite’s powerful capacity In separate news, Gazprom Space content transmission in Nigeria.

6 SOUTHERN AFRICAN WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS March/April 2016

Vodacom offers ﬁ rst cloud MTN targets SMEs with managed service in SA BCSG cloud Vodacom claims it will become the Within weeks of Vodacom’s first company in South Africa to offer announcement left, the MTN cloud managed enterprise products Group revealed it had selected such as IaaS and SAP-certified PaaS. UK-based cloud specialist BCSG to The operator will host a fully deliver SaaS and IaaS solutions to redundant IBM CMS Cloud delivery enterprise customers. centre for Africa in its Midrand and Using BCSG’s Cloud Management Roslyn data centres. This is the first Vodacom will host an IBM cloud Platform, the operator has initially delivery platform at its data centres IBM Cloud centre to be rolled out in launched its MTN Business Cloud in Midrand (pictured) and Roslyn. the Africa and Middle East region. Services platform targeting SMEs The cloud service will be linked via partnership with IBM will deliver a the service will also offer faster in Swaziland, Rwanda, Uganda, Vodafone’s global IP VPN network solution offering the same world-class network speeds along with improved Ghana and Cameroon. It is to IBM’s CMS platform in multiple standards, skills and services as other performance and reach to end users. expected to go live in all MTN locations in Europe. IBM Cloud centres across the world. Vodacom Business chief officer markets by the end of 2016. Vodacom will work with IBM to Vodacom adds that the new Vuyani Jarana believes the upsurge All the applications and services launch the solution to South Africa’s service will enable businesses to run of enterprise cloud computing on are available from a single web enterprise and multinational market. critical applications in the cloud with the continent is being driven by portal and will be offered across The cellco says customers will integrated access to a broad array large enterprise and multinational a variety of MTN channels. The benefit from “significant” savings of applications, such as enterprise organisations expanding their presence operator said there will be one in investment costs and skills as the mobility, security and IoT. It says and IT requirements across Africa. log-in to access all the services, managed through a “user-friendly” dashboard, wherever the business has an internet connection and by Ooredoo and Arabsat satcoms partnership using any device. Ooredoo and Arabsat will work include Algeria and Tunisia. The services arm of Telecom Italia, have Debbie Minnaar, acting executive together to develop new satellite company also aims to be a leading signed an MoU to collaborate on a of MTN Group’s enterprise business services for customers. Under the integrated ICT provider and is said range of joint initiatives and services. unit, said the platform was developed terms of a strategic partnership to offer one of the most advanced The agreement will enable to address some of the “pain agreement signed around mid-April, portfolio of satellite services of any Ooredoo Global Services (OGS) to points” experienced by its business the two companies will review the operator in the region. leverage Sparkle’s IP-MPLS backbone customers, especially SMEs. current satellite projects they have in Arabsat (Arab Satellite and the strategic positioning of “While the benefits of cloud progress. They will then collaborate Communication) owns and operates Sicily as a hub for telecoms services, services for SMEs are numerous, the on technology and design, and on six satellites at three orbital positions particularly for Africa, the Middle process of accessing and purchasing future projects to deliver cutting-edge that can cover Africa. It is also East and the Mediterranean basin. such services can be daunting,” satellite services, particularly VSAT. planning to launch Arabsat-6A to OGS offers a single point of she said. “Through the MTN Qatari-based Ooredoo offers 30.5°E in 2018, and is in discussions contact for global wholesale carriers Business Cloud Services platform, mobile, fixed, broadband internet and with multiple potential partners to across the Ooredoo footprint and is the emphasis is on simplifying this corporate managed services across launch a joint satellite to 44.5°E. said to offer one of the largest internet process and meeting customers’ markets in MENA and South East ■ Ooredoo’s Global Services wholesale peering networks in the Middle East, needs – essentially we are putting Asia. Its mobile operations in Africa division and Sparkle, the international North Africa and South East Asia. control in our customers’ hands.” Eutelsat to use SSL EPS platform for EUTELSAT 7C Eutelsat Communications has commis- used to broadcast more than 370 chan- set to take the 7° east neighbourhood sioned Space Systems Loral (SSL) to nels, and serves several anchor clients to a new level,” claims the company. manufacture a high-power broadcast such as the Azam, Montage and Muvi It adds that by almost doubling satellite to serve markets in Africa, TV platforms in sub-Saharan Africa. capacity over sub-Saharan Africa Europe, the Middle East and Turkey. Due to be launched in third quarter from 22 to 42 transponders, it will EUTELSAT 7C will be based on 2018, EUTELSAT 7C will be equipped also make room for several hundred SSL’s 1300 platform. It is the fifth all- with 44 Ku-band transponders and additional digital channels to support electric satellite ordered by Eutelsat co-positioned with EUTELSAT 7B, the region’s fast expanding TV market. and will enable the company to take releasing EUTELSAT 7A to another EUTELSAT 7C will also be equipped advantage of reduced launch mass orbital location. with a beam providing enhanced while retaining payload performance. “This improved two-satellite constel- capacity for government services over An artist’s impression of EUTELSAT 7C The new satellite will be located at lation will enable it to optimise resources Europe, the Middle East and Central which will be Eutelsat’s ﬁ fth satellite 7°E which is one of Eutelsat’s fastest- across both satellites, with enhanced Asia, and a beam that can be steered to use an all-electric propulsion system. growing video neighbourhoods. It is coverage flexibility and connectivity to cover any region visible from 7°E.

8 SOUTHERN AFRICAN WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS March/April 2016 NEWS

Unique ‘RAN’ helps protect rhino In what’s believed to be the first capture of vehicle registration plates. technology solution of its kind, Cisco Dimension Data says that over time and Dimension Data have teamed-up the solution will be replicated in other on an initiative aimed at dramatically reserves in South Africa and beyond, reducing the number of rhinos being and will help protect other endangered poached in South Africa. species including sea creatures. As part of the Connected Conservation ■ Liquid Telecom provided the Wi-Fi at project, the two companies are the inaugural Space for Giants summit deploying a sophisticated monitoring that was held at the end of April in system in a private game reserve Kenya. The event aimed to help raise adjacent to the Kruger National Park the profile of elephant conservation to track individuals from the time across the continent, and was one they enter until they exit. Whether it’s through cutting fences, being dropped onto the ground by helicopters, of the largest gatherings of African During phase one, which has now or simply driving in through the entrance gates, any rhino poachers entering the political leaders, philanthropists, been completed, Cisco and Dimension reserve illegally will be caught out. celebrities and conservationists. Data gathered information from the Liquid Telecom Kenya’s game rangers, security personnel, and combined with Dimension Data’s range well as seismic sensors on a highly broadband services supported live control centre teams. They then installed of remote network monitoring, routing secure intelligent network. Information video links with global celebrities wireless hotspots around key points and switching, and managed services. is collected on every individual entering such as Leonardo DiCaprio and to create a secure, point-to-point radio Phase two will incorporate CCTV, the reserve. This includes biometric Lupita Nyong’o, and also helped ‘Reserve Area Network’ (RAN) using drones with infrared cameras, thermal data, along with the scanning of ID the international media to deliver Cisco’s Wi-Fi and LAN technology imaging, vehicle tracking sensors, as numbers and visitor passports, and the uninterrupted streaming of events. Airtel Zambia transforms its RAN Tigo nano infrastructure with the help of Ericsson lending

Ericsson has extended its partnership the Ericsson Radio System range. demands for better and faster mobile scheme with Airtel Zambia with a new According to the vendor, the system internet connectivity. Tigo Tanzania has added what’s contract to upgrade the operator’s is “flexible” to changing demands “We are committed to offering described as an easy to access nano RAN infrastructure in every major on the path to 5G with multi- our customers the best user lending product to its range of region of the country. standard, multi-band and multi-layer experience,” said Airtel Zambia mobile financial services (MFS). The deal covers equipment, technology. Ericsson claims the MD Peter Correia. “Partnering with Tigo Nivushe offers immediate software and range of professional flexibility inherent in the architecture Ericsson, who are performance and access to unsecured small loans services, including project is made possible by targeted software technology leaders, to upgrade our to Tigo Pesa users. According to management, systems integration deployment, which enables fast and network ensures that we continue the operator, the new product is and support. It also includes the efficient rollout of new capabilities. to deliver a wide selection of best transparent and will enable customers transformation of existing 2G The company adds that all this in class customised services with to build their own credit history. infrastructure and the swap out of will enable energy-efficient and cost- excellent quality to our customers, Head of MFS Ruan Sawnepoel existing 3G sites. effective operations while allowing transforming the way they live, work adds that Tigo Nivushe has been Airtel will use equipment from Airtel to meet growing subscriber and play.” designed to encourage responsible lending: “Previous mobile behaviour is used to determine suitable limits for loans and customers will only be able Avanti approval for C-COM mobile antenna to have one loan at a time. Protection C-COM Satellite Systems has 1.2m auto-deploying mobile antenna, hailstorm, where SNR marginally against life shocks is included as received type approval for its iNetVu along with its new advanced 7710 dropped from 17.8dB to 14.5dB. everyone will be automatically Ka-1202G antenna system from auto-acquire controller, delivered “Our resellers in Europe, Middle insured for the loan amount against Avanti Communications. more than 10Mbps upload and up to East and Africa now have more death or permanent disability.” In a test performed by a European maximum modem capacity 59Mbps choices on the size of antenna and Sawnepoel adds that because C-COM partner Primetech UK, the download rates using an iDirect X7 associated broadband speeds they can the product is fee-based, no interest satellite router with a 3W transceiver. offer their customers,” says C-COM can be accumulated in the event C-COM says its iNetVu Ka-1202G C-COM says the system was Satellite Systems CEO Leslie Klein. of default, and acquiring a loan drive-away is a simple to tested using three-axis motorisation The Ka-1202G is C-COM’s third will not affect mobile or Tigo Pesa operate auto-deploy allowing the user to operate within vehicle-mounted antenna to be approved accounts in any way. VSAT terminal suitable the same Ka-band beam or to roam for operation on Avanti’s HYLAS 1, Tigo says the average amount for the most demanding to adjacent beams with auto- its first Ka-band satellite launched for loaned is TZS10,000 (USD5) and applications. polarisation switching function. Europe in 2010, and HYLAS 2 which funds are transferred directly to the The company adds that the system went up two years later and provides customer’s mobile wallet within performed well even during a substantial services across Africa from 31ºE. minutes.

March/April 2016 SOUTHERN AFRICAN WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS 9 Register to receive your free copy of this & other business magazines: NEWS www.kadiumpublishing.com

TCRA owed Machine delivers power, billions The Tanzania water and connectivity Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA) has A clean-tech start-up company claims as part of a, “Energynet” which, it’s said some companies have failed to to have developed a solar-powered claimed, “can power entire cities and pay their license fees on time. Despite machine that can bring internet countries”. They can all communicate sending several public notices to the connectivity, clean water, and electricity with each other and be controlled offenders, it said that TZS19.1 billion to communities across Africa. with the Central Network Management in fees remained outstanding as at the Watly uses a combination of photo- platform via radio links, existing 3G end of March 2016. While the TCRA voltaic and thermal energies to power or 4G networks, and/or satellite. has not publicly named any companies, the Watly 3.0 thermodynamic computer Watly has been funded from Horizon it said that if they didn’t settle the which, according to its developers, Watly 3.0 was developed after the 2020, the European Union’s programme debt “stern measures” would be taken can sanitise more than 5,000 litres successful trial of a smaller machine for innovation. The development of the against them, including cancelling of contaminated water (including in Abenta Village, Ghana. system follows the successful trial of their license and further legal action. ocean water) a day, as well as generate a smaller machine, Watly 2.0, in the electricity and Wi-Fi connectivity. The roof generate off-grid electricity to village of Abenta, Ghana. machine uses solar heat collected power Watly’s internal electronics, The firm is now launching a crowd Search for by super efficient vacuum-tubes to and can also be use for recharging funding campaign that will be used to vaporise and therefore sanitise the external devices such as mobiles. create another Watly 3.0, with contrib- water. This process also includes the Each Watly can be deployed utors being allowed to decide where licensees use of graphene technology. as standalone infrastructure, but the first model will be placed, with the The Independent Photovoltaic panels located on the multiple machines can also be used options being Nigeria, Ghana, or Sudan. Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) has launched an enquiry into the existence of some licensees that Mobile tech helping children with HIV are not traceable. This follows a Global specialist HIV company ViiV within three years, thereby ensuring enables the management, coordination number of futile attempts to trace Healthcare has launched the Mobilising that their health and futures are not of services and communications to the activities of four companies, and HIV Identification and Treatment compromised or cut short through support the implementation of the their non-compliance with the terms (MHIT) programme in Lesotho. lack of access to HIV services. programme. and conditions of their electronic MHIT is a multi-million dollar, The Vodafone Foundation is “Vodacom Lesotho Foundation communications licenses. The firms three-year initiative led by the deploying mobile clinics to rural and Vodafone Foundation are include: Sundial Telecom; Karel Vodafone Foundation through the areas and hard to reach communities, bringing money, marketing, Greef; Mystic Blue Trading 55; Vodacom Lesotho Foundation, providing primary care services management and mobile technology and SBS Telecoms. At the time of with financial contributions from including antenatal checks and to challenge paediatric HIV,” said writing, they each had until the end the private and public sectors. immunisation. The clinics will also Vodacom Lesotho MD Rishaad of April 2016 to inform the regulator Its supporters include the Elton search for individuals living with HIV Tayob. “Partnership is critical, and that they were active licensees. John AIDS Foundation, ELMA to provide them with better access to by working with private funders Philanthropies and USAID. treatment, using mobile money-based and the Government of Lesotho The programme’s goal is to transport vouchers so they can reach and USAID, we aim to double the New global double the number of children in clinics or hospitals. number of children on treatment and cable links Lesotho in care and on treatment The use of mobile technology also in care. We are already saving lives.” The AAE-1 cable consortium Orange to launch USD40 smartphone deal will use Xtera’s high-capacity, long-haul optical transport Orange has signed a deal with Google “As the first pan-Africa has a four-inch screen, solutions to equip the three terrestrial to increase access to mobile internet and Middle East mobile and comes with the latest segments in its 25,000km network across Africa and the Middle East. partnership with Google on version of Orange’s connecting Asia, Africa and Services will be targeted particularly this scale, we are able to bring Experience software suite. Europe. They comprise crossing at young people, with content covering direct value to our customers The operator is also Egypt to connect the Mediterranean fashion, sport and music, as well as by offering the best access and planning an educational and Red Seas; crossing the Thailand everyday tools such as Google Search, services to ensure they get campaign to show peninsula to minimise the latency for YouTube and Google Maps. Local the most out of the mobile customers how to take the landing sites in East Thailand; services and content will be added later. internet,” says Yves Maitre, advantage of Google Search and crossing Malaysia to connect the Offers will be rolled out during EVP of connected objects and Google Maps. cable landing station north of Kuala the second quarter of this year, and partnerships at Orange. Lumpur to Singapore. All three with tariffs starting at USD40, for a The deal will launch on the The ﬁ rst device that will are based on two physically diverse high-specification smartphone and a Orange Rise 31 Special Edition, a new and be launched under the partnership is fibre routes in order to maximise communication bundle with voice, exclusive Orange-branded 3G device. Orange Rise 31 Special Edition, a new network availability. SMS and data. It runs on Android 6.0 Marshmallow, and exclusive 3G smartphone.

10 SOUTHERN AFRICAN WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS March/April 2016

WIRELESS BUSINESS

More than four billion SIM cards were shipped globally in 2015 Worldwide shipments of SIM cards The organisation said this year- The SIMalliance in 2014 to 781m in 2015; and Europe increased 0.3 per cent to reach 4.7 on-year increase of 14 per cent is now leading saw a return to growth with year-on- billion in 2015, according to the demonstrates the “strong” growth cross-industry year shipments increasing one per SIMalliance. While those figures are potential of the region’s markets. efforts to deﬁ ne cent from 440m to 444m units. based on numbers reported by its It believes the increases are due to 5G security needs, Looking ahead to 2016, members, the organisation estimates three factors: the ongoing penetration says chairman SIMalliance chairman Herve that the total available market last of smartphones, which is seen Herve Pierre. Pierre believes a key priority for the year was 5.3 billion compared to particularly in emerging markets industry is to continue evolving and 5.2 billion in 2014. thanks to more affordable models adapting SIM technologies in line The SIMalliance’s membership leading consumers to upgrade from with changing market requirements. represents around 88 per cent of the feature phones; continued subscriber “Globally, an exceptional 88.5 per He said: “The association is global market, and includes well- acquisition; and a sharp rise in LTE cent growth in shipments of cards already leading cross-industry efforts known vendors such as Gemalto, card shipments as 4G networks start that can be used in LTE networks was to define security requirements Giesecke and Devrient, Oberthur rolling out across African markets. observed, driving volumes of this type within 5G. From our initial findings, Technologies, amongst others. LTE was also the biggest technology of SIM to exceed one billion units it appears that there could be a Members reported significant driver of growth in the worldwide for the first time,” stated the alliance. role for dedicated tamper-resistant advances in a number of key markets SIM market in 2015. According to the In other regions, India now has the hardware across the four segments and regions, including Africa and the alliance, the continued migration to highest shipment volumes in Asia and identified for 5G: massive IoT; Middle East which saw shipments 4G led to every market in every region saw a 25 per cent year-on-year market critical communications; enhanced rising from 861m units in 2014 to reporting at least double digit growth increase; shipments in the Americas mobile broadband; and network 982m units in 2015. in LTE card shipments. jumped six per cent from 738m units operations.”

Africa Internet Group adds Orange Orange Group of its existing shareholders, it will be reducing its global workforce. As a result to its list of big backers chairman and CEO able to further improve its service offer- of its acquisition of Alcatel-Lucent last Orange Group has purchased a Stéphane Richard ings and the customer experience, while year (see Wireless Business, Mar-Apr 2015), EUR75m equity interest in the Africa says the investment continuing to invest in infrastructure. the company is targeting EUR900m Internet Group (AIG), joining AXA, gives the ﬁ rm the Orange Group chairman and CEO of opex cuts to be achieved in 2018. Goldman Sachs and longstanding capacity to play Stéphane Richard adds that the strategic The job losses will occur over investors MTN Group, Millicom and a leading role in investment gives Orange the capacity the next two years. As previously Rocket Internet. e-commerce. to play a leading role in Africa’s fast- outlined last October, Nokia says Orange will help Jumia and other growing e-commerce market. they will largely be in areas where websites run by AIG to accelerate with ten online consumer businesses “This acquisition is combined with there are overlaps, such as research their growth and seize development now operating in 23 African countries, the signature of several important and development, regional and sales opportunities on the continent. The enabling more than 50,000 local and partnership agreements that will organisations, and corporate functions. operator says its investment will be international companies to do business create value for all parties,” he says. “In Processes and timelines will vary accompanied by a series of strategic with the continent’s consumers. particular, across the twelve countries from one country to another. Around partnerships between the subsidiaries Other services offered by AIG where we have a common presence, this mid-April this year, Nokia met with of the two groups. include an e-commerce marketplace investment will enable us to significantly its two European Works Councils and Jumia offers an online platform for (Kaymu), websites offering food develop our ability to market products similar meetings and consultations businesses to market their products and delivery (Hellofood) and hotel booking and services developed by Orange Middle with employee representatives are due services to Africa’s emerging middle (Jovago), online classified ads for general East and Africa over the internet.” to take place in almost 30 countries class. Since its creation in Nigeria merchandise (Vendito), and others. during the coming weeks. in 2012, AIG says Jumia has seen The company says that by combining Worldwide job losses at Nokia Nokia President and CEO Rajeev significant and continuous growth Orange’s support and expertise with that Nokia has started the process of Suri says: “We know that our actions

INVESTMENTS, MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS

Date Buyer Seller Item Price Notes

Wyless Group According to KORE, its all-cash transaction to buy Wyless creates the only truly 9/3/16 KORE Wireless Group Company NA Holdings global, independent, multi-platform, IoT services company.

Brocade says acquisition will mean it can add Ruckus’ higher-growth wireless 4/4/16 Brocade Ruckus Wireless Company USD1.5bn products to its enterprise networking portfolio.

The IoT specialist will buy several cellular module product lines, related IP & related 11/4/16 Telit Communications Novatel Wireless Various assets USD11m assets for an initial cash price & conditional earn-out consideration, which is expected to be non-material.

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Nokia president Earlier this year, France froze cooperation with our strategic partner, group for industry and society. Rajeev Suri said around USD1bn of assets as part of a Eutelsat, in satellite communications Vestberg reckons the changes the company will USD50bn award against the Russian and digital broadcasting.” will make it easier for customers provide “transition state for dismantling the Yukos Oil to do business with the company, and other support Company. This was once Russia’s Ericsson overhauls structure whether they are an operator, a media for impacted biggest oil producer but its founder and Ericsson is reorganising in an effort company or from another industry. employees”. owner, Mikhail Khodorkovsky, was a to drive growth and profitability. This latest restructure follows vocal critic of Putin’s Government. “We will create a leaner, more fit on from a number of key strategic According to reports, the funds for purpose organisation, to cater decisions made by Ericsson in recent will have real human consequences and, include USD300m owed by for the needs of different customer years. This includes exiting the handset given this, we will proceed in a way Arianespace to Roscosmos for Soyuz segments and to faster capture market and modems businesses, an enhanced that is consistent with our company rockets and USD400m owed by opportunities,” says Ericsson president partnership strategy on IP (such as values and provide transition and other Eutelsat to RSCC. A final decision and CEO Hans Vestberg. “As 5G, the the tie-up with Cisco announced last support to the impacted employees.” on all the sums frozen by France is Internet of Things, and cloud drive the year), and investments to build targeted As well as the redundancy pro- expected around the end of the year. next phase of industry development, the growth areas with strong focus on gramme, Nokia says it is shifting However around mid-April, the High time is just right to make these changes.” software and professional services. resources to future-oriented technol- Court decided to lift the attachment As from July, the company’s new ogies such as 5G, cloud and the IoT. from the receivables owed by Eutelsat structure will comprise five business Yahsat promises 18 new African The company also continues to target to RCSS under their current contracts, units (BUs). These include two markets for IEC worldwide savings in real estate, obtained earlier by Cypriot company that cover the company’s networks Yahsat has signed an MoU with the services, procurement, supply chain and former Yukos shareholder Hulley business. Headed by Fredrik Jejdling, IEC Telecom Group to look at the and manufacturing. Enterprises. The court has held that BU networks services focuses on possibility of new joint opportunities the attached assets did not belong to managed services, network rollout in Africa. The agreement comes French court unfreezes RSCC’s the Russian Federation but were the and customer support; while BU ahead of Yahsat taking delivery of Eutelsat receivables property of RSCC. network products combines radio and its third satellite, Al Yah 3, which is The High Court of Paris has lifted the “We are satisfied with the equitable transport, and is led by Arun Bansal. currently being built in the US by attachment from the receivables owed decisions of the French court,” said The other units include two that Orbital ATK. by Eutelsat to the Russian Satellite RSCC DG Yuri Prokhorov. “We are focus on IT and cloud products and The launch of the satellite during Communications Company (RSCC). looking forward to further successful services, and a dedicated customer the first quarter of next year will

LATEST COMPANY RESULTS

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

YoY revenues up 5% (-3.2% at constant currency). Will launch seven new satellites between 2016 and end-2017 to add to 26/2/16 SES Luxembourg FY15 EUR 2,014.5 1,494.2 1.30 the 52 in orbit as at December 2015. Schedule includes SES-9 & SES-12, both for APAC.

Weak macro-economic conditions, increased competition, greater regulatory pressures (notably in Nigeria) & operational challenges in some markets resulted in a lower than expected 3/3/16 MTN South Africa FY15 ZAR 146,353 59,125 131.0 performance. Reported basic headline earnings per share (HEPS) declined 51.4% to 746 cents. This was largely due to Nigerian ﬁ ne which had a 402 cents negative impact on HEPS.

Carrier, consumer & enterprise divisions all reported increases. In EMEA, rapid growth in wireless & ﬁ xed networks, plus 1/4/16 Huawei China FY15 CNY 395,009 NA NA increased share in smartphone market, yielded CNY128,016m – a 27.2% increase in revenue over 2014.

Revenue growth reﬂ ected increased sales from 4G system & 100.19 6/4/16 ZTE China FY15 RMB NA 0.78 optical access products. High-end routers & handsets in the (bn) international market also saw signiﬁ cant growth.

Turnover increase of 2.4% beat previous all-time high of 1.433 €1.399bn in 2014. Attributed to a record number of 12 14/4/16 Arianespace France FY15 EUR NA NA (bn) launches last year. 33 contracts worth €2.5bn signed during 2015, increasing order backlog to €5.3bn.

Compared to 1Q15, revenues are up 10.5& but net proﬁ ts are C-COM Satellite 19/4/16 Canada 1Q16 CAD 2.433 NA 0.0125 down 18.0%. Company ended quarter with cash position of Systems more than $15m & continues to be debt free.

In Africa, organic revenue growth grew 11.9% to $220m with service revenue rising 12.1%. All countries with the exception 25/4/16 Millicom Luxembourg 1Q16 USD 1.53 (bn) 550 0.22 of Rwanda reported double digit growth. EBITDA grew strongly, 11.8% on Q4 and 13.5% year-on-year to $57m at a margin of 25.8%. DRC now a discontinued operation.

14 SOUTHERN AFRICAN WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS March/April 2016 WIRELESS BUSINESS

with IEC Telecom, which dates back to and health customers [in Africa] with “The delivery of affordable mobile the pre-launch of our second satellite, enhanced Ka-band HTS connectivity communications requires that we Y1B, in 2012,” says Yahsat CCO David backed by an unmatched network carefully manage our own financial Murphy. “Building on our existing reliability and consolidated by our performance and expenses,” says partnership would ensure YahClick added-value services.” Peter Cannan, Eaton’s group financial delivers on its promise to have an controller. “At the same time, we are unmatched service area, and provides Accounting software makes Eaton on a fast-growth trajectory and needed constant connectivity to aid the socio- look more attractive to investors software that I could set up myself economic development of the region.” Eaton Towers has implemented Adaptive and would be easily understood by According to Yahsat, IEC’s Insights’ software to consolidate our users with very little training. customers will benefit from the financials across seven countries, Adaptive Insights’ software fit the Yahsat CCO David Murphy (left) with “high-performance and excellent look transforming its financial reporting bill, and today we are rolling up and Erwan Emilian, CEO of IEC Telecom Group. angles” for Africa offered by Al Yah 3. and driving business expansion. reporting on substantial amounts of With the uplink based in Athens and The deployment is said to have data – sometimes with the simple make Yahsat’s broadband product, Luxembourg, it says clients will be enabled Eaton to accelerate its monthly click of a button.” YahClick, available in 18 new African able to land their traffic directly into reporting by 100 per cent. Adaptive According to Adaptive Insights’ CFO markets. The company says this will Europe, Middle East and Africa, taking says the software also facilitated the Indicator Q3 2015 report, one-third of almost triple its existing presence advantage of high-speed interconnection towerco to raise USD350m in equity CFOs predict the amount of data they across the continent, covering 60 per throughout these regions. funding last year which was critical manage will increase by more than cent of the population. IEC believes the prospect of adding to its expansion from three to six 50 per cent within the next five years. IEC Telecom provides mobile and 18 additional markets with Al Yah 3 markets in less than a year. Additionally, 41 per cent of finance fixed satcoms services, and its MoU will “enhance and strengthen” its Eaton now has 5,000 towers in teams manage data from three to five with Yahsat will explore ways for it portfolio in the professional Ka-band seven African countries. Adaptive source systems, and 22 per cent pull to offer YahClick broadband products, VSAT marketplace. says the firm is using Consolidation to from as many as five to 10 systems. services and value-added solutions Erwan Emilian, the company’s give it visibility into the performance The vendor says the increase in both to support the satellite operator’s CEO, adds: “With Yahsat, we would of each region, and OfficeConnect to data and data sources has a significant increased coverage across Africa. be able to continue meeting our goal of allow “easy, professional reporting” impact on finance teams of all sizes “We will look at potential ways to providing our enterprise, government, of that performance to both current and across all industries looking to build on our long and valued history humanitarian, O&G, mining, education and potential investors. consolidate and report performance.

NEW APPOINTMENTS

Date Name New employer New position Previous employer Previous position

25/2/16 Dr. Edmund Kong MEASAT CTO Orbital ATK Product line chief engineer

1/3/16 Pascal Menezes MEF (Metro Ethernet Forum) CTO Microsoft Skype for Business Principal

9/3/16 Mike Coffey KORE Wireless Group COO Wyless Group CEO

17/3/16 Skot Butler Intelsat General President Intelsat General VP of satellite networks & space services

17/3/16 Yona Ovadia Gilat Satellite Networks CEO Amdocs Group president

30/3/16 Yolanda Zoleka Cuba Vodafone Ghana CEO Vodacom Group Strategy & new business director

30/3/16 Daniel Loria Millicom EVP of HR Syngenta North America Head of HR

5/4/16 Philippe Vallée Gemalto CEO Gemalto CCO

5/4/16 Olivier Piou – – Gemalto CEO – retiring as from August 2016

5/4/16 Zhao Xianming ZTE President ZTE EVP

8/4/16 Brent Dippie Zetron President & CEO Zetron COO & SVP

Chairman/board 8/4/16 Ellen O’Hara Zetron/EFJohnson Zetron President & CEO member

8/4/16 Elie Lobel Orange CEO of healthcare ASIP Santé Director, national e-health projects unit

CCS (Cambridge Communication 11/4/16 Olof Lindberg VP sales Coromatic International VP worldwide sales Systems)

19/4/16 Emmanuel Saint Dizier RFS VP, strategy & portfolio RFS Product manager

SVP & head and of 21/4/16 Fredrik Jejdling Ericsson Ericsson Head of sub-Saharan Africa network services

Head of sub-Saharan 21/4/16 Jean-Claude Geha Ericsson Ericsson Head of managed services Africa

25/4/16 Andreas Teuber Signalhorn Sales director Proliﬁ cs Deutschland Sales director Germany

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Controllis claims to cut off- grid costs with DC generator What’s described as a “breakthrough” DCPrimePower technology and RSC- The Basic48-10 has been designed generator promises to transform the HMU hybrid remote management to easily integrate with renewable way telcos supply power to their off- and control system, enabling energy solutions. It can be supplied grid sites. According to UK-based operators to use a range of different with optional 48V solar PV charging The RSC-HMU monitors and Controllis, the new Basic48-10 brings charging regimes including float and controllers for up to 12kW of solar manages a wide range of critical the total capital cost of off-grid DC hybrid battery. capacity, and the controllers are engine and fuel system parameters power systems below that of an Controllis says the generator has integrated with the RSC-HMU via as well as generator site security. It equivalent AC generator-based system. been designed to significantly reduce MODBUS to provide full remote communicates directly to the Controllis The Basic48-10 features the vendor’s fuel consumption in site operation. visibility of the entire system, including Remote Management Server (RMS) which It says these are accomplished by its solar output and battery status. provides comprehensive configuration, MANUFACTURER: Controllis very high efficiency DCPrimePower Controllis says when power alarm management and delivery. The permanent magnet alternator, demand is not met by the solar output server integrates into any operator’s PRODUCT: BASIC48-10 mounting the generator directly on or the battery bank, the Basic48-10 NOC via SNMP or MOD/TCP-IP, the engine fly wheel thus negating automatically switches itself on and and interfaces back to the RMS via MORE INFORMATION: the need for alternator coupling or takes over the charging role until the its internal 9BandUMTS/GPRS www.controllis.com bearings, and precisely varying the renewable source can again provide modem, any other IP or RS485 engine speed according to site loads. sufficient energy to meet site needs. interface available on site. Digi hardens router for industrial LTE connections Digi International has developed commercial-grade WR11 cellular features, small form factor, dual SIM The device comes with a ruggedised version of its router. It says the temperature capabilities, and what’s claimed to Digi’s license-free enterprise hardened TransPort WR11 XT be “advanced” network management routing and security MANUFACTURER: provides a secure and reliable LTE via the Digi Remote Manager system. software, and models are Digi International connection for industrial and retail The TransPort WR11 XT features available that offer support applications in harsh environments. a ruggedised aluminium enclosure for LTE, LTE with 3G PRODUCT: TransPort WR11 XT The new router builds upon the and DIN-rail form factor, an fallback, as well capabilities of the WR11. Digi says increased operating temperature as global MORE INFORMATION: these include global cellular carrier range from -30°C to +70°C, flanges HSPA+. www.digi.com certifications, license-free enterprise for shelf- or wall-mounting, and a software, PCI-ready security screw-down SIM cover. Lenovo unveils new “100 per cent accurate” way to connect revenue assurance platform

Lenovo has launched a new Risk management and analytics expert meaning operators will experience global wireless roaming service. Neural Technologies reckons the lower complexity, faster integration, A long-time MVNO, the company Lenovo’s latest version of its revenue assurance and fewer third-party costs. will now offer Lenovo Connect Big Data platform offers a complete end-to-end The firm believes this direct which it describes as a “seamless” and cloud services. rating engine, meaning it is 100 per connection simplifies connecting communication service that works While in China cent accurate “down to the cent”. of new devices and networks which across devices, networks and borders the service is available via an app Minotaur 10 is designed to offer will grow enormously as a result of for customers in China and EMEA. on selected devices, in EMEA the customers an “enhanced” value the IoT. It adds that customers will The company says the new service company is working with channel proposition with 5G and Big experience faster operational speeds eliminates the need to buy a separate partners to bring Lenovo Connect to Data-ready functionality. It also because of the direct connection SIM and offers benefits such as low- customers using a variety of ThinkPad features real-time data processing, from data sources to the platform. priced global roaming by leveraging devices. Initially available in 45 smartphone and tablet data entry/ EMEA markets, its claimed customers incident reporting capabilities, MANUFACTURER: MANUFACTURER: Lenovo will be able to take advantage of secure integrated test call generation, and Neural Technologies data connectivity at competitive rates. introduces NoSQL. PRODUCT: Lenovo Connect Lenovo adds that the service will be Neural says its improved rating PRODUCT: Minotaur 10 supported by customised data plans capabilities and the ability to MORE INFORMATION: designed to support both domestic connect directly to any data source MORE INFORMATION: www.lenovo.com and international roaming use in in the OSS or BSS stack remove the www.neuralt.com more than 110 countries globally. need for any intermediary software,

16 SOUTHERN AFRICAN WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS March/April 2016 WIRELESS SOLUTIONS

First DVB-S2X VSAT modem ALSO LOOK OUT FOR launched New antennas Newtec describes the MDM5000 as its promise low most advanced VSAT modem to date. It is said to be the first to support cost in-ﬂ ight wideband DVB-S2X, and is capable TDMA, and its unique Mx-DMA various networking topologies of receiving forward carriers of up to technology for up to 75Mbps. and routing protocols, like MPLS broadband 140MHz and processing more than It is designed to handle a wide range and BGP. Dual demodulators for A UK university professor says 200Mbps of throughput. of services, including internet access, “seamless” beam switching on future passengers will soon be able to With forward symbol rates from VoIP and backhauling, along with HTS networks are also included. use low-cost mobile broadband 1 to 133 Mbaud and coding up to video contribution and multicasting. on planes, following his acclaimed 256APSK, it’s claimed the MDM5000 As with Newtec’s previous Dialog MANUFACTURER: Newtecc research into developing a new will boost efficiency and performance modems, the MDM5000 incorporates generation of antennas. on legacy satellites while “fully Layer-3 routing, advanced QoS, PRODUCT: MDM5000 Yang Hao, professor of antennas unleashing” the potential of next- TCP acceleration, pre-fetching, and electromagnetics at Queen generation high throughput satellites compression and encryption. MORE INFORMATION: Mary University of London, recently (HTS). On the return channel, Newtec It also supports a new Layer-2 www.newtec.eu won the prestigious GBP300,000 says the device supports SCPC, mode, facilitating integration with Institution of Engineering and Technology A F Harvey Engineering award for his work which focused on antennas with better aesthetics CCS unveils self-organising backhaul and fundamentally novel designs. It’s claimed this will allow them solution with integrated small cell to be used in “new and exciting” ways, particularly in satellite CCS (Cambridge Communication as separate small cell and backhaul GPS-derived communications for many industries Systems) has adapted its Metnet self- units often exceed the size, weight local master including aviation and aerospace. organising backhaul solution to host a and single-attachment restrictions for synchronisation, One element of his work looked small cell in a single, compact design. planning approvals. Metnet combines with distributed at the use of high-throughput According to the company, site a small cell and, as a result, CCS says timing recovery satcoms that will enable acquisition for outdoor small cells is it is smaller and more acceptable to in the event of passengers to take advantage currently a slow and difficult process local planning departments which GPS failures. of low-cost broadband internet considerably speeds up deployment. The Metnet services when they travel by plane. MANUFACTURER: Cambridge The company says its system operates backhaul While air passengers currently Communication Systems in a single frequency channel with no platform will host have to switch their mobile radio planning required. It adds that small cells in a universal phones to ‘ﬂ ight mode’ and pay an PRODUCT: Metnet each unit has a wide 270º field of view design that utilises licensed additional charge to access data and supports multiple connections, so or unlicensed spectrum, on their device, it’s claimed Hao’s MORE INFORMATION: there’s no need for manual alignment including LTE-A, LTE-U, research will enable a “seamless www.ccsl.com and only one is required per site. Each MulteFire, Wi-Fi and broadband experience” from land node is also capable of providing ultimately 5G variants. to air, at no additional cost. The IET said Hao was awarded the prize in recognition of his research achievements in microwaves, Viavi cuts costs for cell site installations antennas and, in particular, Viavi Solutions (formerly JDSU) has to speed up deployment times and metamaterial antenna innovations added baseband unit (BBU) emulation significantly reduce opex. which draw inspiration from to its CellAdvisor base station analyser Viavi says that traditionally, transformation optics. to enable comprehensive testing cell site installation is segmented “The IET A F Harvey Engineering during RRH installations at sites. The into two parts performed during Research Prize will push the company reckons the new feature different visits. First, a technician boundaries of our research to the dramatically reduces the need for climbs the tower to install the next level, out of the lab towards repeat site visits and tower climbs RRH, and conducts sweep testing real engineering applications and and fibre inspection. Second, the first visit. Following installation of industry,” said Prof. Hao. “Our goal MANUFACTURER: Viavi BBU is installed on a separate visit, the radio, technicians can now put it is to make low cost smart antenna where the RRH is put on air, and a on the air to verify performance of, systems, an engineering reality PRODUCT: CellAdvisor comprehensive cell site test can occur. or identify problems with equipment that can be enjoyed by everyone, By adding BBU emulation, the (radio, antennas, coaxial cables) or from professionals in satellite MORE INFORMATION: vendor says CellAdvisor opens up a the radio environment, including communications to air passengers www.viavisolutions.com more comprehensive cell site test to external interference, noise or who want to stay connected on identify and address problems on the passive inter-modulation. their mobile phone or devices.”

March/April 2016 SOUTHERN AFRICAN WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS 17

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Security matters As mobile operators expand their networks and launch new consumer services, experts say they need to adopt more integrated approaches for enhanced security. With criminals targeting mobile networks, widespread use of SIMboxes, and increasing global cyber crime, the issue of security remains a major concern for operators. DAVE HOWELL reports

s smartphone ownership expands across such as banks and government, depending on But nowadays in the age of NFV/SDN, these Africa, the issue of security continues internet connectivity from telcos. technologies are available at reasonable prices, to be a priority for MNOs throughout The report stated: “Cyber criminals are targeting offer flexible deployment models, and are now Athe continent. While the Communications Fraud these organisations because of three main reasons: mostly part of the network by default.” Control Association (CFCA) estimates global they control and operate critical infrastructure; But he goes on by saying that when it comes telecom fraud losses of USD38.1bn in 2015 or they store large amounts of sensitive customer to fraud, the continent’s mobile growth comes approximately 1.69 per cent of revenues, cyber information, and they facilitate mobile money with a price: “No operator is an island. African security in general continues to have a high profile as services in the country.” MNOs must quickly adapt to protect their own the digital economy and its users come under attack. However, while Africa’s MNOs are clearly subscribers from domestic, continental and global According to Trustwave’s latest Global Security aware of the threats to their networks and the fraud attacks. The learning curve generated report published earlier this year, the majority of services that they offer, the level of deployment during this adaptation is the threshold from compromises in regions outside North America of security systems in both the private and the where fraudsters can act undetected.” were in online sales. “E-commerce environments public sectors to combat cyber crime is low. were compromised in 70 per cent of cases in Europe, Singapore-based Cataleya specialises in IP Security management the Middle East and Africa, with 35 per cent of networking technology including systems for mobile applications tested having critical security analysis, visibility and intelligence. It believes that The rapid expansion of mobile services into a vulnerabilities,” said the provider of cyber security given Africa’s explosive growth in mobile penetration consumer environment that has not had the benefit solutions which was acquired by Singtel last year. over the past few years, the main telecom expense of developing robust security protocols has meant It will come as no surprise that greater mobile management system vendors are now able to offer that Africa has become the new focus for cyber connectivity and broadband access will lead to the same level of security platforms in the region crime. One of the most common security breaches more cyber crime. For instance, the Kenya Cyber as they do in other continents. is SIMbox fraud (see ‘Killing your billing’ right). This Security Report 2015 said telcos are a “prime target” Miguel Lopes, Cataleya’s VP of product line isn’t surprising as the continent now has close to for cyber criminals as the country’s reliance on management, says: “Before, security systems a billion subscribers, making it a very attractive technology continues to grow, and all organisations, were expensive and cumbersome to deploy. target for this kind of network fraud.

20 SOUTHERN AFRICAN WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS March/April 2016 FEATURE: NETWORK SECURITY

The cellcos are fighting back. For example, after dynamics such as the termination rates. “Where Miguel Lopes, being hired by Ghana’s government to track the these are high we see more SIMbox fraud. So VP product line use of SIMbox fraud, Accra-based consultancy for example in the US (where international management, Afriwave Telecom revealed it had seized 300,000 interconnect is rare), SIMbox fraud is virtually Cataleya SIMboxes which would have reportedly cost the non-existent – the opportunity is simply not country’s operators more than USD100m in lost there. This is also true within EU countries. revenues. And in a bid to tighten how SIMs are But in Southern Africa, where there are many obtained, in March 2016 MTN announced it countries, the opportunities for termination would only process cards during working hours. bypass are much higher.” In May 2016, the company will begin to further tighten SIM card security by requesting an Fighting the fraudsters “No operator is an island. African additional phone number and an email address to verify identity before a module swap is authorised. With a range of security threats across the mobile MNOs must quickly adapt to While the main types of mobile fraud in space, mobile operators have had to be equally Africa are likely to revolve around illegal innovative when combating fraudsters. protect their own subscribers SIMboxes and terminations, Lopes warns that Approaches vary and include post analysis of domestic fraudsters are becoming increasingly CDR data. These report-based systems detect from domestic, continental and sophisticated, and the arrival of international anomalies across a network, looking for unusual fraudsters also now presents a major threat. patterns that could be fraud. They are however, global fraud attacks.” “New types of fraud such as the ‘Wangiri’ only effective after the fraud has taken place. attacks, false answer supervision and others [see What is really needed are systems that can learn ‘Killing your billing’ below], are occurring quite an MNO’s systems and use machine learning and “The rise of digital services, such as m-banking, undetected. Africa’s MNO’s growth is attracting even AI to identify potential instances of fraud. m-commerce and online service, requires security global fraudsters attention to a new market.” As MTN points out, networks will be subjected to that extends beyond just prevention of DDoS The vast market that the continent represents continuous vulnerability assessments as threats attacks and encryption, and also addresses message is of course commercially attractive for cellcos, will continue to evolve. Hitesh Morar, the group’s authentication, filtering and digital signing.” and they also continue to innovate in order executive of IT and innovation, says operators will Understanding the kind of mobile fraud that is to provide competitive services to retain and have to continue to ensure robust processes are being perpetrated is only one element of a solution. gain subscribers. This has come at a cost, as in place to continuously identify, prevent, detect, As Jacqueline Fick, chair of the GSMA Africa fraud such services are developing faster than the respond and recover from threats. forum explains, a change in attitude is also needed: comprehensive security platforms that are “The advent of new technologies and the “Cyber crime activity has become more focused on needed to prevent fraud and cyber crime. shift to all IP networks and services, as well as mobile platforms. But we have noted that our mobile However as Andy Gent, founder and CEO of the shift to cloud services, brings with it a new security mindset is still that of using a phone and Revector, points out, most threats are the same dimension in security requirements that were not a sophisticated device that contains valuable worldwide and it really comes down to local previously only prevalent in the internet world. information similar to that stored on our computers;

KILLING YOUR BILLING In its ‘Fighting Voice Fraud with Big Data Analytics’ white paper, Cataleya identiﬁ ed the following common types of fraud for MNOs.

False answer supervision PBX hacking highcost route. The wholesale operator ends up Early answer is caused by one of the interconnect Cases are generic and involve the bypass of a bearing all the termination costs. parties sending a false answer signal. This causes legitimate carrier in the delivery path of the call. all the previous switches to start billing even SIMbox fraud (see below) is a of a typical case here. Subscriber identity theft (SIMbox fraud) when the called party has not answered the call. Another case is location routing number This is particularly rampant in countries with (LRN) fraud. This is where the fraudulent high numbers of incoming international traffic Wangiri fraud operator sneaks in a LRN via a low-cost route where SIM availability is loosely controlled Also known as ‘robot dialling + callback’. The and then sends it to the wholesale provider where and law enforcement is lacking. The fraudsters objective of the fraudster is to call thousands of it tries to terminate the call to the indicated mainly use pre-paid SIMs where the ownership users and hang up after one ring. Unsuspecting network. But the call does not go through, and a and address is hard to detect. There are many mobile users will return the call paying a ‘re-dip’ has to be done to the LNP server which variations of SIMbox fraud and methods of premium rate per minute to a number which provides the correct termination network on the detecting them therefore also vary. will be heavily disguised as a local one.

International revenue share Fraudsters take advantage of certain premium LCR ENGINE

rate country terminations such as Somalia or ILLEGAL SIMBOX Sudan, for example, and inflate traffic into VoIP ROUTE these countries. The fraudsters can play a role in the origination side by gaining access to a fraudulent SIM or hijacking a PBX system, INTL or on the termination side by colluding with ORIGINATING WHOLESALE CARRIER CARRIER COUNTRY B content or IVR providers in the countries with PTT COUNTRY B MOBILE premium termination rates.

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a device that has to be secured in the same way as 12% we have now learned to do with our computers.” A change of mindset is only one component of developing a comprehensive approach to security. 10% Carlos Marques, head of product marketing for business assurance specialist WeDo Technologies, also points to regulation: “Regulatory bodies 8% can prove valuable in protecting against fraud, taking on a range of responsibilities including 6% regulating prices, fighting against fraud and the fair distribution of telecoms revenue to different parties. However, due to the continual evolution 4% of the industry, regulators need to be resourceful and forward-thinking to ensure they’re able to successfully execute on their duties.” 2% What is clear is that as the threats to mobile networks expand and increase in complexity, 0% operators will have to move away from a general Africa Asia Australia Europe North South piecemeal approach to combating cyber crime in America America all its forms, to more integrated and intelligent systems. Here, cloud-based services are coming 30% online from vendors that can offer an additional layer of protection to mobile networks. 25% Evolving threats 20% Clearly, the future will mean more security. But this must not be at the cost of eroding the services 15% being delivered to consumers, as Simeon Coney, chief strategy officer with network security platform provider AdaptiveMobile, warns. 10% “Carriers today are faced with the challenge of protecting the integrity of their networks, securing 5% A2P messaging revenues, whilst future-proofing their investment in the next-generation of security architectures as NFV becomes a reality. 0% “Furthermore, there is an opportunity for Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 carriers to play an important role in securing 2013 2014 2015 networks as we move closer to a hyper-connected future that requires new security architectures to Top: Mobile malware infection rates declined about one per cent per region during the second quarter of protect 5G, IoT and beyond.” 2015, with the exception of Africa which was unchanged and North America which dropped almost four 2015 saw near-exponential growth in all areas per cent. Above: Global mobile malware infection rates. SOURCE: MCAFEE related to cyber security. In fact, Kaspersky Lab has seen a strong growth in detected threats in African countries. Dirk Kollberg, senior security North America researcher in the company’s global research and 17% 18% 65% analysis team, says: “The continued increase Latin America & Caribbean in threats and cyber security matters certainly 100% shows that African countries are a growing target Europe, Middle East & Africa 70% 10% for cyber crime and, as a result, countries like 20% Asia-Paciﬁ c Nigeria need to pay attention to this reality and 22% 67% 11% the future trends and predictions in this space.” The massive growth of the mobile industry across the continent with new products developing Corporate/Internal Network E-Commerce Assets POS Assets means a multi-tiered approach to security is needed. New services mean new security threats Distribution of forensics investigations by region and type of environment compromised. SOURCE: TRUSTWAVE as cyber criminals jump onto the next popular product to exploit. She adds that SIMbox and termination fraud security; but at the moment the security foundation “Africa is largely a pre-paid market and highly will remain a concern in countries where the that many of these services are built upon isn’t competitive on retail rates thereby challenging cost of terminating an international call is as strong as it could be. The answer is likely to fraud resources to be on the constant lookout for considerably higher than that of a national one. come from an integrated approach that includes arbitrage opportunities,” says the GSMA’s Fick. So the challenge that Africa’s MNOs face is new legislation, strong security protocols that can “LTE rollouts are accelerating, bringing increased two fold: they need to continue their programmes effectively combat cyber crime pre-emptively, and demand for data and a host of new vulnerabilities of network development as demanded by their a change in attitude that places network security associated with data environments.” subscribers, and roll out these services with robust at the top of the mobile operator’s agenda. ■

22 SOUTHERN AFRICAN WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS March/April 2016

Register to receive your free copy of this & other business magazines: WIRELESS USERS: EDUCATION www.kadiumpublishing.com Furthering education From creating innovative connectivity solutions to philanthropic CSR initiatives, wireless companies play a key role in helping educators

Tigo’s mobile library in Ghana gives schoolchildren the chance to not only see, across Africa. but also interact, discover and learn with ICT.

ccording to the eLearning Africa 2015 Airtel is one of many wireless communication The Smart Village platform can be provided report, the worldwide electronic specialists that are playing their part in the e-learning by governments, NGOs, telcos, ISPs, etc., to a learning market was expected to reach revolution across the continent. Like many big community of users which act as the ‘village’. AUSD107bn by the end of last year, compared name operators, it is investing in initiatives as part They can choose to deploy one or all of three to USD56.2bn in 2014. Others have predicted of its CSR programme. More of that below. Other components, ranging from a basic business setup that by 2018, the global market will be valued at companies are developing innovative education of two tablet devices for internet browsing, VoIP USD169bn. In Africa, it was valued at USD5.3bn solutions for Africa. For instance, Gilat Satcom or video over IP services, to Wi-Fi and full GSM in 2012, forecast to reach USD8.7bn in 2015, and has come up with a solution that aims to provide services integrated with a local MNO and provided is expected to hit USD12.2bn by 2018. everything a rural African school needs to deliver via a base station that can be solar powered. Speaking in the run-up to this year’s eLearning both face-to-face lessons and remote e-learning. Via Afrika has also used shipping containers conferencing event that will be held in Cairo in The Digital Classroom In A Box comprises a to house digital classrooms. Established in 1949, May, eLearning founder Rebecca Stromeyer said fully insulated and decorated shipping container the company publishes a comprehensive range new opportunities for expanding education and powered by solar electricity. It features VSAT of educational materials for schools and colleges training are being created across the continent. connectivity, a Wi-Fi router with 500m radius, in South Africa and Botswana. The company “Technology is helping people to learn new a management and billing system, a projector, also has publishing experience in Namibia, skills, and in many sectors, such as farming, it is interactive screens, sound system, computers Mozambique, and Zambia. beginning to make a huge difference. Technology- and tablets, and even tables and chairs. The Via Afrika Digital Education Centres (VADECs) assisted learning has begun to make a significant Gilat developed the classroom in collaboration are converted shipping containers filled with 15 contribution to economic growth in many with Intelitek, a US-based provider of learning tablets, a computer, Wi-Fi internet access with countries. The pace of change is only going to technology solutions. It came up with an e-learning Via Afrika sponsored data, more than 400 Via quicken over the next decade and the effect will content platform specifically developed to meet Afrika ebooks, apps and other digital content, as be astonishing. We really are going to see a new the needs of Africa’s rural communities and also well as printed books. The company is listed as a Africa, a transformed Africa.” supplied a large number of ready-to-use syllabuses. Vodacom education partner, and its centres have Citing unnamed education experts, Airtel says Eran Yoran, Gilat Satcom’s CMO and head been given 15GB of data per month for an initial that as we progress in the 21st century, online of business development, says: “The Digital period of two years. learning will constitute 50 per cent of all learning Classroom provides a complete solution. Content Via Afrika says the aim of the VADEC s is to and education. The mobile operator believes can easily be emailed through to teachers whilst provide teachers and learners in rural areas the that the rapid rise of learning on the internet will our high-speed satellite connection enables high- opportunity to work with technology and experience occur not because it is more convenient, cheaper quality video conferencing.” e-learning. It adds that it also uses the centres to or faster, but because cognitive learning on the The company came up with the idea as the trial and improve its digital material, and establish internet is better than learning in-person. e-learning component for its ‘Smart Village’ the level of training and intervention required for a “This hands-on tool allows students to relate portfolio. This is said to enable rural villages and meaningful e-learning experience to take place. their interests on a personal level, which is believed remote communities in Africa to be a part of the Working in partnership with Breadline Africa to motivate students to do better in school,” continent’s digital future. Launched last year, it and the Nelson Mandela Foundation, the company states the cellco. “Many educators believe it can aims to deliver IP services over a private satellite has donated VADEC s to three schools in the Free encourage the type of independence students network with prices for connectivity for individual State, Limpopo, and Mpumalanga. The teachers in need to progress in their learning process.” villagers starting from a dollar a month. the schools where the centres are located have been

24 SOUTHERN AFRICAN WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS March/April 2016 WIRELESS USERS: EDUCATION

Left: the Via Afrika Digital Education Centres are converted shipping containers. Right: each unit is equipped with various learning materials along with computers and 15GB per month Wi-Fi internet access. trained on how to use technology, how to plan and At the school, SatADSL sets-up a VNO that such as streaming or downloading of offensive present a lesson incorporating digital material, and mutualises the bandwidth. This allows the content or content that violates copyright. how to facilitate and manage the use of technology operation of the video-conferencing application Speaking at the time of the deployment last in the classroom. as well as providing internet access in both the year, Liquid Telecom Kenya CEO Ben Roberts Belgium-based SatADSL provides IP studio and classrooms across the entire territory said the most important aspect of the Wi-Fi connectivity via satellite in areas with difficult or that is to be served. Each school is equipped with network’s design was ensuring adequate capacity no web access. In Africa, its solutions have been solar panels and a micro-VSAT that enables the and seamless connectivity through the use of deployed by corporate users operating in remote real-time uplink and delivery of teaching using very equipment that will deliver on user experience. areas in more than 45 counties. high quality audio and video. Schools also have “Liquid Telecom has put in place outdoor Wi-Fi As well as serving many organisations in the a PC loaded with educational content, as well as nodes which are designed to carry huge capacities private and public sectors, SatADSL says it has also a chat room that supports real-time interactivity with the ability to withstand harsh climatic con- gained multicasting experience in the broadcast between teachers and pupils. ditions to guarantee maximum and uninterrupted markets. This has led the company to develop In addition, SatADSL says it can provide a speeds while surfing,” said Roberts. “With the a combination of services aimed at delivering hotspot application allowing each school manager built-in meshing technology incorporated in the net- e-learning applications in rural areas. to offer a cybercafé style service to the local work systems, users in Nakuru will not experience SatADSL claims its complete and innovative community, selling volume- or time-based vouchers service interruptions when moving from one point solution for e-learning brings education in a for internet access. This allows each school to to another within the areas covered in the town.” seamless way to the most remote schools in Africa develop a small and sustainable business. The network was built around the strategic thanks to sophisticated technology. SatADSL says the availability of the connections points accessed by the highest proportions of the The solution is based on connecting two distinct for the e-learning service is more than 99.5 per cent. town’s population. With 51 nodes installed, it types of sites: a studio that is generally located in It is supported by the company’s large network of serves users in the streets and open public areas the main city; and the schools which are spread out local partners who provide the necessary access such as stadia and parks. nationwide in remote locations and not well served to licenses and take care of the installation and Academic institutions, including JKUAT by traditional terrestrial communication means. maintenance of the equipment in remote locations. Nakuru Campus and Mount Kenya University In the studio, a teacher conducts lessons in in Nakuru, and Egerton University in Njoro, are front of a digital camera with a microphone. This Connecting classrooms in Kenya also benefitting from free Wi-Fi. Liquid said this produces a video stream that is sent to the video- is expected to increase the use of e-learning, which conferencing server. The studio is connected via a According to the ICT Authority of Kenya, in turn increases information retention among traditional terrestrial link such as fibre, radio local internet access has been widely tipped to be the students by up to 60 per cent, according to the loop, etc. This carries a 768Kbps video stream from key differentiator in economic performance, Research Institute of America. “With the uptake the studio to SatADSL’s service delivery platform creating at least 1,000 jobs a month in the of e-learning by various colleges and universities in Belgium. Further on, the stream is brought to country’s business process outsourcing sector in Kenya, and the wealth of knowledge available the company’s satellite sub where it is uplinked since 2013. Recent efforts, driven by public-private online, internet access in academic institutions and delivered to the schools thanks to satellite partnerships, are expected to raise internet access has fast become a defining factor in the quality multicasting technology. further, from the current 52.3 per cent, as reported of education that students receive,” said Roberts. by the Communications Authority of Kenya. Airtel runs various education initiatives in One such partnership is the public-private part- Africa. For instance, Sigweng Karuoth Secondary nership between the Nakuru County Government School is one of 150 learning institutions in Kenya and Liquid Telecom Kenya. This has seen the roll- that has so far benefited from its Internet for out of a free, fast and reliable public access Wi-Fi Schools programme. network, enabling rapid access to information vital Since November 2014, pupils at the school have for economic and educational advancement. been enjoying free 24-hour access to the internet, Under the partnership, Liquid designed and allowing them to benefit from unlimited amount launched a high-capacity network that covers a of education information available online. As a 10km radius from Nakuru’s central business district. result, the operator says students have been able to Initially, the network was connected to a 200Mbps access relevant materials such as revision papers, pool that is upgradable to 1Gbps based on demand. literature books and sample analysis, helping them A teacher in a studio broadcasts lives lessons to The free public network has given all users learn and reinforce concepts learned in class. remote schoolchildren using video-conferencing with Wi-Fi-enabled devices open access to the In June 2015, Airtel announced a tie-up technology and SatADSL’s satellite network. internet with the exception of unlawful activities between Internet for Schools and the LEAP Hubs

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entrepreneurship programme. Working with the Chandaria Foundation and Global Peace Foundation, it is supporting 41 schools in Kenya with free internet connections. Launched in March 2014, LEAP Hubs are dedicated space within secondary schools where students are incubated and nurtured to be creative, innovative and be able to launch sustainable business ventures and social enterprises. Through the partnership, Airtel is offering free internet connection to students within the programme who use the internet to access online Broadband connectivity via Avanti’s resources and tools that help nurture and develop HYLAS 2 satellite powers Project iMlango their business ideas. to ensure e-learning is successfully Students participating in the LEAP Hubs implemented across Kenya. programme continue to go through leadership and entrepreneurship training focusing on business broadband connectivity powers Project iMlango computers and tablets. Tigo experts are on hand to plan development, financial literacy and critical to ensure e-learning is successfully implemented provide the pupils with introductory classes on ICT. 21st century skills that will empower them to be in 195 remote and rural schools across Kenya. In a separate initiative, Airtel also runs an self-reliant job creators as opposed to job seekers. Over a two-year period, the project aims to provide education programme under which it has so far By mid-2015, the programme had so far improved education outcomes to more than 50,000 adopted around 38 primary schools across rural reached out to 15 schools in Nairobi, Kiambu and marginalised girls across 195 Kenyan primary areas in 17 African countries. Working closely Machakos County, and was expected to expand to schools, supporting 150,000 pupils in total. with the governments in these countries, its other parts of the country in the coming months flagship Our School initiative aims to improve with an expected growth of 40 schools. Mobile operators help build schools the quality and delivery of education to children Meanwhile, Avanti Communications has also in underprivileged communities. It also works been working in Kenya to deliver connected Over the years, Tigo Ghana has been reaching towards building community and employee education to marginalised children. According out to deprived communities to support various engagement with the adopted schools. to the pan-African satellite operator, Over one educational projects in order to improve standards Under the programme, the operator says it has million children in the country do not regularly of living. In 2015, the mobile operator prioritised so far supported more than 18,000 underprivileged attend school, marginalised by societal issues education in its CSR agenda under the banner children in the adopted schools. As well as including poverty and distance. #Shelter4Education. delivering ICT and broadband connectivity, Led by Avanti and its partners – UK Aid, Working with various heads of territories for Airtel’s support includes infrastructural sQuid, Whizz and Camara – Project iMlango is Tigo and using their local knowledge, the initiative refurbishment of classrooms, and the provisions said to be a first of its kind e-learning partnership, began with the identification of various schools of furniture, uniforms, books and teaching aids. created to deliver improved educational outcomes that existed as poor, makeshift structures. Some of The cellco has worked in various schools in maths, literacy and life skills for marginalised the factors to be considered in the initial selection across its footprint, including in Malawi where children. The name is derived from the Swahili of #Shelter4Education schools included network it adopted the Salima School for the Blind which word ‘iMlango’ which means doorway or portal. connectivity, Ghana Education Service (GES) is in Daniel Village, around 100km from the The project combines: high-speed internet accreditation, the pupil-to-teacher ratio, etc. capital Lilongwe. The school has 2,063 pupils, connectivity to rural and remote schools; provision Once six schools had been identified, a close some of which are visually impaired. There are of tailored online educational content; electronic partnership was set up with community and opinion four dilapidated school blocks which house eight attendance monitoring with a conditional leaders, as well as the GES and the local government classrooms but due to insufficient space, five of payment to families to improve non-attendance administration. The GES provided site plans while the classes learn under a tree. and drop-out rates; in-field capacity in technology the communities provided local labour for the Airtel helped Salima with its immediate needs and support resources; and real-time project construction of each school. In addition to each which included double seater desks, exercise monitoring/measurement. school, Tigo also provided a headmaster’s office, staff books, Braille paper, pencils and pens, uniforms, At the heart of the initiative is a dynamic internet common room and kitchen, and toilet facilities. sunburn lotion for Albino pupils, and school bags. learning platform, accessed through high-speed Part of the sustainability plan for It also rebuilt two blocks, constructed additional satellite connectivity, where partners provide #Shelter4Education includes providing the children blocks, toilets, a water pump for the community, students with interactive educational content. with their first digital experience through the Tigo 20 teacher’s houses, and is providing monthly food Deployed via Avanti’s HYLAS 2 satellite, Mobile Digital Library van which is fitted with supplies for visually impaired boarders. ■

The Obeng Yaw basi school in Adesio, Ghana, before and after Tigo carried out reconstruction as part of its #Shelter4Education initiative.

26 SOUTHERN AFRICAN WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS March/April 2016

New heights in connectivity

Operators such as ABS, Avanti, Eutelsat, Intelsat, Spacecom and Yahsat have either launched HTS platforms for Africa or plan to do so soon. Hughes will launch its own EchoStar XIX (pictured) this year although its beams will not point to the region. Do HTS platforms now represent the future for satcoms in Africa? DAVE REHBEHN reckons that when it comes to solving the region’s connectivity problems, we should all look to the skies.

hen it comes to the market for geographies and application areas. The cost-per- cost paradigm, and will undoubtedly help turn satcoms, Africa has been long on bit delivered by conventional satellites is often Africa’s enormous untapped potential into reality. potential but short on results for too high to support affordable data plans in many HTS’ lower cost of delivering Mbps is the key to Wdecades. Its populations, huge distances, and limited areas, in particular making it difficult to meet substantially increasing the range and quality of fixed and mobile terrestrial infrastructures create consumer demands for throughputs. services available to consumers and businesses who ideal conditions for the technology to take hold. In High throughput satellite (HTS) infrastructure are currently on the far side of the digital divide. addition, there is growing demand throughout the globally is rapidly expanding with the launch of continent for applications such as distance learning, geostationary orbit satellites across all continents. Africa’s HTS growth DTH, internet services, video distribution, And within the next five years, they will include enterprise networking and cellular backhaul. global LEO (low earth orbiting) and MEO The number of providers investing in African HTS However at the same time, the economic (middle earth orbiting) constellations. capacity is the best testimony to the technology’s constraints of conventional satellites have Availability of high capacity, lower priced potential. The continent already has significant limited deployment of satcom services in many bandwidth will fundamentally change the HTS capacity and can expect a steady increase

28 SOUTHERN AFRICAN WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS March/April 2016 INDUSTRY VIEW:NEWS HTS

over the next several years with the launch of 2 new GEO satellites as well as global MEO and 1 LEO projects such as O3b and OneWeb [see News, May-Jun 2015 issue]. Yahsat and Avanti are the major HTS service providers in Africa today. Both are planning to add HTS bandwidth in 2017. Yahsat’s Al Yah 3 is expected to be operational in early 2017, extending more high throughput capacity to countries throughout Africa. Avanti’s HYLAS 4 is on track to be launched during the first quarter of 2017, further extending the company’s coverage of the continent. Other providers are moving aggressively into the region’s HTS market. For instance, Arabsat launched BADR 7 in November 2015, and Spacecom is scheduled to bring on additional capacity 3 4 this year with the launch of AMOS 6. Facebook and Eutelsat (partners in the former company’s Internet.org venture) have purchased the entire HTS capacity on AMOS 6 to provide internet access to various regions of sub-Saharan Africa. Eutelsat has also ordered another HTS to service the region which is expected to be launched in 2019. Meanwhile, Intelsat’s Epic IS-33e is coming online in 2016. Gilat Satcom is already offering HTS- priced Mbps plans on conventional satellites to spur demand for high throughput services on Intelsat’s Satellite has a variety of applications in Africa. For example, Hughes’ technology has been used to connect Epic platform. While much of the planned HTS schools (1) as well as bring voice connectivity (2). In the DRC (3 and 4), it is being used deliver cellular capacity for Africa is in Ka-band, IS-33e’s capacity backhaul services for a major operator in the country. DRC PHOTOS: SUSAN SCHULMAN will be implemented on Ku-band. This will enable current users of Ku capacity to easily migrate onto more cost effective HTS payloads. the data market segment with the HTS capacity, connecting the entire continent, providing the and the more conventional video and enterprise price-to-performance ratio satcoms need to offer HTS advantages markets with the conventional capacity. viable services to business and consumers. HTS has several technical advantages over The technology’s potential impact on Africa’s High throughput satellites are designed and conventional satellites. The cost per delivered bit satellite markets rides largely on the target optimised for data communications. They achieve is lower as the satellite itself will deliver much application or vertical industry. Those with the very high capacities by utilising small spot beams more capacity while roughly having the same greatest potential for the region include: and extensive frequency reuse. price as a conventional satellite. In addition, its ❖ Internet access, including digital divide Conventional satellites employ wide-area beams powerful spot beams enable smaller antennas projects as well as Wi-Fi hotspots – as much as several hundred kilometres across. and radios. This lowers the capex cost per VSAT. ❖ Cellular backhaul Conventional satellites were really designed and HTS’ higher capacity enables service providers to ❖ Government health, education and economic optimised for video broadcast which is why, when offer service plans with throughputs of multiple development projects, as well as classic enterprise used for data communications, they typically MBps and multiple GBs of monthly capacity. including banks mobility and aviation yield capacity of only several Gbps. A large HTS However, some of those capabilities come at a Undoubtedly, wherever HTS capacity is dedicated to data can deliver hundreds of Gbps price. HTS smaller spot beams are less effective available, it will be the most cost-effective over a wide area at a lower cost per bit than a for multicasting than the broad beams offered alternative for satellite internet access. conventional satellite. by conventional satellites. Similarly, large The choice of HTS service for cellular As satellite operators replace their fleet, a distributed enterprises that could be served with backhaul, as well as enterprise traffic, will common practice is to add an HTS ‘payload’ a single conventional satellite beam might require depend on whether the available capacity can onto their new spacecraft. The capacity of these several HTS beams to link all of their facilities. land the traffic within the original country of payloads typically range in the tens of Gbps, and HTS network architectures can also pose each service provider. If not, then conventional enable the satellite operator to incrementally regulatory issues for applications such as satellite capacity will be used for cellular backhaul introduce HTS capacity into its service region. backhaul. HTS gateway stations are often not because of its ability to always land the traffic This also allows the operator to effectively serve located in the countries where cellular traffic within the country of origin, versus routing originates – many national regulators require all through a gateway located in another country. cellular traffic to be routed locally. Similar issues Mobility services – aero, maritime and land – Dave Rehbehn, can arise when bringing enterprise traffic back to will likely require a hybrid combination of satellite VP international headquarters. and terrestrial wireless capacity, with economics division, of HTS capacity favouring it over conventional, Hughes Network though the latter will fill gaps in HTS coverage. Systems The outlook With HTS capacity growing year over year, HTS is clearly on the near horizon to expand high-speed satellite internet service will soon help Africa’s addressable satellite market. It is the close the digital divide across most of Africa and crucial missing piece in the elusive goal of change lives for the better. ■

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Gogo is anchor tenant for world’s ﬁ rst GEO/LEO shared network Gogo is partnering with multiple networks. The company’s a fully global 10Tbps shared network “OneWeb’s unique constellation Intelsat to leverage the first network infrastructure will initially based on coverage, latency, throughput will enable broadband connectivity shared GEO/LEO satellite network include the use of traditional wide and other performance criteria. in the polar-regions and at high for in-flight connectivity. The company beam services and Intelsat’s HTS Epic The firm says customers will benefit latitudes,” says Gogo CTO Anand will use multi-layered Ku-band capacity NG platform which is expected to from the continuous planned upgrades Chari. “It will also have low latency on Intelsat’s Epic high throughput enter service later this year. of the shared network, including up to because the satellites are much geosynchronous satellites combined When the network is fully deployed 250Mbps per plane on Intelsat’s EpicNG closer to Earth. By using this shared with OneWeb’s planned low earth with the launch of OneWeb’s LEO fleet. It adds that One Web’s LEO network, Gogo’s 2Ku solution will orbit (LEO) satellite constellation. satellites in 2019 (see News, Jun-Jul satellites are expected to be the first to be capable of delivering hundreds of The Gogo 2Ku airborne terminal 2015), Gogo says its 2Ku systems will be enable high-performance services at Mbps per aircraft over every part of is designed to be compatible with able to dynamically route traffic across high latitudes and on polar flights. the globe.” Teltronic provides critical comms for Rio HGC deploys Teltronic has been chosen to provide critical mobile communications at this year’s Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games. As part of the EUR10m contract fronthaul with the the Public Security Secretary Hutchison Global of Río de Janeiro State, the Spain-based Communications (HGC) critical comms specialist will cover will use Infinera’s TM Series several areas. These include the Barra Teltronic will upgrade and extend its existing TETRA network at Olympic venues. system to provide mobile operators da Tijuca, Copacabana, Deodoro with high-capacity active mobile and Maracanã competition venues, now supports more than 100 dispatch network; BSTs with up to 12 TETRA fronthaul services in Hong Kong. two airports as well as several key operators and over 18,000 radios. transceivers to support high traffic As well as offering fixed line transport routes in the Olympic area. As part of the upgrade for the loads throughout the event; Teltronic’s and IT services, HGC is a carrier’s This latest agreement for Teltronic Olympics, the company will install CeCoCo Control Centre to accommodate carrier and one of the country’s (which is now part of the Sepura more of its Nebula base stations to a further 50 dispatch operators; and largest-scale Wi-Fi service providers. Group) will see an extension to the provide additional coverage for the an additional 6,000 terminals with the The company is said to own an traffic capabilities of its existing net- state police, emergency services, and vendor’s Synchronous Data Manager extensive fibre optic network in the work currently used by the Rio police. the Olympics organisation workforce. application to pare down the GPS Hong Kong region, and its four The existing network was originally The deployment will also feature: refresh time in AVL applications. cross-border routes integrate three provided for the Pan American Games two extra TETRA carriers for each site Teltronic will also provide round-the- of mainland China’s tier-one telcos in 2007 and, after some upgrades, to update the capacity of the existing clock support during the games. with an international network. With the rapid deployment of 3G and 4G, Infinera says mobile operators such as HGC’s sister company Connected cones protect road crews 3 Hong Kong are transforming their A European Union-funded features make it simple to obtain networks by driving fibre to the cell project is leveraging the accurate time and date stamps for any tower and moving to a centralised Internet of Things (IoT) to help save incidents, as well as providing a rich or cloud-RAN architecture using lives during roadworks in the UK. data set to report on deployments. fronthaul. It adds that this this new Using motion sensors that are placed Most importantly, ETI says architecture prepares HGC and its on existing traffic cones, highways con- alarms are instantly activated mobile operator customers not only tractors can monitor the location and when a cone is struck, improving for the growth of 3G and 4G, but also status of the cones on a map, as well the ability of workers to move to for a smooth transition to 5G services. as receive alarms when one has been safety. In addition, near misses can According to Infinera, the TM struck and workers may be in danger. Intellicone is claimed to be easy be investigated in further detail to Series mobile fronthaul system sup- ‘Intellicone’ is the result of a to deploy because it operates in improve future working conditions. ports all of the CPRI (common public unique collaboration between New conjunction with existing trafﬁ c cones. “This is a timely example of how radio interface) and open base station Wave Innovation, Highway Resource the Internet of Things can impact an architecture initiative rates, with Solutions, ETI Software Solutions, device management system provides industry,” says Nick Wilcox, CEO HGC’s initial services in Hong Kong Philips, Eldes, and Colas which is a web portal which logs the status of of the UK division of ETI Software. ranging from 2.5Gbps to 10Gbps. a major contractor for highways each device as well as its location and “It is more than making a ‘dumb’ The vendor believes that with maintenance in the UK. displays this on a map in real time. traffic cone ‘smarter’; it’s the ability these services, HGC’s customers ETI’s Beamfly software is used The vendor says remote to use the data collected to affect the can reduce their opex while to manage Intellicone. The remote monitoring and automatic reporting greater good.” improving RAN performance.

30 SOUTHERN AFRICAN WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS March/April 2016

WORLD NEWS

World’s ﬁ rst Sri Lanka buys bike lock with IoT into Project Loon

The Sri Lankan government country’s existing telcos. Fernando told Local villagers and police found the connection has bought a stake in Project local reporters: “Our objective is to wreckage of a Google balloon and its Dutch firm Mobilock has Loon, the Google initiative that aims extend coverage so that the entire island equipment in Gampola. created the world’s first to deliver broadband to underserved will be covered. With competition, bike lock that is connected to the areas using mesh networks created by tariffs will also come down.” wide) and equipment needed for the Internet of Things (IoT). balloons floating in the stratosphere. According to the minister, most of project has already begun, and could In big cities such as London, In February, Sri Lanka’s telecom- Sri Lanka’s ISPs support Project Loon as last up to a year. New York, Paris, Hangzhou munications minister Harin Fernando a way of extending their coverage and According to a widely reported and others, public bike sharing said the government will have a 25 per offering lower prices for data services to incident in mid-February, one of the systems play an important role in cent stake in a joint-venture setup with consumers. This latest move follows last balloons crashed during its maiden test attempts to make transport more Google in return for the spectrum year’s announcement that Indonesia’s flight. Locals found the balloon with its sustainable. To simplify these that will be allocated for the project. three biggest operators also plan to electronic equipment in a tea plantation systems, Mobilock has developed He added that there would be no begin testing Project Loon later in 2016. in Gampola, central Sri Lanka. The a bike lock that uses a smartphone other state-funded investment into In Sri Lanka, testing the giant country’s ICT Agency, which is app as a key. It says the lock can the initiative, and that 10 per cent of helium-filled balloons (each one working with Google, claimed the be used without check-out stations, the joint venture will be offered to the measures 12 metres tall and 15 metres landing was planned and controlled. parking docks or storage facilities. The locks integrate low power, long range (LoRa) WAN technology. Mobilock says because Satellite-based IoT combines driver safety LoRa chips and sensors need little power, the system hardly system with ‘black box’ capabilities uses energy. It adds that a device connected to a LoRa network is South Korea’s PLK lights and pedestrians. The company module to sense displacement from able to send data and commands Technology will use a claims it was the first to develop a which it derives speed and distance for fifteen years, using only two Telit GNSS IoT module to deliver lane departure warning system based between cars to warn the driver penlite batteries. positioning functionality for Optian, on colour image recognition. about the risk of collision. The firm says the use of the a new product that combines the Its new Optian system takes the According to UK-based IoT special- technology enables bikes to be features of an advanced driver functionality of a typical black box ist Telit, the SL869-V2 is a sub-miniature localised and monitored in real- assistant system (ADAS) and a capable of post-processing accidents, multi-satellite receiver module that time, even when they are in use. high-end automotive black box. and adds ADAS capabilities. PLK can be installed in vehicles, industrial, Mobilock co-founder and MD PLK was established in 2000 as says this enables it to implement wearable and portable digital devices. Walter Nieuwendijk says: “Thanks an in-house venture firm as part of accident prevention measures, It’s claimed to deliver a high level of to LoRa, rental companies can Hyundai Motor Company but was delivering lane departure warning and stability for navigation applications locate their bikes at any time and spun off in 2003. Its ADAS uses forward collision warnings, as well by tracking GPS and GLONASS at see who’s riding it. camera image sensors to recognise as front car departure alert functions. the same time, relaying accurate and “Also, the system barely needs lanes, vehicles, light sources, traffic It does this by using Telit’s SL869-V2 fast-refreshing positioning data. energy, while old GPS systems – for instance used in cars – need a lot of power. With this addition, Mobilock becomes the most Market leaders miss out in 4G auction complete and compact bike share Thailand’s top two reserve price of THB12.8bn that had 4G network. The Telenor-owned system in the world.” operators did not do as well been set by the regulator. Analysts operator claims this will enhance In the Netherlands, Mobilock as expected in the long-awaited 4G reportedly said the combined bids the quality of its networks to offer uses a LoRa network provided by auction which brought in a record total represented a world record for prices customers three times the speed of 4G. Dutch of THB151.86bn (USD4.22bn) for paid per megahertz. Telenor currently has a license to telco the government. True now has two blocks of 4G use 1800MHz spectrum although KPN. In the sale of 900MHz spectrum spectrum. In an earlier auction of this is due to expire in 2018. It plans last December, market leaders AIS 1.8MHz frequencies conducted in to increase 4G bandwidth on these and Dtac lost out to True Move, November 2015, it gained 15MHz frequencies to 20MHz and says this the country’s third-largest cellco, with a bid of THB39.8bn, while AIS will cover 77 provinces by the second and local service provider Jasmine fared better here and also won with quarter of this year. The operator International. its bid of THB41bn. will also add another 5MHz to its Backed by Chinese funding, True Meanwhile, despite being outbid 2100MHz spectrum which will cover paid THB76.3bn for 10MHz of in these latest auctions, Dtac says it all 878 districts in Thailand by Q3. 900MHz spectrum while Jasmine will now invest the THB70bn it had Thailand’s 4G auctions were The Mobilock bike lock uses a paid THB75.56bn for its 10MHz budgeted for a 900MHz license in delayed by more than a year after the smartphone app as a key. block – significantly higher than the expansion and marketing for its Super military seized power in May 2014.

March/April 2016 SOUTHERN AFRICAN WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS 33 Register to receive your free copy of this & other business magazines: WORLD NEWS www.kadiumpublishing.com

ABS-3A now Floating hospitals connect in Brazil ABS has been granted in Bangladesh with VSAT landing rights to operate its first satellite in Brazil. The SES has launched the first The Emirates Friendship Hospital is one revolutionary ABS-3A is now maritime VSATs on three of three vessels equipped by SES. available to serve a wide range of hospital ships run by NGO Friendship verticals in the country, including in Bangladesh. With local technical mobile backhaul, rural broadband, help from Square Informatix, it video, oil and gas, and mobility installed the terminals on board the applications. Launched last year, Lifebuoy, Emirates and Rongdhonu ABS-3A is the first commercial all- (formerly Rainbow Warrior II). electrical propulsion satellite, and Using the SATMED satellite-based features an innovative design and e-health platform (see World News, wide beam coverage that enables it Jun-Jul 2014), Friendship will be able satellite connectivity – will be able to consulted with patients from a to support applications on both sides to establish communications with support and facilitate work in the areas remote island in Bangladesh known of the Atlantic Ocean. It provides national and international doctors of e-care, e-learning, e-surveillance, as a ‘char’ through teleconferencing 720MHz in C-band and 21MHz from remote areas, and provide e-health management, and digital directly from Europe. in Ku-band over Latin America, medical counselling to marginalised imaging,” said Gerhard Bethscheider, Friendship says such a facility Europe, the Middle East and Africa. communities through telemedicine. MD of SES Techcom Services. would have been previously “After implementing SATMED plat- During the inauguration ceremony “inconceivable” to the country’s TETRA thin form tools and services, the ships – via held in early March, two doctors poor and marginalised people. in Germany VimpelCom begins to virtualise networks German Federal security VimpelCom plans to build heavy network made up of separate Before going live with the system, forces will be equipped a complete virtual network elements to a common, software- ZTE says its Universal Subscriber with what’s claimed to be the infrastructure providing 4G, 3G and driven and lean infrastructure. Profile Platform (USPP) was fully world’s smallest TETRA radio. 2G mobile data services to customers VimpelCom Group CTO Yogesh vetted in a series of strict proof-of- Measuring 116 x 55 x 19mm and across five markets in 2016. Malik adds: “The reinvention of concept tests conducted with AIS. weighing 160g, Airbus Defence It will use ZTE’s virtual Evolved the current network to one that This included overloading protec- and Space says its TH1n is easy Packet Core (vEPC), and started is software-driven and asset-light tion capabilities with up to nine times to carry in a jacket pocket or on implementing the technology in plays an important part in our normal traffic, simulating a 30 per a belt, and is particularly suitable Laos and Kyrgyzstan in February. digital transformation, and is a cent packet loss in IP network trans- for covert operations. Under a Following these markets, the leap forward in bringing the digital mission, repeated plugging/unplug- framework agreement signed operator plans to introduce fully world to customers as they navigate ging and switching of single board with Germany’s Federal Ministry virtualised networks in Uzbekistan, their digital lives.” computers and hard disks, and other of the Interior, the vendor will Armenia, and Tajikistan during the In separate news, ZTE has “extreme” tests and verifications. provide an undisclosed number of course of the year. helped AIS, Thailand’s largest According to ZTE, its USPP handsets, along with software and Once virtualised, ZTE says mobile operator, migrate 38 million simultaneously supports all GSM and maintenance until the end of 2017. VimpelCom’s operations in the five customers from their existing home UMTS subscribers, and “smoothly” countries will move from a legacy- location registers to a new platform. achieves VoLTE and VoWiFi services. NS upgrades train Wi-Fi XL Axiata and Indosat Dutch train operator Ooredoo share 4G RAN Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS) is upgrading its on-board Wi-Fi Indosat Ooredoo and XL Both operators are now running a and passenger information services Axiata have launched 4G network in several cities, including systems. The company has recently a Multi Operator Radio Access Banyumas, Surakarta, Batam, et al, extended its contract with Nomad Network (MORAN) as part of a 4G and plan to extend their core network Digital, the specialist provider of network cooperation agreement in sharing to other cities to support the wireless connectivity and ICT solu- Indonesia. country’s digital economy agenda. tions to the rail sector. Under a new “This plan has been discussed Rusli adds that the initiative helps five-year framework agreement, NS for the past two years,” says Indosat support the Indonesian Government’s will upgrade its on-board technology CEO Alexander Rusli. “We hope effort to reduce imports in foreign platform on intercity trains already with this collaboration we can deliver currencies, and also allows Indosat to using Nomad Digital’s systems. This even better services to our customers be more efficient, reduce equipment In what’s claimed to be a ﬁ rst for will deliver a common on-board tech- by giving a wider network service imports, and focus on its investments Indonesia, Indosat Ooredoo and XL nology platform across NS’ fleet. across Indonesia.” within the country. Axiata are now sharing a 4G RAN.

34 SOUTHERN AFRICAN WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS March/April 2016