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Issue 3 2017 Édition 3 2017
Africa
Afrique
www.communicationsafrica.com
Africa’s digital revolution Technology drives growth across the continent
Technology The rise of smartphone use
Satellites Connecting people in remote areas
West Africa Com Rebecca Enonchong, CEO of AppsTech talks about how vital technology has become for Africa
Bringing together technology, media and telecoms markets features: ● Communications ● Mobile ● Satellites regular reports: ● Agenda ● Solutions
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CONTENTS
Issue 3 2017 Édition 3 2017
Afrique
Africa www.communicationsafrica.com
Africa’s digital revolution Technology drives growth across the continent
Bulletin
4
Events
8
Agenda
10
Solutions
33
Technology The rise of smartphone use
Satellites Connecting people in remote areas
West Africa Com Bringing together technology, media and telecoms markets
Rebecca Enonchong, CEO of AppsTech talks about how vital technology has become for Africa
features: ● Communications ● Mobile ● Satellites regular reports: ● Agenda ● Solutions
Main Cover Image: WAYHOME studio /Shutterstock Cover Inset: AppsTech
FEATURES A note from the Editor
West Africa Com
17
In this edition of Communications Africa,
A preview of the event which will explore how the telco value chain can deliver low cost broadband connectivity and digital services to the consumers and businesses in West Africa.
we look at how technology is driving growth in the continent. We interview AppsTech CEO Rebecca Enonchong who
Tetra
shares with us her vision to drive
20
Looking at the adoption of TETRA technology across a range of industries in addition to some of the applications in public safety, transport and utilities of this professional wireless tech.
entrepreneurship in the continent. We also explore the growing need for data storage technology in this issue and the
Technology
benefits of this to the African market. On a
Communications Africa speaks to AppsTech CEO Rebecca Ononchong on how crucial technology has become for Africa.
different note, we look at the fight against
25
mobile fraud in the continent and the steps needed to overcome this challenge.
Mobile
27
Identifying and exploring the challenges facing tech security firms in the continent.
Une note du rédacteur Une note de l'éditeur Dans cette édition de Communications Africa, nous examinons comment la technologie stimule la croissance sur le continent. Nous interviewons Rebecca Ononchong, CEO d'AppsTech, qui partage avec nous sa vision de conduire l'esprit d'entreprise sur le continent. Nous explorons également le besoin croissant de technologies de stockage de données sur ce problème et les avantages de cela sur le marché africain. Sur une note différente, nous examinons la lutte contre la fraude mobile sur le continent et les étapes nécessaires pour surmonter ce défi. Espace de rangement.
Digital
31
We take a look at a number of factors which are driving the growth of next generation storage in Africa.
ARTICLES Actualites
5
Une sélection des dernières nouvelles de certains des principaux acteurs du secteur des communications, y compris Ecobank, LG et Inmarsat
Produits
10
Une reprise des dernières nouvelles pour le secteur des communications à partir de sociétés dont Telecom Nambia et Liquid Telecom.
Diffusion
28
Pourquoi de plus en plus d'opérateurs mobiles africains cherchent des start-ups
Editor: Hiriyti Bairu - hiriyti.bairu@alaincharles.com Audit Bureau of Circulations Business Magazines
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Subscriptions: circulation@alaincharles.com Chairman: Derek Fordham Printed by: Buxton Press Printed in: May 2017 Communications Africa/Afrique is a bi-monthly magazine ISSN: 0962 3841
Serving the world of business
Communications Africa Issue 3 2017
3
BULLETIN Ecobank signs framework deal for distribution of digital financial services ECOBANK TRANSNATIONAL INCORPORATED the parent company of Ecobank, the Pan-African banking group has signed an agreement with OiLibya, the Pan-African oil and gas downstream company, for the distribution of digital financial services. Ecobank Group CEO Ade Ayeyemi said: “This partnership with OiLibya demonstrates our commitment to bring affordable banking to the doorstep of every African, as we seek to serve 100mn customers by 2020. ” The new IoT network has been deployed in Kigali, Rwanda. (Photo: Vadim Nefedof/shutterstock)
its state-of-the-art network infrastructure solutions have been installed in a new data centre at the headquarters of Tanzania’s National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) in Dar es Salaam. Comprising Siemon’s VersaPOD® cabinets, high performance category 6A shielded copper and multimode high density plug and play optical fibre cabling, the new data centre is part of NHIF’s upgrade programme to better facilitate its administration and support services.
LG’s G6 smartphone praised by users across MEA THE RECENT LAUNCH of the LG G6 across the Middle East and Africa markets, LG Electronics (LG) reveals that its newest flagship smartphone has received great praise from users and reviewers in the region, offering customers trendy innovations and the latest in display and visual technologies. “We have experienced successful launches for the LG G6 across our markets in the Middle East and Africa region, exemplifying an overwhelming support to our highly refined and premium smartphone,” said Kevin Cha, President, LG Electronics, Middle East and Africa.
Inmarsat and Actility deploy Internet of Things network in Kigali to support smart city initiative
Big Data experts provide Apache Hadoop training in South Africa COMPANIES IN SOUTH Africa are quickly realising the benefits that can be found by implementing Big Data to business challenges. EOH Cloudera Services competency manager Louis de Gouveia says more than 65 percent of the current Fortune 100 is using big data to drive business. "Also, according to a recent Gartner survey, more than 75 percent of companies are investing or planning to invest in big data in the next two years."
FibreCo’s Open Access Hosting Facilities Boosts Connectivity for WACS FIBRECO ANNOUNCES THE opening of its Hosting Facility in Yzerfontein on the west coast of South Africa “Located directly opposite the WACS landing station, FibreCo has overcome current Cable Landing Station (CLS) hosting challenges and provides clients with open access hosting and co-location facilities, connecting directly into the undersea cable landing station”, says Marius Mostert, FibreCo’s chief technical officer.
INMARSAT HAS ANNOUNCED it will roll out LoRaWAN (a form of LPWAN or Low Power Wide Area Network) infrastructure around the city of Kigali to support the Rwandan capital’s flagship smart city project. Kigali is taking the lead with its smart city project, creating an IoT ecosystem where both private and government organisations can experiment with this technology in a vibrant and lively city. The project will therefore begin to take the potential of this exciting technology beyond futurist visions and into a real-world scenario and we look forward to seeing the creativity of Kigali's many entrepreneurs, students, and businesses unleashed on the IoT network,” says Paul Gudonis, President, Inmarsat Enterprise.
Dynamic Spectrum Alliance Welcomes ViaSat as the First Broadband Satellite Service Provider to Join the Membership THE DYNAMIC SPECTRUM Alliance (DSA) has announced that ViaSat, a leading global broadband services and technology company, has become its newest member and the first broadband satellite service provider to join the Alliance. “ViaSat joining the DSA is a significant moment in the history of the Alliance,” said Kalpak Gude, president of the Dynamic Spectrum Alliance. “It highlights that, as an Alliance, we take a broad approach to the efficient and effective management of spectrum, which is fundamental to bridging the digital divide. ViaSat’s focus on increasing worldwide connectivity, which can help to alleviate the spectrum crunch and connect the unconnected, aligns with several of the DSA’s core goals.”
Microsoft 4Afrika transfers IP Hub to COMESA MICROSOFT 4AFRIKA HAS issued full ownership and management of its IP Hub to the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), extend its reach to more African countries in an bid to enable more cross-border trade. The IP Hub, which Microsoft 4Afrika created and launched in 2014, is an online learning resource designed to improve awareness around intellectual property (IP) rights. Through a series of modules, it educates innovators on the ins and outs of copyright, trademarks, patents and general IP protection. "The COMESA IP Hub is a concerted effort between the public and private sector for the development of a regional platform, says Sindiso Ngwenya, the COMESA secretary-general. Microsoft and COMESA are currently working together to enable the creation of new IP by promoting a trusted cloud infrastructure. Siemon provides network solutions to National Health Insurance Fund’s data centre Siemon, a global network infrastructure specialist, has announced that
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Communications Africa Issue 3 2017
Hughes awarded multi-year contract to deliver turnkey, fully managed IP HUGHES NETWORK SYSTEMS, a leading provider of broadband satellite networks and services has revealed it has been awarded a multi-year contract to implement and manage a global IP-based communications network for a major multinational organisation. “For many years, Hughes has been leading the industry in providing global managed services that are flexible, reliable, and cost-effective,” said Ramesh Ramaswamy, senior vice president, International at Hughes. Kirusa joins forces with Vodacom Lesotho to roll out InstaVoice Channels service Kirusa, a global leader in providing telecom and social media solutions, has announced the launch of InstaVoice Channels, in partnership with Vodacom, the leading telecom carrier in Lesotho. InstaVoice Channels service incorporates premium content such as Celebrity and Sports daily voice alerts. It is one of the top 3 revenue generating VAS services in Africa patronized by multiple carriers. The InstaVoice Channels platform has more than 11mn followers, 14+ Football clubs, and 150+ celebrities.
www.communicationsafrica.com
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BULLETIN L’expo ID4Africa présente des solutions technologiques pour l’état civil
Fortumo étend sa couverture africaine et se lance en Algérie
LORS DE L’EXPOSITION et de la conférence ID4Africa qui se sont terminées à Windhoek vendredi dernier, plusieurs entreprises internationales ont proposé des solutions innovantes pour que la Namibie puisse mettre à niveau ses systèmes d’enregistrement des faits d’état civil. Cette conférence de trois jours a rassemblé quelque 800 représentants de 43 pays africains. Elle proposait également une exposition où différentes entreprises ont présenté des systèmes d’amélioration des systèmes d’enregistrement à l’état civil en Afrique.
LA SOCIÉTÉ DE paiement mobile Fortumo a étendu sa couverture africaine à l’Algérie, au Ghana et à la Tanzanie. La société offre désormais ses services de facturation d’opérateurs téléphoniques sur ces trois nouveaux marchés africains. «Grâce à l’expansion de nos activités en Afrique, la population locale bénéficie d’un meilleur accès aux services mobiles numériques tels que les jeux, la musique et les vidéos, et les commerçants génèrent des revenus supplémentaires dans la région », a déclaré Gerri Kodres, chef de la direction des affaires commerciales de Fortumo.
Le secteur des TIC réalise une augmentation de son PIB d’un milliard d’EGP au cours du dernier trimestre de 2016
Avaya continue de soutenir les efforts de l’Algérie en matière de transformation numérique
D’APRÈS LE DAILY News Egypt, les coûts des services de télécommunications ont sensiblement diminué au cours de ce dernier trimestre, par rapport au troisième trimestre de l’année 2016. Le rapport trimestriel du ministère égyptien des Technologies de l’information et de la communication révèle une augmentation de 10,2 % du produit intérieur brut (PIB) du secteur des technologies de l’information et de la communication (TIC) lors du dernier trimestre de l’année dernière, par rapport au troisième trimestre de la même année.
AVAYA EST UN fournisseur d’applications de communications critiques en temps réel. Lors de l’événement Experience Avaya qui s’est déroulé en Algérie, l’entreprise a annoncé qu’elle continuerait de soutenir la transformation numérique du pays. Elle y a dévoilé ses plans de collaboration avec des clients issus du secteur privé et public à travers le pays, afin d’aider ces derniers à réaliser leurs objectifs numériques. Avaya travaillera avec des clients du secteur privé et du secteur public en Algérie. (Photo: Picturereflex/shutterstock)
L’abonnement Internet en plein essor au Maroc 18,3 MILLIONS DE Marocains ont désormais un abonnement Internet, soit une augmentation de 26 % par rapport aux chiffres de 2016, selon un récent rapport de l’Agence nationale de réglementation des télécommunications (ANRT) du Maroc. Cette publication trimestrielle révèle le nombre d’utilisateurs lors du premier trimestre de 2017. Elle indique que le nombre d’utilisateurs Internet marocains augmente.
Procera Networks conclut un partenariat avec Vodafone Égypte LA SOCIÉTÉ PROCERA Networks a dévoilé un accord de partenariat pluriannuel de plusieurs millions de dollars avec Vodafone Égypte afin d’améliorer l’expérience de ses abonnés au réseau de téléphonie fixe et mobile. Au terme d’un appel d’offres concurrentiel, Procera a été retenue pour ce projet en raison notamment de l’avantage de sa solution de virtualisation qui offre une analyse de l’expérience utilisateur, alors même que le chiffrement se généralise sur Internet. Vodafone Égypte est le plus grand opérateur de téléphonie mobile d’Égypte, avec plus de 39 millions d’abonnés. «Procera a tenu ses promesses en nous offrant une solution de virtualisation, Network Functions Virtualization, qui nous permettra d’accélérer le
Vodafone Egypt a une clientèle de plus de 39 millions. (Photo: Orhan Cam/shutterstock)
www.communicationsafrica.com
calendrier de NFV», a expliqué Osama Siad, directeur technologique de Vodafone Égypte. «Les solutions PacketLogic de Procera, et en particulier ScoreCard, nous permettront de déployer de manière dynamique notre capacité d’analyse, pour que nos clients puissent bénéficier d’une expérience haut débit de haute qualité sur l’ensemble de notre empreinte réseau. Ces solutions nous permettront également d’être le réseau numéro un en Égypte et d’atteindre notre but principal qui est de garantir la meilleure qualité de service pour la satisfaction de nos clients. » Les solutions d’analyse de Procera misent sur l’excellente visibilité qu’offre le moteur DRDL de PacketLogic, permettant ainsi une identification avancée des applications, et ce, malgré le recours croissant au chiffrement sur Internet. ScoreCards offre un angle de qualité unique, avec des mesures de hautes fréquences de qualité dans des catégories auxquelles les abonnés peuvent s’identifier: navigation sur le Web, diffusion en continu, réseaux sociaux, jeux en temps réel, chargement, téléchargement, et applications vocales. L’analyse des résultats ScoreCard permet d’orienter les décisions d’investissement en matière de capacité du réseau et d’identifier les possibilités de création de services pour les équipes de planification du réseau de Vodafone Égypte.
«Procera se réjouit de fournir des solutions qui permettront à Vodafone Égypte d’offrir une expérience haut débit de haute qualité à ses abonnés », a expliqué Lyn Cantor, président et PDG de Procera Networks. « Nous pensons que notre stratégie fondée sur des cas d’utilisation de la virtualisation pour le réseau fixe et mobile permettra aux opérateurs et aux abonnés de profiter de leurs réseaux haut débit. » «La virtualisation de l’analyse constitue une initiative majeure pour la région du Moyen-Orient», a expliqué Hashem Eid, directeur général des ventes de Procera au Moyen-Orient. « Comme les opérateurs régionaux se font concurrence sur la qualité du réseau, le fait de réduire les coûts et d’augmenter la flexibilité de déploiement des analyses au moyen de la virtualisation est un impératif commercial. » D’après la société, des centaines d’opérateurs de téléphonie fixe et mobile et de technologies WiFi du monde entier recourent largement à la technologie d’intelligence du réseau et des abonnés de Procera. Celle-ci offre plusieurs services : donner aux opérateurs les outils nécessaires pour comprendre et aborder le chiffrement, gérer le filtrage du contenu et appliquer les restrictions parentales, ou aider à respecter les exigences réglementaires.
Communications Africa Issue 3 2017
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Always Connected While you may not be able to control when a power outage occurs, you can take steps to ensure it never impacts on your business. And today when it comes to guaranteeing standby or emergency electrical power, in terms of cost, flexibility and responsiveness, there’s really no better option than a diesel generator set from FG Wilson. Over our 50 year history, FG Wilson generator sets have been installed in more than 150 countries worldwide by organisations and businesses just like yours. You’ll find our generator sets installed in many of the world’s most iconic buildings, quietly guaranteeing that they are never without electric power. When you entrust your power project to us, you receive the full support of more than 300 skilled technicians who nurture your project from initial design and manufacture, right through to installation and commissioning. Now you can consign all thoughts of power outages to history and focus on what really matters.
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EVENTS
Events/Événements 2017 JUNE/JUIN 6-8
Datacloud Europe 2017
Monaco, France
www.datacloudcongress.com
6-8
Infosecurity Europe
London, UK
www.infosec.co.uk
9-11
Wire & Cable Guangzhou
Guandong, China
www.wire-cable-china.com
13-15
5G World
London, UK
www.tmt.knect365.com/5gworldevent
20-22
LogiMAT China
Nanjing, China
www.logimat-china.com
27-29
Big Data Monetisation for Telecoms
London, UK
www.bigdatatelecoms.iqpc.com
29-30
IOT East Africa
Nairobi, Kenya
www.iotafrica.iqpc.ae
11-12
West Africa Com
Dakar, Senegal
tmt.knect365.com/west-africa-com/
13-15
China Electronics Fair Chengdu
Chengdu, China
www.icef.com.cn
18-20
Communications 20/20
Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas
www.communications2020.com
17-21
AODC 2017
Accra, Ghana
www.africaopendata.net
19-21
Media & Entertainment Technology Trade Show
Johannesburg, South Africa
www.mediatech.co.za
10-13
Gadgets Expo International
Mumbai, India
www.indiabig7.com/gadgetsexpo.aspx
23-26
BIRTV Beijing
Beijing, China
www.birtv.com
30-31
Indo Africa ICT Expo
Nairobi, Kenya
www.10times.com/indo-africa-ict-expo
JULY/JUILLET
AUGUST/AOÛT
Monaco to host Datacloud Europe 2017 DATACLOUD EUROPE 2017 to explore the use of Artificial Intelligence machines in the data centre Datacloud Europe, the premier networking and deal-making event for EMEA data centre and cloud leaders will explore the potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the data centre industry during a special Disruption and Data Centres session in Monaco June 6-8th 2017. AI is being developed in conjunction with data centre infrastructure management (DCIM) technologies to analyse power, cooling and capacity as well as the overall health and status of systems in data centre computing environments. Many hyperscale data centre providers, including Amazon, Facebook, Google and Microsoft are experimenting with AI systems for energy efficiency improvements or problem solving within complex data centre infrastructures. “The potential for AI to cut the power consumption of datacentres is an area of growing interest in the industry after Google’s machinelearning trial with Deepmind, the British AI company it bought in 2014, proved it was possible to cut the total energy usage at the technology-giant’s vast data centres fleet by 15%,” commented Philip Low, chairman BroadGroup. “Datacloud Europe plans to take the conversation one step further and explore how AI might affect the way IT is delivered and its likely impact on the enterprise”. The special Disruption and Data Centres session on AI use in the data centre will be presented by
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Communications Africa Issue 3 2017
Datacloud Europe will take place at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco, France. (Photo: vichie81/shutterstock)
Mark Thiele, chief strategy officer Apcera in the central theatre on the 7th June 2017. “AI has the double-edged potential to create a true brain for the data centre and associated demand management and placement while at the same time driving much of the new demand for services. As new business models are created through the use of AI you can be certain that there will be an associated impact on data centre demand,” added Mark Thiele, chief strategy officer
Apcera. “As the volume of demand increases in combination with the assumption of best placement, most efficient use, being green and cost effective all in real time it will become even more critical that what happens in the data centre be driven by realtime automated decision making and enablement through AI. How you deploy, where you deploy, when you deploy, how long you stay there, will all be decided by AI and going forward this has enormous ramifications for how we plan.”
www.communicationsafrica.com
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DIGITAL
Automation
CIOs should embrace the role of championing innovation and agility in the business The previous wave of digital disruption, triggered by mobile technology, caught most CIOs and organisations off guard. Ten years ago, hardly anyone owned a smartphone. Today, there are around two billion in circulation.
The power of the cloud can help quickly and cost-effectively build out new apps and services. (Photo: Blackboard/shutterstock)
HAT’S MORE, WE use them every day to access Uber, WhatsApp, Instagram and many other services that didn’t exist when the first iPhone was released in 2007. Yet we are only at the start of a digital technology revolution that will profoundly change how we live and work in the next five years. With artificial intelligence, FinTech (especially blockchain) and the Internet of Things coming of age, we can expect digital disruption to accelerate in the years to come. Many industry incumbents lost market share to new-age technology companies or experienced declines in brand value and customer satisfaction because they couldn’t keep pace with the demands of a changing customer and employee. This time, CIOs should ensure that they’re better prepared. The difficulty is that we don’t really know where the technology will take us. We have a vague sense of the direction, but no clear view of the destination.
W
be able to recover quickly from failure. As futurist Graeme Codrington put it in a recent Sage podcast, “The single most important thing you can do to be responsive to change is to experiment – leaders need to create a mindset and a structure that makes constant experimentation possible” CIOs are now expected to guide the entire business through new ways of working. After all, an IDC Survey reveals that more than 40 per cent of line-of-business executives view the CIO as the Chief Innovation Officer. As the people with their fingers on technology’s pulse, they should embrace their role of championing innovation and agility in the business. It’s not as easy as it seems. Aside from the actual technology, they need to start creating an open, collaborative culture where digital natives can grow well. For constant change to work, it also means using today’s open business management solutions and the power of the cloud to quickly and costeffectively build out new apps and services. And of course, continual upskilling of the entire
Thriving in a world of unrelenting change With artificial intelligence, FinTech (especially blockchain) and the Internet of Things coming of age, we can expect digital disruption to accelerate in the years to come Against this backdrop of unrelenting change, the only way to survive is to embrace a culture of innovation. Rather than encouraging teams to ‘stick to the rules’, organisations should be ready to experiment, to fail fast, and www.communicationsafrica.com
Rather than encouraging teams to ‘stick to the rules’, organisations should be ready to experiment, to fail fast, and be able to recover quickly from failure.
team will be needed to keep up - this should happen on a daily basis and should be part of the culture – waiting for annual training seminars simply won’t cut it anymore. We’re lucky to live in a time where huge technical infrastructures and a massive IT team are no longer necessary to access world-class technology. Deployment is also fast, provided companies are running an open platform that allows them to easily plug in other services and apps via an API.
IoT on tap Do you want to digitise your factory floor processes and machines to increase automation? Well, today, Internet of Things sensors are cheap and open, and it’s easy to provision a software solution from the cloud using nothing more than a credit card. If it doesn’t work out, it’s not the end of the world because you have made no heavy infrastructure investments. Today, testing new technologies is easier, faster and less risky than ever before. In fact, the risk today is not experimenting, not trying new things and not failing fast. Companies that are not keeping up with the pace of change could find themselves left behind by a changing world—just think about what happened to Kodak after digital cameras and DVD stores after Netflix. ✆
Keith Fenner vice president: Sage Enterprise Africa & Middle East Communications Africa Issue 3 2017
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AGENDA
Samsung launches Samsung Mobile Care for Galaxy S8 & S8+ SAMSUNG SOUTH AFRICA has announced it has launched a new mobile premium service for the Galaxy S8 and S8+ devices called Samsung Mobile Care (SMC), offering customers a smooth and easy repair service, while providing expert care from Samsung. SMC is a service plan for the Galaxy S8 and S8+ device in case the handset is subjected to accidental screen damage. “Your mobile phone is possibly one of the most important technology devices you possess and use daily, it therefore needs to be looked after and maintained properly. This is why we have introduced Samsung Mobile Care exclusively for customers who purchase a Galaxy S8 or S8+ smartphone,” says Craige Fleischer, director of integrated mobility at Samsung South Africa. According to Samsung, it offers a quick and easy solution that allows you up to two screen repairs in a 24-month period. The Service Plan costs R69.99 per month, with the first month being free of charge. Samsung has noted, however, that customers can purchase the plan at a reduced rate of only R1 299.00 as a once-off payment for the full duration of the two-year period. The firm believes that this will Samsung SA has offer great value to Galaxy S8 and S8+ customers, says Fleischer. The SMC cover launched a new mobile premium service for which includes two affordable screen repairs over a period of 24 months, consumers the Galaxy S8. will run the risk of paying up to R10,000 to have their device fixed. (Photo: Samsung) “Samsung is one of the first global subsidiaries to roll out this service offering and as such leading the way for other markets to empower their customers in taking care of their premium device,” says Fleischer. “The Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+ are technologically advanced devices that offer the world’s first infinity borderless display. Samsung decided that it would be fitting to ensure they offer a high level service offering to match the ground-breaking technology that went into the design. This was done in order to ensure that consumers have peace of mind and enjoy the user experience without having to worry about service related issues pertaining to screen repairs. In order to ensure the delivery of reliable and consistent service, our SMC technicians are proficiently trained to ensure our customers can continue to enjoy their handsets,” he adds.
DSA 2017 highlights need for investment in broadband infrastructure AT THE RECENT fifth annual Dynamic Spectrum Alliance (DSA) Global Summit 2017, held in Cape Town, South Africa, it was highlighted that there was a need to establish DSA regulatory frameworks for enabling investment in broadband infrastructure across Africa. The three-day event welcomed representatives from five continents and 21 countries around the world, including policy makers, regulators, academia, and public and private sector representatives with first-hand experience developing and implementing a range of spectrum sharing regimes. “Research from A4AI notes only half of the world (53 per cent) will be connected by 2020, which leaves almost half of the world unconnected, and the United Nations Broadband Commission says being connected is now a basic human right,” said Professor H Sama Nwana, Emeritus executive director, Dynamic Spectrum Alliance, who moderated the panel with senior experts from the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA), the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA), the National Communications Authority (NCA), Ghana and Ultimate Internetworking Solutions (UltiNetS). Nwana continued, “Investment in infrastructure, unlicensed spectrum and dynamic access technologies remain a barrier to connectivity. It is a challenge of both affordability as well as accessibility, placing the problem squarely with communications policy makers and regulators worldwide. The Global Summit provided a great opportunity to bring together regional policy makers and regulators to share data from their area and explore dynamic spectrum access policies that are already in place and working.” The 2017 edition of the Global Summit saw a number of high quality presentations which spurred on further discussions on all aspects of spectrum policy, including the challenges companies are facing around spectrum for Wi-Fi, 5G, the Internet of Things (IoT), closing the digital divide, and satellites. The event also welcomed nine regulators who discussed best case practices from around the world.
10 Communications Africa Issue 3 2017
Mobile Mark acquires Luxul Wireless MOBILE MARK ANTENNAS has acquired the X-WAV and TMA antenna lines from Luxul Wireless, which is part of the Legrand brand. According to the firm, the TMA mobile antennas provide a heavy duty, impact resistant solution for vehicles operating in the toughest of environments such as military or mining applications. Michael Berry, president and CEO of Mobile Mark, said, “This is part of Mobile Mark’s commitment to providing high quality antennas for commercial wireless applications.” Luxul general manager and VP, Jeffrey Curtis added, “The acquisition of the antenna lines is expected to see the expansion of antenna solutions for Mobile Mark customers.” The acquisition took effect in early April 2017.
ECA partners with Niger to promote use of ICTs THE ECONOMIC COMMISSION for Africa’s Sub-Regional Office for West Africa has joined forces with the National Assembly of Niger to organise a Forum on Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) region. The Inter-Parliamentary Forum on ICTs for Development was held between 3-5 May, 2017, in Niamey, Niger, with the main aim of promoting and building awareness about the huge potential of ICT for development in the ECOWAS region and emphasing the importance that parliamentarians become acquainted with these new technologies. The director of the ECA Sub-Regional Office for West Africa, Dimitri Sanga said ICTs should play a key role in the process of the structural transformation of African economies and the socio-economic integration of the continent. “ICTs contribute, among ICT contributes to facilitating businesses and other things, to facilitating creating jobs among other things. (Photo: Abelkazzah /wikimediacommons) business, creating jobs and extending the scope of investment opportunities,” he said. “However, to permit them to play this role of catalyst for development, they must be accompanied by tangible policies and strategies based on an adequate political and regulatory environment along with quality infrastructures and human resources. All these issues end up requiring the approval of the elected representatives of the people. It is thus fully justifiable for the parliamentarians of our sub-region to meet to discuss these issues.” The forum welcomed ECOWAS member states as well as representatives of the private sector, civil society, international agencies and ICT-related institutions.
www.communicationsafrica.com
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AGENDA
Le Cameroun accueille une conférence sur l'économie numérique LE CAMEROUN A accueilli le forum international de l'économie numérique à Yaoundé, le 15 mai. L'événement de trois jours a été dominé par le thème : « Comment gérer l'économie numérique? Comment assurer sa réussite au Cameroun ? » La plateforme, organisée par le ministère de la Poste et des Télécommunications, a permis aux autorités publiques et autres parties impliquées de discuter des opportunités d'investissement dans le secteur. Le forum réunit plusieurs acteurs clés de l'univers numérique, notamment Jacques Bonjawo de Microsoft, Ernest Simo, expert de la NASA, et Arthur Zang, inventeur de la première tablette médicale africaine. Les participants pourront assister aux présentations données par les experts de grandes entreprises de télécommunication, issues de pays tels que la Tunisie, le Sénégal, la Côte d'Ivoire, le Canada et le Cameroun
Liquid Telecom entre en partenariat avec Intelsat pour améliorer ses offres de connexion à haut débit LE GROUPE DE télécommunication panafricain Liquid Telecom et Intelsat S.A., opérateur du premier réseau mondialisé et fournisseur de communications par satellite, ont signé un nouvel accord qui permettra le déploiement des services par satellite EpicNG haute performance d'Intelsat à l'ensemble du réseau Liquid Telecom. La nouvelle solution utilise un équipement de réseau terrestre basé sur la plateforme VSAT Newtec Dialog, qui intègre une technologie développée sous l'égide du Projet Indigo financé par l'ESA. Les solutions par satellite à haut débit (HTS) d'Intelsat permettront de distribuer plus efficacement plus de bande passante, pour répondre aux besoins croissants des entreprises du continent africain. Les nouveaux services Intelsat EpicNG étendront les capacités de couverture et de réseau de Liquid Telecom en République démocratique du Congo, au Kenya, au Malawi, en Afrique du Sud, en Tanzanie, en Ouganda, en Zambie et au Zimbabwe, où la demande en technologie VSAT, qui permettrait de connecter des régions reculées au reste du réseau, se fait de plus en plus pressante. ‘Grâce aux avancées technologiques, le satellite continue de s'imposer comme solution de connectivité la plus avantageuse pour les entreprises de toute l'Afrique. En coopérant avec Intelsat, Liquid Telecom sera à la pointe des communications par satellite et restera en mesure de satisfaire les futurs besoins en
Telecom Namibia déploie la technologie WiMAX TELECOM NAMIBIA A déployé la technologie sans fil WiMAX pour étendre la couverture de son réseau à Lüderitz et Ondangwa, incluant des zones rurales des régions d'Omusati et de Zambezi. Ces zones rurales comprennent Okalongo dans la région d'Omusati, ainsi que Kongola, Chinchimane et l'île d'Impalila à l'extrême pointe nord-est du pays. Cette décision fait passer le nombre de stations de base WiMAX à un total de 87 sur l'ensemble du pays. Oiva Angula, porte-parole de Telecom Namibia, explique que des projets visant à déployer le réseau WiMAX à d'autres zones rurales sans accès au haut débit sont en cours de développement, stratégie alignée au Plan Harambee pour la prospérité. Selon le Plan Harambee, les régions mal desservies de Namibie devront avoir accès à des services de télécommunications à haut débit fiables d'ici 2020. Telecom Namibia a déjà installé des stations de base 3G à Groot Aub, Dordabis, Witvlei, Karasburg et Nkurenkuru pour les services voix et données. Par ailleurs, le village d'Onkani, situé dans la circonscription d'Otamanzi dans la région d'Omusati, dispose désormais d'une station de base 2G pour les services voix et données Edge. À Bukalo, situé à environ 40 km au sud-est de Katima Mulilo, l'ancienne station de base GSM a été mise à niveau pour passer à la 3G. L'expansion du réseau sera synonyme de plusieurs milliers de nouveaux abonnés pour Telecom Namibia, dont le nombre de clients est déjà en constante augmentation. Par ailleurs, ces efforts permettront à la société de contribuer aux objectifs du gouvernement, qui souhaite combler le fossé numérique qui divise la nation. Angula a expliqué que Telecom Namibia utiliserait WiMAX en complément de sa technologie filaire pour permettre aux institutions et au public d'accéder au service Internet à haut débit dans l'ensemble du pays, et particulièrement dans les zones rurales densément peuplées.
www.communicationsafrica.com
Intelsat vise à améliorer l'infrastructure qui relie les clients haut débit et les entreprises en Afrique.
bande passante de ses clients, où qu'ils se trouvent dans la région », affirme Scott Mumford, dirigeant des services Satellite et VSAT du groupe Liquid Telecom. « Nous sommes aussi ravis d'être le partenaire local d'Intelsat, qui poursuit ses efforts pour introduire la suite de services Intelsat EpicNG en Afrique.» Le satellite à haut débit Intelsat 33e promet d'optimiser la performance, d'améliorer le rendement économique et de simplifier l'accès aux fournisseurs de services par satellite tels que Liquid Telecom. Liquid Telecom a signé un contrat de trois ans avec Intelsat pour installer des raccordements à la fibre optique et fournir des services de liaison montante depuis son téléport d'Afrique du Sud, qui sera intégré au réseau IntelsatOne, alors qu'Intelsat continue à déployer sa plateforme de services gérés sur le continent africain. « Notre objectif est de soutenir la croissance de la clientèle en Afrique et de travailler ensemble pour améliorer l'infrastructure qui connecte le haut débit aux entreprises africaines », explique Brian Jakins, vice-président régional d'Intelsat, Service des ventes en Afrique.
FAMOCO s'allie à Orange Cameroun LE NOUVEAU PARTENARIAT conclu avec Orange Cameroun devrait améliorer l'efficacité du réseau de distribution de FAMOCO. Orange a déployé la technologie de FAMOCO pour accélérer la numérisation de la distribution en Afrique en équipant ses agents sur le terrain. La technologie a pour but de mieux identifier les acheteurs, d'optimiser l'efficacité des agents et de lutter contre les problèmes de vol et de perte de données. «Les consommateurs d'Afrique ne disposent pas de magasins physiques pour acheter des téléphones et des cartes SIM prépayées », explique Lionel Baraban, co-fondateur et PDG de FAMOCO. Les smartphones lancés sur le marché sont destinés au grand public et ne sont pas suffisamment sécurisés pour l'usage professionnel. Les clients peuvent installer des applications, des jeux et accéder à Internet, ce qui fait d'eux des cibles faciles pour les pirates informatiques et les fraudeurs. Par ailleurs, les téléphones sont très convoités par les voleurs. Orange Cameroun a identifié les capacités de la solution FAMOCO et de son terminal FX200 alors que la société recherchait de nouveaux outils de vente. L'appareil est sûr, fermé et entièrement personnalisable pour répondre à toutes les exigences professionnelles. Le FX200 est doté d'un large écran, adapté aux besoins des travailleurs mobiles, qui permet de prendre des notes et de capturer des documents et des données facilement. «Avec le FX200, nos agent ont accès à un application Orange native directement installée sur les appareils, et les autres applications relatives à la vente ne peuvent être installées qu'à distance par l'administrateur Orange. De ce cette manière, nous avons un contrôle total sur les appareils de nos agents mobiles », explique Souhaïb Deen Bangoura, directeur du contrôle des risques et de la qualité pour Orange Cameroun. Communications Africa Issue 3 2017
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www.liquidtelecom.com
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AFRICAN. We can help grow world-class business out of Africa. We believe in the ambition and potential of African business. It’s why we’ve built Africa’s largest fibre infrastructure and provide an award-winning satellite network, capable of keeping any enterprise connected, protected and competitive at all times. Because we are not just a telecoms company. We are your technology partner.
Building Africa’s digital future
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QUOTES
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We’re excited by the growing demand for cloud services in Africa and the ability of the cloud to act as a catalyst for new economic opportunities.”
- Scott Guthrie executive vice president cloud and enterprise Microsoft
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We intend to position Orange Liberia by 2020 as a true catalyst for the digitization of Liberian society.”
- Mamadou Coulibaly CEO Orange Liberia
14 Communications Africa Issue 3 2017
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We have been contributing our quota to the growth and development of theNigerian economy.”
- Tunde Mabogunj director Dangote Group
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By connecting to 120 million mobile wallets – 75 per cent of all mobile wallets in Africa – and enabling cross border and cross network financial services, MFS Africa is helping to solve the industry’s biggest challenge.”
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Breakthroughs in technology continue to position satellite as a more compelling connectivity solution for businesses across Africa.”
- Scott Mumford group managing executive of satellite and VSAT Liquid Telecom
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We will continue to drive the growth of savings and loans, grow cashless payments for businesses through M-PESA and launch new innovative products.”
- Michael Joseph
- Bob Collymore
head of mobile money Vodafone
CEO Safaricom
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COMMERCIAL FEATURE
Life.NET Centre. (Source: FG Wilson)
Power quality in one complete package FG Wilson and Master Power Technologies bring value to customers with one high-quality integrated system. UST SIT FOR a moment and think back 20 years, to the way you worked then, how you communicated, how easy, or difficult it was to find information. And if you’re lucky enough to be too young to remember that far back, imagine no instant communication, using pen and paper, faxes, letters, floppy disks, unconnected computers. In 1999, Menno Parsons was working in the UPS division of an electronics company, watching the birth of the internet. He could clearly see the growing need for stable, high quality electric power for businesses which were becoming dependent on IT and fast communications. Putting his thoughts into action, that year Parsons decided to strike out and form his own business, Master Guard. At first, focus was on static UPS (Uninterruptable Power Supply) products, usually for customers in telecommunications, banking and industry. Soon, however, the product range began to grow. Parsons recalls, “Back then, the elements of a power system often came from many different suppliers and this made it difficult for customers to make the right decisions. Also,
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because the different components of power systems were all integrated, if something went wrong, customers often needed to call out suppliers of all the components to figure out one problem. Generator sets and UPS systems all work hand in hand, so we started offering them together as one integrated and fully supported system.” From there, it was a short step towards offering changeover control panels together with distribution boards which switch from the utility supply to the generators when power goes down and in reverse, when utility power is restored. Five years later in 2004, Menno saw the boom in data centres, but what was fast becoming clear was the traditional planning model for a data centre, now sometimes called the snowflake model, had no chance of keeping pace with rapid growth in internet traffic. His solution – now commonplace, but then revolutionary – was a modular data centre, where servers and cooling systems are held in containers. When more capacity is needed, it is as simple as bringing in more modular containers. Now Master Guard had a complete turnkey data centre
FG Wilson generator sets are a perfect match for customers who have critical power needs.” Menno Parsons, Master Power Technologies www.communicationsafrica.com
package: energy and hardware with rapid deployment. But there was something else. Parsons says, “When you’re managing a data centre, or any critical environment, you want near zero risk of downtime, which means rapid service for hardware and power systems. That means close monitoring and predictive maintenance by people who are complete specialists in all aspects of the operation. Issues need to be resolved well before they become problems.” So, in 2007 Parsons opened the Life.NET remote monitoring centre, which gave Master Guard the ability to monitor critical equipment and the entire data centre environment. This meant high efficiency was maintained for customers at lower costs than hiring their own internal specialists. And it meant that technicians were often on-site before anyone at the data centre was even aware there was a potential problem. The data centre operators could now focus on their business without needing to troubleshoot on operational issues. Reflecting the major changes in the business, in 2010 Master Guard was reborn as Master Power Technologies. By 2014, it was time to find a strong brand of generator sets with a reputation for reliability and at the very same time FG Wilson, who have been making generators for more than 50 years, was looking for a strong partner to add value to their brand. To sell and
support the FG Wilson range of generator sets, Master Power Technologies established a new Blue & White Division covering South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zambia and Mozambique. Parsons says, “FG Wilson generator sets are a perfect match for customers who have critical power needs. The products are reliable, tested and supported by a world-class parts and service infrastructure. And it’s a brand which has a long track record.” That track record is more than 600,000 generator sets sold since 1990 alone. It is a relationship which works well for both: FG Wilson are masters at simplifying complexity and for any project, Master Power Technologies can count on a team of 300 engineering specialists at FG Wilson’s main UK facility to support with generator set design and project management. Together with Master Power Technologies’s world-class remote monitoring and support capability, it is a strong package. But Parsons has not stopped for breath. He says, “We’ve now over 200 employees and coverage right across sub-Saharan Africa. We’re looking at all the bigger telecoms, banks, mines, commercial infrastructure and manufacturing companies to market FG Wilson generator sets, solutions and services. The value we can bring is one high-quality integrated system supported by one experienced specialist vendor.” ✆ Communications Africa Issue 3 2017
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NETWORKS
Wi-Fi
The rising popularity of Wi-Fi across Africa Wi-Fi is the connectivity solution of choice for so many of today’s devices. Liquid Telecom examines why the network technology is growing in importance to businesses and consumers across Africa. HERE ARE A number of reasons why Wi-Fi has established a central role for itself in the modern communications ecosystem. It is the default wireless communication protocol used by laptops, tablets and smartphones. At the end of most broadband connections there is a Wi-Fi access point, as it is the cheapest and most ubiquitous way to connect non-wired devices to the Internet. As such it is the primary method of connection to the Internet in offices and homes around the world. In public venues, Wi-Fi acts as a complementary network technology and Wi-Fi offloading – the migration of data from mobile to Wi-Fi networks - is becoming a popular way to help quench the insatiable thirst for mobile data worldwide. In fact, more traffic was offloaded from mobile networks on to Wi-Fi than remained on mobile networks in 2016, according to the latest Cisco Visual Networking Index. The importance for guest Wi-Fi is growing to the business world, where it is a recognised way of driving value and brand loyalty. In the case of Africa, public Wi-Fi hotspots have also proved to be an effective way to improve Internet access to underserved communities.
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A Wi-Fi hub for Africa Behind the scenes, network operators such as Liquid Telecom are discovering new ways to work with mobile operators and ISPs to maximise the business benefits of Wi-Fi networks. For example, Liquid Telecom offers a service called Africa Wi-Fi Hub. This allows Liquid Telecom’s wholesale customers to access its public Wi-Fi hotspots, enabling their subscribers to connect to hundreds of locations across some of Africa’s fastestgrowing economies. It also allows operators to make their public Wi-Fi hotspots available to some of Liquid Telecom’s roaming partners, joining a global network of public Wi-Fi hotspots quickly and easily.
The importance for guest Wi-Fi is growing to the business world, where it is a recognised way of driving value and brand loyalty. 16 Communications Africa Issue 3 2017
Liquid Telecom's partnership with GlobalReach Technology aims to help African businesses manage Wi-Fi for their customers. (Photo: Victoria Chudinova)
The hub will help to encourage Wi-Fi roaming across the region, enabling mobile operators to offer international coverage at far lower costs than mobile roaming and providing connectivity for international travellers. As more local ISPs and operators join Africa Wi-Fi Hub, Wi-Fi roaming is set to accelerate across the region, enabling more subscribers to easily and securely connect to public Wi-Fi hotspots and avoid costly data roaming charges.
The mutual benefits of free Wi-Fi Reliable free Wi-Fi is becoming an expectation of visitors to many venues, but the benefits of providing this service are mutual for both business and customer. Wi-Fi can be used as a platform for personalised and location-based communication either through a Wi-Fi portal webpage or through the customer’s own app, which can be triggered based on the presence of the user in a given location. Combined with insights into customer behaviour, Wi-Fi can drive additional sales and enable new revenue streams through proximity marketing. Earlier this year, Liquid Telecom entered into a partnership with GlobalReach Technology that is helping African businesses deploy and manage Wi-Fi for their customers. The managed service enables the smallest cafes to the largest shopping malls and hotels to offer
Wi-Fi securely to their customers. It is also being used by governments and municipalities to offer free Wi-Fi to citizens in a reliable, cost-effective manner, providing a platform to deliver e-government services.
A hotbed of hotspots Improving broadband access is widely recognised as stimulating economic and social growth. The transition to a knowledge-based economy brings with it new business models and industries, while at the same time transforming how public services, education and healthcare can operate. For this reason, a growing number of African governments are introducing free Wi-Fi initiatives to underserved areas. In Kenya, Liquid Telecom has been working alongside the Kenyan government to introduce Wi-Fi networks to underserved towns up and down the nation. The first such initiative of its kind in the country was launched in Nakuru County, which attracts up to 30,000 unique users a day. It was recognised as Best Wi-Fi Deployment to Connect the Unconnected in a Rural Environment at the World Wi-Fi Day Awards in June 2016. The rollout of more public hotspots across Africa looks set to boost economic activity and education further over the coming years. ✆
For more information on Liquid Telecom’s Wi-Fi offering visit www.liquidtelecom.com
www.communicationsafrica.com
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EVENTS
West Africa Com
West Africa Com: Bridging the digital divide The West African digital economy will come under scrutiny at the West Africa Com trade show this July. The conference and exhibition will provide a focal point for the region’s booming tech and mobiles industry, which is forecast to continue growing, and even accelerate, in the years ahead. West Africa Com will take place in Dakar, Senegal. (Photo: Jeff Attaway/wikimediacommons)
EMAND FOR NEW technology is expected to soar in leading markets such as Nigeria, Ghana and the Ivory Coast, as operators roll out new services and expand local infrastructure. West Africa Com — which takes place in the Senegalese capital, Dakar — is a major showcase that will bring together leading thinkers and participants from across the industry. At the event, more than 300 attendees and over 40 inspiration speakers, from across the sector, including key mobile network operators, will take part in a host of important themed discussions. Among the confirmed speakers and operators at the event are Stephen Blewitt of MTN Benin and Claire Papponeau of Mauritius Telecom. Topics under the microscope include how all players can further deliver low cost broadband connectivity and digital services to more consumers and businesses across West Africa in as short a time as possible. Experts and analysts from research firms such as Ovum, will offer insights into the West African connectivity landscape, and how to spot future opportunities. There will be a focus on how regulators can work to encourage the spread of the Internet
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and the wider digital economy going forward. The stakes are high indeed. The Nigerian market alone offers a huge pool of more than 182mn people, while across the region, the potential is even greater. This is evidenced through the sustained levels of investment among the main players as they seek to capture a share of what remains a highly dynamic market. Mobile phone brand Orange recently moved into Liberia, following its acquisition of the Liberian operator Cellcom, which was finalised in April. With more than 1.6mn customers at the end of February 2017, Orange Liberia is now the leading mobile phone operator in the country in terms of customers. Yet it sees huge room for growth in a country with comparatively low mobile penetration rate, at about 70 per cent of the population. “Even in 2017, an important part of the
Experts and analysts from research firms such as Ovum will also offer insight into the West African connectivity landscape
Liberian population is still waiting for basic telecom services,” said Mamadou Coulibaly, Orange Liberia’s chief executive. The company plans to accelerate broadband deployment and expand 4G penetration across the country in order to offer more services and increasingly sophisticated products. Another theme of the West Africa Com showcase will be uniting the West African Francophone and Anglophone technology, media, and telecoms markets by bringing together key figures from both sides, and beyond. Also under discussion will be cyber security, customer management and the customer experience, plus integration of social media. The event is well supported too. Among the sponsors of the event are Sonatel, Intelsat and a host of other telecom, technology and communications companies. And, at the end of the first day, the West Africa Com awards ceremony will take place. For all those looking to make an impact in this dynamic sector, in what remains high impact, high potential region, there is only place to be in July. ✆
West Africa Com takes place at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Dakar Sea Plaza, Dakar, Senegal on 11-12 July 2017.
Communications Africa Issue 3 2017
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SATELLITE
Capacity
Unlocking dormant satellite capacity over Africa The use of satellite bandwidth for communications and broadband services has always been dogged by high bandwidth prices. Across the satellite industry, many operators have unused capacity. Combining new technologies and spare capacity can help drive down prices. N RECENT YEARS, viable voice and data satellite communications solutions have played a major part in bridging the digital divide between remote communities in developing countries and the outside world. Such communities have remained unconnected to any kind of telecoms networks, fixed or mobile, due to their isolation and often inaccessible geography. Remote enterprise users, from mining, oil exploration and logging outposts, also now benefit from satellite connectivity for their broadband needs. As the numbers of such users of satellite bandwidth has grown, their demands for higher speed data and wireless/satellite broadband services are also sky rocketing, laying down the gauntlet for the satellite industry to come up with innovative new satellite broadband technologies and, most importantly, much more satellite capacity, though at much more affordable prices.
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Picking Up the Gauntlet Picking up that gauntlet, a handful of industry players, with satellite industry consultancy, SatConsultant, acting as project lead, have come together and devised a way to unlock the vast amounts of unused capacity and related lost revenues across the satellite industry. SatConsultant itself helps satellite operators, teleports, network providers, enterprises and NGOs to structure, use, buy and sell satellite services, but brought together Swedish satellite broadband equipment manufacturer, Forsway, global field engineering specialist, NWNS and global satellite service provider Belinter Media, together devising a fully-managed, dataservice business model. This new model not only enables previously unused capacity
The Forsway hybrid system has been designed as a complete high-capacity, low-cost, Internet-oversatellite solution, combining satellite and terrestrial technologies. 18 Communications Africa Issue 3 2017
The SatConsultant/Forsway/NWNS/Belinter Media team busy on their stand at CABSAT.
aboard the Belintersat-1 telecommunications satellite over Africa to be used and monetized, but can also be applied to any other such telecommunications satellite operating over Africa, or anywhere in the world.
Improving Europe-to-Africa Service Offerings Belinter Media delivers its telecommunication and broadcast services across satellites in Cand Ku-bands over Africa and the Middle East, as well as the Americas, Europe and Asia. Its Belintersat-1 satellite, with 20x36MHz C-band transponders, together with 14x36MHz and 4x54Mhz Ku-band transponders, was launched in January 2016, establishing a new orbital position for Belinter Media at 51.5 degrees East. This provides a comprehensive range of satellite services over Africa, Europe and Asia, the C-band beams providing African coverage with access to Europe and the Asian beam; the Ku-band beams providing coverage to Frenchspeaking Africa with access to the European beam. While the Belintersat-1 satellite has provided Belinter Media with a new platform from which to offer a variety of different satcoms services, (VSAT communication and broadband Internet, telephony, data trunking, cellular backhaul, direct-to-home (DTH) TV and
video distribution), the service it has provided from Europe to Africa had previously only been video uplink services, for a variety of reasons. SatConsultant saw that by using Forsway’s Hybrid Router solution it was possible to provide Belinter Media with a two-way communications capability and capacity that is now easier and available for the service provider to sell, unlocking new revenues from a traditional enterprise solution. This breakthrough is applicable to end-user segments, from broadband, to marine, aerospace and enterprise.
A Hybrid Team The Forsway hybrid system has been designed as a complete high-capacity, low-cost, Internetover-satellite solution, combining satellite and terrestrial technologies. Its use requires no new infrastructure to be built, as it simply enhances whatever infrastructure exists. The company says the solution is ideal for DTH operators looking for new revenue streams, mobile operators needing to offload traffic from congested 3G/4G networks, or to support their roll-outs of high-speed broadband Internet services in existing 2G/3G networks, or ISPs wanting to expand their geographical coverage. www.communicationsafrica.com
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SATELLITE
Capacity
Talking with Communications Africa, Travis Mooney, SatConsultant’s Principal Consultant, said, “There is a huge amount of undersold capacity in the industry. Helping companies find new ways to sell overlooked capacity and unlock new revenue streams is what we do. Our innovative approach and in-depth industry understanding, combined with Forsway’s unique product (which includes the Odin™ hybrid router) and the global reach of the NWNS field force, have created a formidable partnership and found a solution to the problem.”
In the Field For its part, Next World Network Services (NWNS), which will provide the field engineering and systems integration support for this project, facilitates, supports and implements VSAT and telecommunications network roll-outs, globally. The company specialises in extreme and hardto-reach locations in emerging markets in Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia, and Russia, focusing on the installation and commissioning of satellite telecommunications and/or sustainable power systems at customerspecified sites and provides full operations and maintenance support. NWNS is well suited to its role with the new fully-managed service with BelInter Media; it has expertise in implementing VSAT and large earth stations, as well as pointto-point microwave and wireless broadband installations, taking on full field engineering project and programme management responsibilities. From structural, mechanical and electrical design, to licence and permissions attainment, follow-up maintenance and service plans, NWNS will be handling all aspects of deployment even when it comes to enabling and managing services across borders.
Belinter Media delivers its telecommunication and broadcast services across satellites in C- and Kubands over Africa and the Middle East, as well as the Americas, Europe and Asia. Hybrid Satcom Routers Forsway MD, Tobias Forsell, told Communications Africa about the new capacityunlocking approach and how some of their product portfolio came about: “SatConsultant recognised the full potential of Forsway’s technological capabilities and helped us expand our product portfolio with a line of professional hybrid routers. We now have a complete product line comprising broadband, professional and enterprise routers for the widest range of applications. Our professional www.communicationsafrica.com
Uplink, downlink system schematic including Forsway hybrid router, Odin.
routers, for example, are designed for mobile, marine and aeronautical users and provide automatic route switching, integration with auto-pointing TV antennas and options to bond LEO and MEO satellite modems, guaranteeing continual access at the lowest operating costs.” Forsway is active across five continents with its focus on innovative ways of deploying broadband services, basing its solutions mainly on combinations of satellite and existing terrestrial technologies. The company has set its sights on enabling broadband services to be delivered, without the need to deploy additional network infrastructure, to the billions of people in developing and remote regions of the world, including the millions in Africa, who still are struggling to get on-line.
Innovative New Approach Can Stem Falling Revenues With revenues falling across the sector, satellite operators need to make margins where they can. This managed service for Belinter Media, with innovative technologies developed and employed at its heart together
with an effective collaborative partnership, prove that it can be done. Azercosmos with its Azerspace-1 and 2 satellites, APT Satellite with its APSTAR-7 and 7B are just a couple of other players providing coverage over parts of Africa whose untapped, unused capacity could benefit from this new approach. Travis Mooney continued, “The managed service we have put together with Forsway and NWNS provides a unique solution to a unique requirement, but offers insight to the rest of the industry as to what can be done to solve the problem of unused capacity. “Not only has Belinter Media been enabled to unlock untapped opportunities on the Belintersat-1 satellite, but this new approach and the new technologies from Forsway are now open to the whole satellite sector. With most satellite operators in this position, including many with footprints over Africa, there is no reason why they cannot do the same and unlock their dormant capacity to generate fresh revenue streams.” ✆
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TETRA
Markets
TETRA’s continuing path TETRA communications technologies continues to play a key role in Africa’s public safety, transportation and other sectors. Critical, as well as near-critical requirements will be in need of TETRA for years to come, despite LTE taking over the baton across a range of traditionally TETRA-supported applications. HEN SEPURA SIGNED its contract with the SA Police Service (SAPS) in Gauteng Province a few years back for 2,000 TETRA radios over a two-year period, those investing in the new kit were looking to the long-term, not expecting TETRA to be replaced any time soon. Even though an evolution path towards LTE-based technologies is becoming clearer to support applications and users currently supported by TETRA, this solid digital PMR technology looks set to be around for years to come. Listening to the TCCA (TETRA and Critical Communications Association) and industry pundits at the association’s fourth Critical Communications Middle East and Africa event in Dubai at the end of last year, those Sepura radios into Africa were responsible for some of the percentage increases in TETRA imports into the region up to the end of 2015, cited at the event. Analysts from IHS confirmed that the MEA region, as a whole, is one of the fastest growing TETRA/PMR markets in the world. Having seen 30 per cent increases of TETRA equipment into the region to the end of 2015 and a steady, continuing decline in the use of analogue technologies where digital PMR and TETRA could take over, Africa and the Middle East continue to be crucial growth markets for TETRA despite the evolving role of LTE in traditionally digital PMR applications. Speaking in April 2017 to Communications Africa, Ryan Darrand, senior analyst II at IHS Markit, said, “The market for TETRA in the Middle East and Africa remained strong in 2016 and is expected to remain buoyant through to 2021 and beyond. The increasing economic diversification of the region and the requirement for physical safety and security provides strong market drivers for a robust communications infrastructure.” He added that Africa, in particular, has been a stable market for TETRA over the last few years with IHS expecting TETRA to continue to deliver in this region. “South Africa – the region’s largest TETRA market – recently signed a five-year deal to provide TETRA equipment to its emergency services, which shows a firm commitment to TETRA.”
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Analysts from IHS confirmed that the MEA region, as a whole, is one of the fastest growing TETRA/PMR markets in the world. He continued, “However, similar to other developing regions, Africa has a large analogue installed base and the absence of coherent nationwide networks in some countries presents an opportunity for LTE manufacturers to exploit the technology gap, skip a generation and provide LTE infrastructure where TETRA has not yet been adopted. Of all the regions, notwithstanding the price sensitivity of this market, it is the projection of IHS Markit that this region is one of the most likely to adopt LTE in the medium to long-term.” Darrand added that the emergence of several private LTE networks for public safety in the Middle East and Africa already include Qatar, UAE and Kenya, and will pose as competition for TETRA in the medium to long-term.
20 Communications Africa Issue 3 2017
The SRG3900 (pictured with colour console and microphone attached) extends communication into previously ‘inaccessible’ areas.
A TETRA-to-LTE Footnote In SA, local Cape Town city government officials/technical staff have been reported as saying that the current TETRA network will need to be kept operational for at least the next 10-15 years. This will give them the chance to replace TETRA in a planned and phased-in approach with a 4G/LTE network, once funding has been secured. Darrand concluded, “TETRA is a tried and tested, established technology for public safety users, with low latency, high resilience, instant, one-to-many voice, i.e. the cornerstone requirements of critical communications. Therefore, IHS projects that this market [Africa] will continue to adopt TETRA until at least 2021.” For the SAPS TETRA users across Gauteng Province, that’s good news, as they can rest assured the technology will be supporting their needs as they police Gauteng’s more than 12mn people over an area more than 18,000 sq m in size. The radios originally delivered – the SRG3900 from Sepura, delivered at that time through their local partners Altara and Verstay – continue in use from Johannesburg and Tshwane (formerly Pretoria), to Ekurhuleni, Sedibeng and West Rand. One of the major benefits of the SRG3900 is its 10 Watts of output RF Power, which give it a superior operational range for any TETRA vehicle-mounted radio. Over such a huge area, this has ensured the SAPS users have been able to achieve maximum coverage across the province’s varied and often rugged terrain. ✆
Tim Guest
www.communicationsafrica.com
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NETWORKS
Wi-Fi
Zimbabwe’s public wifi ‘Zolspot’ awarded IAE award ZOL ZIMBABWE’S PUBLIC wifi platform known as ‘ZOLspot’ has been awarded the International Arch of Europe (IAE) Award in the gold category at the International BID Quality Convention to be held in Germany in July, 2017. Business Initiative Directions (BID), which has been existence for 31 years, is known worldwide for quality culture recognition, according to Delta Ndou, ZOL Zimbabwe digital marketing manager. According to Ndou, a BID Quality Award is a mark of excellence achieved by organizations, in this instance ZOL Zimbabwe, which, in the philosophy of continuous improvement, have become drivers of innovation. She said that ZOL Zimbabwe, as an award recipient was adjudged to be an organization that is on a path of continuous quality learning and is a catalyst for the benefit of the community where it operates. "The DNA of the BID Award is to recognize progress, achievement, improve productivity and solutions proposed by organization and business leaders who have reached a level of success which before had seemed unreachable. All of the above aptly describe the strides that ZOL Zimbabwe has made in becoming the leading ISP in Zimbabwe and dominating the public wifi hotspot space in the country with more than 300 ZOLspots nationwide," Ndou said. She added that as a BID award recipient, ZOL Zimbabwe has earned global recognition by being named amongst companies committed to excellence and productivity, to customers satisfaction and high quality production, organizations concerned and active in the defense of its environment and their neighbouring communities. ZOL Zimbabwe is now counted among companies, organizations and quality leaders that belong to BID’s international network of success.
www.communicationsafrica.com
The International BID Quality Convention took place in Frankfurt, Germany (Photo: Achim Fischer)
The BID commitment to Quality Culture is the force behind companies, organizations and leaders who, like ZOL Zimbabwe, are recognized for a continuous search for quality and excellence. To receive the BID Quality Award is to become part of a team of companies, institutions, organizations and outstanding visionary business leaders, whose presence in 179 countries worldwide, represents entrepreneurship, success and total quality. Ndou said ZOLspot is now an award-winning and internationally recognized service that has and will continue to positively impact internet users in Zimbabwe through providing an excellent network experience, bridging the digital divide through provision of free Internet access and partnering with educational and business entities to provide a reliable, fast and world-class public wifi hotspot service to their constituents. Wallace Mawire
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DIGITAL
Mobile
Bridging the digital divide in Africa Developing markets has a strong culture of entrepreneurship, a culture that has been boosted by the ubiquity of mobile. But for many, data remains a luxury and often agonisingly out of reach, even on mobile. N FACT, 60 per cent of people in sub-Saharan Africa will still lack a data connection in 2020. Wide accessibility to SMS has made mobile banking possible, but more sophisticated services require data provision to work, especially services which require strong security. There is a digital divide in Africa between those with hi-tech connections and those without. Technology is now the bringer of economic prosperity in the region. According to the GSMA, in 2015 mobile technology and services generated 6.7 per cent of GDP in Africa, a contribution that amounted to around US$150bn of economic value. If we take Nigeria for example, a core reason for better development in the south is connectivity and access to digital technology and services. Historically more prosperous, better connections have meant the gulf between economic growth in the two regions has widened as a result. Engagement in areas such as banking, communication and content (things Europeans take for granted), are all dependent on mobile. While mobile penetration tends to be high, access to data is not, so often the key means for people to partake in the digital economy through SMS, which presents its own unique set of challenges in terms of cost and security. And where there are more stable data connections, consumer behaviour is also a big factor in contributing to the digital divide. Consumer demand for data services plays a big part in driving the digital economy. While many consumers want access to a service or content, some people with smart devices are hesitant of signing up to a long-term or expensive data plan because they do not necessarily see the value that data will bring them. If there is no online content relevant or of interest to a farmer in Ghana, they will not see the same value in being connected as a banker in the UK. In short, it is not just organisations and operators that have contributed to this divide, it is actually perpetuated by stakeholders in the mobile industry. Aside from having less ability to engage with the latest mobile trends, the lack of reliable data services in emerging markets has quite a severe snowball effect on more mainstream mobile applications. Rolling out services on mobile can be expensive for organisations and if there is a smaller audience, companies will often pass these costs back to the consumer, which is clearly not an ideal solution in a low GDP region. The result is basic services like mobile banking are often operated through SMS services – less secure than data connections but much more ubiquitous. One way organisations are bridging this divide between the need for data and the absence of it is with a technology called Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD). In essence, USSD is a protocol, built into all GSM devices, which allows network operators to communicate directly with handsets. An Internet without the Internet, the technology does not have the bandwidth to stream video, download images or work documents, but it can allow short packets of data to be
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According to the GSMA, in 2015 mobile technology and services generated 6.7 per cent of GDP in Africa. 22 Communications Africa Issue 3 2017
Rolling out services on mobile can be expensive for organisations. (Photo: Scanrail1/shutterstock)
securely sent and received to a device without the need for a 3G or 4G connection. Present in all GSM connections, there are already a number of existing users. For example, LittleCab an Uber competitor in Nairobi and backed by Safaricom, introduced USSD to its booking system so that people can order a cab when they have no data access. The phone communicates directly with LittleCab, meaning that no third party can have access to location or payment information. One standout thing you can spot from most current implementations of USSD in Africa is that it is being used to power simple content and service based data requirements. To drive widespread use though, we need to look to systems that provide local content, sourced from the communities themselves, while also delivering services to the masses in a simple cost effective way. Consumers in this market particularly will not engage with content from a different region or translated services. While it may not be as straightforward as enabling content designed for Wi-Fi through a fast 4G connection, through better understanding of the customer and the market, more interesting commercial models can be developed to suit consumer needs. Aside from the need for at least some level of connection, mobile has the potential to make a huge impact in both developed and emerging markets where data is not readily available to all mobile users. The technology has the capacity and ability to truly bridge the data inclusion divide globally for transferring small packets of data through mobile. Access to information will, in turn, present a catalyst for entrepreneurship and the development of new opportunities for economic growth. Leveraged correctly, USSD can play a vital role in addressing and reducing the data divide. ✆ www.communicationsafrica.com
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SECURITY
Internet of Things
Internet of Things Security - are you failing to prepare? Flickering lightbulbs, scary Barbie dolls, infected computer networks and cities out of action. Could this be the brave new world of the Internet of Things (IoT), if we neglect IoT security? Ian Kilpatrick, EVP Cyber Security for Nuvias Group, discusses the growth of IoT and the necessity for organisations to take measures to protect their computer networks. OR SEVERAL YEARS, the IT industry has enthusiastically extolled the virtues of the Internet of Things (IoT), eager to enlighten us to the difference that living in a connected world will make to all our lives. Now the IoT is here – in our homes and in the workplace. Its uses range widely, from domestic time-savers, such as switching on the heating, surveillance systems, “intelligent” light bulbs to the smart office dream. This proliferation of devices and objects collect and share huge amounts of data. However, proliferation has the potential to create greater opportunities for vulnerabilities. Moreover, because these devices are connected to one another, if one device is compromised, a hacker has the potential opportunity to connect to multiple other devices on the network. Indeed, there have been a number of high-profile cases where everyday items Ian highlights examples of the security failures in devices have been used to force websites offline. the IoT. (Photo: Nuvias Group) Recently, hackers harnessed the weak With IoT devices now moving into the security of internet-connected devices, such as DVRs and cameras, using botnets implanted workplace, organisations are increasingly on the devices, to take down sites such as vulnerable to attack. A survey by analyst group Amazon, Netflix, Twitter, Spotify, Airbnb and 451 Research predicts that enterprises will increase their IoT investment 33 per cent over PayPal. More recently, security vulnerabilities in the the next 12 months, but that security remains a new, Wi-Fi enabled Barbie doll were concern with half of respondents citing it as the discovered, turning it into a surveillance device top impediment to IoT deployments. Nevertheless, it says that organisations are by joining the connected home network! Elsewhere, researchers said they had forging ahead with IoT initiatives and opening developed a worm that could potentially travel their wallets to support IoT deployments. There’s no turning back the tide of any of through ‘smart’ connected lightbulbs city-wide, causing the web-connected bulbs to flick on these IoT applications – and in fact, we shouldn’t try to halt progress. However, and off. These are just a few examples of the security checking the security capabilities before failures in devices for the IoT. Unfortunately, deployment isn’t a bad strategy, especially as it they are not the exception. Manufacturers are is important to ensure that the advance of IoT rushing to make their devices internet- isn’t providing hackers and criminals with connected but, in many cases, with no thought another entry point for attack. (or indeed knowledge) around security. The next step on IoT’s journey is connected Securing the IoT or smart cities, where the consequences of an The IoT challenge is backfilling security onto attack are enormous. It’s not just one lightbulb IoT devices. Because these devices are not – a hacker can potentially plunge an entire city running on standard operating systems, they into darkness, or disable surveillance systems, are often invisible to a large part of an causing chaos. organisation’s defences. And if a device is
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compromised, and you end up with malware within your organisation, you must firstly spot the breach, and then find out where it’s coming from, not an easy task. Cleaning the device won’t necessarily fix the problem, as you will have a compromised IoT device within your security perimeter, which will just continue to re-infect other devices. There are many different types of solutions available. Kaspersky Labs, for example, has Kaspersky OS, a secure environment for the IoT. Other suppliers, including Tenable Networks and Check Point, also provide solutions that are relevant here. A key action for organisations is to pay close attention to the network settings for IoT devices and, where possible, separate them from access to the internet and to other devices. Also, IoT devices should be identified and managed alongside regular IT asset for inventories; and basic security measures, such as changing default credentials and rotating strong Wi-Fi network passwords should be used. As much as IoT manufacturers need to embed adequate levels of security into their devices, the ultimate responsibility for ensuring an organisation is secure is with the user. This is particularly true as Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) are under more pressure than ever to maintain the integrity of their organisations, in the face of increasing legislation such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which carries potentially crippling fines for data breaches. Ultimately, IoT is here, and it isn’t secure. It won’t be secure until IoT device manufacturers make it secure, which will be many years in the future. In the meantime, it’s down to organisations to make sure they are protected. User education should be a key element in defence around IoT deployment, partly because of the increased risks of shadow deployment in the workplace with IoT devices. Business leaders need to ask their IT department or CISO for a strategic plan to deal with IoT vulnerabilities, rather than burying their head in the sand. As the saying goes, a failure to plan is planning to fail. ✆ Communications Africa Issue 3 2017
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GHANA
Cyber crime
Tackling the threat of cyber crime in Ghana The Internet is a system of communication which has become indispensable in all spheres of human endeavour in the modern world. But its utilisation for myriad of criminal activities, such as cyber attacks needs to be addressed. N GHANA, CYBER crimes are increasingly becoming prevalent and by extension a way of life. The youth in the country — a new generation of future leaders — have been involved in criminal activities, and to make matters worse, most genuine and innocent users of the technology do not have the expertise to combat the menace of cyber attacks. According to cyber security experts, a cyber crime is generally defined as any criminal act where the perpetrator hacks or breaks into a computer or computer network in order to illegally obtain sensitive information or disseminate destructive computer software. Internet fraud, identity theft, and credit card account theft are all examples of cyber crimes. The prevalence of cyber attacks is worrying given the fact that organisations, including those within the financial institutions are continuously becoming vulnerable to cyber crimes, a situation which always creates an atmosphere of panic and uncertainty. A study conducted on cyber security by South Africa-based Telecom Service provider Internet Solution (IS) in Ghana indicates that if urgent measures were not taken to prevent cyber crimes, any potential cyber attack against the vulnerable organisations would severely affect their operations. Indeed, the vulnerability of most Ghanaian organisations stems from the fact that most of them leave their cyber security systems widely open to the attacks of organised crime.
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The vulnerability of most Ghanaian organisations stems from the fact that most of them leave their cyber security systems widely open to the attacks of organised crime. According to Kovelin Naidoo, chief information officer of IS, “Most of the Ghanaian companies are not cyber conscious and therefore have not managed to put in place mechanisms to protect their data and other vital documents. This is not good for a lot of reasons. 24 Communications Africa Issue 3 2017
Ghanaian cyber security experts have warned of cyber crime threats in the country. (Photo: deepadesigns/shutterstock)
“Imagine various industrial establishments who have resources and manpower to invade any organisation, they will go as far as possible to destroy these organisations and render them toothless. “Although it is true that one cannot be fully protected from the activities of organised crime, measures can be put in place to monitor their operations and halt them before it happens. “We have also tried to discuss the issue with the government and it is good news that now Ghana has a data protection commission to help address these issues.” Teki Akuetteh Falconer, executive director of Data Protection Commission spoke of being already aware that the majority of Ghanaian companies are not cyber conscious. “Measures are being put in place to address the situation,” she said. It is important to note that the commission operates a compliance programme, which makes it mandatory for companies in Ghana to be taken through various processes on how to protect their data and other vital documents. “We hope that as we continue to do that, it will increase and enlighten issues on cyber security,” added Falconer. It cannot be denied the fact that Ghanaian firms are leveraging Information Communication Technology (ICT) to push
social and economic growth in the nation. IBM Ghana’s country general manager, Angela Kyerematen-Jimoh said, “Increasingly, technology innovation will be at the heart of strategy, and Ghanaian companies and government agencies need to consistently reappraise their investment priorities with a view to ensuring that technology is the core of their growth plans.” But with all the promotions being embarked upon by industry players towards making ICT the tool for national development coupled with the initial and modest safeguards against cyber attacks, the cyber criminals are still unyielding in their nefarious activities, as some state websites were recently hacked and rendered inactive for a while. Consequently, Ghanaian cyber security experts have warned that there could be the likelihood of more of such attacks on government agencies and companies as well as on important private establishments if the nation does not act swiftly to develop and implement a cyber security strategy to address cyber warfare, sabotage and espionage. Recently, the Bank of Ghana found it necessary to caution banks to be wary of vulnerability to cyber attacks and previous instances of fraudulent payments online. ✆
Emmanuel Yartey www.communicationsafrica.com
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TECHNOLOGY
Apps
A passion for technology At the inaugural Germany-Africa Business Forum, held in Berlin in March, Rebecca Enonchong, the founder and CEO of AppsTech, spoke passionately about how crucial technology has become for Africa. She also found the time to talk to Communications Africa about her work.
The Germany-Africa Business Forum was held in Berlin. (Photo: Christian Mueller/Shutterstock)
HE GERMANY-AFRICA BUSINESS Forum drew together some of Africa’s sharpest minds with German companies and investors to create dialogue about commercial and political interchange between Africa – the world’s youngest continent, and Germany – the world’s third largest economy, as well as a noted leader in technology and industrial expertise. German trade with Africa currently stands at around US$60bn a year (compared to China’s US$200bn), and around 90 per cent of Germany’s FDI into Africa is focused on just three countries – South Africa, Algeria and Nigeria. Consequently, the potential for German brands, industry and capital to expand and find new markets in Africa is considered hugely positive.
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There are ample opportunities for African companies to do business in Germany, and one particular sector was identified by Rebecca Enonchong as being particularly appealing – the field of technology. Enonchong told the conference, “I have been working toward and trying to encourage technology entrepreneurship in Africa since 2000, and in the last 17 years, I can only say that I never dreamt about what I see today, it is just amazing what young people, with practically no resources, are able to do. Across the continent, Africans are developing innovative technology.”
German trade with Africa currently stands at around US$60bn a year.
And that’s important because Africa needs scale. Yes, African entrepreneurs can and do develop world-class technological innovations, but it is only by getting it into developed markets such as Germany that they become truly viable commercially on a global scale. Enonchong told Communications Africa that she began her company in 1999 and then in 2001 created a subsidiary called MobileApps that developed the capabilities of companies to transact using mobile devices. “This was traditional mobile,” she points out, “pre-smart phone and primarily for enterprise applications.” Essentially, the apps that Enonchong built allowed her client companies to transact within their own finance systems using mobile applications. The apps were an internal operational tool. Enonchong started her career in finance, in
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TECHNOLOGY
back-office finance accounting. She worked for various financial institutions before moving on to consult on financial systems for large organisations like the Inter-American Development Bank in Washington DC – the largest source of development financing for Latin America and the Caribbean. From the Inter-American Development Bank she went on to join Oracle Corporation, the California-based multinational computer technology corporation, again working with financial applications before she decided to strike out on her own and found AppsTech. She retained a working relationship with Oracle, AppsTech becoming an Oracle Platinum partner, offering a diverse range of enterprise software products and services including implementation, training and application management services for large and mediumsized companies. With offices on three continents, AppsTech has done work in more than 25 countries and provided support to users in more than 50. But while Enonchong is very positive regarding Africa’s potential role in shaping and profiting from cutting-edge technologies, she has very definite reservations about the way that many African governments interact with tech entrepreneurs. Instead of enabling technologies to evolve, they can cramp innovation with red tape and regulations. “African governments should not fear technology, they must learn to love it, embrace it and recognise the power technology has in creating economic opportunities and development,” Enonchong says. She cites examples such as the app
The apps built by Rebecca Enongchong, AppsTech enables client companies to transact within their own finance systems. (Photo: AppsTech)
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Apps
developed for the agricultural sector that uses a sensor that can be planted into the soil to assess its composition and report to a central server on the
appropriate type of fertilizer to use. However, she is critical of the types of legislation which certain governments have introduced, such as Ghana that has imposed the equivalent of an US$8,000 license fee for operating drones. “Drones have many useful applications,” she explains. “They can be used in delivering pharmaceuticals to remote areas, mapping, providing Internet access or monitoring crops. But compare the US$8,000 that the Ghanaian government requires to register drone operations to the US$5 fee that the US government imposes!” Nor is she particularly impressed by the Cameroon government’s decision to close down the internet in the English-speaking regions of the country. The government suspension was particularly damaging for the city of Buea where many of Cameroon's technology start-ups, as well as AppsTech, are based. And Enonchong has some advice for Germany as the relationship between Africa and Germany comes into sharper focus with Germany holding the presidency and hosting the G20 summit in two month’s time in early July in Hamburg. Germany has published Afrika und Europe— Neue Partnerschaft für Entwicklung, Frieden
Essentially, the apps that Enonchong built allowed her client companies to transact within their own finance systems using mobile applications.
An app for the agricultural sector is just one of many that is creating economic opportunities and development. (Photo: Umberto Shtanzman)
und Zukunf (Africa and Europe—A New Partnership for Development, Peace, and a Better Future) that has been hailed as a ‘Marshall Plan’ for Africa. Germany has already confirmed that the G20 intends to discuss the opportunities and challenges posed by the spread of digital technology. But Enonchong cautions that Germany would benefit from changing the way it perceives its relationship with Africa. “I think that there is a risk that Africa will not be respected as market but be viewed simply as a basket case, a charity case. But Africa wants to be treated as a market, and I think that the Germans who are very demanding of themselves, and very precise, would be well advised not lower their standards when it comes to Africa. “If they keep to those same standards, the same ethical standards and the same implementation standards, they will find a really able partner in Africa, and I think Germany will benefit from that.” ✆
Stephen Williams
www.communicationsafrica.com
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MOBILE
Security
Collaboration key in fighting rise in mobile fraud Tech security has long been high on the agenda, but after the WannaCry cyber attacks in May it is now something that everyone is talking about. HE MALICIOUS RANSOMWARE attacks caused devastation to computer systems and networks across the world, from the UK and the USA, to Russia and China. With digital and mobile technology spreading rapidly in Africa it is likewise deemed equally high priority. Yet the threats, challenges and problems facing tech security firms nowadays are multiple, and reach far and beyond any dangerous computer virus. Even in the area of voice communication, state-of-the-art technology is being used to target victims for fraud – and equally to fight such crimes too. This is a trend that leading communications enabler BICS has picked up on, especially in Africa’s booming mobile telephony sector. “What we are seeing in Africa is significant developments in the International Outbound Voice Traffic fraud area,” says Katia GonzalezGutierrez, head of fraud prevention operations and services at BICS. “Outbound voice frauds such as International Revenue Share Fraud (IRSF) have shown no slowdown at all.” Indeed, the region maintains its position as one of the most impacted
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Even in the area of voice communication, state-of-the-art technology is being used to target victims for fraud – and equally to fight such crimes too. in the world, with around 30 per cent of IRSF incidents originating from Africa, both through local subscribers on the continent, and also crucially inbound roamers, which are foreign subscribers roaming in the local operator’s networks. Gonzalez-Gutierrez says that an important point about IRSF is that it
Simbox fraud is prevalent in Africa. (Photo: Scanrail1/shutterstock)
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Countries such as Liberia are at te top of the list of ISRF termination. (Photo: Rjruiziii/wikimediacommons)
is not only outbound calling that is affected by this kind of fraud; certain countries on the African continent – Chad, Somalia, Ivory Coast, and Liberia – also top the list of IRSF termination, meaning that locals are also being targeted by fraudsters. Another specific type of fraud that is prevalent in Africa, she says, is Inbound Voice Traffic fraud. This encompasses bypass types of fraud, especially SIMBoxes, that continue to erode termination revenues significantly for African operators and governments. “In a move to keep their revenue levels satisfactory, some governments and operators followed what many others have done and increased terminations rates - effectively fuelling the fraud-fire and making it even more lucrative for the fraudsters.” She highlights the case of Nigeria, which recently increased its terminations rate, and has since seen a considerable spike in bypass frauds. Battling this kind of fraud will take collaboration between operator and carrier, she says, with one such example being the BICS FraudGuard platform. This crowd-sourced database of numbers of questionable use has aided operators in Africa in proactively blocking more than 100mn fraud call attempts before the subscriber is even aware that these calls are being made to their mobile phones. But, as is the case in all tech security, new fraud risk trends are emerging all the time. The East Africa One Network Area (ONA), and other such setups are giving rise to Calling Line Identity (CLI) manipulation, making international calls look like they are coming from a regional number, then siphoning off the higher termination cost. Equally, says Gonzalez-Gutierrez, other types of grouping such as the West Africa Free Roaming area may follow a similar trend, such as is happening in Europe, and give rise to CLI Manipulation, Roaming SIMBoxes, Call Selling, and Deliberate High Usage (also known as Permanent Roaming) scenarios. “Once again, the need for collaboration between operators and carriers can combat these emerging fraud trends, and help lead to a fairer and more secure mobile industry.” ✆
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Investment
Les opérateurs mobiles d’Afrique se lancent dans les start-ups : pourquoi et comment ils commencent à maîtriser un environnement en évolution Au cours des trois dernières années, les opérateurs mobiles du continent ont travaillé avec des start-ups africaines, et dans certains cas se sont intégrés à l’écosystème qui les soutient. L’article exhaustif au sujet de Russell Southwood examine comment et pourquoi les opérateurs mobiles africains se sont impliqués. OUR QUELLE RAISON un opérateur mobile africain se verrait impliqué dans des start-ups ? C’est une question simple, à laquelle tout le monde ne semble pas être capable de répondre. Bien que la question semble si simple, elle fait cependant ressortir la question suivante, plus vaste : à quoi ressembleront les opérateurs mobiles d’ici à cinq ou dix ans ? Laissons de côté la responsabilité sociale des entreprises, car c’est une réponse facile : investir un faible montant d'argent dans des start-ups fait partie de la musique d’ambiance de l’Afrique du futur, pourquoi donc ne pas en profiter ? Et si c’était une véritable question financière, comme pourquoi investir de vastes quantités de l’argent des actionnaires dans des start-ups ? Par nature, les start-ups sont à haut risque, et un nombre important d’entre elles échoueront. Mais supposons que vous ayez de la chance, et trouvez une start-up connaissant un franc succès, que se passeraitil ? Servirait-elle à développer vos activités, ou la vendriez-vous, tout simplement ? Si vous êtes dans la communication, par exemple, de quelle manière vous aiderait un investissement dans une entreprise technologique de santé qui réussit très bien ? La réponse à ces questions peut se concentrer sur deux visions stratégiques principales :
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1. C’est une question de synergies Avec la transition vers le digital, les opérateurs mobiles doivent encourager les acteurs fournissant du contenu et des services digitaux à faire du commerce sur leur plateforme de données. Plus les utilisateurs utilisent ce contenu et ces services, plus les opérateurs mobiles leur vendront de données. Et/ou si vous possédez des plateformes de paiement efficaces, tout commerce fructueux faisant augmenter les volumes de paiements dynamisera par conséquent le succès financier
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InvestmentMTN has made three significant investments in Africa including a start-up based in Zambia. (Photo: Lighton Phiri/flickr)
de votre plateforme. La question est donc à qui appartiennent ces services, et qui en tire les bénéfices ? Les opérateurs mobiles ont cherché à concurrencer la nouvelle génération de services OTT, et estiment clairement que s’ils peuvent créer des services concurrents fructueux, ils récolteront les récompenses associées à ces hauts risques. Vraisemblablement, des investissements relativement faibles aideront à accélérer l’arrivée de certains de ces services. La vision future des synergies se résume à merveille par une citation récente dans une entrevue pour La Tribune avec Bruno Mettling, directeur général adjoint des opérations en Afrique et au Moyen-Orient (MEA) : « En 2050, les paiements mobiles, l’agriculture et l’énergie génèreront plus (de revenus) que la connectivité. » Par exemple, 21% des revenus de Safaricom proviennent de son produit monétaire mobile mPesa. Dans cette version, l’opérateur mobile devient le canal de vente prospère (par le biais des données et du SMS) pour divers produits et services nécessaires. Il a des clients et sait comment mobiliser une connectivité fiable pour divers services, comment gérer sa clientèle, et a un certain nombre d’actifs de
détail dans des magasins physiques et en ligne.
2. Il s’agit de changer les règles Ceci pousse réellement l’argument des synergies stratégiques vers sa conclusion finale. Si vos revenus provenant de l’argent mobile sont en hausse, pourquoi ne pas devenir une banque ? Si vous avez besoin de contenu vidéo pour stimuler vos revenus provenant des données, pourquoi ne pas devenir une entreprise de médias ? Et ainsi de suite... Il s’agit de reconcevoir l’entreprise afin de ne pas se retrouver accroché à des marges menaçant de disparaître. Dans l’analyse des quadrants si appréciée des consultants, le commerce traditionnel de la voix et des données a des revenus plus bas et plus prévisibles, positionné dans le « mauvais quart » du quadrant, tandis que tous les nouveaux commerces potentiels ont une croissance et des marges les positionnant dans le « bon quart » du quadrant. Ceci peut paraître fantaisiste, mais tel que je l’ai remarqué dans le numéro 875, c’est justement ce qu’Orange a décidé de faire en Europe ; ils envisagent en effet de posséder une banque mobile avec un revenu de 400 millions d’euros d’ici à 2018. En Afrique,
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l’entreprise sénégalaise de transfert d’argent Wari a récemment acquis la subsidiaire locale de Millicom pour 129 MUS$. Equitel au Kenya a un projet substantiel en cours, à niveau déjà plus développé et basé sur un modèle similaire, dont le principe de départ est également d’être une banque. À ce stade, l’opérateur mobile et sa plateforme de données comportent deux flux de revenus ainsi qu’un autre en croissance, tandis que son ancien flux de revenus demeure stable. Les habitudes devenant toujours plus digitales en Afrique, le but consiste à fournir des services de la manière exigée par les clients, et non pas parce c’est la manière dont vous l’avez toujours fait. Le côté plus perturbant de cette option radicale est que soudainement, tous souhaitent être un peu de tout. Les opérateurs OTT pourraient devenir des plateformes de paiement, les banques des MVNO, et ainsi de suite... Tout le monde souhaite cuisiner et manger des plats fins, mais personne ne veut faire la vaisselle. Les OTT s’emparant du centre du terrain se sont pas réellement propriétaires ni gérants de quoi que ce soit, ils stimulent tout simplement des transactions de manière plus efficace. Un opérateur mobile peut s’impliquer avec des start-ups d’un nombre de manières différentes, partant d’ouvrir ses API à investir directement sur celles-ci. Ce qui suit est un aperçu de qui fait quoi. Des cinq grands opérateur africains (MTN, Vodacom, Orange, Airtel et Etisalat), Orange et MTN sont les seuls à être impliqués de manière significative avec des start-ups africaines par le biais d’investissements au niveau du groupe. Cependant, aucun d’entre eux ne semble avoir de vision stratégique de ces investissements. Une personne impliquée dans le processus nous a confié : « Ce sont des investissements réalisés pour le compte de résultat. Ils sont opportunistes bien plus qu’ils ne suivent un plan défini par le PDG, et il n’existe pas d’objectif clair. » Indépendamment de ces deux-là, la plupart des entreprises font fonctionner ces relations à niveau local, et leur matérialisation (ou non) dépend d’individus spécifiques dans une compagnie opératrice. Les entreprises telles que Millicom et Airtel ont d’autres chats à fouetter et en font bien moins. Bharti Airtel, la société mère d’Airtel, a acquis une participation dans la société de prêt Seynse, alimentée par un moteur de crédit propriétaire et une capacité avancée d'apprentissage machine. Mais il n’y a rien de similaire en Afrique. Il est difficile de sous-estimer l’importance d’ouvrir des API opérateur à ce processus : « Celles-ci jouent un rôle central dans tout service digital. Elles font partie intégrante de
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toute relation de symbiose ». Il doit y avoir des points communs entre les opérateurs, car il ne faudrait pas avoir une API différente pour chaque opérateur.
Orange Orange fait de gros efforts au niveau du groupe et en Afrique, et est présent à chaque étape de l'écosystème. En Afrique, son Prix d’innovation sociale, dont le montant à l’international est de 60 000 €, ainsi que des montants moins importants pour les gagnants par pays. Le gagnant de l’année dernière était Med Trucks, du Maroc, qui déploie des unités de soins mobiles pour palier aux déserts médicaux au Maroc ainsi que dans les pays en développement. Celles-ci consistent en des camions connectés offrant des services de télémédecine ainsi qu’une plateforme de formation en ligne pour les professionnels de la santé. Ils ont également parrainé des hackathons dans les divers pays dans lesquels ils opèrent. Ils ont ouvert leurs propres espaces d'incubation, Orange Fab Labs, installés au sein de l’entreprise, qui ont été lancés au Sénégal, en Côte d’Ivoire, au Cameroun, et bientôt en Égypte. Ils offrent des montants de financement relativement faibles, des espaces de travail ainsi que des partenariats avec différentes unités opérationnelles. L’Orange Fab Lab à Dakar abrite entre autres Carrapide Tech (VoD) et Ouicarry (logistique et commerce électronique). Ils ouvrent également leurs API aux start-ups afin d’encourager la fourniture de services sur leur plateforme. Dans une entrevue récente tenue au « Technocentre » Orange avec Sylvain Beletre (Balancing Act), Roger-Edgar Kra (directeur du développement commercial pour Open Tech Hub dans la zone MEA) a déclaré : « Afin de soutenir les développeurs et de leur faire gagner du temps et de l’argent, Orange offre une suite de nouvelles solutions commerciales basées sur trois piliers : la communication, la distribution et le paiement. » Des API SMS ont été déployées dans 12 pays, et l’Orange Money Web Payment a été déployé dans 6 pays. Kra donne un exemple au Sénégal : « La start-up MLouma a créé une plateforme agricole virtuelle qui publie des informations en temps réel sur les prix, localisations et disponibilité de produits agricoles. À son lancement, la plateforme était uniquement disponible sur l’Internet, rendant son accès difficile et coûteux aux utilisateurs ruraux. L’intégration de # 303 # My Store a donné une forte impulsion au service : celui-ci est à présent accessible par le biais de n’importe quel téléphone, et MLouma est passé de 1000 à 75 000 utilisateurs en six mois ! En outre, MLouma sera en mesure de fédérer de nouveaux utilisateurs dans tous les autres
pays dans lesquels la plateforme # 303 # My Store est disponible, sans nécessiter de développement supplémentaire. MLouma a également intégré l’API SMS pour alerter ses utilisateurs de la disponibilité de nouveaux produits, ainsi que le service MEA DCB pour facturer les commandes USSD ». Pour terminer, il existe le fonds commun Orange Digital Ventures, qui a investi dans des start-ups associées à l’Afrique basées en France : Afrostream (VoD) et Diaspora (des paiements pour des biens et services tels que les frais de scolarité). Ils ont également lancé un fonds de 50 MUS$ consacré à l’Afrique, bien qu’il ne soit pas clair si celui-ci sera sous l’égide de Orange Digital Ventures ou bien d’un véhicule distinct. Enfin et surtout, ils ont investi 70 millions d’euros dans la compagnie africaine de commerce électronique Jumia, aux côtés de MTN et Millicom.
MTN MTN a effectué trois investissements significatifs dans des start-ups, deux en Afrique et un en Iran. En février 2016, ils ont annoncé un investissement de 40 MUS$ dans l’entreprise sud-africaine Travelstart en partenariat avec Amadeus. Travelstart se déclare l’agence de voyages en ligne leader en Afrique, et a bâti sa position en tant que leader du marché en Afrique du Sud, au Nigéria, en Égypte, au Kenya et dans certaines régions du Moyen-Orient. Ils ont obtenu des revenus de 200 MUS$ en 2015. Herman Singh, responsable du service numérique au niveau du groupe MTN, a ajouté : « La vision de MTN a pour but de fournir un nouveau monde numérique audacieux, et cet investissement en partenariat avec Amadeus est une étape clé sur un parcours qui se déroulera sur plusieurs années afin de parvenir à réaliser cette promesse. Ceci vient compléter nos investissements existants dans le commerce en ligne et le commerce électronique dans les secteurs du détail, les places de marché, les annonces classées et le voyage ». En mars 2016, il venait s’intégrer à un investissement de 326 MUS$ dans la start-up de commerce électronique Jumia à travers sa société mère le groupe AIG, aux côtés d’AXA, Goldman Sachs, Millicom et Orange. À l'époque, il avait été dit que Jumia Nigéria avait un chiffre d'affaire estimé à 600 MUS$. Son codirecteur général Sacha Poignonnec a déclaré que le groupe visait à « devenir rentable dans les trois prochaines années ». Le revenu du groupe de Jumia a chuté de 42%, de 145 € en 2015 à 84 € en 2016. L’article le plus vendu de Jumia dans beaucoup de ses territoires est le téléphone mobile ; une synergie en a découlé, dans le sens que TMN a confié ses ventes de
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téléphones à Jumia dans les territoires sur lesquels les deux étaient présents. Le dernier des trois investissements principaux a été dans Snapp en Iran, dans lequel MTN était le seul investisseur en octobre 2016, avec 22,3 MUS$. Son fondateur Shahram Shahkar a déclaré que l’entreprise comptait 10 000 conducteurs et plus de 500 000 passagers utilisant l’application, et que cette application éliminait le « bazar » que représentait l’organisation d’un transport. « Cette pré-tarification est notre proposition de valeur ; elle élimine le marchandage. » En avril 2016, ils ont organisé le Défi d’entrepreneuriat avec Jumia, offrant un prix de 25 000 US$, ainsi que l’accès à un Programme de démarrage Facebook pour la valeur de 15 000 US$. La compétition a également été organisée de pair avec Solutions Space de MTN, à l’École supérieure de commerce de l’Université du Cap, dont MTN était le partenaire fondateur. La compétition a été gagnée par la plateforme interactive de santé MedX, du Ghana, a qui l’on a également offert l’opportunité d’occuper un espace dans l’incubateur d’UCT ou bien dans l’un des neuf bureaux de Jumia de leur choix. À niveau local, ils ont également un partenariat en Zambie avec Bongo Hive. Ce n’est pas le fort des opérateurs mobiles d’accéder aux start-ups, les relations avec les accélérateurs et les incubateurs paraissent donc sensées. MTN a commencé à ouvrir ses API, mais une personne qui connait le système a déclaré que cela fonctionne mieux dans certains endroits que d’autres, et que cela revient à qui est en place dans les compagnie opératrices. La startup Zazou en Zambie est un exemple de start-up utilisant ses API.
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Vodacom/Vodafone L'implication de Vodacom/Vodafone est très localisée, et ils n’ont pas fait d’investissements importants dans ce sens. Vodafone Ghana a collaboré avec l’incubateur ghanéen Meltwater Entrepreneurial School of Technology (MEST) pour l’organisation d’un hackathon (encourageant le développement de solutions améliorant l’accès à l’information, simplifiant les transactions et raccourcissant les processus) en 2015, et a soutenu des start-ups locales. Le travail est mené depuis le Service de solutions commerciales de Vodafone. Safaricom, du Kenya, a établi le fonds Spark à hauteur d’1 MUS$, et a investi dans 5 startups, et une sixième est en attente d’approbation. Ces start-ups sont : Sendy (livraisons de petite taille); Eneza (edtech); mSurvey (études de marché); Link (emploi) et Farm Drive. Ils ouvriront leur propre espace innovations en automne sur Ngong Road ou à Westlands. En janvier 2017, à niveau plus modeste, la start-up de micro-assurance santé tanzanienne Jamii a formé des partenariats stratégiques avec Jubilee Insurance et Vodacom Tanzanie, afin de permettre la perception de primes mobiles ainsi qu’un dispositif cashless (dispositif de paiement sans argent liquide) dans plus de 400 hôpitaux.
Econet Ils ont établi un centre enseignant le code aux personnes de 16 à 35 ans dans leur pays natal au Zimbabwe. 10% des 1000 étudiants diplômés deviennent par la suite des entrepreneurs. Tendai Mashingaidze, d’Econet, m’a confié : « Nous souhaitons obtenir des personnes compétentes au terme de la formation. Ils sont tenus de créer un
prototype exploitable. » Roundshopper, une start-up de l’un de ses élèves, a gagné à Demo Africa. Ils ont investi un montant modeste dans l’une des start-ups : « Nous apprécions les start-ups qui se concentrent sur le commerce électronique en tant que groupe. Roundshopper est une start-up de commerce électronique... La valeur pour nous en tant qu’Econet est que notre système d’argent mobile est extrêmement bien utilisé, et nous avons un intérêt direct en ce qui concerne le soutien du micro secteur. »
Autre Le reste des activités des opérateurs mobiles dans cet espace se positionne sur une échelle relativement réduite, significative sur son propre marché bien que cela ne soit pas nécessairement visible au niveau du groupe ou du conseil d’administration. Certains exemples saillants incluent le travail réalisé par Etisalat Nigéria (ayant assuré la formation de 100 entrepreneurs et donné aux entreprises près de 40 millions de Nairas en subventions) ; Airtel Nigéria (Catapult-a-Startup a investi sur 7 entrepreneurs ayant des idées de start-ups, à hauteur d’un million de Nairas chacun) ; Millicom (concurrence et soutien pour une start-up au Rwanda, à présent retirée) ; Ooredoo Algérie (tStart a investi dans 20 startups) ; et Ooredoo Tunisie (espace d’incubation appelé Start-Up Factory). La conclusion ? Selon un initié : « Les collaborations réussies se produisent uniquement lorsque les synergies sont en place et lorsque les indicateurs de performance sont alignés ». ✆
www.balancingact-africa.com
21 per cent of Safaricom’s revenues come from its mobile money service mPesa. (Photo: WorldRemit Comms/flickr)
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Storage
Storage for the future Barry Mansfield looks at the factors driving the growth of next generation storage in Africa.
Cloud storage offers many benefits over traditional digital data storage in the African setting. (Photo: Scanrail1/Shutterstock )
USINESSES OPERATING AT the cutting edge of the data storage market are constantly investing in research and development. For example, HP has produced an affordable flash drive that works at very high speed. Smartphones, wearable electronics, smart batteries, games, advertisements, movies, smart homes, smart city technology – all of these generate data, and they're not limited to Europe, North America and Asia, as Africans update their infrastructure for the 21st century. Once a concern for high tech hubs like Cape Town, storage is now a priority for African development.
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Next generation storage takes the form of cloudbased disaster recovery, allflash storage arrays, hybrid array, holographic data storage and Heat Assisted Magnetic Recording (HAMR). www.communicationsafrica.com
This trend has brought upheaval to the IT industry, as technicians set their sights on a ‘next generation’ data storage technology that provides a safe place and enables fast recovery of information in a more efficient manner. The conventional data storage technology simply cannot handle the large chunks of data that will be produced in future, not to mention the proliferation of input-output devices, which will continue to power the next generation data storage market in the coming decade or two. Now, data is produced in vast quantities in practically every sector. Next generation storage takes the form of cloud-based disaster recovery, all-flash storage arrays, hybrid array, holographic data storage and Heat Assisted Magnetic Recording (HAMR). These emerging technologies will help to store, secure and recover huge volumes of data that older legacy systems would have struggled with. Hybrid array and all-flash array are highly popular storage techniques. At the enterprise level, EMC is working hard on R&D, while Intel and Micron have developed 3D NAND technology to ramp up the data processing speed in solid state drives.
The overall outlook for storage appears slightly different in Africa compared to other parts of the world. For example, cloud storage clearly offers many advantages over traditional digital data storage in the African setting. Most notably, it is exceptionally flexible, because it allows data access from anywhere and can be expanded as much as required as storage needs grow. It is extremely simple and costefficient, since there is no hardware to maintain and no staff to employ. That may explain why start-ups, such as Digital Cabinet have secured funding for their foray into cloud storage. Africa’s technical legacy also lends itself to cloud storage as the de facto choice. The continent still contains some of the poorest countries in the world, with power and telephony infrastructure often years or even decades behind first-world countries. However, as Digital Cabinet’s CEO Daniel Kritzas points out, there is an ironic twist, because African markets are often in a position to ignore much of the developed world's historical dependence on older technologies (such as fixed-lines and on-site servers) and leapfrog directly to cellular infrastructure and cloudbased solutions. Communications Africa Issue 3 2017
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“Africa is seeing a dramatic rise in innovative entrepreneurial activity, and governments are looking to nurture and promote such activity as vital to enabling their own economic growth” Daniel Kritzas, CEO Digital Cabinet
“Africa is seeing a dramatic rise in innovative entrepreneurial activity, and governments are looking to nurture and promote such activity as vital to enabling their own economic growth,” adds Kritzas. He believes cloud services offer businesses in developing countries a number of advantages, beyond cheap access to enterprise-grade infrastructure and resources. They offer consistency from a technological point of view (network and power infrastructure) and also protection from political instability (upheavals, changing legislation or civil conflict). Another benefit of the cloud approach, says Kritzas, is the possibility of comprehensive data security, backups, and protection from theft or natural disaster. Scalability is a plus point, too, as virtualisation allows for predictable growth models. Then there is the fact of support and maintenance, and that
Storage
cloud technology allows developing countries to leverage first-world solutions in targeting new markets: “In the document management and storage space…unparalleled efficiencies can be realised through cloud storage and online collaboration.” Kritzas believes that small and medium sized businesses (SMEs) across the region are desperate for affordable technology to help them survive and thrive in an increasingly competitive environment. “The market for simple digital services, particularly document management and business process workflow, is huge and growing at a phenomenal rate throughout Africa,” he says. “Software companies with the right products and technology at the right price are extremely well positioned to take advantage of this growing need in emerging markets.”
Legal headache From a legal point of view, national or local online backup often makes more sense than using international providers — even if this turns out to be the slightly more costly option. This is another factor powering the adoption of cloud services on a more local basis. For example, if a business carries out online backup in South Africa with a South African company — then the laws of that country govern the contract. If doing backup to a cloud backup company located outside of South Africa, then that service is governed by the laws of the country in which they are based.
If a business uses international cloud backup services, then its data could be located on servers in a country whose laws and methods are totally out of sync with expected standards and norms. Local backup frequently offers superior bandwidth in terms of cost, in terms of speed of data transfer for each backup, in terms of speed and efficiency of data restores, and simply the security of knowing where any critical business data resides. By contrast, the ability to speak to top management and get a speedy response can be extremely difficult with an international service. African businesses may appreciate the presence of a fully staffed call centre operating in their own time zone, and therefore able to provide rapid-fire local support. There is also the possibility of closer in-person assistance from the service provider's dealer network, including actual visits to the physical business premises where necessary. In Australia the law states that a business must back up data to servers in Australia. Executives from Irontree reckon South Africa will see very similar legislation enacted in the near future. Even if local cloud storage ends up being a more expensive solution, it’s important that companies make an informed comparison between an anonymous service and one where the business owners are assisted at every stage. ✆
The cloud approach offers the possibility of comprehensive data security, backups, and protection from theft or natural disaster. (Photo: mimagephotography)
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ETELM et Nemergent unissent leurs forces afin de trouver une solution MCPTT pour les communications critiques ETELM EST UN fabricant d’infrastructures de communications critiques de pointe et Nemergent est un groupe de travail spécialisé dans le développement de solutions d’interopérabilité pour les communications d’urgence. Tous deux ont conclu un accord pour mettre au point une solution push-to-talk destinée aux missions critiques (MCPTT, Mission Critical Push-ToTalk) pour les communications critiques sur les réseaux de type TETRA et LTE. Selon ETELM, cette nouvelle solution répond aux attentes des utilisateurs de tous les réseaux PMR antérieurs qui souhaitent bénéficier des services haut débit de la technologie LTE. La plateforme entièrement intégrée 4GLinked d’ETELM connecte plusieurs technologies de communications critiques (TETRA, DMR, Analog, P25, LTE) sur un seul LTE. L’arrivée du LTE offre de toutes nouvelles possibilités pour les utilisateurs PMR et pour nos clients qui cherchent une façon de bénéficier de services haut débit sans devoir renoncer à leur infrastructure existante », explique le président d’ETELM Pierre Minot. « En nous associant à un expert reconnu et un fournisseur de solutions MCPTT fiable et digne de confiance, tel que Nemergent, nous renforçons le soutien actif que nous apportons aux nouvelles normalisations, tout en offrant à nos clients une plateforme innovante et pleinement conforme pour qu’ils puissent se connecter à toutes les technologies existantes, y compris les technologies à bande étroite et à large bande, sur un seul cœur de réseau LTE totalement conforme aux normes 3GPP. Le premier déploiement de cette solution est prévu pour l’été 2017. ETELM et Nemergent participeront au premier Plugtest MCPTT qui se déroulera du 19 au 23 juin en France. Celui-ci est organisé par l’ETSI en partenariat avec
Les utilisateurs légitimes de PMR devraient voir les avantages de l'utilisation des services à large bande fournis avec la technologie LTE.
l’organisation internationale TCCA (TETRA & Critical Communications Association). ETELM s’exprimera également au sujet de l’unification des solutions réseau TETRA et LTE lors du salon 5G World qui se tiendra cette année à Londres du 13 au 15 juin.
L’opérateur marocain INWI intègre les services satellites de la plateforme Intelsat EpicNG LA SOCIÉTÉ INTELSAT, fournisseur de services intégrés de communications par satellite, a annoncé que l’opérateur marocain INWI a conclu un accord visant à intégrer les services satellites de la plateforme Intelsat EpicNG dans son réseau. INWI étend ses services en s’orientant vers les réseaux cellulaires après l’octroi d’une licence VSAT par l’Agence nationale de réglementation des télécommunications (ANRT) du Maroc. L’opérateur s’apprête également à lancer des services de connectivité à large bande. Dans le cadre de ce nouvel accord, INWI intégrera les services du satellite Intelsat 35e, qui permettront à l’opérateur mobile d’améliorer son réseau existant tout en offrant des performances améliorées qui soutiennent l’objectif d’INWI d’étendre ses activités et d’atteindre de nouvelles régions dans le pays. Grâce à notre nouvelle licence VSAT des régulateurs marocains, nous sommes en mesure d’étendre nos opérations au Maroc et dans toute l’Afrique de l’Ouest” », a déclaré Naoual Laabsi, directeur de la conception de VSAT, INWI. « Pour ce faire, nous avons besoin d’augmenter notre capacité de gérer notre propre réseau et de fournir de nouvelles solutions à nos clients. Grâce à ses capacités à haut débit et sa technologie évolutive, la plate-
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INWI prévoit d'élargir ses opérations au Maroc et dans toute l'Afrique de l'Ouest. (Photo: INWI)
forme Intelsat EpicNG nous offre le meilleur moyen d’atteindre ces objectifs et de réussir dans un marché hautement concurrentiel. INWI est un opérateur mobile progressif, qui intègre de nouvelles technologies favorisant l’introduction de nouveaux services et la création de zones géographiques élargies. Dès qu’Intelsat 35e sera disponible, il commencera immédiatement à soutenir la mission INWI, compte tenu de la compatibilité ascendante du design Intelsat EpicNG , a déclaré Jean-Philippe
Gillet, vice-président et directeur général d’Intelsat. Avec sa collection unique de faisceaux larges et de faisceaux ponctuels de haute puissance en bande C et Ku, Intelsat 35e est un satellite idéal pour les opérateurs mobiles qui veulent obtenir des performances plus élevées sur leurs infrastructures satellitaires actuelles.” Intelsat 35e, qui fait partie du réseau Intelsat EpicNG haute performance, devrait être lancé et mis en place en 2017.
Communications Africa Issue 3 2017
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SOLUTIONS
TM Forum launches new digital maturity model TM FORUM, AN industry TM Forum Live took place in Nice, France. association which aims to drive (Photo: Martinp1/wikimediacommons) digital business transformation of the communications industry, recently held its TM Forum Live! event in Nice, France, where Nik Willets, CEO of TM Forum announced the launch of the Digital Maturity Model (DMM) – a new service that allows communications service providers (CSPs) to assess their digital maturity and plan their digital transformation across their entire organisation. Willets revealed to Communications Africa that the model has already been backed by leading CSPs including BT, China Mobile, China Telecom, China Unicom, embarking on complex and demanding digital transformation journeys,” Orange, PCCW Global and Vodafone as well as management said Nik Willetts, CEO, TM Forum. “To be successful, these transformation consultancies and suppliers such as Amdocs, BearingPoint, Deloitte, programs require much more than embracing new technologies or ways to interact with our customers – they demand strong leadership and holistic Detecon, Huawei, Tata Consultancy Services and The GC Index. According to Willets, as core services become commoditized, CSPs transformation of the entire business, fundamentally redefining how the are seeking new digital services and revenues in order to grow their business operates. The launch of the Digital Maturity Model is an example busines. He says CSPs must completely transform traditional business of our transformation mantra and showcases how TM Forum is taking our and operating models, cultures and infrastructures to unlock this members on the journey, providing the tools, guidance and expertise to opportunity. In order to achieve a sucesseful digital transformation, a key drive successful digital transformation.” starting point and pathway, building and executing a successful digital transformation strategy is necessary, otherwise the process becomes challenging, time consuming and could eventually lead to failure. A recent survey rolled out by TM Forum revealed that 54 per cent of I wish to subscribe to COMMUNICATIONS AFRICA for 1 year (6 issues) starting with the next copy. CSPs revealed that their earlier attempts at transformation had not been NAME ..................................................................................POSITION ................................................ successful, noting the urgent need for a robust methodology to help ORGANISATION ................................................................................................................................... leaders guide and manage change on an enterprise-wide basis. TELEPHONE......................................................FAX ............................................................................ Working alongside CSPs, management consultancies and suppliers, ADDRESS........................................................................................................................................... TM Forum has come to the conclusion that there is a need for an ........................................................................................................................................................ industry-agreed Digital Maturity Model, metrics and methodology to COUNTRY..................................................................EMAIL: ............................................................... Send this subscription form by airmail together with cheque payable to: overcome this challenge. TM Forum aims to brings together and Alain Charles Publishing Ltd, University House, 11-13 Lower Grosvenor Place London, SW1W 0EX, UK crowdsource expertise and models from across the global Subscription order can also be placed via the web: www.alaincharles.com communications sector to offer a ‘living’ maturity model and set of or email at circulation@alaincharles.com metrics that will with time change with the industry and help companies Please tick the most relevant box(es) YOUR BUSINESS measure their true digital maturity. 17 Communication service providers NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES IN YOUR ORGANISATION: “In order to survive and thrive in the digital market, service providers are 01 1 - 49 02 50 - 99 03 100 - 249 18 PTT/telephone organisation
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34 Communications Africa Issue 3 2017
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