CSquared

CSQUARED

Turbocharging ISPs and MNOs across key African cities

C S Q U A R E D

FibeRising Africa

By enabling ISPs and MNOs to better serve their customers, CSquared is helping to drive the fibre revolution across several of Africa’s most prominent urban centres Writer: Tom Wadlow | Project Manager: Vivek Valmiki Working in an organisation that is committed to investing and developing broadband infrastructure in Africa is quite honestly a dream come true for me. I have worked in the ICT sector across the continent for almost 21 years and I know firsthand the real connectivity challenges facing the region. So, the opportunity to be part of a unique set of people and investors that are committed to changing the status quo was obviously a thrilling proposition.”

For Lanre Kolade, joining CSquared as its Chief Executive Officer in 2018 was something of a nobrainer.

A problem solver by nature and passionate believer that broadband access will enable Africa to fast-track economic development, Kolade is especially driven by the potential of technology to upskill populations and drive GDPs upwards, what he calls ‘FibeRising Africa’.

Central to this is boosting connectivity.

Lanre Kolade, Group CEO “Across the continent, submarine

2

capacity is increasing but overall usage of these cables is still low since metro networks are not very pervasive,” Kolade observes.

“Hence, access to connectivity across the continent is limited, expensive and inefficiently deployed with various technologies still in use.

Intra Africa connectivity is an even bigger challenge, and we need to bridge the gaps by increasing cross border links between the countries.”

The CEO points to the World Bank’s Africa Digital Moonshot 2030 report as evidence of the need to accelerate broadband installations, while also citing that 31.6 percent of African’s have access to the internet (as of June 2018).

This number drops to just six percent when looking at broadband specifically.

WWW.AFRICAOUTLOOKMAG.COM

Expanding horizons

CSquared is determined to address this challenge.

Having first incorporated in September 2012, it has been breaking ground across Uganda, Kenya, Ghana and Liberia ever since, making marked progress in the past year since Africa Outlook last spoke to the company.

T

E

C

H

N

O

L

O

G

Y

AFRICA

WWW.AFRICAOUTLOOKMAG.COM

3

C S Q U A R E D

AN INTRODUCTION TO CSQUARED In October 2017, Google, Convergence Partners, International Finance Corporation (“IFC”), and Mitsui & Co., Ltd. (“Mitsui”) announced the completion of the CSquared joint venture.

Kicked off in 2011 as a Google initiative called Project Link, CSquared is a technology company making commercially driven investments into broadband-enabling infrastructure throughout Africa.

While a basic connection is useful when it comes to internet access, abundant, affordable broadband can transform communities, unlocking a thriving digital ecosystem.

The wholesale open access philosophy remains integral to the CSquared model and its shareholders.

For example, in August 2018 CSquared Uganda began building and deploying a broadband access network based on GPON technology and offering fibre to the home access to suburbs in Kampala. Covering 1,000 homes in its pilot phase, the project represents an effort to capture the upcoming growth in the fixed data market as the Ugandan economy and ecosystem matures with a rising middle class.

“As the first broadband company to offer wholesale FTTH services in Uganda, we are excited about uptake,” comments Kolade.

“With our wholesale service expansion into the residential market, end users have the freedom to choose any service provider using the same fibre connection, allowing them to access and enjoy large amounts of data at lightning speed.”

By investing in internet infrastructure and making it available to local internet service providers (ISPs) and mobile network operators (MNOs), CSquared helps bring high-quality broadband access to Africa’s major cities in the form of metro fibre, fibre to the home (FTTH) and city Wi-Fi hotspots.

Collectively, over 30 ISPs and MNOs now use these metro fibre networks to offer broadband services and 4G data to end users, with over 1,500 towers, commercial buildings and homes connected directly to CSquared’s fibre infrastructure.

4

WWW.AFRICAOUTLOOKMAG.COM

In Liberia, CSquared has been working tirelessly to connect the capital city Monrovia. Breaking ground in January 2018, it has successfully installed 165 kilometres of broadband cabling from which leading telcos such as Orange, MTN, Libtelco, PowerNet and Electroshack have all been able to offer fibre directly to customers.

This connectivity also extends, crucially, to governmental functions. The partnership with the Government of Liberia and USAID has enabled 51 institutions to be connected to CSquared’s fibre network, including the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Post & Telecoms, Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Justice, National Elections Commission and the University of Liberia.

“Liberia remains one of the least connected countries in the world, with only five percent of citizens able to access the internet,” says Kolade.

T

E

C

H

N

O

L

O

G

Y

CSquared now operates more than 1,025 kilometres of fibre covering 23 service providers and 2,300 end-users across four Ghanaian cities

“CSquared brings the best-inclass, reliable, affordable broadband infrastructure to Liberia’s capital, directly impacting essential health, education and government systems, as well as helping to unlock the potential of the digital economy for Liberian citizens and private enterprise.”

Early 2019 further saw the company expand its investment into Ghana with expanded coverage into Kasoa.

CSquared now operates more than 1,025 kilometres of fibre covering 23 service providers and 2,300 end-users across four Ghanaian cities, the others being Accra, Tema and Kumasi.

Beyond broadband connectivity, the company is also acutely aware of the need to meet other market needs, a specific example being in the form of providing platforms to host content.

“We are open to what we do in our future markets,” adds Kolade.

“CSquared is actively exploring partnerships with both local and global content providers to facilitate fast and affordable access to their content through connectivity at the relevant data centres.

“In markets where we do not own infrastructure, we know it might make sense to partner with other infrastructure owners. It is crucial that we continue to add value to our offerings to further meet the needs and challenges of our customers.”

Building a smart future

“CSquared brings the best-in-class, reliable, affordable broadband infrastructure to Liberia’s capital, directly impacting essential health, education and government systems, as well as helping to unlock the potential of the digital economy for Liberian citizens and private enterprise”

These forward-thinking statements from Kolade tie into what he and CSquared believe will be a defining period for urban development across the continent.

From digitising key businesses, education, health, energy and other important policy processes to reducing costs and improving security, the creation of smart cities is paramount if the region is to handle projected population rises.

“African policymakers need to fully embrace the role of technology in

WWW.AFRICAOUTLOOKMAG.COM

5

ACCRA Carlton House Anumansa Street PMB KA43 Accra, GHANA Tel: +233-(0) 540 113 371) www.ecoband.net sales@ecoband.net

KUMASI Ecoband Networks The Village, 108 Prempeh/ Street Adum, Kumasi.Ghana.

Tel: +233-(0) 540 113 371) www.ecoband.net

Reliable Communication Solutions and Managed Cloud Services Ecoband Networks is a Tier-2 Internet Service Provider and Data Network Operator with points of presence in Accra, Tema, Kumasi, Takoradi in Ghana, Abijan in Cote d’ivoire as well as Berlin, London, Amsterdam and Paris in Europe. We are peering with Ghanaian and international operators at several Internet Exchange points worldwide. We have direct interconnect agreements with global carriers such as Cogent, Level 3, Hurricane Electric and PCCW Global at our POPs in Accra, Tema, Berlin, London and Paris where Ecoband Networks also offers co-location and hosted Cloud services. We are also peering directly with all major Content Delivery Networks such as Akamai, Amazon, Apple, CloudFlare, Facebook, Google, Microsoft, Netflix and Yahoo.

Connectivity Solutions Ecoband Networks provides comprehensive and flexible satellite, microwave and fibre optic based solutions for Internet backbone connectivity well as broadband and MPLS services. Our strategic

partnership with the leading international providers of state of the art communication equipment and services, allows us to offer cost-effective solutions that help corporate networks to reduce costs, improve service and become more competitive.

International Parters Ecoband Networks is providing MPLS and IP transit services for multiple international carriers and operators with reliable fiber optic local loop as well as international fiber optic solutions.

We offer redundant service between Accra and our POPs in London and Paris via the WACS and the ACE submarine cables and offer direct peering with all the large CDNs.

Managed Cloud Services “Smart Office” - network based solution suite that empower businesses in the digital era with new capabilities.

The “Smart Office” suite includes: Smart Data Protection, Smart Cyber Security, Smart Cloud PBX and more, it was tailored for those businesses that want to enhance their employee efficiency, save costs and improve overall profitability.

AMSTERDAM Ecoband Networks International BV Haringbuisdijk 36, 1086VA Amsterdam The Netherlands Tel: +31 682156940 info@ecoband.net

COTE D’IVOIRE Ecoband Networks Côte d’Ivoire Abidjan, Cocody II Plateaux Vallons 06 BP 2871 Abidjan 06 Tél: +225 22 54 85 00 / 22 51 44 50 infos@ecoband.ci

A Critical Connecter in Africa’s Ecowas Region

A

multifaceted connectivity services provider, Ecoband’s story is one that continues to develop across both its home market of Ghana and the wider region.

Entering the West African market in 2001, the company quickly built up its market share, bringing fresh competition and new technology to the market and challenging longstanding large corporations to offer more competitive prices. In 2005 Ecoband became a licensed operator in Ghana following the introduction of the first subsea network cable in West Africa, a key turning point from which the firm has never looked back.

“From this point we moved beyond simply being a reseller of other companies’ products and services to a licensed operator,” explains Alexander Sulzberger, CEO of Ecoband Group.

“We have been buying capacity on the cables that land in Ghana and have formed long-term relationships with carrier partners who use us not only in Ghana but also Ivory Coast for last mile connectivity services to their corporate customers.”

Partnering with leading providers of communication equipment and services, Ecoband offers comprehensive and flexible satellite, microwave and fibre optic solutions for internet backbone connectivity as well as broadband and MPLS services.

A regional and international expert Now firmly established, the next chapter of Ecoband’s journey is to build on its capability and reach both in the region and internationally.

Indeed, the company now has offices in Accra (Ghana), Kumasi (Ghana), Abidjan (Ivory Coast) and Amsterdam (Netherlands) where its holding company is headquartered, a platform from which it can grow into markets in these nations and beyond.

“We are using the brand and knowhow we have built up over the past 15-20 years to start new operations or acquire existing ISP businesses in the sub region,” Sulzberger adds. “We are in Ghana and Ivory Coast and are looking at the likes of Benin, Burkina Faso, Mali, Senegal and Liberia to either start afresh or acquire a partner who would like to profit from our brand and expertise.”

Ghana acts as an ideal template to roll out across the region, the company owning and operating its own satellite and wireless radio network and working extensively with the likes of CSquared to install fibre optic networks, the Google-owned enterprise being its favoured provider of infrastructure for last mile delivery to corporate customers.

Central to this success is an unwavering approach to customer service, a factor which Sulzberger believes sets Ecoband apart from its competitors.

“We have always been focussed on the quality of our service,” Sulzberger states. “I see a lot of startup and established ISPs reduced to a shadow of their former selves due to the fact they don’t invest into human resources and technologies focused on customer relations.

“For me, this is one of the most important facets of a connectivity business, and one of the key reasons we have been able to expand out of Ghana is because we have built up close relations with international partners like PCCW Global, GILAT and Sonema for whom we carry out a lot of services.”

These observations are backed up by the company’s impressive customer base, the firm serving as a key supplier to many international brands with operations in multiple African nations, footprints which Ecoband can grow into as it moves into new markets.

Among the leading multinationals the company serves are KPMG, Allianz, Fidelity Bank, Societe Genrale and Merck.

CSquared – a fruitful partnership The aforementioned CSquared is another important partner. It entered the Ghanaian market in 2016 having successfully established itself in Uganda and has disrupted the last mile market. Helping to bring faster, more reliable internet to the people and places that need it, the company is both a customer and supplier of Ecoband.

“They approached operators directly and the Ghana Internet Service Providers Association and offered licensed operators their services, looking at what assets may already be in the ground and in need of operating more efficiently,” says Sulzberger.

“Ecoband was one of the first companies to sign and implement a service contract with CSquared, a timely move because we were receiving more and more demand from local and international customers to deliver fibre.”

Today Ecoband has around 100 deployed sites with CSquared in Ghana, and for Sulzberger, the priority moving forwards is to build on this so far successful collaboration. Indeed, CSquared is targeting Liberia as a new market to enter, a country which the CEO of Ecoband is eager to obtain an operating license in.

“We are now set up to become a premier B2B ISP and data network operator,” comments Sulzberger.

“We will use our existing contracts with international companies and leverage partnerships with multinationals who are in multiple countries in the region to expand our presence.”

Having proven itself as a reliable, quality and customer-driven operator since it first arrived in West Africa in 2001, Ecoband is primed to extend its influence and become a renowned connectivity brand both regionally and internationally.

PMB KA43, Accra, Ghana • E sales@ecoband.net • W www.ecoband.net

C S Q U A R E D

Africa is undergoing impressive urban growth and is envisioned to reach 2.4 billion inhabitants within the next decade, favouring cities over rural areas�

10

WWW.AFRICAOUTLOOKMAG.COM

T

E

C

H

N

LEADERSHIP FOCUS LANRE KOLADE Lanre Kolade has been the Group Chief Executive Officer for CSquared since November 2018. He has over 21 years of experience in the telecommunications industry spanning both Francophone and Anglophone Africa. Before joining CSquared, he was Managing Director of Vodacom Business in Nigeria. He also previously served as Managing Director of Vodacom Business for the west, east, central, and southeast regions in Africa.

Kolade started his career at SITA, a business solutions company, before attaining leadership roles in telecommunication firms GS Telecom and Gateway Communications. Kolade is a graduate of Wits Business School, London Business School, and Obafemi Awolowo University, holding a BSc in Electrical/Electronic Engineering A key development made

by Kolade at CSquared has been the installation of a new leadership team, which now comprises of the following key members: Adama Kane, Group Head of Legal and Regulatory Affairs Alexander Kiel, Group Chief Financial Officer Estelle Akofio-Sowah, Country Manager – Ghana and Liberia Philip Sakwa, Group Head of Human Resources Njeri Maina, Country Manager – Uganda

O

L

O

G

Y

spurring the development of urban cities,” Kolade says.

“Africa is undergoing impressive urban growth and is envisioned to reach 2.4 billion inhabitants within the next decade, favouring cities over rural areas. By 2030, it is expected that six of the world’s 41 megacities will be African.

“The urbanisation process undoubtedly has the power to transform an economy, however, it also comes with a set of challenges such as the need for mobility and access to urban services, access to clean water and sanitation, public health and safety issues as well as policy-related matters.”

People, as well as technology, will be the key to unlocking this potential.

In terms of CSquared’s own fortunes, the importance of identifying and developing talent is not lost on Kolade.

“We engage in various cross-training and educational activities to help individuals advance their skillset,” he continues.

“The fourth industrial revolution is here and the only way we can participate is to upskill our people in the relevant technologies. So, continuous training with a view to accelerate innovative thinking is how we approach this issue.

“We do not find recruiting skilled people a challenge – there are plenty of skilled individuals in Africa, and many have gone through training either locally or from overseas.”

A rapidly developing urban landscape and promising pool of skilled technicians who can help advance this ongoing socioeconomic story, Kolade signs off in confident fashion.

He concludes: “Yes we are optimistic. Africa is maintaining its position as the fastest growing region in terms of internet usage, though data volumes remain lower than other parts of the world. We expect this trend to aggressively continue.

Adama Kane

Alexander Kiel

Estelle AkofioSowah

“In terms of CSquared, we currently operate in four countries in Africa. We consider the entire continent as home and look at it as a four plus 50 strategy, so what we have is 50 more countries in view!

“However, we are also very pragmatic and will look at the markets where policy and regulations allow private participation with open access wholesale networks first. Our focus is very keenly on West and Central Africa for growth as well as exploring ways in which we can improve the value offerings for our existing customers.”

info@csquared.com www.csquared.com

WWW.AFRICAOUTLOOKMAG.COM

11

info@csquared.com www.csquared.com

www.outlookpublishing.com