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Wireless services in Africa
Innovate wireless solutions are an integral part of
preparing Africa for a dynamic, connected future, as
InfiNet Wireless’ Kamal Mokrani explains.
Kamal Mokrani,
Global Vice President,
InfiNet Wireless
These innovative solutions are a cost-effective alternative to the
cabled infrastructure which can be troublesome at times – for various
reasons – in most African countries. In addition to being ideal for
the harsh African terrain, the advantage of a wireless network is that
it can be quickly re-deployed, as opposed to a cabled infrastructure
that cannot be easily moved to another location.
A good example where this would be applicable is with a small
business deploying a security system in rented premises: with
wireless, the network can be dismantled in a matter of hours, making
relocation so much easier.
There is no doubt that there is considerable space for the growth of
wireless technologies in Africa, with the main benefit being speed
and scalability. Installation is almost four times cheaper than fibre-
based networks and take significantly less time. Scaling up is also as
simple as integrating another device into the existing network.
A compelling example of leveraging wireless technologies for
boosting productivity is within the transportation sector. Not only
does public transportation benefit from connectivity, but the rail
networks and ports bring control, access, health and safety benefits
to a whole new level of efficiency by deploying a wireless solution.
W
hile Africa is seeing an increase in demand for
connectivity in order to bridge the ever-present digital
divide between urban and rural areas, the bottlenecks
experienced when backhauling data streams by service providers of
all types is still a major issue that needs to be addressed.
Comprehensive and well-intended rural rollout strategies still remain
unaffordable today. High capital and operational expenses, coupled
with low population density and lower than average revenue per user
(ARPU), often results in the return on investment (ROI) only being
realised ten years down the line instead of the desired three- to five-
years time frame. In other words, the costs of delivering connectivity
far outweighs the profits that can be generated in these conditions.
This is where wireless technology becomes an integral part
of an operator’s strategy and to the development of the
telecommunications industry in Africa. It is crucial for vendors to
assist mobile operators in bridging the gap in order to successfully
provide connectivity to the African population as a whole, with a
greater focus placed on 4G and ultimately 5G connectivity.
Such wireless connectivity has a lot to offer to the dynamic and
active players in Africa. It enables Internet service providers (ISPs)
to serve more effectively the rural areas, as well as provide more
capacity to the bandwidth-hungry urban areas.
www.intelligentcio.com
Agriculture is another area where the need for ubiquitous
connectivity is long overdue. Providing access to mobile financial
services (to include mobile banking, insurance claims, etc.), voice,
Internet access, eGovernment and eAgriculture would clearly yield
rapid development of this industry and wireless technologies could
definitely become a framework for network offshoots towards rural
and underserviced areas.
For South Africa, while the deployment of a 100G long-haul network
across the country has already taken place, there is still a huge
demand for access to communication with a competitive price tag –
as highlighted by the recent #DataMustFall campaign. n
“
THERE IS NO
DOUBT THAT THERE IS
CONSIDERABLE SPACE FOR
THE GROWTH OF WIRELESS
TECHNOLOGIES IN AFRICA.
INTELLIGENTCIO
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