Communications Africa issue 1 2012

Afrique

Issue 1 2012Édition 1 2012

Mobile WorldCongressDevices, technologies,

and industry analysis

SatelliteBroadcast metrics

NetworkAfrica’s data demand

FinanceLes services monétaires

Europe m15 - Kenya KSH300 - Nigeria N400 - South Africa R20 - UK £10 - USA $16.50

Paul Ndong NguÈma, Ministre de la Communication et de l'EconomieNumÈrique, Gabon - à ITU Telecom World (Photo P M Virot) IMAGE:ITU P M Virot

Africa

FEATURES: ● Applications ● Infrastructure ● FinanceREGULAR REPORTS: ● Bulletin - Agenda ● Equipment - Équipement

www.communicationsafrica.com

CAF 1 2012 Cover_Layout 1 13/02/2012 16:35 Page 1

Connecting Africa to the WorldRevolutionising wholesale connectivity to

the internet and global markets

With an international network reach that extends to 100 cities in 29 countries across Europe andmore than 700 cities in 70 countries globally, WIOCC is the ideal partner for extending your

network. Together with our investment in multiple submarine cable systems and access to thelargest terrestrial footprint in sub-Saharan Africa, this enables us to offer unique, flexible

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Connecting to WIOCC delivers improved access to the global internet and better connectivity tointernational markets through a seamless service - managed end-to-end 24/7 by our Africa-based

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or contact us at [email protected]

AFRICA’S CARRIERS’ CARRIER

S01 CAF 1 2012 Start_Layout 1 13/02/2012 16:53 Page 2

Communications Africa Issue 1 2012 3

Afrique

Issue 1 2012Édition 1 2012

Mobile WorldCongressDevices, technologies,

and industry analysis

SatelliteBroadcast metrics

NetworkAfrica’s data demand

FinanceLes services monétaires

Europe m15 - Kenya KSH300 - Nigeria N400 - South Africa R20 - UK £10 - USA $16.50

Paul Ndong NguÈma, Ministre de la Communication et de l'EconomieNumÈrique, Gabon - à ITU Telecom World (Photo P M Virot) IMAGE:ITU P M Virot

Africa

FEATURES: ● Applications ● Infrastructure ● FinanceREGULAR REPORTS: ● Bulletin - Agenda ● Equipment - Équipement

www.communicationsafrica.com

A note from the EditorTHE interests of telecommunicationsoperators seeking to deliver mobilebroadband to under-served areas viasatellite backhaul are represented inthese pages, with coverage of theapproaches that make satellite-basedcommunications successful in supportof core network commercial viability.And the key may be to move beyondcalls into the provision of value addedservices such as social networking andvideo streaming, to enable operators tosupport as diverse a range of activitesas telemedicine and remote learning,helping to bridge the digital dividewhilst improving profitability.

Une note du rédacteurLES INTÉRÊTS DES opérateurs detélécommunications qui offriraientmobile à large bande sontreprésentés dans ces pages, aveccouverture des communications parsatellite et la viabilité commercialedu réseau core. Et la clé est à ladisposition des services tels que lesréseaux sociaux et vidéo en fluxcontinu, pour permettre auxopérateurs de soutenir aussi unéventail d'activités aidant à comblerle fossé numérique, tout enaméliorant la rentabilité de lesréseaux.

Bulletin 4

Events 8

Agenda 10

Equipment 36

FEATURES

Broadcasting 24How Africa's broadcasters can attract and justify channel ad-spend through accurate audience measuremen; andwhat investment in infrastructure for a technologically literate consumer base means for mobile TV

Mobile 30Data usage is set to explode in Africa, and mobile operators are seeking quick and cost-effective ways to expand capacity; asoperators look for ways to create differentiation in the quality of their services while reducing deployment costs

Network 34How communication service providers can optimise their networks and meet the demands of expanding networks

ARTICLES

TIC 29Un nouveau modèle pour les contacts en réseau et les échanges de connaissances au plus haut niveau

CONTENTS

Managing Editor: Andrew Croft - [email protected]

Editorial and Design team: Bob Adams, David Clancy, Prabhu Dev, Immanuel Devadoss, Ranganath GS,Prashant AP, Genaro Santos, Zsa Tebbit, Nicky Valsamakis and Julian Walker

Publisher: Nick Fordham

Advertising Sales Director: Pallavi Pandey

Magazine Sales Manager: Steve Thomas - Tel: +44 (0) 20 7834 7676, Fax: +44 (0) 20 7973 0076, Email: [email protected]

Country Representative Telephone Fax EmailChina Wang Ying (86)10 8472 1899 (86) 10 8472 1900 [email protected] Tanmay Mishra (91) 80 656 84483 (91) 80 40600791 [email protected] Bola Olowo (234) 8034349299 [email protected] Sergei Salov (7495) 540 7564 (7495) 540 7565 [email protected] Africa Annabel Marx (27) 218519017 (27) 46 624 5931 [email protected] Saida Hamad (974) 55745780 [email protected] UAE Camilla Capece (971) 4 448 9260 (971) 4 448 9261 [email protected] Michael Tomashefsky (1) 203 226 2882 (1) 203 226 7447 [email protected]

Head Office: Middle East Regional Office:Alain Charles Publishing Ltd Alain Charles Middle East FZ-LLCUniversity House Office 215, Loft 2A11-13 Lower Grosvenor Place PO Box 502207London SW1W 0EX, United Kingdom Dubai Media City, UAETelephone: +44 20 7834 7676 Telephone: +971 4 448 9260Fax: +44 20 7973 0076 Fax: +971 4 448 9261

Production: Henrietta Cobbald, Donatella Moranelli, Nasima Osman, Jeremy Walters and Sophia White - Email: [email protected]

Subscriptions: [email protected]: Derek FordhamPrinted by: Wyndeham Heron Ltd Communications Africa/Afrique is bi-monthly magazine ISSN: 0962 3841

Serving the world of business

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Business Magazines


Communications Africa Issue 1 20124

BULLETIN @ AFRICACOM

Informa examines the state of broadband in AfricaINFORMA TELECOMS & Media has issued a report entitled ‘Broadbandin Africa’, which assesses the progress towards interconnection ofAfrican capitals and major cities with broadband infrastructure, ofAfrican villages to broadband services, of the adoption of regulatorymeasures to promote affordable and widespread access tobroadband services, of support for the development of technologicalskills and of the adoption of national e-strategies; according to reportjoint author Nicholas Jotischky, “The truth is that looking at thecontinent as a whole progress towards a more universal use ofbroadband infrastructure is variable but at least it is underway.”

AfricaCom success acknowleged in networking,knowledge-sharing and business commitmentsAFRICACOM 2011 ATTRACTED over 6,000 attendees from over 100countries, with 858 CxOs visiting the show - and 96.5 per cent ofattendees saying they would recommend the event to a colleague;“The event provided a platform for an excellent value-add networkopportunities,” observed Dennis Ebbah. Senior Manager FinancialControl, MTN Nigeria Communication Limited.

Improved services and coverage for TanzaniaVODACOM TANZANIA IS modernising its GSM and 3G networksnationwide to improve performance and capacity, providing morereliable, faster, mobile broadband services - through a five-yearcontract with Nokia Siemens Networks for the implementation ofNSN’s single RAN (radio access network) platform, the deployment ofadditional GSM and 3G base stations, and the deployment of varioussoftware features; “It’s our key priority to constantly improve thequality of service for our customers by increasing our networkcapacity, performance and coverage across the country,” said DanaBakker, manager of executive operations, Vodacom Tanzania.

Seacom and Main One acknowledged for innovationSEACOM AND MAIN One, the only two privately funded and open-access based African submarine fibre optic cable systems, wereawarded ‘Best Pan African Initiative’ at the AfricaCom Awardsceremony held in Cape Town, South Africa, in November 2011, inrecognition of the interconnection their west and east African cablesystems to launch capacity services from PoP to PoP, from a STM-1level and above; the partnership extends the Main One and Seacomnetworks to create a system that offers connection between anySeacom and Main One PoPs all around Africa.

MTN pilots LTE at AfricaComWINNER OF THE 2011 AfricaCom Award for Best Network Improvement,MTN piloted the first ever Long Term Evolution (LTE) network in CapeTown at the 2011 AfricaCom conference; the LTE pilot wasimplemented to enable the South African public to experience thisnew technology’s capabilities, to internally gain first-hand experienceof the technology, as well as to understand how it performs in a liveenvironment - and MTN’s clients described their experience of thenew network as “phenomenal, with the bandwidth on average 5-6times faster than the 3G network, and the latency at least half with avery consistent experience”.

Building IP backhaul in South AfricaHUAWEI HAS BEEN working in partnership with MTN South Africa tobuild a low-cost, high-quality and future-oriented network, and hasachieved low-cost, high-quality services, whilst improving end-userexperience; In the future, the network will be better able to adapt tomobile data services and enterprise business development, and willhave better scalability to meet future demand on the network.

Enabling operators to deliver superior servicesCOMVIVA, A SPECIALIST in the provision of mobile solutions,launched WebAxn solution, its ‘single click’ self-care application, atthe most recent edition of AfricaCom; speaking on the launch,Manoranjan Mohapatra, CEO of Comviva, said, “With an effectivecustomer services framework to flexibly adapt and service current andemerging customer needs, operators can achieve a strategic andoperating competitive advantage - engaging more closely withcustomers and differentiating their services in the market.”

Dedication to customer service gains recognitionGATEWAY COMMUNICATIONS, WHICH supplies Africantelecommunications services, received the ‘Customer ServiceExcellence Award’ at the recently-held AfricaCom Awards, for thecompany’s focus on putting customer needs first and delivering quickand reliable service; “We will continue to invest in infrastructure andintroduce innovative solutions and products to the market,” saidMike van den Bergh, CEO, Gateway Communications.

Showing why Africa is ready for the CloudA NEW LAUNCH event from the Com World Series - organisers ofAfricaCom - Cloud Africa (cloudafricasummit.com) takes place 23-24May 2012 in Johannesburg, South Africa, and is expected to attractthe diverse Cloud ecosystem for learning and networking, and formingall-important business partnerships; the event will include keynotesfrom industry players, case studies from businesses alreadysucceeding with the Cloud, roundtables for peer-to-peer learning,interactive panel discussions between industry thought leaders,market overviews from analysts, and networking opportunities.The 2011 AfricaCom Awards ceremony

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BULLETIN @ MWC

Mobile World Congress 2012 redefines the mobile!FAR MORE THAN a mere communication device, mobiles now serve asour books, health monitors, payment transfer devices, socialconnectors and tour guides, and are embedded in our cars, homes,appliances, governments and utilities, enhancing and expandingeducation, and thus transforming the world; taking place inBarcelona, Spain, from 27 February to 1 March 2012, Mobile WorldCongress (www.mobileworldcongress.com) will celebrate the currentstate of mobile and offer a glimpse into where mobile has thepotential to go next.

True convergence of the optical and packet layersECI TELECOM, WHICH provides next-generation networksolutions, offers its vision for the true convergence of the packetand optical layers in the network - the Optimized Multi-LayerTransport system, or OMLT - which targets the shortcomings oftoday’s packet-optical transport system (P-OTS) to addressservice providers’ needs and challenges as they introduce newservices in a timely and cost-effective way; “The idea behind theOMLT was to create a platform that addresses our customers’pain points – a purpose-built solution that would integratenetwork layers to reduce the cost of building and operating theirnetworks,” said Oren Marmur, Head of Optical Networking & CESRLines of Business, ECI Telecom.

In Application Payment gives consumers morepayment choicesERICSSON’S IN APPLICATION Payment service, based on the IPXservice platform integrated to over 120 carriers, enables consumersin games or other applications to complete a purchase withoutleaving the application, without having a credit card and withoutusing anything else but their mobile phone - so simplifying thepayment options and offering the potential of increasing numbersof conversion to purchase; Adam Kerr, Head of Ericsson’s MCommerce business, observing that research firm Ovum projectsrevenues from paid mobile apps to increase to US$7.7bn in 2016,from US$3.7bn in 2011, says, “In order to reach these kinds ofnumbers it’s got to be easy for the consumer.”

LTE rollout creates concerns over spectrumTHE GSMA’S WIRELESS Intelligence service issued a report recently,indicating that the global adoption of LTE services risks beinghampered by device interoperability issues unless harmonisedspectrum band plans can be achieved; the report, ‘Global LTENetwork Forecasts and Assumptions - One Year On’, predicts thatthere will be 38 different spectrum frequency combinations used inLTE deployments by 2015, a fragmented scenario fuelled by ongoingspectrum auctions, licence renewals and re-farming initiatives acrossa wide range of frequency bands.

Focus on meeting network requirements andmanaging the customer experienceTHE MOBILE DIGITAL world is undergoing unprecedentedtransformation, with the emergence of new verticals and otherindustry players creating wildly fluctuating demand for mobilebroadband throughout the day - resulting in traffic patterns thatchange unpredictably and swiftly; at the 2012 GSMA Mobile WorldCongress, Nokia Siemens Networks intends to share itsunderstanding of partnerships that can shape the digital world usingtechnology innovation and new business models - running a variety oflive demonstrations and showcases to explain how to gain preciseinsight into the impact of applications on networks, and how to adaptsystems in real time to satisfy broadband demand, whenever andwherever it arises.

Increased mobile broadband spectrum may be vitalfor Africa’s socio-economic developmentFINDINGS FROM A report by the GSMA and Plum Consulting revealthat, across sub-Saharan Africa, the release of Mobile Broadbandspectrum in the Digital Dividend and the 2.6GHz bands by 2015 couldcreate up to 27mn new jobs, and increase GDP per capita by 5.2 percent, so directly lifting 40mn people out of poverty by 2025, andIncreasing GDP and government tax revenues by US$82bn andUS$18bn per year respectively by 2025; the GSMA expects that therewill be 240mn mobile broadband connections in sub-Saharan Africaby 2015, compared to just four million fixed broadband connections,and is therefore calling on countries across the region, includingGhana, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa and Tanzania, to releaseharmonised spectrum for mobile broadband.

Speakers strengthen conference programmeEXECUTIVES FROM ALCATEL-LUCENT, AT&T, Bharti Airtel, DeutscheTelekom, Ericsson, HTC, NTT DOCOMO, Telecom Italia and Telenor willbe speaking in the keynote programme at the 2012 GSMA MobileWorld Congress; topic areas addressed will include mobile operatorstrategies in developed and developing markets, cloud computing,connected consumers, mobile money, mobile OS and applicationsand next-generation networks and technologies.

mPowered brands to accelerate mobile marketingAT THE 2012 Mobile World Congress, the GSMA is introducingmPowered Brands - a new, multi-faceted programme which focuseson building marketers’ knowledge and accelerating their use ofmobile as a marketing medium; the mPowered Brands programmeprovides an opportunity for professionals across the mobilemarketing ecosystem to gain important and timely insights, practicalknowledge and innovative solutions from the companies at theforefront of mobile marketing today.

Continued growth expected forRIM in SAACCORDING TO PETE Cunningham,Principal Analyst at Canalys, "Bycombining touch-screen capability witha high quality and comfortable-to-usekeyboard, the Bold 9900 will appealnot only to its existing user base butalso to customers that enjoy a touch-screen device but with the accuracy akeyboard delivers"; with the newBlackberry OS7, the 9900 is expectedto help the firm to maintain strongmarket growth in South Africa.

Forecast impact of spectrum release on GDP in sub-Saharan Africa

The BlackBerry Bold 9900


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S02 CAF 1 2012 Agenda A & B_Layout 1 13/02/2012 17:08 Page 7


AGENDA

8

FEBRUARY FÉVRIER27 Feb-1 Mar Mobile World Congress Barcelona, Spain www.mobileworldcongress.com

28 Feb-1 Mar CABSAT Dubai, UAE www.cabsat.com

MARCH MARS6-7 IFSEC West Africa Lagos, Nigeria www.ifsecwestafrica.com

12-15 Satellite Washington, DC, USA www.satellite2010.com

13-16 Digital ID World Africa Johannesburg, South Africa www.terrapinn.com

13-16 Mobile Money World Africa Johannesburg, South Africa www.terrapinn.com

13-16 Online Retail World Africa Johannesburg, South Africa www.terrapinn.com

13-16 R.F.I.D. Johannesburg, South Africa www.terrapinn.com

14-15 Near Field Communication World Africa Johannesburg, South Africa www.terrapinn.com

21-24 International Conference on ICT for Africa Kampala, Uganda ictforafrica.jmcub.com

29-30 RFID Paris, France www.rfid-show.com

APRIL AVRIL1-4 IEEE WCNC Paris, France www.ieee-wcnc.org

14-19 NAB Las Vegas, USA www.nabshow.com

17-19 Broadband Confex Johannesburg, South Africa www.broadbandconfex.co.za

29-30 LTE MENA Dubai, UAE www.lteconference.com

Events événements 2012

ESTABLISHED PROVIDER OF high-speed,resilient and diverse capacity into, withinand out of Africa, WIOCC has entered into astrategic partnership with Cable&WirelessWorldwide, a global mission criticalcommunications provider, to improve thereliability, performance and reach ofinternational connectivity in and out ofAfrica. This initiative will enable WIOCC toprovide the first truly seamless low-latencynetwork from Africa to Europe andreinforces its position as the carriers’choice for high-bandwidth, low-latency,EASSy capacity. Through C&W Worldwide, WIOCC hasinvested in two new submarine cablesystems - the Europe India Gateway (EIG)and West Africa Cable System (WACS). Theseadditional investments enable WIOCC tocreate a unique, diversity-rich, high-capacity ring around Africa and into Europe,delivering the highest capacity at thelowest possible cost base - therebyextending its existing end-to-end managedregional and international services thelength of Africa’s western seaboard.“This strategic investment in new high-capacity submarine cable systemsstrengthens our existing ‘east+west coastdiversity’ proposition and provides our

carrier clients with even greater networkresilience and redundancy. C&WWorldwide is an ideal partner as we sharea similar vision of investing in strategictelecom infrastructure to support thegrowth of Africa,” said WIOCC CEO ChrisWood, who was recently named as one ofthe 100 most powerful people (1) in theglobal telecoms industry.C&W Worldwide Managing Director forGlobal Wholesale & Carrier, DiarmidMassey, added, “C&W Worldwideprovisioned its first submarine cables inAfrica more than 100 years ago and ourcommitment to this market has onlyincreased over the years. We arecommitted to working with partners likeWIOCC to foster the infrastructure neededfor both international and localbusinesses to prosper in the burgeoningAfrican market.”

Note1. In the 4th annual GTB Power 100, WIOCCCEO Chris Wood was the highest-rankedexecutive from an African business androse to number 46 (up from 76 in 2010) inthe publication’s list of the 100 mostpowerful people in the globaltelecommunications industry.

A seamless low-latency network from Africa to Europe

WIOCC’s diversity-rich, high capacity ring around Africaprovides connectivity between Africa and the rest of the world



A REPORT BY the United Nations Industrial Development Organization(UNIDO) establishes a new Connectedness Index, the first attempt tomeasure knowledge networks for private sector policy. TitledNetworks for prosperity: achieving development goals throughknowledge sharing, the report was funded by the Spanish MDGAchievement Fund (MDG-F) as part of a project that aims to establisha global knowledge system for private sector development. The reportlays the basis for policy recommendations that will help developingcountries acquire and adapt private sector development know-how.Networks for Prosperity demonstrates that the ‘connectedness’ of acountry has a strong positive relationship with various measures forits economic performance, justifying the growing interest of policy-makers in knowledge networks. Specific issues related to thegovernance of international, inter-organizational and intra-organizational networks are discussed in separate chapters. Theseare illustrated with detailed examples from twelve countries: Bolivia,Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Egypt, El Salvador, Ethiopia,Panama, Peru, Serbia, Turkey and Viet Nam, all of which are currentlyimplementing MDG-F private sector development programmes. The report has been jointly produced by UNIDO and the Centre for Global Governance Studies in Leuven,Belgium, under the overall umbrella of the MDG-F, with inputs from various public and private institutions inmore than fifteen countries as well as contributions from programme managers, practitioners and experts.“This report shows that new networks are emerging as a distinct form of governance to meet ever-changingpolicy challenges in international development. It establishes for the first time a Connectedness Index coveringa wide range of countries and correlating strongly with indicators on government effectiveness, regularityquality, industrial development and economic development. The report provides solid recommendations onthe next steps to be taken in deepening this index, and in leveraging the role of networks for private sectordevelopment,” said UNIDO Director-General, Kandeh K. Yumkella.


AGENDA

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AMERICAN TOWER CORPORATIONand MTN Group have enteredinto a definitive agreement toestablish a joint venture towercompany in Uganda - called ATCUganda - which will acquire allof the existing tower sites fromMTN Group’s operatingsubsidiary in Uganda - MTNUganda - numberingapproximately 1,000, forapproximately $175mn. ATCUganda will be managed byAmerican Tower, and will becontrolled by a holdingcompany of which AmericanTower will hold a 51 per centstake and MTN Group will holda 49 per cent stake. AmericanTower will pay approximately$89mn for its stake in the newholding company. MTNUganda will be the anchortenant, on commercial terms,on each of the towers beingpurchased.

COMVIVA HAS PARTNERED withSomalian telecommunications serviceprovider NationLink to launch the ‘e-maal’ mWallet service. Comviva isproviding its award winning mobiquitymobile financial platform to enableNationLink to offer integratedfinancial payment service whichempower subscribers to conduct avariety of transactions over themobile. This includes internationalinbound transfer, domestic moneytransfer, prepaid airtime e-top up,utility bill payments and mobileticketing services.The new mobile money service willbe available across Somalia and willcater to under-banked and unbankedsegments of the population. Theservice supports multipletransactional methods, includingcash-to-bank, cash-to-cash, cash-to-wallet and wallet-to-wallet tomaximize service access. The servicefully complies with regulations andbenefits from a robust, openecosystem of multiple banks, moneytransfer operators, billers andservice providers.Commenting on the launch, AbdirizakIdo, President, NationLink Telecom

said, “In a short span of timeNationLink Telecom has become oneof the leading telecom operators inSomalia. Today, people are looking forgreater convenience from theirmobile phone. By deployingComviva’s mobile money solution, weare able to provide easy to use mobilewallet and remittance services. Thisstep marks a significant milestone,as this is the first mobile moneyservice in the region, which we areconfident will transform the lives ofpeople in Somalia.”Commenting on Comviva’spartnership with NationLink, SabriAmireh, Vice President, Middle-Eastand North Africa at Comviva, said,“We are happy to partner withNationLink Telecom and support themin providing world class mobilemoney services to their subscribers.Our mobiquity mobile financialsolution will provide payment andbanking services to mobile users inSomalia, enabling them to makequick, easy and secure financialtransactions anywhere, anytime. Thispartnership further reflects our focuson serving the needs of people inemerging markets.”

NationLink to launch mWallet in North Africa

THE UNITED ARAB Emirates broadcasting company YahLive closed along-term agreement recently with the Dubai-based free-to-airsatellite broadcaster MBC Group to broadcast its portfolio of highdefinition (HD) channels - enabling viewers of YahLive to watch sevenMBC Group channels in HD across the Middle East and North Africa:MBC 1, MBC 2, MBC 4, MBC Action, MBC Drama, MBC MAX and AlArabiya News Channel. MBC Group is a private free-to-air satellite broadcasting company for theArab World. YahLive is a partnership of satellite operator SES withsatellite communications company Yahsat. YahLive broadcasts from theorbital position 52.5 degrees East. Viewers in the Middle East and inNorth Africa seeking to receive MBC Group`s HD bouquet from thisposition need to point their satellite dish to it. Sam Barnett, CEO of MBC Group, said, “We are pleased to announce thispartnership with YahLive. YahLive is building a proposition based onHigh Definition (HD) television and aims to attract audiences from acrossthe region. Our channels are ‘required viewing’ for many in the MiddleEast and the ability to watch them in HD is becoming increasinglyattractive. This deal should therefore create a strong partnership.” Mohamed Youssif, CEO of YahLive, said: “Our partnership with MBCGroup is another key milestone in the evolution of YahLive and anexcellent example of our strategic vision to become the HD hotspot forthe region and beyond. Ensuring that our customers have access tothe number one channels and programmes is of highest importanceto us, and it is clear that MBC Group`s offering is amongst the mostpopular in the region.” SES is a leader in HD internationally, with a total of more than 1,000HD channels on its satellites worldwide and with a specific know-howin the segment, for instance through its affiliate HD PLUS whichoperates a technical platform for commercial broadcasters offeringHD channels in Germany.

American Tower andMTN venture into Uganda

Knowledge networks that can achieve development goals

Yahlive forms HD partnership with MBC


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AGENDA

12

WITH A MASSIVE new programme of investment in itsNile TV International channel, which first went on airin 1994, Egyptian state television has prepared theway for the country's first-ever broadcasts in HDquality. As part of the program, two of the channel'sstudios have been completely redesigned andreequipped. Work on the project, now in its practice-oriented test phase, was completed in 2010. The taskof specifying and installing an intercom system forthe new studios was entrusted to the Egyptiancompany System Design, which cooperated withRTS/TELEX's Egyptian partner Manial Business Center(MBC Broadcast) regarding the system’s design. Egyptian TV's new reference studios feature a variety

of intercom systems from RTS/TELEX. The heart ofthe command centre is formed by two modularCronus matrices – each with 32 channels. Althoughconnected with one another, and therefore forming alogical matrix, the two devices are nonethelessautonomous and capable of being operatedindependently. Among the other componentsinstalled are 15 KP-32-16 and three KP-32 keypanels, afull-duplex BTR-800 wireless station, and a largenumber of TELEX TR-800-C6 beltpacks and TELEX PH-44R headsets. A TIF-2000 digital hybrid telephoneline interface from RTS, which is compatible withCronus, ADAM, and Zeus matrices, rounds off theinstallation.

"We have been working with RTS/TELEX systems foryears and have had nothing but positiveexperiences with them," explains Ahmed GamalSaleh, Managing Director of System Design."Products from RTS/TELEX are notable for their highquality, but are at the same time simple to use andconfigure. What convinced us above all, though, wasthe outstanding support the RTS/TELEX teamprovides. Their after-sales service is nothing shortof exemplary." The management of Nile NewsInternational is equally unequivocal in its praise, asAhmed Gamal Saleh attests: "The customer isextremely satisfied with the whole installation aswell as the performance of the system."

Egypt's first HD channel relies on secure communications

IN DECEMBER 2011, 91 satellite operators,manufacturers and financiers delivered aletter to inform governments of their concernsover a proposed piece of internationallegislation called the Unidroit Space AssetsProtocol, sponsored by the Unidroitorganisation, the International Institute forthe Unification of Private Law. The Protocolaims to develop a new legal framework forfinancing satellite and space programmes. Thesatellite industry representatives maintainthat no problems have been identified with theexisting framework for financing satellites,that it has worked well to date - and that,rather than promoting financing, the Protocolrisks complicating and damaging what iscurrently in place. It is held that the newlegislation would entail unnecessaryobligations and costs for the industry.

Satellite industry concernsover legislation

Delighted with a successful installation: AmmarFawzy, RTS/TELEX Regional Sales Manager MiddleEast (l.), and Ahmed Gamal Saleh, Managing Directorof System Design



AGENDA

13

ZTE HAS JOINED an elite group of companies that nowhave certified G-PON products, after successfullycompleting the Broadband Forum’s rigorous BBF.247testing programme.

Certificates have been awarded recently toawarded to eight pioneering companies during aceremony held at a Broadband Forum meeting inMarina del Rey, in the USA, recently. The seven othervendors with products to achieve G-PON certification:Alcatel-Lucent, Broadlight, Cambridge IndustriesGroup, Huawei, PMC-Sierra, PT Inovação and Tecom.

The Broadband Forum G-PON Certificationprogramme was developed in response to theindustry’s need for interoperability to help speed thewidespread adoption of fibre based networks.BBF.247 verifies the conformance of G-PON ONUproducts to the ITU-T G-PON standard and toBroadband Forum specifications. Following theconclusion of the programme’s beta testing phase,ZTE is the first company to step forward to achieve thecertification now that there is open enrollment.

Zhang Hongjuan and Peng Qiang of ZTEcommented, “We welcome the Certification and aredelighted to be among the first to achieve thisimportant step. With Broadband Forum Certificationwe can be sure that our R&D investment in nextgeneration PON technologies - both G-PON andbeyond – are in line with market requirements and

service providers’ expectations.”Robin Mersh, CEO of Broadband Forum, said,

“Coming so soon after the first round of certifications,this latest success is a clear indication of the needwithin the industry for a conformance programme thatsupports interoperability to the benefit of all. To haveeight vendors already certified at such an early stage,within just one year since we stated work in earneston the program, is testament to the commitment ofthe industry. It shows both the demand for G-PON andthe ability of the industry to work together to deliverquality solutions.”

Enrollment in the certification programme is nowopen to all Broadband Forum members. Additionaltest suites will be added over time to include OLT andXG-PON1 certification options. The Global Registry ofcertified products is available on the BroadbandForum website at: http://www.broadband-forum.org/certifiedgpon.php

AS ONE OF the fastest growingindustries in South Africa today,the security sector has beenpropelled by the thousands oflocal security professionals whoare eager to source the besthome-grown and internationalproducts in a country where thepublic is heavily reliant on theservices of the private securitysector. This trend was reflectedat IFSEC South Africa 2011,which recorded a record numberof visitors with approximately6,214 delegates (a 6.4 per centincrease on last year’s visitornumbers of 5,844) to view thelatest offerings by some 200exhibitors. The launch of a newevent for occupational safetyand health, the OSH Expo Africa,as well as the inaugural FacilitiesShow Africa - both co-locatedwith IFSEC South Africa -brought the total number ofvisitors to the event to 8,402.

G-PON ONU growth for Broadband Forum certification Setting the benchmarkfor security innovationThere is a need within the

industry for a conformanceprogramme that supports interoperability to the benefit of all

Vislink’s new Advent Mantis ‘MSAT’ Man Portable Data Terminal is a highly portable tri-band satellite antenna systemspecifically designed for rapid deployment in hostile environments. The system's fully integrated, portable designrequires less than five minutes from arrival to satellite acquisition, making it ideal for rapid deployment field applicationswhere there is no time to spare. Weighing in at only 12.5 kilos, the Advent MSAT is specifically designed to be carried byone person and provides powerful functionality for applications such as secure military communications; specialoperations, disaster recovery; emergency services; first-on-scene broadcast; and mining operations.

www.vislink.com

Vislink launches portable data terminal The Vislink system canbe fully operational inless than five minutes

S03 CAF 1 2012 Agenda D-C-H-G & E_Layout 1 13/02/2012 16:22 Page 13


AGENDA

14

SPACECOM, OPERATOR OF the AMOSsatellite fleet, launched its AMOS-5satellite in December 2011 fromBaikonur, Kazakhstan.AMOS-5 soared upward aboard aProton Breeze-M launcher on 11December, en route to its 17°E orbitalposition, with the satellite initiallyseparating from the launcher’s laststage within nine-and-one-half hoursfollowing ignition and then unfoldingits solar panels and communicationantennas. In the coming weeks,AMOS-5 is undergoing a sequence ofin-orbit tests, after which itsmanufacturer, ISS Reshetnev, officiallyhands over control of the satellite toSpacecom. Commercial operation ofthe satellite’s pan-African C-band andKu-band payload is scheduled tocommence in early 2012.“AMOS-5’s launch further transformsSpacecom into a leading multi-regional satellite operator is truly alandmark event for us as we prepareto bring our reliable high-qualityservices to Africa,” stated Spacecompresident and CEO David Pollack.

“The satellite will offer excellentcoverage and ready capacity to arapidly growing region. Spacecom isexcited and looks forward toproviding comprehensive and qualitycommunications solutions to Africa.”AMOS-5’s high-power 14x72 MHz and4x36 MHz C-band transponders,combined with 18x72 MHz Ku-bandtransponders, will enable it to be aprime carrier of African satellitecommunications traffic in bothbroadcast and data services in theyears to come. Spacecom’s AMOS-2and AMOS-3 satellites co-located atthe 4°W orbital “hot spot,” togetherwith AMOS-5 at the 17°E orbitalposition, will provide coverage overmany of the world’s fastest-growingand highest-demand satellite marketsin the Middle East, Central and EasternEurope and Africa.Prior to launch, Spacecom pre-soldover 55 per cent of AMOS-5 capacityto a variety of customers, includingbroadcasters, telecom providers,communications companies andgovernment agencies.

AMOS-5 communications satellite launched

TÉLÉCOMS SANS FRONTIÈRES haslaunched a pilot project in Kenyausing the mobile phone-based,payment and money transfer systemM-PESA for the benefit ofpopulations in pastoral areas.

Due to long term drought,pastoralists have migrated in searchof water and pasture, sometimescrossing international boundaries. Trekking for long distances has led to asignificant deterioration in the condition of livestock, reducing their marketvalue and income potential. The M-PESA pilot project is part of VétérinairesSans Frontières Germany’s emergency response programme in Kenya andmore particularly of its “Response in Arid-lands for Pastoralists in Droughtaffected Kenya (RAPID) project”. The objective for VSF-Germany is toconduct Cash For Work activities and thanks to TSF’s expertise, toremunerate the beneficiaries through the M-PESA system.

Folliwng the end of this programme in March 2012, it is being implementedin the Marsabit South district, in Northern Kenya, in six specific villages andcities: Laisamis, Merille, Logologo, Kamboe, Lontolio and Koya.

A working response to food insecurity



AGENDA

15

SOLUTIONS PROVIDER FOR telecommunication infrastructure engineering services, Mobiserve Holding’s recentsigning of a new cellular network tower sharing agreement with Egypt’s National TelecommunicationsRegulatory Authority (NTRA) enabling telecom operators in Egypt to share network infrastructure. The licenseconfers on Mobiserve the ability to build cellular network sites and rent them to telecom operators in Egypt.The concept of network sharing in which multiple operators can share a single network tower or cellular site,reducing the cost of ownership and maintenance while increasing network coverage.Already, network sharing is one of the fastest growing trends in the telecommunications industry, becoming awidely adopted business model in the U.S., Europe, and Asia. In the Middle East, regional operators areincreasingly implementing this concept with UAE based operators du and Etisalat signing a network sharingagreement last year. This however, is one of the first licenses of its kind granted inEgypt. Mr. Sameh Atalla, CEO of Mobiserve Holding, commented on theannouncement by saying, “This is a significant step for Mobiserve as it is in-linewith one of the fastest growing trends in the industry. It not only enablesEgyptian operators to bring costs down as they continue to roll out nextgeneration networks but to push forward with innovative services for theircustomers. It also gives operators the opportunity to focus on their corebusiness while relying on an experienced company for managing networksites. As a result, we are extremely pleased to be signing such alandmark license agreement as it represents a real breakthroughfor the Egypt’s telecommunications industry.”By reducing duplication of the most expensive parts of anoperator's network, cell sites, towers, base stationequipment, and transmission network, operatorsdeliver better services more cost effectively.Savings can be significant for an operator, - with20-50 per cent of an operator's capital oroperating costs depending on the level of networksharing, without compromising network quality.

SATLINK COMMUNICATIONSLTD. is augmenting its presencein Africa with an MCPC (MultiChannel Per Carrier) platformon AMOS-5’s Pan African C-beam, providing internationaland local broadcasters with arobust contribution platformoffering total continentalcoverage. SatLink’s location inthe Middle East, its added valuebroadcast services and playoutsolutions, and AMOS-5’s 17Ehigh EIRP levels, make thisplatform a gateway to Africa forEuropean, Asian, and Americanbroadcasters.

“Expanding operations inAfrica with our new AMOS 5C-band platform togetherwith our strategic locationand our global satellite andfibre network makes SatLinka true Gateway to Africa,”remarked David Hochner,CEO of SatLink.Mr. Sameh Atalla, CEO of Mobiserve Holding

Wireless tower license empowers Egyptian operators SatLink platform opensgateway to content


THE 40TH ANNIVERSARY edition of ITU Telecom World played host to high-level networking, knowledge exchange and deal-making, with over 330world leaders, including Heads of State, Heads of Government, Ministers,national ambassadors, heads of regulatory agencies, and CEOs fromaround the world, together to debate and interact on a broad-reachingglobal agenda spanning everything from broadband to connecting cities,harnessing innovation and next-generation wireless advances, andfeatured live participation from around the world.The event was preceded by an invitation-only Broadband LeadershipSummit which sought to tackle the many complex issues raised bybroadband deployment, from the challenges of infrastructure financing inpoorer nations and isolated regions to cybersecurity, data privacy andintellectual property rights.“As we accelerate towards a ubiquitous high-speed future, internationaldialogue is essential to ensuring we take the right decisions, learn from one another’s experiences and avoidhaving to re-invent the wheel. ITU Telecom World plays an increasingly central role in forging best practices thatthe public and private sectors can draw on when defining and deploying the networks that will offer bestquality affordable service to all users,” said Dr Hamadoun Touré, ITU Secretary-General.The Summit closed by addressing a Broadband Challenge to world leaders, top policy-makers, industryleaders, users and consumers as part of a Closing Conversation moderated by CNN’s Becky Anderson. TheChallenge underlines the need for concrete policy measures to promote broadband, stresses the fundamentalimportance of making content meaningful to individuals at a real-life, local level, and calls on world leaders,governments, industry and civil society to work together to ensure that at least 50% of the developing world’spopulation, and 40 per cent of its households, are using broadband Internet by 2015.In his closing remarks, Carlos Slim Helú, President of the Carlos Slim Foundation and Co-Chair of theITU/UNESCO Broadband Commission for Digital Development, pointed to the past decade’s explosive growthin mobile as offering a potential roadmap for broadband take-up. He cited the success of the prepaid model inLatin America as an innovative alternative to large-scale top-down investment, in addition to affordabledevices and low-cost universal access through WiFi in public places, schools and libraries.


AGENDA

16

THE FIRST REGIONALsymposium on theDevelopment of Efficient ICTTraining Capabilities in theTelecommunications and ICTSector in Africa took place inAbidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, in mid-November 2011, withparticipation of about 50telecoms sector professionalsfrom 26 organisationsbelonging to ten sub-Saharacountries. The workshops wereheld at the Ministry of ForeignAffairs Conference Center,Abidjan Plateau, and werelaunched by the Chief of Staff ofthe Minister of Postal Services,Telecommunications and ofNew Information andCommunication Technologies,Mr. Augustin André Apete, inpresence of the Mayor ofPlateau, of the President of ATCIboard, of the CEO of the Côted’Ivoire Agency for Regulationof Telecommunication, of ITUand others.

MEED NETWORKS IN Nigeria isdeploying a Cisco Borderless Networkarchitecture at Ahmadu BelloUniversity (ABU), the largest universityin Nigeria and second largest in Africa,second only to Cairo University inEgypt. ABU is situated in Zaria, Kadunastate in northern Nigeria.The Cisco optic-fibre campus networklinks the faculties, halls of residence,digital laboratories and libraries ofABU's three major campuses - Shika,Samaru and Kongo - with 65 pluslocations offering a minimum of 2GBconnectivity. The new infrastructurewill enable ABU to deliver high-speed

Internet and intranet access to morethan 40,000 students and staff as wellas facilitate enhanced e-learning,online applications and multimediacommunication services for allcampus residents.Cisco 6500 Switch series combinedvarious high capacity Cisco CampusSwitches (such as Cisco 3750s and alsothe 2960s) have been deployed acrossthe campus network. Additionally,Cisco Network Management andmonitoring was also factored in usingCisco's ACS Server appliance, as wellas security firewalls to ensureprotection of the campus all-round.

ITU Secretary-General HamadounTouré at ITU Telecom World

The most sophisticated campus network in Nigeria

SKYVISION GLOBAL NETWORKS Ltd.,a global provider of IP connectivityover satellite and fibre optic systems,received the award of SatelliteService Provider of the Year in Africaat this year’s AfricaCom, held recentlyin Cape Town, South Africa.The awards organiser commented,"SkyVision prides itself on its abilityto provide a diverse range of satelliteconnectivity solutions to meet anydemand, expectation, and companyneed. During 2011 alone, SkyVisionincreased its satellite capacity overAfrica, enabling it to support growingdemand for its ever-increasingportfolio of services and to deliver themost progressive SLA in the market." In accepting the award, Doron Ben Sira, CEO of SkyVision, said, “ThisAfricaCom award for Satellite Service Provider of the Year is not only anendorsement of SkyVision's success over the last year, it is also a sourceof inspiration for us to push on to even greater success in the future.SkyVision has a vision for the future of Africa - a future in which reliableconnectivity, in even the most remote rural areas, is available at alltimes. We are confident that we are on the right track to turning thatvision into a reality.”Providing customers with the highest level of service is a priority atSkyVision. This is made possible through the extensive network ofchannel partners and a local team of professional experts who offer first-class customer service and 24/7 technical support.

First ICT training eventDialogue on broadband culminates in ‘Manifesto for Change’

Award gained for satellite service provision

From left to right: Atere Ahmed Chief Operating Officer, Meed Networks;Abdullahi Mustapha B.sc (Hons) Pharm (ABU), PhD (London) FPSN; ViceChancellor Ahmadu Bello University Zaria; Jideofor Onwuemelu, Cisco TerritoryBusiness Manager; Adeyanju Sherif Chief Executive Officer Meed Networks

Doron Ben Sira, CEO of SkyVision,accepts the AfricaCom award ofSatellite Service Provider of theYear in Africa



THE INTERNATIONALTELECOMMUNICATION Union (ITU)and the Government of the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg are workingtogether to strengthen emergencytelecommunications and rapidresponse in the event of naturaldisasters. ITU and Luxembourg aremembers of the EmergencyTelecommunications Cluster (ETC),comprising of UN agencies andother humanitarian partners.The Government of Luxembourgdeveloped a nomadic satellite-based telecommunication system -'emergency.lu' - aimed at assistinghumanitarian agencies respond tocommunities affected by naturaldisasters, conflicts or protractedcrises. This platform has beenavailable as a global public good tothe international humanitariancommunity since the beginning ofJanuary 2012, with Luxembourgfunding its development,implementation, operation andmaintenance.The emergency.lu solution wasactually developed andimplemented as a public-privatepartnership by the Ministry ofForeign Affairs of Luxembourg incollaboration with a consortium ofLuxembourg companies andorganisations: SES TechCom,Hitec and Luxembourg Air Rescue.It was deployed in full operationalfield service for the first time inBentiu and Maban (South Sudan)by a team comprised ofLuxembourg Civil Protection, theUN WFP (World Food Programme)and the Ericsson Response Team.

The communication terminalsdeployed in South Sudan providevital connectivity for ongoinghumanitarian operations of theUnited Nations. In addition to theinfrastructure already operationalin Bentiu and Maban, anotheremergency.lu communicationterminal will be deployed in thetown of Renk in the coming weeks. Gerhard Bethscheider, ManagingDirector of SES TechCom, said,“The emergency.lu platform is aninnovative end-to-endcommunication service for theinternational humtanitariancommunity designed to improvethe effectiveness of rapidresponse to natural disasters orman-made crises. Its deploymentin South Sudan provides instantbroadband connectivity aimed athelping to coordinate the recoveryand development aid efforts in oneof the youngest nations of theearth, which continues to sufferfrom famine and ethnic clashes.SES is proud to be associated withemergency.lu and its muchneeded relief efforts, havinghelped to establish the systemand providing world-widecoverage through its globalsatellite fleet.”

GLOBALTT’S NEW SERVICES include IS-10 satellite coverage over thecentre of Africa, including: Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Madagascar,South-Africa, Comoros, DRC, Tanzania, South-Sudan, Angola,Namibia, Cameroon, Congo, and Gabon.The company is operating the new SkyOne-IP service, which wasrecently upgraded, to offer:• higher availability.• no more volume control.• no more restrictions.• increased speed, up from 128Kbps up to 4.5Mbps.• free anti-virus, anti-spam on all Web access and e-mail.NSS-12 satellite coverage for Eastern & Central Africa is also offered, toinclude: South Sudan, DRC-Congo, Burundi, Uganda, Ethiopia, Eritrea,Somalia, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, chad, Egypt, and Yemen.

www.globaltt.com

SES emergency.lu

Support from emergency satellite

New services from GT&T

Milano Teleport was the first Italian private satellite organization following the late '90s Telecom deregulation. In 1997, Milano Teleport immediately started deploying its own infrastructures. The company offered not only Radio-TV broadcasting through a Eutelsat digital transponder on HOT BIRD premium position at 13° East, but also the first state-of-the-art state data networking activities.



AGENDA

18

FLEXENCLOSURE, A SPECIALISTprovider of intelligent and“green” site power managementsolutions, has won anInternational Green Award in thecategory of Best GreenTechnology. Flexenclosure wasawarded the prize for its E-sitebase station site solution, whichis being run primarily onrenewable energy and with thepotential to share excess power

with surrounding communities.Flexenclosure won the award forits E-site solution, a new greenenergy solution that enablesmobile base stations off-grid to bepowered mainly by renewableenergy sources (sun and wind)instead of dirty and expensivediesel fuel. It has the capacity toreduce diesel consumption forpowering base stations by over 90per cent, reduce CO2 emissions by

as much, and slash operatingexpenses by more than 80 percent. The Best Green Technology awardrecognises entries thatdemonstrate innovativebreakthroughs in energy andenergy efficiencies, andtechnology used to transformones energy and carbon footprint.The award “celebrates realinnovation”, with entrants having“challenged traditional thinkingand have developed ground-breaking technology that deliverstangible sustainability benefits”.

Powering base stations in NigeriaThe E-site solution has beenchosen to support the upgrade ofan initial batch of 250 dieselpowered base stations in Nigeria.Bharti Airtel contracted withEricsson to implement theupgrade. E-site will enable Airtelto harness solar energy to powermobile base stations across

Nigeria. The solution has beentested by Airtel in Kenya for closeto two years and has proven tosubstantially reduce dieselconsumption and CO2 emissionswhen compared to a 24/7 dieselpowered site.

CONNECTED ENTERTAINMENT EVENT, IP&TV World Forum, will featurekeynote speakers in 2012, includingMTV, NBC Universal and Sony NetworkEntertainment. Focusing on theconverging TV market, the conferenceand exhibition will take place inLondon, in the UK, on 20-22 March. Itwill provide international networkingopportunities with service providersand broadcasters from variedplatform backgrounds – Smart TV, OTT,cable, satellite and terrestrial TV – tocompare experiences and brainstormsolutions for delivering multiscreenand multiplatform services. The focus on connectedentertainment and utilising social TVwill be echoed by Kristin Frank,General Manager of MTV and VH1Digital, who will give a keynotespeech on the first day of the event.Frank, who is one of the world’sbiggest innovators in broadcasting,comments, “Social media andsecond screen platforms areproviding TV networks with newtools in the development oftransmedia storytelling that willultimately drive greater engagementand advertiser benefit.”

Gavin Whitechurch, Director of IP&TVWorld Forum, says, “This is an excitingtime in connected entertainment, asOTT is now so pervasive andcompelling that all service providersare seeking to harness over the top toenhance on-demand offerings, and IPconnectivity to add new value to theirservices. The developed focus for2012’s IP&TV World Forum reflects theevolving marketplace and will givedelegates invaluable insight into newindustry trends while giving them theopportunity to connect with peers andpotential customers.”Extending the topic of social TV andrefining the relationship betweenaudiences and content, Jesse Redniss,Vice President of Digital Strategy andDevelopment at NBC Universal, willtalk on taking consumer engagementto the next level through gamification.Also confirmed to deliver a keynote isShawn Layden, Chief OperatingOfficer at Sony NetworkEntertainment, who will cover thesubject of delivering compellingconsumer services to multipledevices by leveraging the cloud.

www.iptv-forum.com

An evolving focus on converging TV markets

CHIEF TECHNOLOGY OFFICERS (CTOs) operating in the information andcommunication technology (ICT) industry are urging the InternationalTelecommunications Union to accelerate technical standardisation workin the field of e-health. The CTOs - representing 21 companies includingAlcatel-Lucent, Cisco, Ericsson, Huawei, Microsoft, NSN, NTT, RIM, andZTE - stressed that reliable, interoperable standards are key to providingpatients and health professionals with the means to utilise remoteconsultation services, advanced ICT-based diagnostic procedures andelectronic health information services.Consensus is that international coordination on standards will be vital,and that growth in telemedicine services will also demand aggressiveroll-out of broadband networks. The CTOs encouraged ITU, as developerof global ICT standards, to intensify its involvement by developingessential e-health infrastructure standards, and by cooperating withother standards bodies to create reliable, secure and interoperable e-health solutions. Dr Hamadoun Touré, Secretary General, ITU, said inresponse, “E-health will bring cutting-edge medical advice to peopleliving in remote, underserved areas, and will revolutionise access tohealth services in the developing world. ITU is actively working with allparties to create the frameworks for these technologies to be rolled-outon a solid bedrock of broadband deployment.” In the area of technical standards for fixed networks, there is alsoagreement on the need for a release-based approach - with ITUrecommended to take a lead in the release production, coordinating theactivities of fora and standards-development organisations (SDOs). TheCTOs have also welcomed the increasing role of developing countries inglobal standards development, and recognised the importance thosecountries attach to issues such as broadband, electromagneticcompatibility, quality of service, sustainable rural communications, andaffordability. They pledged to develop partnerships with developingcountries to strengthen national standards capacities.

Award follows business for green power management technology

Global CTOs call for progress on e-health standards

Flexenclosure’s E-site solution

E-site turbines, developedby Flexenclosure


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S04 CAF 1 2012 Agenda 03_Layout 1 13/02/2012 17:07 Page 19

Communications Africa December/January 201220

L'UIT, AUX CÔTÉS d'un groupe departenaires du secteur privé, s'a efforcéde convaincre les délégués à laConférence des Nations Unies sur leschangements climatiques (COP-17), àDurban, de tirer parti des atouts destechnologies de l'information et de lacommunication (TIC) pour encouragerl'atténuation des effets de ceschangements et l'adaptation à ces effets.Les technologies évoluées d'aujourd'huipermettent de transformer les processussociaux, industriels et économiques et demettre en œuvre les changementsnécessaires pour parvenir à la durabilité.Toutefois, si les milieux technologiques etles ministères des TIC s'accordent àreconnaître que les TIC peuventvéritablement changer le cours deschoses, tel n'est pas le cas, loin de là, desgroupes de pression écologistes et desdécideurs.

Cette conférence a été pour l'UIT et sespartenaires l'occasion de faire savoir queles TIC sont, au XXIe siècle, des éléments-clés de la résolution de ces problèmes.L'UIT est convaincue qu'elles doiventimpérativement faire partie intégrante detoute politique globale de lutte contre leschangements climatiques. A cette fin, l'UIT et la Global e-Sustainability Initiative (GeSI) ont forméla Global Coalition on ICT and ClimateChange (Coalition mondiale sur les TIC etles changements climatiques), afind'envoyer un message unifié à laConférence. Les organisations membresde cette coalition sont, entre autres, leSecrétariat de la CCNUCC, le Pactemondial (Nations Unies) et TechAmerica;elle inclut aussi des représentants dehaut rang des Gouvernements du Ghana,de la République sudafricaine et del'Egypte.

Le prochain Colloque sur lesTIC, l'environnement et les

changements climatiquesorganisé par l'UIT se tiendra

à Montréal (Canada), du 29au 31 mai 2012. Une

participation à distance serapossible. L'UIT encouragevivement cette forme de

participation, qui permet des'adresser à un public plus

large sans pour autantaugmenter l'empreinte

carbone.

ORANGE A LANCÉ enexclusivité trois nouveauxtéléphones intégrant desfonctionnalités Facebookavancées.

Grâce à cette gammeétendue de téléphones avecfonctionnalités Facebookdont le nouveausmartphone Android AlcatelOne Touch 908F, les clientsOrange peuvent choisir letéléphone le mieux adapté àleurs besoins. Lesfonctionnalités Facebooksont intégrées dans tous lesparamètres du téléphone :de l’appareil photo à lagestion des contacts, ainsiqu’à la touche ‘f’ qui permetde télécharger etd'échanger instantanément.Les clients Orange peuventacheter ces téléphonesseuls ou dans le cadred'offres groupées à destarifs accessibles,comprenant l'accès illimitéà Facebook sanssupplément de facturationde données.

“La popularité dessmartphones et l’explosiondes réseaux sociaux ontradicalement changé la

façon dont les utilisateursrestent en contact etpartagent des contenus.Jusqu’alors, de nombreuxconsommateurs d’Afrique etd’Europe n’avaient pasaccès à un téléphone offrantune intégration complète deFacebook à un tarifaccessible," a déclaré YvesMaitre, Directeur MobileMultimedia et terminauxchez Orange. “Noussommes intimementconvaincus qu’il est dudevoir d’Orange depermettre à ses clients deprofiter d’une vie connectéeet numérique riche, et quecette collaboration actuelleet future avec Facebook etAlcatel One Touch nouspermettra d’offrir un accèsmobile à ce média social àdavantage de clients.”

“Orange et Facebook ontun objectif commun, celuid’offrir un accès mobile aumédia social à toutes lespersonnes vivant en Afriqueet en Europe," a déclaréHenri Moissinac, Directeurdes services mobiles chezFacebook. “Ces téléphoneset notre collaboration

actuelle avec Orangeoffriront à nos clientsl'opportunité de seconnecter facilement etd'échanger avec leurs amissur Facebook à toutmoment, partout et, pourcertains, d'expérimenter leweb mobile pour la premièrefois.”

Les TIC au service de la lutte contre les changements climatiques

Orange lance la gamme la plus étendue de téléphones exclusifs avec fonctionnalités Facebook

AGENDA



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The future viability of Africa's free-to-air broadcasters will be dependent on attractingand justifying channel ad-spend through an accurate measurement a fragmentedaudience

Media measurement andthe future of digital television

SATELLITE Broadcasting

THE DEADLINE HAS beenset - 2015 is the year inwhich Africa migrates todigital TV. While the

continent prepares for the dawnof a new age that will offer morechannels, better sound, pictureand additional services, SES,one of the world’s largestproviders of satellite operationssolutions, believes that thefuture viability of free-to-airbroadcasters will be dependenton attracting and justifyingchannel ad-spend through anaccurate measurement of thesoon to be fragmented Africanaudience.

“Free-to-air broadcasters, whoare usually State or privatebroadcasters, rely heavily onadvertising to generate revenues,with advertisers placing ads oncondition that they can prove areturn on investment. Withoutproper channel information in themarket advertisers are less likelyto risk unjustifiable spending - itjust does not make businesssense,” warns Christoph Limmer,Senior Director, Marketing andMarket Development in Africa, atSES. “African countries said to beon the cusp of the migration havetouted the range of newopportunities that digitalisationoffers but in order to, in real terms,drive the long term success of‘going digital’ it is imperative thatthe African media andcommunications sector invests inproper media measurement,”adds Limmer.

For a continent that, in the nextten years, requires almostUS$63bn in infrastructuredevelopment, the challenge ofexploiting the benefits of digital TVremains great. Unlike Europewhere 70 per cent of all TV homesreceive digital TV, TV penetrationin itself remains relatively low inAfrica. Most countries in theregion have two broadcasters, i.e.a State broadcaster and a privatebroadcaster, which has resulted ina broadcasting playing field that,for the most part, is a small one.

Another major factor in Africancountries having poor media dataresources is the lack of reliablecensus information. Many Africancountries fail to conduct regularnational census which is used asthe basis for various media-related figures, such as thenumber of homes within a countrythat have TVs.

Although Limmer acknowledgesthese challenges, he is quick topoint out that reliable mediameasurement is not an issue thatcan be up for debate as 2015looms ahead. “Digital migrationwill happen and countries have toprepare for the future reality ofdigital TV,” comments Limmer.

“Knowing that digital migrationposes specific challenges forAfrican countries, our satellitesare being used to support themigration process across theregion. We have also facilitatedthe initiation of country-specificJoint Industry Committees (JICs)across the region to encourage thedevelopment of a coherent,coordinated approach to mediameasurement,” says Limmer.

Limmer believes that suchindustry discussions are essentialin accelerating theimplementation of viablesolutions in preparation for digitalTV. “In Ghana, for instance, the

formation of their National DigitalBroadcasting Migration TechnicalCommittee (NDBMTC) hasresulted in open discussionsaround obtaining consistentfunding necessary for research,”comments Limmer. Added to this,the formation of NDBMTC hasseen a pilot project currentlyunderway in the country as well asa commitment on a national levelto complete digitalising allregional capitals and theirenvirons by 2012.

Developing channelsWell-managed, effective JICsacross Africa could also spur thedevelopment of regional industryworking groups allowingmultinational organisations tosuccessfully and easily advertisein multiple African countries,although presently this remainsan undefined future goal. Regionaladvertising campaigns in Africaare today still comparativelydifficult to undertake sincemarkets are not only diverse butlack a consolidated approach tomedia measurement thatproduces research - both reliableand accurate.

Christoph Limmer, regionalmarketing director, Africa for SES

Increasingly, African media entrepreneursare investing into local media and areseen as catalysts for growth of local

media content

S05 CAF 1 2012 Report A & Rapport A_Layout 1 13/02/2012 17:10 Page 24



SATELLITE Broadcasting

Markets and methodologiesAfrican markets have different levels ofindustry sophistication and contend with anumber of country specific circumstances,such as a variety of media owners as well asentrenched methodologies. As it stands,therefore, it is better to have research/mediameasurement conducted country-by-countryrather than regional working groups comprisingof industry players from different countries.

In June 2011, SES introduced SatelliteMonitors for Cameroon, Ghana and Nigeria.The SES Monitors, which form part of its marketresearch analyses, measured the developmentof those key markets and collected data fromcurrent satellite users in those countries. It wasfound that, in comparing results with otherresearch studies, significant differences werevisible. For example, the number of TVs inhomes in Nigeria varied between 7 to 12 milliondepending on the research study. Thediscrepancy, which was similar to those found

in Cameroon and Ghana, does beg thequestion of how to not only tap into latentopportunities, but also, and moreimportantly, how best to sustain free-to-airbroadcasting in the forthcoming digital TV agewhere poor media data granularity andaccuracy already exist.

The risk lies in underestimating the need forproper measurement in the free-to-airbroadcasting arena that is almost alwaysdependent on advertising revenue to survive.“Currently, African countries do not have basicstatistics necessary to support advertisinggrowth on existing broadcasting platforms,”says Limmer.

The secondary value of effective mediameasurement will be the expedition ofopportunities that greater capacity affords thecontinent. According to Limmer, despite theenormous task ahead the digital migration inAfrica affirms American entrepreneur, JohnRohn when he said, “For every disciplinedeffort there is a multiple reward.”

Having both a young population withincreasing discretionary income levels, Africahas been identified by many global investorsas one of the biggest growth opportunities inthe world. Further to this, more and moreAfrican media entrepreneurs are investing into

local media and are seen as catalysts forgrowth of local media content.

In South Africa, for instance, ICASA, theregulator for the South Africancommunications sector, proposed 21 newchannels following the country’s move todigital TV. Industry forecasts also predict thatthere will be more than 10mn additional homeswatching digital content in 2013, driven by bothdigital satellite and terrestrial reception. “In acontinent of varied cultures, languages anddevelopment, the move to digital for mostAfrican countries is largely in the planning,preparation or testing phase. But, with morebroadcasting spectrum to be made availablemore services, such as interactivity, portabilityand mobility, will be in the pipeline. Theopportunity for marketers is that they cantarget niche markets resulting in thedevelopment of the media andcommunications sector throughout thecontinent,” concludes Limmer.

If digital television is to be sustainable inAfrica discussions around media measurementon a country-by-country level is needed. Theproper and consistent measurement of majorplatforms will ultimately be the glue that bindspresent reality with future viability and successpost-digital migration. ✆

Without proper channelinformation, advertisers are

less likely to risk spending

Spectrum Communications is a leading Solution Supplier to Telecom Industry, in the Middle East and Africa Regions, providing Transmission Solutions to Network and GSM mobile Operators and ISP Service Providers and Oil & Gas Industry.

A4 42 Saif Zone, Sharjah – UAE, POBox: 8983 Sarhah – UAETel: 971-6-557 2592, Email: [email protected]

Website: www.spectrummea.com

THE CENTRAL BANK of Nigeria(CBN) has rolled out a newpayment system to encourage m-payment and cut operating costs.The introduction of cash-litebanking, which has started inLagos, is a way of realising thisobjective. Under the policy, theminimum cash lodgement andwithdrawal by individuals andcorporate organisations arepegged at N150,000 and N1mndaily. The policy took off in Lagoson 1 January 2012. It will,subsequently, be implemented inAbuja, Port Harcourt, Kano andAba, in the first instance, andextended to other parts of thecountry at a date to be determinedby the Bankers’ Committee. To kickstart the scheme CBN hastied with 11 Mobile Payment ServiceProviders (MPSP) includingPagatech, Fortis Mobile,UBA/Afripay, GTBank, eTranzact,Monetise, Eartholeum, Paycom,FET, Ecobank, and Kudi.CBN seeks to promote monetarystability and a sound financialenvironment in the country. To this

end, stringent conditions apply tothe new cashless framework inLagos. First, only licensedcompanies are allowed to providecash pick-up services. Banks willnot now operate cash in transitlodgment services rendered tomerchant-customers in Lagos. Anybank that offers cash in transitlodgment services to merchantsmay expect to be sanctioned.Additionally, 3rd party chequesabove N150, 000 will not be eligiblefor encashment over the counter.The value for such cheques will beprocessed through the clearinghouse. Service charges and feeswill apply after March 2012 - theidea behind this initiative was togive people time to migrate toelectronic channels andexperience the infrastructure thathas been put in place. Banks havebeen encouraged to supportcustomer migration to electronicchannels, and where possibledemonstrate the costs that willaccrue to those that continue totransact high volumes of cash inLagos from April 2012.

Central Bank of Nigeria seeks tostrengthen mobile banking


Could a combination of investment in mobile infrastructure and a technologically literateconsumer base translate into Africa’s emergence as a leading market for mobile TV?

Heralding the next wavein mobile television adoption

BROADCASTINGMobile

MOBILE TELEVISIONHAS continued togrow and hit massmarket penetration

in more developed regions,leaving operators looking at whowill take centre stage as the nextmajor global market for mobileTV services. Jason Armitage,Senior Analyst at independentanalyst house Yankee Groupbelieves that ’mobile video isone of the media markets wherelocal content and marketingdrive usage. Yankee Groupbelieves national operators arein a strong position to play aleading role in the offer andmonetisation of mobile video.”

Africa currently stands as thesecond most connected mobilesubscription region in the world,with one billion subscribersforecast in 2016 according toInforma Telecoms & Media.Informa also reports that ‘thecontinent is second only to Asia-Pacific in terms of mobilesubscription numbers’ It’s nosecret that the mobileinfrastructure in this region is alsomuch stronger than that of thefixed line, ensuring an evergrowing, technologically savvyconsumer base that is tipped to bethe next generation of mobile TVadopters.

The transition to digitalAs the continent undergoes a shiftfrom an analogue era and into anew digital age, we are seeing thatAfrica is well positioned to thrivein a growing mobile TV market.Just as mobile micropaymentsflourished where demand washigh for mobile remittance, so willnew pricing models, DRMstandards and networkconnection methods forpurchasing, accessing andsharing mobile content. Video ondemand will be more appropriate

and flexible than linear broadcastTV to facilitate these innovationsfor video content.

There are firstly somefoundations to be laid however. Arecent report by Google revealedthat half of South Africans view onevideo a month on their smartphonewith 49 per cent watching TV ontheir device. While these figures areencouraging they also highlight thedisparity between the rest of thecontinent, where mobile usage isfar less developed. This gap wasfurther expanded by the SouthAfrican 2010 FIFA World Cup, wherein addition to traditional broadcastmobile solutions became a keysupplemental channel fordelivering footage to the footballhungry masses.

Looking beyond theinfrastructureIf mobile TV viewing is to reallybecome a success, then operatorsshould realise that they will needto go beyond installinginfrastructure and instead lookingat a fundamental shift in the wayin which African consumers watchTV content. Although Africa enjoysa developed mobile infrastructure,the large rural subscriber basemeans that connectivity can berestricted at times. Video ondemand services cantherefore allowcustomers towatch contentwhen their

connection is strongest. Therelationship between the way inwhich they enjoy and share videocontent through mobile devices israpidly changing within somestates. However the varying stagesof development in Africa make ithard to summarise the continentas each region is a market withinits own right, each faced with verydifferent challenges.

It is already evident that thedemand for compelling content isthere. Following in the footsteps ofAmerica and Europe, Africa hasrecently seen first-hand howWananchi’s Zuku service has ledthe way by successfullyintroducing the first triple-playoffering in East Africa. With a wide

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Major Hollywood brands will help to push themobile device as a viable platform for

consuming the latest global TV shows - butregionalised, relevant content will also be

key to success


selection of tailor-made content for the localKenyan market as well as a host of globalchannels from the BBC, MTV Base, SetantaSports and MGM Movies, this combinationoffers a compelling package that will draw theinterest of consumers. The Zuku service owesmuch of its success to the focus Wananchiplaced on delivering compelling content.Access across multi-platforms only served tobecome the catalyst in driving adoption.

In rural Africa, the TV still remains acommunal activity, with groups of individualsgathering at cybercafés to view popular shows.Accessing content on a mobile device on theother hand offers Africans the option toconsume content independently. If this culturalissue is to be traversed, mobile content willneed to be personal and highly relevant to eachsubscriber. Video on demand services alsoenable family and friends to gather around onedevice and enjoy time-shifted content at theirown schedule. Whilst major Hollywood brandswill help to push the mobile device as a viableplatform for consuming the latest global TVshows, regionalised, relevant content will alsobe key. Any successful offering would need tobundle the mainstream appeal of global showssuch as Gossip Girl, Entourage and Friends withlocal drama, news and music content.

One of the major hurdles in smartphone

adoption has been that handsets are notsubsidised by operators as they are in many otherregions. Just under a year ago Huawei launchedtheir IDEOS smartphone in Kenya throughSafaricom. This Android smartphone was pricedat 80 dollars and quickly became the fastestselling handset in the market. No less impressivegiven that 40 per cent of the population lives onless than two dollars a day. Safaricom not onlyheavily subsidised the handset, but alsoprovided a healthy data package.

Content remains kingThe old axiom that content is king stillstands true in Africa; a diverse programmingmix, utilising the best in local and global

content is crucial. A successful hybridmobile media service must deliver a range ofcontent in various formats through an easy-to-use platform. Content, data access anddevices need to sit hand in hand to createone compelling package for Africans.Bundling these products into one servicewhere consumers can clearly see they willenjoy a certain amount of hours of videoplayback for a set fee is of key importance.The potential for these services is clear andas recent launches have shown, consumerappetite is palpable.

Over the past decade the mobile phone hascontinued to revolutionise communications inAfrica, from micro-payment purchases in ruraltowns, to high speed mobile broadband inLagos and Johannesburg. With an astuteconsumer base and a developed mobileinfrastructure, mobile TV has the potential toachieve critical mass within some regions.Whilst Africa is a complex region for us to beable to generalise about the future of mobileTV, each region has shown evidence that thedemand exists for exciting content to beavailable at the touch of a button. Oncepackaged in the appropriate format to meeteach market’s varied needs, there is no doubtthat we will see mobile TV thrive across thewhole of Africa. ✆


BROADCASTING Mobile

The relationship betweenthe way in which they enjoy

and share video contentthrough mobile devices is

rapidly changing

Tony Kelly, CEO –On Demand Group

Spectrum Communications is a leading Solution Supplier to Telecom Industry, in the Middle East and Africa Regions, providing Transmission Solutions to Network and GSM mobile Operators and ISP Service Providers and Oil & Gas Industry.

A4 42 Saif Zone, Sharjah – UAE, POBox: 8983 Sarhah – UAETel: 971-6-557 2592, Email: [email protected]

Website: www.spectrummea.com

THE AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT Bank Group’s board of directors approved,recently, a US$15.6mn grant from its concessionary lending arm, theAfrican Development Fund (ADF) to help strengthen the capacity ofAfrican Virtual University (AVU). Agnes Soucat, the bank’s director forhuman development, said, “One of our human development goals is toincrease access to higher education through informationcommunications technology (ICT) and help African institutions benefitfrom and contribute to the global production and distribution ofknowledge. By helping to build the capacity of the African VirtualUniversity, we are doing just that. The AfDB Group’s financial support,through this ADF grant, is consistent with the bank’s new model foreducation in Africa.”

Transforming African economies into knowledge economies willrequire increased investments in higher education. Most Africancountries do not have the capacity to build traditional universitycampuses needed to absorb the large and increasing demand for highereducation. AVU has graduated more than 40,000 students across Africaand established the largest distance and e-Learning network in over 27countries in Sub-Saharan Africa.

AVU comprises 10 open distance and e-learning centres and anonline interactive portal consisting of 219 course modules in mathand science, teacher education, basic ICT skills and ICT classroomintegration. Students are able to avail themselves of materials free ofcharge, and these are available in English, French and Portuguese.The portal is currently used by students in 142 countries. The ADFgrant will finance the establishment of 12 new open distance and e-Learning centres. It will also upgrade 15 e-learning centres at the 27AVU partner institutions across Africa, develop ICT capacity, enhancescience and technology programmes, and train staff to developvarious distance and e-learning courses. A key outcome of the projectwill be to increase the number of qualified female scientists in AVUpartner institutions.

ADF grants US$15.6mn for AVU



ITU Telecom World établit un nouveau modèle pour les contacts en réseau et leséchanges de connaissances au plus haut niveau

Le manifestepour le changement

TICInternet

L'ÉDITION DU 40ÈMEanniversaire d'ITUTelecom World a ferméses portes après trois

journées intensives de contactsen réseau, d'échanges deconnaissances et de conclusionsde contrats à haut niveau. Plusde 330 dirigeants, y compris deschefs d'Etat et de gouvernement,des Ministres, desAmbassadeurs, des directeursd'organismes de réglementationet des P.-D. G. du monde entierse sont rassemblés dans le cadrede débats et de dialoguestraitant d'une multitude desujets d'envergure mondiale,qu'il s'agisse du large bande, deconnecter les grandes villes, ouencore de tirer parti del'innovation et des progrès destechnologies hertziennes deprochaine génération, avec laparticipation en direct depersonnalités du monde entier.

Cet événement a été précédéd'un Sommet des hautespersonnalités consacré au largebande, sur invitation seulement,dont les participants ont cherchéà résoudre les problèmesnombreux et complexes poséspar le déploiement du largebande, concernant par exempleles défis du financement desinfrastructures dans les payspauvres et les régions isolées, dela cybersécurité, laconfidentialité des données ouencore les droits de propriétéintellectuelle. Ainsi que l'a dit leDr Hamadoun Touré, Secrétaire

général de l'UIT:"Alors qu'approche à toute

vitesse un avenir placé sous lesigne du haut débit omniprésent,il est essentiel que s'instaurentdes négociations internationalespour assurer que nous prenionsles bonnes décisions, tirions lesenseignements de nosexpériences mutuelles etévitions de réinventer la roue. ITUTelecom World joue un rôlecrucial dans l'élaboration debonnes pratiques dont lessecteurs public et privé peuvents'inspirer pour définir et déployerdes réseaux qui offriront à tousles utilisateurs un serviced'excellente qualité etfinancièrement abordable ".

En clôture, les participants auSommet ont lancé un "Défi dularge bande" aux leadersmondiaux, grands décideurs,dirigeants du secteur,utilisateurs et consommateurs,dans le cadre d'un débat animépar Becky Anderson, de CNN.

Ce "Défi du large bande"insiste sur la nécessité de définirdes mesures concrètes visant àpromouvoir le large bande,souligne qu'il est fondamentalde donner accès, sur le planlocal, à des contenus utiles àtous en pratique et appelle lesdirigeants du monde entier, lesgouvernements, l'industrie et lasociété civile à collaborer pourfaire en sorte qu'au moins 50%des habitants des pays endéveloppement, et 40% desménages dans ces pays, utilisentl'Internet large bande d'ici à 2015.

L'innovationL'innovation était le maître motde la manifestation cette année,avec des présentations denombreux partenaires, dontAlcatel-Lucent, AT&T, ChinaMobile, China Potevio, Cisco,

Datang, Du, Ericsson, Etisalat,Fiberhome, Fujitsu, Huawei,Intel, NTT Group, NTT DoCoMo,Qtel, Rohde & Schwarz, RIM,Satorys, Swisscom, Telkom SA,Turk Telecom, TDIA et ZTE.

"L'innovation, par définition,est l'avenir de notre industrie etquand on voit, à ITU Telecom2011, les jeunes innovateurs etles innovateurs dans l'univers dunumérique développer des idéespassionnantes, on se rendcompte que l'innovationconcerne aujourd'hui le mondeentier" a dit Sheikh Abdulla BinMohammed Al Thani, Présidentdu Groupe Qtel. "Cet événementa montré à quel point lechangement passe par lacréativité, la passion et l'énergie".

De nouveaux acteurs, sur lesmarchés traditionnels commesur les marchés émergents,étaient également présents dansles nombreux pavillonsnationaux de plusieurs pays:Algérie, Angola, Argentine,

Azerbaïdjan, Bélarus, Burundi,Chine, République tchèque,Djibouti, Ghana, Canton deGenève (Suisse), Japon, Kenya,Corée, Malawi, Malaisie,Namibie, Nigéria, Pologne,Qatar, Russie, Rwanda,République sudafricaine,Espagne, Tanzanie, Thaïlande,Ouganda et Zambie.

Ainsi que l'a déclaré IgorShchegolev, Ministre descommunications et des massmédia de la Fédération deRussie, "La Russie est fière de salongue tradition dans l'industriedes télécommunications, quiremonte à la premièreapplication pratique des ondesradioélectriques par AlexanderPopov pour se poursuivrejusqu'à aujourd'hui. ITU TelecomWorld 2011 nous a permis demontrer que les sociétés russessont à l'avant-garde du progrèsdans le secteur et nous a ouvertles portes de nouveaux marchéset de nouveaux investissements". ✆

M Paul Ndong NguÈma, Ministre de la Communication et de l'EconomieNumÈrique, Gabon - à ITU Telecom World (Photo: P M Virot)

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S06 CAF 1 2012 Report B-C-D & Rapport B_Layout 1 13/02/2012 17:11 Page 29


Data usage per subscribers on their networks is set to explode in Africa, and mobileoperators are seeking quick and cost-effective ways to expand bandwidth capacity andincrease their spectrum allocations in critical areas that need them

Small cells, backhaul solutions,and near field communications

MOBILE 4G

DATA USAGE PER subscribers ontheir networks is exploding andmobile operators are seeking quickand cost-effective ways to expand

bandwidth capacity and increase theirspectrum allocations in critical areas thatneed them. Mobile operators are turning tomicrocellular underlay networks to augmentover-burdened macro cellular networks. Themissing pieces of the puzzle until now todeploy cost-effective underlay networks hasbeen the backhaul required to delivercapacity to the light standard where thesemicrocells are situated, as well as providingthe infrastructure such as power,environmental and switching to support suchdeployments.

Different structuresSaid Jennifer Pigg, Yankee Group President,Network Research, who chaired the BackhaulSummit at the Conference, “The cost structurefor deploying and maintaining thousands ofmicrocells must be completely different fromthat of a macro cell. Mobile operators aredemanding flexible solutions that canaccommodate a multitude of backhaultopologies, and that are compact and easilyinstalled to quickly and effectively meet thecapacity demands of burgeoning mobiletraffic.”

“There is a hidden tsunami that is slowlyrising with the new generation of mobile

users,” she said. That would mean more strainon all elements of the network, includingbackhaul. Looking ahead, she showed hownext generation small-cell backhaul need toevolve to meet the challenge. Next-generationbackhaul should support multiple operators’networks in one unit, be small, light-pole-mount-ready and weigh less than 50 pounds,be all-outdoor, eventually be non-line-of-sight,operate in frequencies below 6 GHz, withoutinterference, not require heavy DC power andcost less than $5,000.

She added that the backhaul approachmust be flexible and tailored to the needs ofthe site.

Fibre is kingAs far as what technology will be used inbackhaul, delegates tended to agree that eventhough “fibre is still king” microwave is themost cost-effective solution for effective 4Gdeployment, especially for rural areas.Trenching fibre is expensive and costs include

right of way and site construction. The onlyproblem long-term for the microwave solutionis that spectrum for microwave could besaturated. There is also the hidden issue,network capital budget, 80 per cent of mobilecosts: backhaul.

At the show, filled with many newannouncements including Qualcomm’s GlobalLTE’s launches and strong commitments inAfrica presented by Reiner Klemet, VicePresident, Product Manager, Qualcomm. ArunBhikshesvaran CMO Ericsson, announced thebroadband service to the Cloud would be usedin their program with the United Nations toprovide software to schools in Africa.

Cells businessThe business case for small cells presented atthe Alvarion breakfast session on the secondday of the conference was presented by theconsulting group Wireless 20/20. The analystsconducted a small cells case study todetermine “the tradeoffs of small cells versusmacro cells” and concluded that eachbusiness case was unique and small cells stillfaced numerous challenges such asinterference, backhaul and site rental opex.The number of macro cells sites continues togrow, and in 2010 the number of cell sites inAfrica increased by eight per cent to 64,800.

Professor Simon Saunders and AndyGermano, president and deputy president ofthe Femto Forum who attended the show to

Questions remain: Whatsolution will be the mostinnovative? Macrocells,small cells, or microwave?

CONSTRUCTION, MACHINERY, MINING and equipment manufacturer KomatsuSouthern Africa (Pty) Ltd is migrating its SAP environment to T-Systems privatehosted cloud computing service in South Africa. The migration to will see Komatsubenefit from an improved service across a virtualised and standardised platformthat scales to meet the company’s ICT needs in a flexible, pay-per-useenvironment. Additionally, the company will benefit from a hosted service thatmeets the highest global standards for availability and backup, disaster recoveryand security. Importantly, the move mitigates the under-utilisation of assets.Headquartered in Isando, Johannesburg, Komatsu has for the last five years usedT-Systems as an outsourced hosting partner for its enterprise-wide SAPenvironment. Moving to the cloud was therefore a natural evolution of thecompanies’ relationship, underpinned by T-Systems’ globally-recognised cloudcomputing expertise.Mike Blom, Managing Director of Komatsu Southern Africa comments, “Over theyears our relationship had gone from strength-to-strength. Our next step was toobtain an even higher level of service but at a lower cost. This was a key decision

factor for us. T-Systems’ cloud computing service met this requirement, enablingus to improve on efficiencies, service levels – all at lower cost. It is undoubtedly agood model; ultimately, IT spend will improve the way we manage our business.”Explaining the rationale behind migrating Komatsu to the cloud, Len de Goede,Vice President Systems Integration, T-Systems in South Africa. says it was alwaysapparent from the start and particularly in the last two years that Komatsu’s dataand overall business growth would see the company spending additional moneyon storage.The actual migration to the cloud is simplified as Komatsu does not run multiplebusiness applications. The majority of the company’s business processtransactions are run on SAP that in turn simplifies the integration process with T-Systems cloud offering. The project took one month and has been followed by animplementation phase over three months. Thereafter, additional services will beadded when required, through the highly scalable and standardised nature of thecloud computing offering. It is anticipated that the migration will be completedquickly as the entire cloud offering is based on a standardised platform.

Komatsu and T-Systems extend partnership into the Cloud



MOBILE4G

discuss new market updates and trends insmall cells, were openly congratulated for theircontribution to the industry. The Femto Forum,an independent industry and operatorassociation supporting femtocell deploymentworldwide, was established two years ago andboasts as members over 70 vendors and 66mobile operators world-wide.

The consensus at the conference was thatvalue added opportunity and satisfactiondemand for micro sites could superceeddemand for macro sites as macro sites aremore difficult to roll-out. Ideally, the carrier’stop three priorities for roll-out should be mixed,macro, femto cells.

The NFC ecosystemWith respect to horizontal future applicationsin marketing and retail, there is much debateon near field communications (NFC), a new“core-enabling technology” that promises toturn smart phones into digital wallets. Google’sOsama Badier explained the importance ofcreating magical experiences for consumers asa necessary prerequisite to kick-starting theNFC ecosystem.

NFC will be used for shopping accessinginformation, exchanging business cards,accessing the workplace and countless otheruses. Debate continues on whether this marketis real, or just more technology hype.

One of the originators of NFC technologiesand a supplier of NFC chips, Inside Secure saidthat consumers would soon experience NFC-equipped smartphones in their daily lives, andannounced their increased number of NFCchips shipped world-wide.

Some of the new products launched:DragonWave launched their new “Avenue”pocket-microwave solution which can flexiblyaccommodate a wide range of 3G or 4Gmicrocellular RAN access units and leveragesan integrated backhaul antenna array

supporting up to three simultaneous backhaulbeam paths using frequencies ranging fromGHz to 80 GHz to deliver 1.2Gpps of aggregate,full-duplex capacity. It can be backhauled viafibre or DSL and the manufacturers maintainthe solution is the industry’s smallest device,utilizing the industry’s smallest antenna, tointegrate microcellular backhaul, third-partybase stations, power supply, battery backup,switching, and management in an all-in-one,environmentally shielded enclosure.

Next generation networksAlvarion, one of the leaders of 4G networks inthe Broadband Wireless Access (BWA) marketunveiled its new BreezeCELL solution based onTrueActive™ DAS technology. BreezeCELL is acutting edge, active and end-to-end system foroptimal capacity and coverage. It is the firstsolution Alvarion is introducing as part of itsnew Wireless Capacity and Coverage offering.

Said Eran Gorev, President and CEO ofAlvarion, “Operators are facing a challengeensuring Quality of Experience given theunprecedented pressure on their networks dueto the constant data crunch.”

Alvarion’s Wireless Coverage and CapacitySolutions will enable network operators toovercome these challenges with the mostefficient network, providing their customers thebest level of service, while reducing the risk ofchurn.”

Commscope launched the first activeantennas in use in an LTE network field trial, inan effort to provide more cost-effective ways totransmit broadband signals to mobilecustomers using next generations’ networks.Active antennas are considered to be the nextstage in the evolution of cellular sitearchitecture, in which the radio is integratedinto the antenna and the radio functionality isdistributed across the antenna elements. AsRobert Suffern, Senior Vice President and ChiefTechnology Officer, Commscope, explained,

“The digital architecture reduces the need forcertain cell site equipment, which can reduceenergy consumption, site maintenance andleasing costs.” The antennas can alsocontribute to the “greening” of cell sites whileboosting performance.

Ceragon, a leading wireless backhaulspecialist announced their wireless backhaulsolution FibeAir IP-1010Q, a high densitywireless packet backhaul solution for Ethernetand IP/MPLS aggregation networks and FibeAirIP-10Q offering scalability of up to 4Gbps.

Globecomm, leading provider of satellite-based managed network solutions continuesits support in Africa with its solutions for 2G,3Gand 4G/LTE cellular networks and can design,build, run and provide turnkey solutions forcomplex networks. Brett Calder Globecomm’sDirector, Sales, explained the company’sstrategy to help carriers, governments andenterprises move to 4G applications withoutrequiring capital and higher expenses oflaunching those services. He said Globecommcould help their customers move to 4Ggovernment compliance with high speedsatellite solutions providing voice and dataservices. New projects include diagnostic incontainers, oil and gas sector, monitoringpipelines, and reducing the overall cost ofmonitoring network container worldwide. “Weare becoming increasingly more involved inmobile health for our government support andfor non-government organisations like Unicef,”he added. “We support both terrestrial andover satellite – Africa can look forward tochange in the next few years.”

As always, questions remain: What solutionwill be the most innovative? Throughmacrocells, small cells, microwave? Will the2012-2014 trends be justified? Will theimproved connectivity in rural areas befulfilled? Nobody is talking. ✆

Sara Frewen

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS technology (ICT) is a potent tool for socioeconomic upliftment in Africa. This is the premise upon which presentations,discussions and debates at the 4th EuroAfrica Cooperation Forum on ICT Researchwere based. Some 200 delegates from over 10 African countries and variousEuropean destinations attended the event in mid-November 2011 in Cape Town,South Africa. Hosted by the Government of South Africa through South Africa’sDepartment of Science and Technology (DST) and the CSIR Meraka Institute, thisevent was primarily aimed at strengthening and supporting collaborativeresearch on ICT between Africa and Europe, but also at exploring how to supportefficient and innovative ICT public-private partnerships.

Partners for a healthy ecosystemThe EuroAfrica-ICT Initiative stands for a strengthened and enhanced cooperationon ICT research between the two continents. It aims to enhance the number ofcollaborative research projects (in the ICT field) between Europe and Africa(particularly under EC Framework Programmes). It is a platform for discussions

(joint research priorities, best practices, search for partners, cooperation events,community of researchers, helpdesk and guidance) and for raising awareness onFP7/ICT cooperation.R&D intensity and vibrant innovation activity, as well as advanced human capacityare associated with a healthy ICT ecosystem in which ICT is produced, diffused andadopted in the economy and society. Against this background, the DST haspromoted research, development and innovation (RDI) in ICT through its ICT RDIStrategy adopted in 2006. Subsequent surveys have shown that while progresshas been made, there are still concerns regarding South Africa’s talent pipeline inICT RDI. Other challenges are the scarcity of focused funding efforts, as well as thelack of coordination and cooperation amongst institutions involved in ICT RDI.More is needed to ensure that South Africa’s current and future ICT RDIcapabilities are developed. Other African countries have also recognised thatscience and technology and ICT are key vectors for bridging the scientific anddigital divides, for reducing poverty, ensuring a socio-economic development andfor reaching the Millennium Development Goals.

ICT research on the agenda: African and European perspectives and plans shared



Operators are looking for ways to create differentiation in the quality of their serviceswhile reducing deployment costs to increase service profitability and enable competitivepricing strategies

Optimising networksfor mobile data management

MOBILE Optimisation

WHILE MOBILE BROADBANDpenetration rates in manyAfrican countries remain lowcompared to other markets,

demand for mobile data on the continent israpidly on the rise, and the potential forgrowth in the coming years is significantaccording to industry observers. Earlier thisyear, for example, Ovum predicted that 3GHSPA connections in Africa would grow from18.3mn in 2010 to over 164mn by 2014.

As in other emerging markets, consumers inAfrica have turned to mobile communicationsas an alternative to fixed line networks, whichare often hampered by limited or poortelecoms infrastructure. Relying on mobilecommunications as an alternative to fixed linenetworks began with voice, and it is alsoproving to be the preferred method with mobilebroadband connections, which are already faroutpacing their fixed broadband counterparts,according to a recent ITU report.

Operators in the region are responding tothe mobile data opportunity with newinvestment in mobile infrastructure and therollout of new services. Today there are over 30HSPA networks deployed in Africa, and ascompetition for subscribers intensifies withnew entrants, operators are looking for ways tomore effectively create differentiation in thequality of their services while reducingdeployment costs to increase serviceprofitability and enable competitive pricingstrategies.

In mature mobile markets such as SouthAfrica, which boasts the highest mobilebroadband connections on the continent, theappetite for broadband connectivity has led toa vibrant marketplace. But as demand formobile data explodes in these markets,operators face a number of key challenges,including degradation in service quality due tonetwork congestion. As evidenced in othermobile broadband markets, the most commonreason for congestion tends to be spikes intraffic demand during peak hours orunpredictable bandwidth surges caused byflash events. These peaks can often be four tofive times the average baseline traffic, and caneasily bring the mobile viewing experience to afrustrating halt when data consumptionexceeds provisioned backhaul capacity.

These peak demands and flash events aretypically driven by the consumption of mobilevideo. In markets like Africa where a muchhigher percentage of consumers rely onwireless networks for broadband connectivity,and where access bandwidth is often limited orconstrained, rising video consumption canpose a formidable obstacle to superior servicequality.

In order to effectively manage the onslaughtof traffic and address these challenges,wireless operators need to upgrade andcontinuously optimise their mobile networks toensure that they continue to meet customerexpectations and provide a good userexperience. If they don’t, they may pay dearlywith high customer churn and market shareerosion.

Technology is a flexible and innovative allyin the drive to address these challenges,especially when it comes to the new intelligentprocesses to optimise mobile networks. Thereis an emerging set of technologies, productsand solutions available that focus onoptimising the mobile network at the content,application and user levels that cansignificantly assist mobile operators as theymanage cost and complexity while improvingthe subscriber experience.

Combating congestion in the RAN Nowhere is the congestion challenge moreacute than in the cost-sensitive Radio AccessNetwork (RAN). The RAN provides connectivitybetween the radio base stations (Node Bs inHSPA networks) and Radio Network Controller(RNC) hub sites aggregating and processingmobile traffic.

One obvious choice for operators facingcongestion challenges is to invest in upgradingnetworks to faster connections. Addingcapacity to the existing backhaul network is the

traditional approach to combating capacityconstraints in the network. However, theapproach is also the most expensive asoperators have to make a sizeable investmentin new infrastructure, which can beproblematic for African operators facing capitalconstraints and the continuous need tomaximise existing assets.

An alternative is upgrading to packet-based backhaul. The strategy, which canencompass deployment of Carrier Ethernetservices or upgrading from TDM-basedmicrowave to Packet/Ethernet-basedmicrowave solutions, can provide asignificant leap in capacity while lowering therecurring operational cost per Mbps ofincremental bandwidth. However, thisapproach requires significant planning, aswell as capital investment. In addition, theoperator may face other issues such as right-of-way agreements, spectrum leasing andoperational upgrades that can incursignificant time and cost.

Another approach is offloading anddiverting specific backhaul traffic whichtransfers mobile data traffic to lower costtransmission alternatives. Offloading trafficcan be effective but it can also have economic,operational, spectrum planning, policy andSLA implications. This method is especially anissue in Africa as there can often be problemswith regulations of technology.

While the options noted above can beeffective in certain cases, they are typicallyexpensive, reactive, and do not fundamentallysolve the underlying challenges. Since themajority of problems with mobile broadbandcongestion often occur during unpredictablepeaks in traffic, these options lack the abilityto adapt in a real-time manner that effectivelyabsorbs the unpredictable bursts of datainherent to mobile broadband traffic.



Optimisation

Adaptive Content OptimisationAdaptive Content Optimisation (ACO)reduces the traffic travelling across theRAN. This is a unique approach designed toleverage content awareness of RAN userflows (and of all RAN traffic types –including video, images, text, P2P, etc.) tocompute the optimal way to reduce datatraffic loads across cost-sensitive backhaullinks. This technique can reducecongestion in real-time over existingbackhaul links, improving the customerexperience during peak traffic periods andlowering transmission costs in the process.And since many African operators are not ina position to rip out existing networks andstart over from scratch, implementing ACOsolutions will allow them to efficientlysweat their existing assets by freeing upcapacity in the cost-sensitive RAN.

An example of where this technique isparticularly effective is in the case ofmobile video consumption. Mobile datatrends are beginning to show a growingconcentration of video traffic into fewerdistribution points (video orientedwebsites, mobile video applications…)and into a smaller number of highlypopular videos. While diversity willcontinue to be a component of the longtail phenomenon, what is more importantto operators is the fact that the trafficvolume is concentrating on a smallerpercentage of the most popular videosbeing watched repeatedly, a trend that islikely to occur in African mobilebroadband communities as they evolve. Inthe RAN, this trend results in the need tobackhaul a high volume of large files thatcan be characterised as “commoncontent”. This common content is exactlywhat ACO’s data reduction algorithms aredesigned to optimise.

Markets and opportunitiesThe emerging mobile broadband market inAfrica presents both opportunities andchallenges for operators across the region.With Compound Annual Growth Rates formobile data traffic in Africa expected to top129 percent over the next five years, thetime is ripe for fresh approaches to networkplanning and traffic management that willhelp operators avert the crippling effects ofmobile data congestion. Adaptive ContentOptimisation is a new tool in the operators’arsenal, one designed to improve asubscriber’s mobile data experience, delayinfrastructure growth, and improve theservice delivery economics in a strategicpart of the mobile broadband network. ✆

Scott Larson, Vice President of Marketing,Sycamore Networks



How communication service providers can overcome the challenges posed by anincrease in data-intensive products; how they can optimise their networks and meet thedemands of expanding networks

Harnessing the powerof the mobile data explosion

NETWORK Optimisation

THE MOBILE SERVICES

industry continues toevolve at a lightning-fastpace. Smartphone

proliferation and the birth of theiPad and other tablets haveinspired a generation of data-hungry customers. This growinguse of data-intensive devices isplacing increasing strain on

communication serviceproviders’ (CSPs) networksand now, in addition tomaintaining and growing theircustomer bases, CSPs aroundthe world are tasked withoptimising the capabilities oftheir networks to satisfydemand and customerexpectations. This is nodifferent in Africa, where aswell as optimising networksto cope with demand, CSPsmust increasingly addressissues around saturationand churn. If left unresolved,these issues could haveserious consequences forthe success of CSPs in theregion.

Issues surroundingnetwork optimisation havegathered momentumsimultaneously with theuse of data-intensiveproducts. In fact, OracleCommunications’ recent“Opportunity Calling: TheFuture of MobileCommunications – TakeTwo” report, whichexamined changes inglobal mobile phone use,found that nearly half (47per cent) of respondentssaid their data use hasincreased in the last 12months. It also found that 16

per cent of mobile customershave purchased a tablet computerin the last year, while just over twofifths plan to purchase one in the

coming 12 months. Undoubtedly,data use and the strain it placeson mobile networks will continueto increase over the coming years.

Significant Revenue Opportunity Recent research by the GSMAfound the number of mobiledevices is set to increase 100 percent to 12bn worldwide by 2020,showing that increased networkpressure through datarequirements will continue. Theresearch also predicts the growthof data will create a revenueopportunity of nearly $1.2 trillionfor CSPs, which they simplycannot afford to miss.Considering this, it is no surprisea recent report from InfoneticsResearch found the mobilenetwork optimisation market isexpected to grow to nearly $3bnby 2015.

In order to obtain their slice ofthis revenue, African CSPs mustovercome a number of challengesand optimise their networks andrevenue streams, as well ascontinue to satisfy customerdemand. These challengesinclude:• Managing Customer Demand –

African CSPs will benefit fromencouraging their customers tobe more efficient with thepackages they have. This canbe achieved by helpingcustomers to consume whatthey need at a time and pricewhich is right for them. Forexample, if a user would like todownload data rich content ata time when the network islikely to be very busy, the CSPwould benefit from being able

to notify the user that if theydownload the content later inthe day they could do so for acheaper price and fasterspeed.

• Developing Deeper CustomerInsight – Without a detailedview of customer activity, CSPswill not have the raw data toeffectively analyse andunderstand where their mostsignificant revenue streamsare coming from in order tooptimise them, throughoffering additional moretailored products and services.

• Network Efficiency – Byremoving inefficiencies withinthe network, such as improvingreception in areas of poorcoverage, CSPs can betterensure their networks have therequired capacity to deal withthe pressures being placed onthem at any given time orlocation.

• Network Security – As a resultof the general growth in datause, customers will beinevitably be sharing moresensitive data across thenetworks. As such, AfricanCSPs must ensure theirnetworks are adequatelyprotected, and play a role ineducating customers abouthow to stay safe while mobile.

• Managing Saturation – Withmany African marketssaturated or approachingsaturation, CSPs must ensurethey are able to manage thecustomer experience in orderto maintain and grow theirexisting customer base. Inorder to deliver this, CSPs need

The increasing number of data-intensiveproducts and services require better

management of a CSPs network capacity

Smartphone proliferation and theintroduction of tablet devices haveinspired a generation of data-hungrycustomers

S07 CAF 1 2012_Report G E & Rapport C_Layout 1 13/02/2012 17:03 Page 34


NETWORKOptimisation

to provide value addedservices beyond their corecapabilities, such as mobileapplication stores whichsupport the growth ofinnovative mobile applications.

Optimising the network In order to overcome thechallenges surrounding networkoptimisation, African CSPs mustimplement a series oftechnologies and processesallowing them to better manageand prepare for the data growth.One such technology they candeploy is a comprehensive,integrated and flexible policymanagement solution. Thesolution will help CSPs to bettermanage customer demand asthey will be able to control thenetworks by expanding orcontracting bandwidth asappropriate, based on customersubscriptions and personalisedservices in the form of serviceaware policies.

On top of optimising thenetwork, an effective - revenue

focused - policy managementsolution will enable African CSPsto grab a slice of the revenuecreated by the increase in data.Because CSPs will be distributingbandwidth based onpersonalised services, they cantailor offerings based oncustomer preferences, such associal media, video streamingand VoIP plans. Furthermore, thedeeper customer insight will helpshorten the time to market fornew services, as operations willbe more streamlined, helpingAfrican CSPs address issuesregarding saturation.

African CSPs could alsobenefit from installing a networkintelligence solution, whichwould allow them to rapidly andefficiently plan for the networkcapacity required to delivercustomer services over acombination of network devices.For example, as a result ofinstalling a network intelligencesolution, leading Irish CSP,Meteor Communications, hasbeen able to better prepare for

expected increases in customerdemand. The technologyprovides Meteor with a completeview of its network and inventorysystems, so that it can optimisenetwork capacity and satisfycustomer expectations.

Meteor also deployed aneffective network integrityapplication, which ensuresoptimum data accuracy bydiscovering and reconcilinginformation from networkdevices. The insight delivered bythe application enabled Meteorto improve customer satisfactionby configuring its network “rightfirst time”.

Act now for tomorrow Similarly to the benefits deliveredto Meteor, the increased insightinto data on the network couldhelp African CSPs to reducecapital expenditure throughaccurate and optimised networkinvestment plans, by resolvingnetwork faults faster andincreasing user confidence in thedecision-making processes.

With global data use bound togrow significantly over the comingyears, it is critical that African CSPsact now so they are betterprepared to cope, as well as tooptimise the relevant revenuestreams.

What’s more, the growingamount of data offers theopportunity for a far deepercustomer insight, allowing CSPs todifferentiate their plans beyondpricing in order to satisfy customerdemand further.

The benefits of optimisingnetworks and managing theincrease in data far outweigh thechallenges. If African CSPs do notimplement the technologieswhich allow them to optimisenetwork capacity and meetcustomer demand andexpectations they will miss outon a significant revenueopportunity which they simplycannot afford to do. ✆

Gordon Rawling, SeniorMarketing Director, OracleCommunications

S07 CAF 1 2012_Report G E & Rapport C_Layout 1 13/02/2012 17:03 Page 35


EQUIPMENT

36

DEVELOPED BY TELSIS, Just Dot Me is the world’s first service to let mobilephone users post information for retrieval by anyone, anywhere, from anyhandset. The key strengths of the service are simplicity and ubiquity.GSM networks drive economic growth because they have provided a better(mobile) way to communicate. Just Dot Me builds on this tradition byproviding a simple ubiquitous ‘pull’ technology that allows information to beeasily and instantly disseminated via SMS. Just Dot Me can enhance quality oflife and improve economic efficiency, both individual and national. Noticeboards provide a powerful means of disseminating information, but inthe mobile domain the key problem has been in providing a simple and easymeans of access. The Just Dot Me solution, as with all breakthroughinnovations, is obvious with hindsight – let each individual publish on their own,already known, number. How is that possible? It’s possible by using innovativenetwork technology, invented by Telsis, that routes dot-only SMS messages notto the recipient’s handset but to the Just Dot Me Noticeboard system.A user posts information by simply texting it to an SMS shortcode; otherpeople access that information by texting a dot (.) to the user’s mobilephone number. The instant reply from the Just Dot Me system contains thecurrent post – the user is not disturbed, and their handset does not evenhave to be switched on.Just Dot Me is quick and cost-effective to deploy, as it needs no integrationwith billing, provisioning or other back-end systems. The service alsoprovides network operators with a unique method of brand promotion, astheir brand is displayed on each reply to a dot message, even on the phonesof rival networks.

www.telsis.com

KONTRON HAS INTRODUCED its powerful 10 Gigabit Ethernet RackmountSwitch CP6930-RM with up to 32 ports. It is hardened to meet high shockand vibration, EMI and extended temperature ranges. Multipleconfiguration options provide SFP+, SFP, RJ45 and M12 connectors,enabling the Kontron 10 Gigabit Ethernet Rackmount Switch CP6930-RMfor use in different markets, from industrial environments up to militaryand aerospace applications.Based on the Kontron 10 Gigabit Ethernet CompactPCI Switch CP6930,the Kontron CP6930-RM provides a ready-to-run rack mounted unitincluding redundant AC or DC power options. The non-blocking, fullymanaged L2/L3 10 Gigabit Ethernet Switch provides up to six ports10GbE and up to 26 ports 1GbE. Up to six 10GbE ports are directlyaccessible on the front via SFP+, plus 2 1GbE ports over SFP. A secondvariant, the Kontron CP6930-RM-24, is pre-configured with FrontInterface Modules for additional 12 1GbE ports over RJ45.

www.kontron.com

South African developer Wise Tablets has released anew range of tablets that will cater specifically forthe country’s consumer and educational needs. TheWise Touch 1 is a low-cost tablet designed especiallywith the average South African in mind.It ships withan array of applications that have been developedand pre-loaded on behalf of around 115 South Africanbrands, and also features numerous educationalprogrammes.The economical 10-inch Wise Touch runs on Androidversion 2.2. The seven-inch 3G tablet and the entry-level seven-inch wi-fi version will come with Androidversion 2.3. The company has also added an eight-inch version, which is said to be a perfect size forhandling, reading and web browsing.All tablets have a capacitative touch screen, astandard 3.5mm earphone jack, and a mini HDMI andUSB port. Although on-board memory is modest, itcan be expanded up to 32GB with a micro-SD card.

Giving local retailers a tablet presenceAccording to Wise Tablets MD Gian Shipton, the WiseTouch was developed to provide South Africans witha tablet that would allow them to shop at localretailers from their own homes.“Most South African companies have a good webpresence but have not migrated to tablets. Now theWise Touch gives them a platform to be active on thetablet,” said Shipton. “These are brands peoplerelate to.”Though the tablets are manufactured in China – as is

the Apple iPad – Shipton said they are madeaccording to strict specifications and standards.

Different from the iPad and GalaxyWise Touch applications fall into one of threecategories, namely the Wise Shopping Mall, WiseBusiness Park and Wise Education Centre.The Wise Shopping Mall allows users to shop forgroceries, take-aways, movies, toys and books, dotheir banking, and access newspapers andmagazines.Shipton said that companies in developed countriesand elsewhere in Africa are already expressinginterest in the Wise Shopping Mall concept.The Wise Business Park caters for non-retailenterprises such as airlines, broadcasters, mediahouses, insurance companies, law firms, andproperty agents.For a company to be included on the list ofapplications, Shipton said they would have to benationally recognised and own a well-known brand.

Apart from the applications, which include thestandard offerings for social media, multimedia andentertainment, Shipton has said that Wise Tablets’other drawcard is a full local support service. Walk-inrepair centres will also be opening soon, whilesortware updates will be freely available.Another tool added to the tablet is the omnibuscommunicator, a free application that allowscompanies to communicate with customers directly.

Tablets for educationThe Wise Education Centre is designed for schoolsthat could use the tablet as a teaching tool.Shipton mentioned that 50 per cent of the WiseTouch strategy is to bring the tablet to the educationsector. Wise Tablets have created a specific modulethat allows pupils to view documents, flash videosand load any other media.The company already has access to most of thepublic school syllabus and some university content,all of which will be provided to pupils and studentsfor free.However, the content can only be used on the WiseTablet because of encryption and digital rightsmanagement issues with content owners.Shipton said the company is working with theUniversity of Johannesburg, Wits University, theUniversity of Pretoria and 40 private schools indistributing the tablets and its content.

www.wisetablets.co.za

A tablet made for South Africans

A noticeboard for messaging, by Telsis 10 Gig ethernet rackmount switch

The Wise Touch tablet hasbeen developed especially

for South African consumers,businesses and educational

institutions

The Kontron CP6930-RM

S10 CAF 1 2012 Equipment 2_Layout 1 13/02/2012 17:20 Page 36


EQUIPMENT

37

LA NOUVELLE SOLUTION de cloud d’opérateurCloudBand introduit la haute performance, lasécurité et la fiabilité des réseaux decommunication sur le marché des servicescloudAlcatel-Lucent a présenté une nouvelle solutionbaptisée CloudBand qui marie la puissance decalcul et la flexibilité du cloud avec la hauteperformance, la fiabilité et la sécurité desréseaux de communication. La solutionCloudBand forme le socle d’une nouvellecatégorie de services « carrier cloud » (cloudd’opérateur) qui permet aux fournisseurs deservices de communication d’exploiter lesavantages du cloud dans leurs propres réseauxet activités, et les place en position de forcepour proposer une nouvelle palette de servicescloud à haute performance aux entreprises etau grand public.Le modèle de cloud public a métamorphosél’accès aux applications ainsi que l’utilisationde la puissance de calcul et du stockage dedonnées. Il est aujourd’hui possible d’accéderà la demande aux applications et aux donnéesdans des centres de traitement de données, enpassant par l’Internet. Certains servicesrequièrent toutefois des niveaux de qualité etde performance que le cloud public ne peut leuroffrir.Une récente enquête réalisée par Alcatel-Lucentauprès d’environ 3500 décideurs IT révèle queleur principale préoccupation en matière decloud est de loin la performance, suivie par lasécurité. CloudBand leur apporte une solutionen s’appuyant sur la puissance propre auxfournisseurs de services de communicationpour créer des services cloud de « classeprofessionnelle » délivrés par l’intermédiaire deréseaux de communication à hauteperformance, fiables et sécurisés. Ce nouveauniveau de service offre une plus faible latence,une meilleure maîtrise de la bande passante etla possibilité de garantir la qualité des services,qui sont autant de caractéristiquesindispensables pour satisfaire aux exigencesde performance très strictes du grand public etdes entreprises.CloudBand se compose de deux élémentsdistincts : leSystème de gestion CloudBand(CloudBand Management System) qui assurel’orchestration et l’optimisation des servicesentre le réseau de communication et le cloud ;et leNœud CloudBand (CloudBand Node) quifournit ce qui est nécessaire à l’hébergementd’une large palette de services cloud, à savoir lematériel informatique, de stockage et deréseau, ainsi que le logiciel qui l’accompagne.CloudBand sera disponible au cours du premiersemestre 2012.

Construction du carrier cloud Grâce à la solution CloudBand, les fournisseurs

de services de communication seront enmesure de fournir des services de réseau àpartir du cloud. En adoptant un modèle deprestation basé sur le cloud, ils pourrontcommercialiser et distribuer rapidement denouveaux services à leurs clients, avec unemeilleure qualité de service et pour un coûtmoins élevé. L’utilisation de CloudBand donneaux fournisseurs de services la possibilité de «virtualiser » de nombreux éléments critiques deleurs réseaux en les transformant en logiciels ;ces derniers fonctionnent dans le cloud et sontaccessibles, à la demande, suivant l’évolutiondes besoins des clients.Plutôt que d’installer des équipements dédiéspour chaque service de communication (SMS,vidéo…), les fournisseurs peuvent au contrairefaire face à la demande en utilisant le carriercloud. Avec cette approche, ils disposent d’uneformidable « élasticité », ce qui veut dire qu’ilspeuvent très vite développer ou réduire deséléments particuliers de leur mix de servicespour s’adapter à la demande du marché. Celasignifie également qu’ils peuvent tester denouveaux services sansinvestissement massif et qu’ilest donc plus beaucoupplus facile de démarrerpetit et de croîtreavec les besoins.Dans la réalisationdu carrier cloud, leplus difficile est derassembler leséquipements decalcul et desréseaux decommunications.Dotée d’algorithmesavancés développéspar les Bell Labs, lasolution CloudBandorchestre les élémentsde réseau, de calcul etde stockage de donnéesqui sont dispersés àtravers le réseau. Cettedémarche crée une plate-forme de calcul et dedistribution de servicesunique, flexible ete x t r ê m e m e n tpuissante, etl e

fournisseur n’a donc plus besoin de matérielsdédiés pour chacun de ses services. Autrechose importante, cette capacitéd’orchestration peut s’étendre au-delà duréseau du fournisseur de services pour gérerl’accès à toute une palette de clouds publics etprivés.Adolfo Hernandez, président du groupeLogiciels, Services et Solutions d’Alcatel-Lucent, a déclaré : « Notre étude nous a apprisque la performance était la plus grandepréoccupation des décideurs IT. Nous savonségalement qu’ils pensent que les fournisseursde services de communication sont les mieuxplacés pour leur procurer la qualité et la sécuritéqu’ils souhaitent, ce qui en fait les fournisseurscloud de choix dans le monde des entreprises.» Et il a ajouté : « Le réseau fait le cloud et lesfournisseurs de services de communicationsont les propriétaires des réseaux. Il s’agitd’une combinaison extrêmement puissante. »

www.alcatel-lucent.com

Alcatel-Lucent relie les réseaux de communication et le cloud

Adolfo Hernandez, président du groupe Logiciels,Services et Solutions d’Alcatel-Lucent


EQUIPMENT

DE FRANCHIR LA barre des 3 millions de clientssur les huit pays où l’offre est désormaisproposée, devenant ainsi un des services demonnaie électronique les plus puissants enAfrique. Depuis un an, Orange Money a triplésa base de clients et poursuit son essor avecdeux nouvelles implantations récentes : auBotswana, en partenariat avec la StandardChartered Bank, et au Cameroun enpartenariat avec la BICEC (groupe BPCE). Orange Money est un service de paiementmobile qui a été spécialement conçu pourrépondre aux besoins des clients d’Afriqueet du Moyen-Orient. Il offre un énormepotentiel dans ces pays, où moins de 10 %de la population en Afrique sub-sahariennedispose d’un compte bancaire, alors queplus de 60 % des habitants sont équipésd’un téléphone mobile. Dans les pays où leservice est disponible, les clients mobilespeuvent gratuitement ouvrir un compte sansavoir besoin de posséder un comptebancaire. Il permet aux clients de réaliserdes opérations et des transactions bancairescourantes en toute sécurité. Orange offretrois services principaux :

• Le transfert d’argent, qui permet auxutilisateurs d’envoyer de l’argentélectronique à n’importe quel client Orangemobile dans le pays.

• Le paiement qui permet aux utilisateurs derégler plus facilement leurs facturesd’électricité, d’eau, de télévision ou detéléphone ; et d’acheter facilement desminutes de communication.

• Les services financiers, qui comprennentpar exemple des solutions d’épargne oud’assurance.

Orange compte prochainement étendre l'offreOrange Money en proposant à ses clients lapossibilité de recevoir des transfertsinternationaux.A cet effet, Orange et Western Union se sontassociés pour développer ce nouveau service,qui permettra aux clients Orange Money derecevoir dans leur mobile des transfertsenvoyés via le réseau mondial de WesternUnion. Les fonds ainsi reçus serontdisponibles immédiatement.Selon la Banque Mondiale, les pays de la zoneAfrique, Moyen-Orient et l’Asie (AMEA) où

opère le Groupe reçoivent chaque année plusde 25 milliards de transferts.« Western Union est pionnière dans le transfertinternational d’argent à des utilisateurs demobiles partout dans le monde, a déclaréGregg Marshall, Directeur des ServicesMobiles Monde de Western Union. Nousdéveloppons une large gamme de services detransfert qui permettent au destinataire derecevoir de l’argent. En collaborant avecOrange, l’un des plus grands opérateursmondiaux, nous allons progressivementpermettre aux clients d’Orange Money, quireprésentent pour nous un nouveau segmentde marché, de recevoir de l’argent directementsur leur mobile. » Marc Rennard, Directeur exécutif d’Orange encharge des pays de la zone AMEA, a déclaré : «Orange Money est une composante trèsimportante de notre développement de nosactivités sur les marchés émergents. Lesservices de paiement mobiles offrent en effetdes services bancaires économiques etsécurisés à des populations à faibles revenus,qui vivent souvent dans des régions rurales oudifficiles d’accès. »

Orange Money atteint 3 millions de clients et prévoit d’étoffer son offre grâce à unecoopération avec Western Union

NOM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

PROFESSION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

SOCIÉTÉ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

ADRESSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

PAYS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

TÉLÉPHONE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

FAX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

EMAIL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Je voudrais m'abonner à Communications Afrique depuis une année (six numéros), commencement avec le prochain exemplaire

VOTRE ACTIME: (ne cochez qu’uneseule résponse)

Fournisseurs de services de communication

PTT/opérateur téléphonique

Opérateur de réseau

Emission (TV, radio)

Ministre des télécommunications

Fabricant/fournisseur d'équipements de communication/fournisseurs en informatique

Utilisateurs de services de communication

Industrie

Services financiers/banque

Défense

Transports (compagnies aériennes, compagnie des chemins de fer, etc.)

Services gouvernementaux (pas Ministre des télécommunications)

Autre: merci de préciser

Veuillez cocher la boîte le plus appropriée

NOMBRE D'EMPLOYES DANS VOTRE SOCIETE:

1 - 49 50 - 99 100 - 249 250 - 499 500+

POSTE/FONCTIONS:

Direction d'entreprise: Président, Directeur, Directeur Général, Patron, Propriétaire,etc.

Cadre gouvernemental: Ministre, Fonctionnaire, Ambassadeur, Attaché, Secrétaire Permanent, etc.

Direction générale: Commercial, Gestion du Départemental, Communications,Informations, Franciers, Achats, Ventes, Marketing etc.

Direction technique: Ingénierie, Recherche et Développement, Planning, Entretien.

Autre: merci de préciser: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

VOTRE IMPLICATION DANS LA POLITIQUE DE COMMUNICATION DE VOTRESOCIETE:(Cochez les cases appropriees): Est-ce que vous

Inaugurez/concevoyez une stratégie de communication

Evaluez/choisissez des fabricants

Autorisez l'achat d'équipement ou de services

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01

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02

03

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SIGNEZ ICI SI VOUS VOULEZ RECEVOIR UN EXEMPLAIRE DE COMMUNICATIONS AFRIQUE RÉGULIÈREMENT (À CONDITION DE QUALIFAICATION)

SIGNATURE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .DATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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Edition 1 2012

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NAME . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

POSITION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

ORGANISATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

POSTAL ADDRESS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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COUNTRY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

TELEPHONE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

FAX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

EMAIL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

SIGN HERE IF YOU WISH TO RECEIVE REGULAR COPIES OF COMMUNICATIONS AFRICA (SUBJECT TO QUALIFICATION)

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Issue 1 2012

Company ............................ page

AAE Systems Inc. ......................33

Amos Spacecom ........................7

ArabSat ....................................22

Asia Broadcast Satellite ............11

Comtech EF Data Corp................5

Falcon Electronics (Pty) Ltd ......19

Gateway Communications ......39

GL Communications..................13

GSMA ........................................21

Harmonic ..................................35

Intelsat ........................................9

K-Net Ltd. ..................................15

Milano Teleport S.p.A. ..............17

Nokia Siemens Networks ........40

Radio Network Solutions..........14

Space Stream............................12

Spectrum Communications ................26, 28

Telmar Network Technology ....25

WIOCC ........................................2

ADVERTI SERS INDE X





Documents

Communications Africa issue 1 2012