Africa Telecom Towers And Allied News
- March 2024: Actis, a global investor in sustainable infrastructure, has partnered with Royal Bafokeng Holdings to acquire a 100% stake in Swiftnet, a leading telecom tower portfolio in South Africa. The acquisition from Telkom is valued at an Enterprise Value of ZAR6.75 billion (approximately USD355 million). Swiftnet maintains a strong relationship with Telkom and other key anchor tenants, ensuring long-term contractual revenue. This strategic investment allows Actis to enter a growing sector, driven by robust secular trends and an increasing need for tower densification due to rising internet penetration and the transition from 3G and 4G to 5G.
- June 2024: Safaricom Ethiopia has received its first batch of 13 towers from Woda plc., marking a significant step in enhancing and expanding its network infrastructure. Woda plc. is the inaugural local company in Ethiopia to manufacture these network towers. The telecom operator disclosed that Woda will deliver a total of 68 premium towers for a sum of 50 million birr (approximately USD 870,000). This move is part of Safaricom Ethiopia's ambitious USD 1.5 billion initiative, aiming to expand 5,000 new towers within three years, ensuring the nation benefits from reliable and top-notch telecommunications services.
Related Telecom Industry News
- March 2024: Telecoms company Digi, a company of Romanian origins, announced plans to launch its first telecommunications offer in Portugal. The telecoms operator has also revealed that it intends to provide fixed and mobile services, namely 5G Fibre Optic.
- November 2023: NOS, in partnership with Nokia, launched its 5G standalone network in Portugal. The operator reports having more than 4,200 5G base stations, covering over 93% of the Portuguese population.
- July 2024: Ericsson Thailand introduced its ambitious vision to drive the digital transformation of Thailand based on the strong 5G infrastructure it is creating in the country. Leveraging its state-of-the-art 5G network solutions together with its extensive experience and expertise in establishing efficient, reliable, and sustainable 5G networks worldwide, Ericsson is well poised to play a pivotal role in accelerating Thailand’s journey toward becoming a digital economy.
- June 2024: In a collaboration, mu Space and Advanced Technology Co. Ltd (“mu Space”) and Interlink Telecom Public Company Limited (“ITEL”) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to explore new opportunities in satellite and telecommunications networks and services. This MOU sets the stage for combining the expertise and resources of both industry leaders to drive innovation and expand service offerings in Thailand and beyond.
- June 2024: Advanced Info Service (AIS), Thailand's key digital network provider, teamed up with Gulf Energy Development, a key player in sustainable energy and infrastructure in the region. Together, they aim to set up solar-powered telecommunication infrastructure in the country's remote areas.
- January 2024: National Telecoms Public Company Limited (NT) partnered with Evolution DC Thailand Company Limited (EDC), a joint venture formed by Central Pattana (CPN) and Evolution Data Centres. Together, they aim to enhance Thailand's digital infrastructure, steering the nation closer to its goal of becoming a central digital hub in ASEAN.
- July 2024: MobiFone became the third network operator in Vietnam to secure access to the 5G spectrum. This milestone enabled the company to accelerate its nationwide 5G service rollout this year. MobiFone is focusing on enhancing its services in major urban centers, airports, popular tourist spots, and industrial zones.
- May 2024: During a briefing by the Ministry of Information and Communications, VNPT Group received a license to set up a network and offer terrestrial mobile services using 5G technology. Armed with this license, VNPT Group is poised to launch 5G services nationwide. The emphasis will be on upgrading the 5G network infrastructure to elevate user experience, guaranteeing high speeds, expansive capacity, and reduced latency, all while maximizing state investment efficiency and enhancing business productivity.
- January 2024: Orkid, a key player in the Generative AI SaaS domain, enables organizations to leverage and profit from their data. In a recent move, Orkid entered into a strategic alliance with TPComs, a major ICT service provider based in Vietnam. With a robust telecom infrastructure, TPComs provides a comprehensive suite of IT solutions. Their well-connected and professional team excels in meeting customer demands, ensuring the delivery of innovative, high-quality solutions across Vietnam.
- January 2024: Singapore and Vietnam-based esports organization Team Flash inked a partnership deal with Vietnamese telecommunications company FPT Corporation (FPT Telecom). FPT Corporation is the key telecommunications company in Vietnam, with more than 37,000 employees. By partnering with Team Flash, the telecommunications company aims to enhance the country's gaming infrastructure, marking a significant step in its esports endeavors.
- May 2024: A1, an Austrian operator, is investing EUR 15 million (USD 16.34 million) into its broadband expansion initiative. The project aims to deploy FTTH connections for 5,500 households and businesses in Strasshof an der Nordbahn, Lower Austria. Notably, the EU National Recovery and Resilience Plan, a part of Austria's broader construction strategy, is contributing EUR 1.7 million (USD 1.85 Million) toward the total investment.
- September 2023: Open Fiber Austria (OFAA), an association representing open fiber optic networks, has embraced the 2nd Broadband Billion's latest funding initiative. OFAA sees this funding as a chance to advance fiber optic expansion, not just in Austria's cities but also in its rural landscapes.
- June 2024: Airtel Africa's recently established wholesale division, Airtel Telesonic, completed the first phase activation of the 2Africa submarine cable system in Africa. This activation currently links Kenya, Tanzania, and South Africa. Alongside the 2Africa consortium, Airtel has inked a deal with Telecom Egypt to facilitate a completely new crossing linking between the Red Sea and the Mediterranean.
- May 2024: Angola Cables and Camtel joined forces to bolster connectivity services in West Africa. This strategic alliance, pending due diligence, promises a significant overhaul in internet connectivity and data transmission across the region. By harnessing the extensive subsea cable infrastructure of SACS, WACS, and Monet, alongside Angola Cables' strong backhaul network and Camtel's access via the South Atlantic Inter Link (SAIL), the collaboration targets improved redundancy, network robustness, and elevated service quality, both locally and globally.
- April 2024 - The Indonesian Internet Service Providers Association (APJII) inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with SpaceX's Starlink. This collaboration seeks to bolster internet accessibility in Indonesia as Starlink, the LEO satellite operator, awaits the green light from regulators to kick off its operations in the country.
- February 2024 - From Cape Canaveral, Florida, SpaceX successfully launched the Merah-Putih-2 telecommunications satellite tailored for Indonesia. Echoing the hues of Indonesia's flag, the Merah-Putih-2 satellite is poised to elevate the country's connectivity. Constructed by Thales Alenia Space on the Spacebus 4000B2 platform, it boasts a robust capacity of no less than 32 gigabits per second. With transponders active on both C-band and Ku-band frequencies, Merah-Putih-2 is primed to extend its coverage across every corner of Indonesia.
- October 2023 - Nokia expansion in Indonesia: Nokia deployed optical transport solutions for Moratelindo, expanding network capacity to 3 terabytes in Jakarta and 2 terabytes on Java Island. This deployment scales the network to over 24 Tb and 52,000 km of fiber, offering increased bandwidth at stable costs.
- March 2023 - Tech Mahindra and Cisco partnership: Tech Mahindra collaborated with Cisco to introduce optical networking solutions that integrate routing technologies with IP infrastructure. This collaboration is streamlining optical network modernization, enhancing automation, and expanding Cisco’s optical transport portfolio.
- April 2024: Kenya and Angola entered a partnership to enhance telecommunications infrastructure and satellite capabilities across Africa. Under the leadership of Minister Mário Oliveira, Angola leveraged its communication satellite, Angosat 2, to unlock opportunities in various industries, including information and communication technology (ICT), agriculture, mining, and climate monitoring.
- February 2024: Unitel, a telecommunications company in Angola, announced that it had been preparing for an IPO. This strategic initiative by the central African nation's company aims to stimulate economic growth and attract foreign investment. An IPO, or initial public offering, is a process where shares of a private company are made available to the public for the first time. This process allows a company to raise equity capital from public investors.
- May 2024: Costa Rica's state-owned operator ICE, under its Kolbi brand, announced plans to phase out its 2G network, commencing in July 2024. The goal is to complete this transition by December 31, 2024, necessitating all customers to possess 3G or 4G-capable devices.
- December 2023: FONATEL, Claro and Ericsson collaborated to extend universal telephony and internet access to Tortuguero and its surrounding rural communities in Limón, Costa Rica. This initiative involved deploying Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) technology, started by FONATEL, Claro, and technology giant Ericsson, ensuring these rural areas access high-speed internet connectivity.
- February 2024: Finland urged a global collaboration to advance research into 6G technologies. Acknowledging the critical role of advanced connectivity in fostering economic growth and sustainability, Finland invited international public and private entities to collaborate with its established research coalition in the field of 6G.
- June 2024: Elisa, a telecoms specialist, is rolling out battery and PV systems at its base towers in Finland. These systems will enable the implementation of virtual power plant (VPP) optimization, specifically focusing on locally produced solar energy. This initiative comes on the heels of a trial deployment conducted by Elisa in collaboration with Åland Islands' telecoms provider, Ålcom, and the local solar PV company, Solel Åland.