MDXI, Avanti Group partner on GES management

ITREALMS:

The MDXI data centre has partnered with Avanti Communications Group Plc, a leading British satellite operator, to host and manage the satellite operator’s in-country Gateway Earth Station (GES), reports ITRealms.

MDXI, ITRealms gathered, is a subsidiary of MainOne, with this partnership delivers the commissioning of Avanti’s first GES in West Africa, hosted at MDXI’s satellite farm in Lagos.

The project, ITRealms also reports, has seen Avanti invest up to USD 20 million in the Nigerian Gateway, will ensure data from the HYLAS 4 Ka-band satellite is delivered efficiently in-country and interconnected with other networks.

The HYLAS 4 Ka-band satellite will deliver  High Throughput Satellite (HTS) connectivity to complement the country’s existing fibre-optic networks, ensuring access is available to enable high-speed internet everywhere, even to the most remote and rural locations.

Applications that will be supported by this Avanti’s 3rd Ka-band satellite include satellite broadband services for homes and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), rural schools, large enterprises and government agencies and cellular backhaul for 2G, 3G and 4G mobile networks. Avanti already has an established track record deploying such services via existing satellites across East and Southern Africa as well across Europe and the Middle East.

Avanti’s efforts in Nigeria will also include the deployment of its Every Community Online (ECO) initiative, with built-in Wi-Fi hotpots in schools, communities and government agencies, especially in the underserved and remote parts of the country where power availability and connectivity services remain a challenge. In addition, the satellite operator will take advantage of MainOne’s extensive coverage to extend its market reach across nine countries in West Africa.

Avanti’s technology has been proven to deliver sustainable digital inclusion by delivering terrestrial-quality, affordable and superfast satellite broadband services. Given the satellite’s footprint across Nigeria and Sub-Saharan Africa, the services provided will greatly enhance eGovernment, eLearning, eCommerce, eHealth and eBanking services in rural areas among others. The new satellite will also offer support to oil and gas companies and enable coverage to remote Onshore, Offshore and Deep Offshore locations.

MDXI has been chosen to launch this project in West Africa based on its capability to deliver mission-critical data centre services and provide extensive interconnection with other operators, Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and the Nigerian Internet Exchange.

Speaking on the agreement, General Manager of MDXI, Gbenga Adegbiji said “As a carrier-neutral data centre enabling multiple local, regional and global networks in West Africa, Avanti’s choice of MDXI was inevitable. Working closely with Avanti, our engineers have already implemented a bespoke colocation solution to support the largest Gateway Earth Station in the region with uninterrupted power, connectivity and security to ensure 24/7/365 operations. While ineffective distribution of available bandwidth inland continues to hinder Nigeria’s broadband targets, our partnership with Avanti provides Nigeria the opportunity to make accelerated broadband expansion possible via satellite, to overcome last-mile gaps experienced in fibre infrastructure and enable the attainment of 30% broadband penetration target in the National Broadband Plan.”

Dave Bestwick, Chief Technology Officer at Avanti Communications, explained that the project would guarantee employment opportunities in ICT, engineering and communications to indigenes, as well as enable a huge leap towards economic growth in the ICT sector in Nigeria. “We are delighted to be partnering with MainOne and MDXI, to rollout satellite broadband services across Nigeria and West Africa. Avanti’s products will greatly complement MainOne’s existing network and provide reliable broadband connectivity to places within the region without terrestrial fibre connectivity. We look forward to expanding our collaboration in serving the people of Nigeria with market-leading products.”

Nenye Dom/GEE

ITREALMS ... everything news digitally!

Sowho, Etisalat’s director to speak @ GES 2016

ITRealms:

The Director of Digital Business at Etisalat Nigeria, Adia Sowho is headed to the Silicon Valley, California, as one of the speakers at the Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES) 2016, reports ITRealms.

Sowho, who is among eminent personalities that would be speaking at the GES 2016 billed to hold from June 23 through 24 in the United States of America, would be dwelling on ‘Entrepreneurship in Sub-Saharan Africa: Infrastructure and the Enabling Environment’ during a session that will be moderated by the CEO, African Technology Foundation, Stephen Ozoigbo.

ITRealms also gathered that a group of erudite discussants including Alexandra (Lexi) Novitske, Principal Investment Officer, Singularity Investments, Breanna Zwart, Executive, Access Strategy Team, Google, Ime Archibong, Director, Global Product Partnerships, Facebook and Kevin Connolly, Affordable Access Initiative, Business Development, Microsoft will join Adia Sowho to analyze the technology entrepreneurship ecosystems in Sub-Saharan Africa and highlight the infrastructure needs, gaps, and opportunities.

Expectations are high that this intellectual group of discussants would present current market solutions that have created an enabling environment for Africa’s digital entrepreneurs to discuss the next wave of market opportunities across leading industries.

Global Entrepreneurship Summit 2016 will be the 7th session in a series previously hosted by the United States and the governments of Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, Morocco, and Kenya. 

This year’s summit aims to showcase inspiring entrepreneurs and investors, including Etisalat Nigeria, from around the world who are creating new opportunities for investment, partnership, and collaboration, and connecting American entrepreneurs and investors with international counterparts to form lasting relationships. It will also highlight entrepreneurship as means to address some of the most intractable global challenges.

The summit will include a wide range of workshops, panels, ignite talks, pitch competitions, mentoring and networking sessions aimed at giving participants tailored opportunities to gain skills and relationships that will help their ventures grow.  Within the Summit, there will also be demonstration areas, experiential learning exhibitions and opportunities to connect with industry experts.  

ITREALMS ... everything news digitally!

Pix: Adia Sowho

Cellulant drives FG’s electronic agricultural input scheme

Mobile commerce service operator, Cellulant Nigeria Limited, has concluded plans to oversee the Federal Government’s electronic-based agricultural input programme tagged Growth Enhancement Support Scheme (GES).

ITRealms Online learnt that under the scheme, Cellulant would design, develop and operate the technology platform that will provide electronic-mobile registration, validation and also develop a value chain system; an electronic wallet (e-wallet) that will support the distribution of farm inputs directly to farmers.

Cellulant Nigeria Limited is part of the Cellulant Corporation, a business founded by Nigerians and Kenyans with operations across a number of African countries including Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia and Botswana.

Executive Director, Special Projects, Cellullant Corporation Limited, Mr. Bolaji Akinboro, explained that the firm’s involvement in the Nigerian government’s subsidized fertilizer access scheme is to deploy its expertise in value chain development, digital content creation, delivery and management over mobile telecommunication network.

He noted that as a leading mobile commerce network operator in Africa that manages, delivers and bills for digital content and mobile payment networks, Cellulant understands the requirements and challenges of mobile commerce business.

“Over the years, we have worked with several Nigerian telecommunication companies, banks and various other organizations to deliver and manage digital content and it is the same expertise and experience that the Nigerian government will leverage to operate the Growth Enhancement Support Scheme,” he said.

The GES scheme, he explained is aimed at delivering subsidized fertilizer to farmers; empower them to increase their yield and encourage a shift from subsistence to commercial farming based on an electronic registration and validation process.

Under the GES Scheme, an accredited farmer will receive fertiliser allocation through a Personal Identification Number, PIN (a voucher number for all farm inputs comprising fertilizer and seeds- available through the GES program) sent to his or her phone. The recipient then redeems the voucher for farm inputs at subsidized rates after paying the top-up to specially appointed agro-dealer.

The government contracted Cellulant to help build an efficient distribution channel to deliver fertilizer to farmers. During the field trials of the GES technology in 12 states; the redemption rates for farm inputs by farmers was very significant.  This has now made it possible for Government to affect the lives of the individual Nigerian Farmer directly.

Akinboro further said the firm’s business falls within the Value Added Services or Wireless Application Service provider segment of the telecommunication industry and also as an ecosystem provider in the mobile commerce segment of the banking industry.

“Cellulant is a Nigerian company that has been duly registered and operating in the country for over eight years with vast experience in the valued added services segment in the telecommunications sector,” he said. 

Remmy Nweke

ITREALMS Online ... delivering news for ICT4D