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Telecom

Africa Data Centres to Start Construction on a New Facility in Accra

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Africa Data Centres, the largest network of interconnected, carrier-and cloud-neutral data centre facilities on the continent, announces that it will shortly start construction on its newly acquired land in the Central Business District of Accra, Ghana.

The new facility has been designed for an initial 10 MW, which can expand to 30MW depending on demand. It will be the largest facility in West Africa todate, outside of Nigeria.

Data centres are the foundation of digitally led economic growth around the world; developing sustainable and self-sufficient ICT ecosystems is impossible without them. The new facility will be built on a part of the former Trade Fair showgrounds site, one of the key central locations in the city. The first phase is scheduled to be completed within 12 months.

This new facility is part of Africa Data Centres’ continental expansion plans spanning 10 of Africa’s major economic hubs, including South Africa, Zambia, Kenya, Rwanda, Egypt, Morocco, Senegal, Ivory Coast, and Angola.

This unrivalled expansion, partly funded by the United States government’s U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), is a significant initiative to accelerate private sector-led digital infrastructure and services in Africa.

“We continue to bring internationally recognised services and products through Liquid Intelligent Technologies and Africa Data Centres.

“Liquid already has the largest cross-border fibre network in Africa, and our data centres footprint expansion compliments this, enabling faster digital transformation on the continent,” says Hardy Pemhiwa, Group CEO for Liquid Intelligent Technologies.

Mr. Scott Nathan, CEO of the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC)said, “DFC is proud to support African Data Centres. This new facility in Accra will be an investment in critical infrastructure helping to better link the rapidly growing African population and market to global opportunities.

DFC’s commitment to strengthen ICT Infrastructure in West Africa is in keeping with the commitments President Biden made to mobilize private capital for the kind of high quality global infrastructure investments that improve peoples’ lives.

This new data centre will help accomplish that in Ghana and for the region, creating jobs by improving existing business conditions while at the same time attracting data-dependent companies looking to invest and expand their operations.”

The US Government’s Senior Advisor Mr. Amos Hochstein said, “This investment exemplifies the U.S. Government’s commitment under the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGII) to unlock public and private capital for sustainable infrastructure investment. Alongside the data centres in South Africa and Kenya, the Ghana data centre is laying the groundwork for a digital revolution on the continent.

Welcoming the new investment, Hon. Nana Akufo-Addo, The President of Ghana said, “The establishment of Africa Data Centre’s new 10MW data centre, in the heart of Accra, is a significant step towards bridging the infrastructure gap, and developing further our digital economy. This investment and the Government’s drive at digitising all sectors of the economy will enable us increase our capacity to access digital services, and help even more to attract foreign direct investment into our economy.”

“Our new data centre in Ghana is a significant step towards Africa Data Centres’ goal of narrowing the digital divide in the West Africa region. Hyper-scale data centres, preferred by major US tech companies, multinational corporations, banks and other local enterprises, are the speciality of Africa Data Centres.

Additionally, our data centres are supported with independent solar and battery storage power, enabling us to bring digital technologies whilst mitigating our environmental impact,” concluded Tesh Durvasula, CEO of Africa Data Centres.

 


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Telecom

Nokia Unwraps 5G Gateway for Home Internet

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Nokia has introduced the FastMile Gateway 4, a new 5G indoor gateway designed to deliver high-speed internet throughout the home, powered by Wi-Fi 7 technology.

Nokia Unwraps 5G Gateway for Home Internet

A gateway is a device that connects to a 5G network and provides high-speed internet access to homes or businesses.

The disclosure was made in a statement by Nokia, which highlighted that the device features high-gain antennas and dual-band Wi-Fi 7 to optimise coverage and boost connection speeds.

The FastMile Gateway 4 supports four carrier aggregation and up to 300 MHz of bandwidth, helping operators improve network efficiency while ensuring seamless connectivity for users.

The new gateway is powered by Nokia’s Corteca software, which enables cloud-based Wi-Fi optimisation and supports industry-standard EasyMesh technology for better network management.

To simplify installation, the device comes with a mobile app that helps users identify the best location for setup.

With the FastMile Gateway 4, Nokia expands its 5G fixed wireless access portfolio, offering multiple Wi-Fi 7-enabled models to support different operator and consumer needs.

The launch underscores Nokia’s commitment to advancing 5G home connectivity, providing faster and more reliable internet solutions.

Shiv Putcha, director for Research and Consulting at GSMA Intelligence, stated, FWA has proven to be a spectacular hit in driving broadband access in the last mile around the world.

He said, “However, there are numerous end users, many with potentially unique requirements that need servicing. Nokia has the broadest portfolio today, with multiple FastMile gateway products that combine 5G FWA with dual-band WiFi 7 indoors.

“This, combined with Corteca management software, will help operators cater to multiple segments of demand.”

Dirk Verhaegen, general manager of Broadband Devices at Nokia, stated, “Using Fixed Wireless Access to connect end customers to the internet requires more than just one type of device.

“Our extensive FWA portfolio gives operators access to a wide range of Wi-Fi 7 devices tailored to meet their unique and diverse needs. Our portfolio is even stronger with the addition of the new FastMile Gateway 4, giving operators another power option to deliver fast, reliable FWA broadband to customers – no matter where they live.”


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Senate Urges FG, Telcos to Cut Data Cost

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The senate has called on the federal government to take urgent action to address the rising cost of data services in the country.

Senate Urges FG, Telcos to Cut Data Cost

This was sequel to a motion sponsored by Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong (APC, Cross River South) during plenary.

Ekpeyong warned that the surge in data costs was a major setback for young Nigerians who depend on the internet for their livelihoods.

He argued that many young people use digital platforms for freelancing, e-commerce, content creation, and software development, making affordable internet access crucial to their economic survival.

“Telecommunication providers in Nigeria have recently increased the cost of data services by as much as 200%. A move that has placed significant financial strain on millions of Nigerians, especially young people who rely on the internet for their livelihood,” he said.

“Young Nigerians have embraced the digital economy, leveraging the internet for various income-generating activities including freelancing and remote work, direct marketing and social media management, e-commerce, content creation on various platforms, online training, software development, web design, mobile app creation, content creation of various platforms, online education, etc.

“The senate notes that young Nigerians have embraced the digital economy, leveraging the internet for their livelihood, leaving them heavily dependent on mobile telecommunications companies for internet access, and that the sudden and substantial increase in data cost threatens their economic survival and limits access to critical digital services.

“The senate is further concerned that the reasons provided by telecom providers for the data price hike, including high operational costs of favourable exchanges, are untenable, and appears that instead of addressing the root causes of the high cost of doing business in Nigeria, the burden is being unfairly transferred to end-users.

“Senate is aware that the high cost of doing business in Nigeria is driven by multiple challenges, such as increased operational risk and insurance costs.

“The senate believes that urgent government intervention is required to ensure that affordable internet access remains available to all Nigerians, particularly to the young Nigerians who are at the backbone of Nigeria’s digital economy.

“The senate accordingly resolves to urge the federal government to engage with telecommunication providers to review the recent increase in data costs and ensure the pricing remains fair and affordable for all Nigerians.”

Telecommunications operators had increased the cost of data and voice services following the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) approval of a 50% tariff hike, implemented on February 11, 2025.

Contributing to the debate, senator Victor Umeh (LP, Anambra Central) described the motion as timely, lamenting that apart from the hike in cost of telecommunications services, there were also a hike in the cost of electricity tariff and DSTV subscription.

“Something needs to be done fast, to regulate the high increases. Citizens have no other way to seek redress,” Senator Umeh said.

Senator Sadiiq Sulaiman Umar (APC, Kwara North), also said, “It’s very important to regulate this social crisis.”

In its resolutions, the Senate also asked the federal government to provide an enabling environment for doing business, as well as address the avalanche of challenges threatening businesses in the country.

The Senate also asked the federal government to consider making provisions for free internet hubs for young people to enhance their socio-economic well-being.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio, who presided over the session said the resolutions if implemented would assist young entrepreneurs who use internet for various businesses to grow.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


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MTN Group, Airtel Africa Agree to Network Sharing in Uganda and Nigeria

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Driven to extend digital and financial inclusion across Africa, MTN Group and Airtel Africa have entered into agreements to share network infrastructure in Uganda and Nigeria, while ensuring compliance with local regulatory and statutory requirements.

These sharing agreements target improved network cost efficiencies, expanded coverage and the provision of enhanced mobile services to millions of customers, particularly those in remote and rural areas who do not yet fully enjoy the benefits of a modern connected life.

MTN Group President and Chief Executive Officer Ralph Mupita said operators on the continent were seeing sustained demand for data services: “As MTN, we are driven by the vision of delivering digital solutions that drive Africa’s progress.

We continue to see strong structural demand for digital and financial services across our markets. To meet this demand, we continue to invest in coverage and capacity to ensure high-quality connectivity for our customers.

That said, there are opportunities within regulatory frameworks for sharing resources to drive higher efficiencies and improve returns.”

Airtel Africa Chief Executive Officer Sunil Taldar said: “As we compete fiercely in the market on the strength of our brand, services and our offerings we are building common infrastructure, within the permissible regulatory framework, to provide a more robust and extensive digital highway to drive digital and financial inclusion at the same time avoiding duplication of expensive infrastructure to drive operational efficiencies and benefits for our customers.”

The initiative is part of a growing global trend toward network sharing. By collaborating, telecoms operators can explore innovative and pro-competitive solutions to improve service quality while managing costs more effectively.

The sharing of infrastructure has the potential to enable the delivery of world-class, reliable mobile services to more and more customers across Africa.

Following the conclusion of agreements in Uganda and Nigeria, MTN and Airtel Africa are exploring various opportunities in other markets, including Congo-Brazzaville, Rwanda and Zambia.

Among the types of agreements considered are RAN sharing and those aimed at establishing commercial and technical agreements for fibre infrastructure sharing and, if necessary, the construction of fibre networks.

MTN Group and Airtel Africa are dedicated to working with other mobile operators within the countries in which they have a presence to achieve the advantages of network sharing.

Throughout this process, the parties will continue to function as independent market entities and will compete freely in shared markets. This engagement does not preclude the parties from collaborating with other operators in any respective market.

 


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