Paratus 500 marks a bold new chapter as Paratus Group redefines sub-equatorial reach with seamless, scalable connectivity

Paratus Group has introduced “Paratus 500,” marking a major milestone following the Group’s expansion into seven additional African markets this year, namely Eswatini, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe

With this growth, Paratus is now licensed to operate in 15 African countries, making it one of the first pan African telcos to reach more than 500 million people south of the equator, representing over one third of Africa’s population and GDP.

Paratus 500 allows the Group to interconnect its 15 licensed operations through a unified and contiguous telecom network. This extensive infrastructure includes a mix of terrestrial fiber routes, strategic subsea cable landings and advanced satellite integration, including Starlink, to deliver secure, scalable and high quality connectivity across sub equatorial Africa.

Built on sustained investment in infrastructure, local subsidiaries and strategic alliances, Paratus 500 incorporates the East West Connect route, stretching from Maputo on Africa’s east coast, through Johannesburg, across Botswana and Namibia, to the west coast at the Equiano Cable Landing Station in Swakopmund. The Group also operates five satellite teleports and supports nearly 10,000 active satellite services to ensure reliable coverage across all its markets.

Other key routes include links from Johannesburg to Lubumbashi in southern DRC, running through Zambia, Zimbabwe and Botswana. In Botswana, Paratus has deployed diverse fiber pathways across multiple towns to boost nationwide coverage and cross border resilience.

Subsea infrastructure remains a crucial element of the Paratus 500 ecosystem, with international landing points in Angola (Luanda), DRC (Kinshasa), France (Marseilles), Kenya (Nairobi), Lisbon (Portugal), London (UK), Mozambique (Maputo), Namibia (Windhoek), South Africa (Pretoria) and Tanzania (Dar es Salaam), ensuring direct access to major global internet hubs. The network also extends across the Atlantic to Brazil (Fortaleze), the United States (Miami and New York), the Netherlands (Amsterdam) and the United Kingdom (London).

The Paratus Express Route, powered by the Equiano subsea cable, offers the lowest latency international connectivity from Johannesburg and Namibia to Europe and the USA, delivering up to 20 times the capacity of previous West Coast systems.

Further strengthening its regional footprint, Paratus has incorporated LEO (low earth orbit) satellite services, improving coverage and ensuring dependable connectivity in underserved and remote locations where terrestrial networks are limited.

Schalk Erasmus, CEO of Paratus Group, commented, “With Paratus 500, we now have the most coverage under licence in sub equatorial Africa, a goal we have worked towards for many years. This milestone enables us to connect people and businesses across the region with reliable, high quality network services. Our continued investment in fiber, satellite and strategic partnerships empowers us to deliver scalable connectivity solutions to wholesale, enterprise and individual customers, providing the freedom to connect anywhere, anytime.”

Paratus 500 reflects long term investment in resilient infrastructure, local operations and strategic partnerships across the region. This foundation supports an end to end connectivity offering that spans fiber, satellite, microwave, SD WAN and MPLS technologies, ensuring a robust, scalable and customer driven platform that enables growth and opportunity throughout the region.

Belgian partnership fuels Africa’s digital security growth. (Image source: ATOMNIA)

Networking and cybersecurity specialist ATOMNIA, in collaboration with the Wallonia Export & Investment Agency (AWEX) and Belgian technology incubator IGNITY, has strengthened its partnership to accelerate the growth of secured digital connectivity across Africa

The initiative will support ATOMNIA’s continent-wide rollout of its pay-as-you-go OMNIA solution through its distribution and enablement partner, Smart Hands Africa.

The OMNIA solution has been purpose-built to swiftly meet the networking and security demands of African enterprises, particularly small and medium-sized organisations that face challenges such as remote operations, unreliable internet access, and unstable electricity supply.

During a signing ceremony hosted at the AfricaCom reception at the Belgian Consulate in Cape Town, ATOMNIA’s CEO and co-founder Anthony Senter stated, “Our partnerships with IGNITY and the Wallonia Export & Investment Agency, AWEX, have helped us with our international expansion, but have been especially beneficial in furthering our African aspirations. We are looking forward to growing our network of partners throughout the continent and making a meaningful contribution to business development in the region.”

Belgian trade relations with Africa strengthen

The European Union remains a key investor in South Africa, accounting for 41% of total foreign direct investment, with more than 2,000 EU companies operating in the country and creating over half a million jobs.

Belgium ranks as the fifth-largest EU supplier and the third-largest EU client to South Africa. In 2024, Belgian exports to South Africa reached EUR 1.5 billion, while imports totalled EUR 2.9 billion.

“Digital transformation on the continent is booming. In May this year, we organised a trade mission focused on digital technologies and smart city solutions to support market access for companies from Wallonia and Brussels. Twelve companies took part, with all of them reporting very positive outcomes. We believe that South Africa, and Cape Town in particular, offer a dynamic tech ecosystem well suited for international collaboration,” said Catherine Bauwens, trade and investment counsellor at AWEX. “This week, we are pleased to support the launch of ATOMNIA into the African market, and we wish them every success in their development.”

Local challenges, smart solutions

OMNIA integrates SASE cybersecurity and SD-WAN networking into a unified platform, providing layered protection, connectivity, and AI-driven threat detection. It differentiates itself through flexible financing and subscription models that make enterprise-grade technology more accessible.

Unpacking the African model, Anton Jacobsz, CEO of Smart Hands Africa, commented, “OMNIA has been designed to solve the networking and cybersecurity challenges that so many African businesses face. These include high costs exacerbated by inflexible, long-term contracts from major global vendors. Our pay-as-you-go approach reduces upfront costs for small and medium businesses and simplifies adoption, no matter how remote they may be. This is how we build a connected, empowered, and tech-enabled Africa.”

ATOMNIA’s engineering team has simplified the traditionally complex setup of networking and cybersecurity systems by integrating firewalls, analysers, and SD-WAN components into a single Smart SASE solution. “Unlike typical solutions where users might need to purchase separate firewalls, analysers, and SD-WAN components, this product range integrates them into a single package. It can best be described as a Smart SASE solution, designed to extend beyond the current industry norms. Our focus is on delivering both advanced security and flexible, reliable connectivity, especially suited to small and medium businesses with remote locations. This all-in-one approach and ability to use varied connection types, make the product more robust and versatile than just a conventional SD-WAN,” Senter explained.

Key differentiators include multi-network compatibility (fibre, LTE/5G, and satellite such as Starlink), 12-volt battery backup for power-unstable regions, and no long-term contracts, all tailored for remote businesses, schools, and retailers.

ATOMNIA’s five-year collaboration with IGNITY continues as the company scales globally. “We saw a hidden gem in ATOMIA. We were impressed by their background and technical experience, but also by their vision of delivering easy access security solutions, independent of the traditional giants,” said Nicolas Vanhaelen, CEO of IGNITY. “Security shouldn’t be a privilege. ATOMNIA aims to bring independent, secure connectivity to the world, and IGNITY is proud to help them achieve this goal.”

This initiative represents a key step in enhancing satellite coverage and connectivity across the region. (Image credit: Orange)

Orange and Eutelsat have inaugurated a new teleport in Martinique, marking the launch of Eutelsat’s satellite gateway for the OneWeb constellation in the Caribbean

This initiative represents a key step in enhancing satellite coverage and connectivity across the region.

Located in Lamentin, the teleport — constructed and managed by Orange on behalf of Eutelsat — features 14 LEO antennas designed to extend connectivity to remote areas and strengthen the constellation’s global reach. The facility will deliver low-latency communications that benefit residents, businesses, and the maritime and defense sectors, thereby boosting the region’s digital competitiveness.

Building resilience and digital sovereignty

The teleport is part of a joint strategy between Orange and Eutelsat to deliver faster, more reliable, and inclusive connectivity. Eutelsat selected the Caribbean for its strategic geographical position and the need to improve coverage across isolated land and sea areas. This installation enhances network resilience, ensures continuous access to high-speed connectivity, and supports safety and communications for maritime operations.

“With this ground station now operational in Martinique, our OneWeb low Earth orbit (LEO) service is available across the Caribbean, providing new high-speed connectivity options for island communities and regional networks. It also closes the final coverage gap over the Atlantic, ensuring greater continuity and reliability along key transatlantic maritime routes. Together with Orange, we are strengthening the Caribbean's connectivity infrastructure for the long term,” said Fabio Mando, Chief Operations Officer, Eutelsat.

Connected to submarine cable systems such as Kanawa, Southern Caribbean Fiber, and the Eastern Caribbean Fiber System, the teleport benefits from Orange’s extensive terrestrial and undersea network. With over 45 years of experience and certified Tier 4 WTA teleport operations in France, Orange’s global network spans Africa, the Middle East, India, and Brazil. This makes the Martinique facility a strategic regional hub for digital transformation, economic development, and innovation in the Caribbean.

“Our partnership with Eutelsat exemplifies Orange's commitment to building resilient and sovereign connectivity by combining the complementarity of multi-orbit satellite networks with our advanced terrestrial and submarine infrastructures. This project in Martinique is part of a European strategy of trust and digital independence, where collaboration and innovation are essential to ensuring reliable, secure and sustainable connectivity for our territories,” added Jean-Louis Le Roux, EVP Orange International Networks.

A responsible and sustainable initiative

The project’s implementation prioritised environmental responsibility, ensuring coexistence with agricultural activities and protection of natural habitats. A mangrove restoration effort was also integrated as part of Orange and Eutelsat’s commitment to sustainable development and ecological preservation.

“This teleport embodies our commitment to connecting 'peripheral' territories while respecting the environment. It opens new perspectives for economic development and innovation by providing reliable and sustainable connectivity for all. It is a true digital revolution transforming how these territories integrate into the international environment,” commented Samir Banzahra, Orange Antilles Guyane Director.

Vertiv’s Liquid Cooling Services deliver end-to-end expertise. (Image credit: Vertiv)

Vertiv, a global provider of critical digital infrastructure and continuity solutions, has unveiled the Vertiv CoolCenter Immersion cooling system, further expanding its worldwide liquid cooling portfolio

The new system is designed to support artificial intelligence (AI) and high-performance computing (HPC) environments that demand advanced heat management. It is now available across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA).

The CoolCenter Immersion system utilises immersion cooling technology, where entire servers are submerged in a dielectric liquid. This approach ensures efficient and even heat removal across all components, especially in high-power applications where conventional air cooling is no longer sufficient. As a complete liquid-cooling solution, the system provides reliable heat management for dense computing loads ranging from 25 kW to 240 kW per unit.

“Immersion cooling is playing an increasingly important role as AI and HPC deployments push thermal limits far beyond what conventional systems can handle,” said Sam Bainborough, EMEA vice-president of thermal business at Vertiv. “With the Vertiv CoolCenter Immersion, we’re applying decades of liquid-cooling expertise to deliver fully engineered systems that handle extreme heat densities safely and efficiently, giving operators a practical path to scale AI infrastructure without compromising reliability or serviceability.”

The Vertiv CoolCenter Immersion comes in various configurations, including self-contained and multi-tank setups, offering cooling capacities from 25 kW to 240 kW. Each system integrates an internal or external tank, coolant distribution unit (CDU), temperature sensors, variable-speed pumps, and fluid piping to ensure precise temperature control and consistent performance.

Built for dependability, the system features dual power supplies and redundant pumps for continuous operation. Integrated monitoring sensors, a 9-inch touchscreen, and building management system (BMS) connectivity enhance operational visibility and ease of use. Additionally, its design allows for heat reuse, supporting energy-efficient facility management and aligning with sustainability objectives.

Vertiv’s Liquid Cooling Services deliver end-to-end expertise, encompassing design, installation, maintenance, training, and lifecycle optimisation. The portfolio covers rear-door heat exchangers, direct-to-chip, and immersion cooling technologies, ensuring scalable, efficient, and reliable thermal management solutions tailored for AI, HPC, and other high-density computing environments.