The alliance seeks to generate a positive impact on the lives of nearly 30,000 children in Africa and Latin America. (Image source: American Tower)

American Tower, a global leader in digital communications infrastructure, has announced an expanded partnership with ProFuturo, a digital education initiative supported by the Telefónica Foundation and "la Caixa" Foundation, to enhance digital inclusion in Nigeria

Following a successful launch in Kenya, the programme aims to continue transforming education for children in Africa by leveraging technology to bridge the educational gap.

This collaboration is designed to benefit underserved communities through various social programs that improve quality of life and promote equal access to the digital world. With the expansion into Nigeria, the initiative is expected to impact nearly 30,000 children in vulnerable communities across Nigeria, Kenya, and parts of Latin America, providing them with quality digital education through innovative projects.

Additionally, the initiative will offer training to over 1,000 teachers, equipping them to deliver this education effectively. The project promises to create a significant international network of educators committed to teaching, learning, and sharing knowledge, ultimately fostering better education worldwide.

Magdalena Brier, managing director of ProFuturo, points out that this agreement highlights the enormous potential of these types of alliances in favor of digital inclusion and how they contribute to strengthening the positive impact of educational projects on the ground, such as what ProFuturo has been developing since 2016. She said, "In this way, education with technology has enormous potential to help reduce the educational gap, thanks to its reach and capacity for inclusion, bringing high-quality content to the most difficult environments, which would be very difficult to access in any other way."

American Tower’s Digital Communities are digitally connected, technology-enabled spaces that offer digital literacy and youth education, financial literacy and adult vocational training, or health care services.

Following the principles established by the United Nations Global Compact and the Sustainable Development Goals, American Tower and ProFuturo share the same vision: Access to quality education in complex environments is essential to reduce poverty and inequality in the region. Through this strategic collaboration, it is expected to encourage and promote an increase in knowledge, while promoting innovative practices and strengthening educational digital transformation in the coming years.

Suzette Victor, director, Sustainability, ATC Africa, stated, “In Africa, closing the digital divide is crucial to ensuring that no one is left behind and our partnership with ProFuturo will strengthen our resolve to reach individuals in underserved communities with the transformative power of technology in education. The expansion of this partnership to Nigeria will not only address immediate educational needs but will also lay the groundwork for a future where every child has the opportunity to succeed, regardless of their circumstances.”

Equinix's extensive global network, JN1 is set to enhance the region's growing digital infrastructure and interconnection capabilities. (Image source: Equinix)

Equinix, Inc., a global leader in digital infrastructure, has launched its first International Business Exchange data centre in South Africa, located in Germiston, Johannesburg. Known as JN1, the facility is now open to customers and partners, offering businesses of all sizes access to cloud and connectivity services

Positioned as part of Equinix's extensive global network, JN1 is set to enhance the region's growing digital infrastructure and interconnection capabilities.

As Southern Africa's economic hub, Johannesburg is a prime location for Equinix's new venture. The city serves as a key interconnection point, benefiting from a network of submarine cables along South Africa’s coast and boasting a strong presence in financial, industrial, and professional services. These advantages make Johannesburg an ideal hub for local and international firms, drawing significant investment and positioning it as a gateway to the broader African market.

Johannesburg’s digital revolution

JN1's initial phase offers more than 20,000 square feet (1,900+ sq m) of colocation space, with expansion plans to exceed 100,000 square feet (9,515 sq m). The facility is equipped with high power capacity for dense deployments and supports liquid cooling solutions. It currently houses 700 cabinets, with a future target of 3,475 cabinets once fully developed.

Sandile Dube, Equinix's managing director for South Africa, emphasised the impact of the new facility, stating, “Our brand new JN1 data center in Johannesburg serves as a powerful platform for people and businesses to connect, innovate, and flourish not only in South Africa but also beyond. The new site presents a truly unique opportunity for South Africans as it places us firmly on the map and will be a key interconnection hub on the continent to some of the fastest growing countries and businesses in the world. It is a proud day for me to be leading this expansion into South Africa and I believe that this is a crucial milestone for the country in its digital and connectivity journey for thousands of residents.”

Early deployments at JN1 include prominent South African firms such as Liquid Intelligent Technologies, Intelys Technology Group, SEACOM, WorkOnline Communications, and the INX-ZA Johannesburg Internet Exchange (JINX).

Nigerian government signs MoU with Ericsson for 5G tech development, aiming to drive digital growth and innovation in Nigeria. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

The Nigerian Government has entered into a partnership with Ericsson to explore the potential of 5G connectivity within the country.

A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed during an October 18 visit by a Nigerian government delegation to Ericsson’s global headquarters in Sweden, led by vice-president Kashim Shettima.

This MoU aims to establish a cooperative framework between the Nigerian Government and Ericsson Nigeria, focusing on the development, deployment, and innovation of 5G technology. As Africa’s most populous nation, Nigeria represents over 15%of the continent’s population.

Nigerian Innovation

The partnership’s key objectives include supporting Nigeria’s digital transformation goals, driving economic growth, and enhancing public services using advanced, secure 5G technology. Additionally, the collaboration aims to foster knowledge exchange, build capacity within the tech sector, support the creation of innovation hubs and tech incubators, and improve digital literacy and skills development across Nigeria.

"It was an honor to show the Vice President, and his delegation colleagues, Ericsson’s leadership in 5G and technology capabilities at first-hand. We look forward to working in close partnership with the Nigerian government to develop the innovation potential of 5G for Nigerian businesses, citizens and for national digital competitiveness," said Patrick Johansson, president, Market Area Middle East and Africa.

Ericsson has had a presence in Nigeria since 1978, supporting network deployments, including the launch of the nation’s first GSM network in 2001.

Tantum IT boosts operations and client satisfaction with Paratus South Africa’s Eutelsat OneWeb LEO satellite solution. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

Tantum IT, a prominent IT service provider, focuses on remote IT management, cloud services, and secure data handling, particularly for clients in remote and high-demand settings

To ensure the reliability of these services, stable and robust internet connectivity is essential. To address connectivity challenges, Tantum IT partnered with Paratus South Africa, an official distributor of Eutelsat OneWeb’s Low Earth Orbit (LEO) services in the country. This technology proved ideal for Tantum IT, offering high-speed and stable connections that outperformed long-range Wi-Fi and conventional satellite links.

Before implementing Paratus South Africa’s Eutelsat OneWeb solution, Tantum IT faced significant operational disruptions, especially when clients experienced issues with Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) sessions, IPsec tunnels for shared drive access, and other business tools. Tasks like uploading high-resolution images and using shared drives were slow and inefficient.

Boosting connectivity effortlessly

Paratus South Africa’s LEO service transformed Tantum IT’s operations, improving both efficiency and client satisfaction.

Integrating the Eutelsat OneWeb service with Tantum IT’s existing infrastructure was seamless. Paratus South Africa provided a DHCP range outside of the existing network, making the connection to Tantum IT’s Fortigate Firewall straightforward. Tantum IT’s team managed the configuration internally, while Paratus South Africa’s proactive support ensured a smooth deployment, quickly addressing any challenges.

The deployment of Paratus’s LEO solution led to notable enhancements in connectivity, speed, and reliability. At Doornkop, users accessed shared drives effortlessly, completed tasks swiftly, and maintained stable VPN connections. Tests demonstrated additional advantages, including smooth email server operations, effective use of the Oracle Finance system, and reliable video conferencing. Users experienced uninterrupted sessions, and tasks like photo uploads and content streaming became faster.

Kallie Carlsen, managing director of Paratus South Africa, commented, “For businesses and industries operating in remote areas, traditional connectivity solutions often fall short in providing the reliability and speed needed for daily operations. LEO satellite technology is uniquely positioned to overcome these challenges by delivering high-speed, low-latency internet access. At Paratus South Africa, we specialise in providing tailored satellite solutions that ensure our clients, like Tantum IT, can operate efficiently and without disruption, no matter where they are located. Our partnership with Eutelsat OneWeb allows us to offer a robust connectivity solution that meets the demands of even the most challenging environments.”

Tantum IT’s collaboration with Paratus South Africa has been a success. Installations were completed professionally and on time, with swift resolution of any issues. The high level of support and service from Paratus South Africa reaffirmed Tantum IT’s decision to maintain the partnership.

Bossie Matthyser, resort manager at Doornkop, shared,“Since the installation of the LEO solution at Doornkop, latency has dropped from 1000ms to 100ms, and both upload and download speeds have improved dramatically. Saving 16 high-resolution photos to our shared folder now takes just 45 seconds instead of seven minutes per photo. Communication on Signal and WhatsApp has also improved significantly. I can’t fault the service and the solution that Paratus South Africa has given us – it’s shifted our business into another and higher gear.”

Looking ahead, Tantum IT plans to leverage Paratus's support to fuel its growth and expand its service offerings. As new opportunities and challenges emerge, especially in remote regions, Tantum IT intends to continue working with Paratus to explore LEO and other connectivity solutions. This ongoing partnership is vital for maintaining Tantum IT’s reputation for delivering dependable, high-quality IT services.