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Schneider Electric targets Africa's growing data centre market with a dual strategy, engaging end-users and channel partners for expanded opportunities. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

Schneider Electric, a leading provider of energy equipment and solutions, has recognized a prime opportunity emerging from the rising demand for data centre facilities in Africa

This surge in demand is attributed to increased Internet penetration and a growing digital economy, setting the stage for East and West Africa to become key market hubs. Schneider Electric sees this as a chance to support partners and resellers in the region through a dual strategy: engaging directly with end-user data centers and driving sales opportunities via channel partners, thereby stimulating demand.

“Schneider Electric is a channel-driven business, with about 70% of our order fulfilment done through the channel,” stated Rohan de Beer, end user sales director – Anglophone Africa at Schneider Electric. “The growth in the African data centre space is therefore an opportunity for our partners to upskill themselves and strengthen their relationships with the local data center end users. Connectivity on the continent is growing massively, the economy is becoming a bit more stable overall, so this provides the environment for our resellers and distributors to further grow these data center opportunities for themselves.”

Historically, the company has relied solely on external channels to develop market prospects, which sometimes led to missed opportunities and shared market space with competitors.

“With the two-pronged approach, we can get closer to the end user for two reasons – to influence the technology and innovation at an earlier stage in the lifecycle of a project and then to also improve our share of the wallet at the customer base,” he explained. “Obviously, we would then take these opportunities and share them with our channel and fulfil them through the channel.

“So, it's a direct cut of the pie, but it’s still fulfilled through the channel. We are not going to increase our direct business, that's not the idea. The idea is to increase our share in the wallet while fulfilling orders through the channel and this approach seems to be working great.”

Power to partners

Schneider Electric is also implementing specific initiatives to empower its channel partners with the skills needed for deploying advanced solutions in the data center market.

“There are a couple of things that we are doing,” de Beer added. “Firstly, this is where our channel programme that we revised and relaunched this year plays a big role. So, partners who want to participate in this influx of business can register on the partner portal and get free access to online training from a sales perspective and the pre-sales solutions side. This includes all our technical tools, videos and training.

“Secondly, we also drive instructor-led solutions and design training sessions through the Anglophone cluster. We have so far completed East, West, and South in the first half of the year. That is purely focused on technical training solutions for our channel partners and distributors.”

He noted that the next step will involve hosting focused end-user and channel executive roundtables and customer events to further equip the channel and end users with the necessary skills.

The partnership grants Liquid exclusive rights to sell and distribute Globalstar’s XCOM RAN private networks 5G access solution in the Gulf, Middle East, and Africa. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

Liquid Intelligent Technologies (Liquid), part of the Cassava Technologies group, has announced a strategic partnership with American connectivity innovator Globalstar to deliver cutting-edge 5G connectivity solutions across Africa, the Middle East, and the Gulf

Strive Masiyiwa, founder and Chairman of Liquid Intelligent Technologies, expressed, "I’m really excited by the connectivity solutions now emerging from breakthroughs in 5G private networks technologies. With this technology we are now able to provide services to large businesses like mines with their own 5G private networks that can also enable NextGen services like AI; this is huge."

Transforming connectivity

The partnership grants Liquid exclusive rights to sell and distribute Globalstar’s XCOM RAN private networks 5G access solution in the Gulf, Middle East, and Africa. This advanced technology enhances the 5G experience, supports AI-driven applications, and is poised to revolutionise the mining industry in Africa, as well as high-end markets in the Middle East and Gulf regions.

Hardy Pemhiwa, president and group CEO of Cassava Technologies, remarked, "We look forward to the opportunities this exclusive partnership with Globalstar will unfold for our existing and potential customers in these sectors. Globalstar’s unique 5G enterprise solution will enable us to provide unparalleled connectivity to our customers on the continent, aligning with our ambition of becoming a leading technology company of African heritage, empowering businesses and communities with the reliable and high-speed internet access needed to thrive in the digital age."

Liquid will offer comprehensive customer support for Globalstar’s products and services, including technical and warranty services. The collaboration may also extend to Globalstar’s satellite, Band n53 spectrum, and IoT solutions on a non-exclusive basis.

Dr Paul Jacobs, CEO of Globalstar, commented, "Globalstar is pleased to join in partnership with Cassava and Liquid, a group of well-respected leaders with a sharp focus on technology deployments. The regions where Liquid is a leader are large and growing markets for our technologies which enable safe automation and remote control of mobile equipment in high-value environments. Our 5G XCOM RAN product fundamentally differs from traditional wireless solutions and enables mission-critical high-performance wireless applications. Combining XCOM RAN with the globally licensed Globalstar n53 midband spectrum creates a very unique offering for private and enterprise 5G networks. Together, Liquid and Globalstar will accelerate advanced wireless technology deployments in Africa, Middle East, and Gulf regions."

This partnership between Liquid Intelligent Technologies and Globalstar marks yet another milestone, reaffirming Liquid’s dedication to collaborating with global organizations that share a vision of fostering progress and innovation through connectivity for businesses and individuals on the African continent and beyond.

Africa's first 5G MVNO service has launched, expanding coverage to over 370 locations and introducing new unlimited home broadband plans for enhanced connectivity. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

5G in Africa is rapidly expanding, enhancing internet speeds, boosting connectivity, and driving innovation across industries, from urban centers to remote areas

Equitel, the mobile virtual network operator from Finserve, has launched its advanced 5G network in partnership with Airtel, becoming the first MVNO in Africa to offer 5G services. Building on the success of its previous 4G network, this new 5G service promises incredibly fast and reliable connectivity, enhancing the digital experience for businesses, communities, and individuals.

The 5G network is available in over 370 locations nationwide, including major towns such as Nairobi, Mombasa, Nakuru, and Kisumu, with plans to extend to high-density areas like residential neighborhoods and shopping centers. Equitel, known for its leadership in mobile banking in Kenya, continues to offer exceptional convenience and affordability. Customers benefit from free Equitel-to-Equitel money transfers and can make payments at over 1 million merchants nationwide at no extra cost through the One Equity Till Number.

What are Airtel's new 5G plans?

Airtel Kenya has introduced new Unlimited Home Broadband 5G Data Plans, designed to deliver uninterrupted and reliable data service on their expanded 5G network. These plans cater to both residential and commercial users, providing a transformative digital connectivity experience. Since the mid of last year, Airtel has grown its 5G network from 372 sites across 16 counties and 180 wards to over 690 sites in 39 counties and 285 wards.

For additional details, check out our latest summer issue here

Angola Cables Network traffic climbs to record peak. (Image source: Angola Cables)

The increase in digital content consumption, the rapid expansion of cloud computing services, and the ever-growing demand for high-speed, low-latency connectivity are among the key factors contributing to the record levels of traffic now being recorded across the Angola Cables network

“This milestone underscores Angola Cables’ growing responsibility and responsiveness to customer needs in West African markets, with an emphasis on improved Service Level Agreements (SLA). Our status as a reliable operator, fostering strong relationships with both local and international customers, is a testament to our resilience, commitment to good connectivity, security, and product diversity. In the long term, this reinforces the TelCables Nigeria brand, strengthening its position as a trusted name in the market,” said Fernando Fernandes, CEO for TelCables Nigeria (the local operation for Nigeria and West Africa countries of Angola Cables).

Angola Cables' traffic surge

Rui Faria, executive board member and chief commercial officer for Angola Cables, a global provider of network services and digital solutions, stated that many hyperscalers, content providers, and other carriers have been using the South Atlantic configuration of the SACS, Monet, and WACS cables as a convenient redundancy option to connect to destinations in the USA, the UK, and Europe using EllaLink. “The recent cable faults experienced in parts of Africa and the Red Sea have resulted in large volumes of traffic being diverted to other cables. But apart from this, we have seen a steady and significant growth in overall traffic over our backbone network.”

“At present, the Angola Cables fibre network point is accounting for more than 70% of the internet and data traffic flows to and from Africa,” notes Faria, “hyperscalers, streaming, and gaming networks are using SACS as well as the Angola Cables’ backbone and its partner networks to connect to Europe and Asia at lower latencies.”

Angola Cables has also reported a substantial increase in traffic volumes over the Monet Cable, which connects the USA to South America, now accounting for over 20% of the data traffic between North and South America. “With the option to connect to the main centres in Europe via the EllaLink subsea cable and reduced latencies of around 30%, many companies are seeing this as an attractive option for their peering and IP Transit requirements.”

According to the Center for Applied Internet Data Analysis (CAIDA), Angola Cables AS 37468 is now ranked 24th in their official global rankings, making it the only African network operator in the top 50. The CAIDA rankings are determined by the ‘cone size’ or number of connections linked to its registered Autonomous System Number (ASN), and they highlight the number of direct and indirect customers or links inferred from observed BGP paths. Today, Angola Cables' capacity spans more than 80,000 km of subsea cable network, with multiple links to a growing number of data centres and global IXPs.

Faria maintains that the increase in traffic is strengthening Angola Cables’ position in both the global and African markets as a consistently reliable network service provider, enabling the company to expand its services and invest in new technologies and strategic partnerships to better serve its customers."