This event is focussed on supporting the 15 ECOWAS states in the acceleration of their rural connectivity agendas. The event will be hosted by the Minister of ICT in Benin and attended by the ICT Ministers, Regulators, Service Providers and Project leaders from each of the 15 member states (Benin, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo) 

3 October 2019 – WTL today announced that it has added a self-contained communication centre to its multi-award–winning Vivada (Village Voice and Data) system. The communication centre houses all the equipment needed to provide voice and data services across a village – and includes computers and IP phones that can be used by residents.

With an entry-level price point of just US$1450 per village, the new Vivada C3 system has been specifically designed to enable commercially sustainable networks to be rolled-out in thousands more communities across rural and semi-urban areas in Africa.

For local entrepreneurs, Vivada C3 provides all the hardware and software they need to establish a rural telecoms business – and sell a variety of tech-enabled services and other products.

For existing operators and ISPs, Vivada C3 provides a market-proven, cost-effective system that enables coverage to be expanded into areas where ARPUs are low.

Vivada has been deployed across Africa, winning multiple awards in the process. It has helped to unlock personal and business communications as well as allowing a host of new services to be delivered directly to the heart of the local community, boosting the local economy and meeting development goals.

Early deployments are being negotiated to provide connectivity to farmers and other micro-businesses in Nigeria while, in another Western African country, WTL is discussing the installation of Vivada in administrative districts to enable e-Government initiatives including voter registration.

The Vivada Community Communication Centre (C3)

In its basic form, Vivada C3 includes a Wi-Fi Hotspot, backhaul optimisation, VoIP compression and provisioning software, The entire system runs on less than 100W which can be supplied by solar with battery back-up, ensuring that the solution is sustainable.

It also includes 2 PCs for a cyber café and 2 IP phones for pre-paid calling, while billing is cloud-based and enables the village service provider to bill immediately for data and voice minutes.

Beyond the entry level, a whole range of options are possible, including adding masts to allow the centre to become a small 2G or 4G mobile cell.

The building that houses Vivada and acts as the communication centre is 12m2. It comes flat-packed to make delivery to the villages easier, is lightweight and easy to assemble. It has ventilation, two solar panels on the roof and two windows with security bars.

WTL helps the owners of rural networks to source the most effective backhaul network for Vivada C3 over satellite, microwave, TV White Space or fibre.

The Vivada Rural Village Ecosystem

This includes all the infrastructure and software to provide power, water and telecoms in a village. In some cases, entrepreneurs are buying the entire system so that they can offer the essential utilities that their friends and neighbours need and want including:

Solar Power

This is used to run the telco equipment and can also be connected to a mini-grid to provide power to homes and businesses living off-grid or in areas with unreliable grid supplies.

Metered water

WTL has partnered with eWATERpay to extend the water supply to villages and install taps. People can pre-pay for water using cash or mobile money and water credit can also be purchased and shared by government (to schools and health clinics) or urban diaspora (to family).

Leigh Smith, MD of WTL, said We know from talking to a range of stakeholders – satellite companies, service providers, NGOs and regulators – that getting the first infrastructure foothold into remote communities has been really tough. By bringing the costs of an entry level Point-of-Presence down and making it as easy to deploy as possible, we are removing the major barriers to entry.

About WTL

Headquartered in Belgium with offices in Nigeria, Brazil and the UK, WTL is a mobile infrastructure provider that develops the Vivada range of small cell solutions, and a range of connectivity platforms. These enable operators to deploy advanced wireless services, and to achieve flexible interconnection.

WTL has deployments in more than 30 countries in Africa with a well-deserved reputation for excellent service, reliable products and an expert team with extensive experience in Africa.

WTL’s innovative, practical and cost-effective portfolio includes:

• Vivada Low CAPEX and OPEX solutions for extending mobile networks in urban and rural environments with low power, self-contained 2G / 4G small cell packages.
• A complete range of building blocks to build the network core, support network interconnection and deliver valuable messaging applications with support for SS7, CAMEL, IP and more.

For more information visit www.wtl.be or contact WTL’s PR rep on +44 7946 342 903, skype: bridgetfishleigh or bridget@telecomsprafrica.com

17 September 2019 – During the penultimate day of the ITU’s annual Telecom World taking place in Budapest, connectivity pioneers, WTLs and Equanet, agreed to collaborate to bring voice and data connectivity to millions of unconnected people across the world. The deal further ensures that the connectivity achieved is matched by access to the right technology to enable businesses in these communities to participate in the digital economy through the Equanet suite of products.

Equanet provides technologies that connect digitally marginalised communities to the digital economy. Its solution allows it to sell its products directly to national and global audiences at a fair price. In rural areas in emerging markets, this enables families to educate their children, pay for health care and grow their businesses to create jobs and wealth in their communities. Figures from the WTO show that 99% of businesses in emerging markets do not sell online as the majority of them do not have access to the internet.

Meanwhile, WTL’s Vivada system (Village Voice and Data) was specifically developed to build commercially sustainable networks in rural and semi-urban areas. Vivada has been deployed across Africa by satellite operators, NGOs, Government and regulators, smaller ISPs and entrepreneurs winning multiple awards in the process. The entry level price point for a village starts at just US$1450.

Joel de Messan, Founder & Chairman, of Equanet said The ITU platform has brought our two companies together. WTL’s Vivada system is the missing link that will allow us to take our solution to remote communities well before Government infrastructure reaches them; which, in some case can be years. Our company’s goal is to enable every business to participate in the digital economy. With WTL we can bring more communities into this dream tomorrow rather in years.

Satya Mekala, Director of Deployments at WTL, said From the moment I met Joel I knew that we could, and should, collaborate. There is much to do to connect the four billion people who live and work offline. Our Vivada system is commercially proven and extremely cost-effective to deploy in rural areas.

About Vivada

In its basic form Vivada includes a Wi-Fi Hotspot, backhaul optimisation, VoIP compression, billing and provisioning software. The entire system runs on less than 100W which can be supplied by solar with battery back-up.

It also includes two PCs for a cyber café and two IP phones for pre-paid calling whilst billing is cloud-based and enables the village service provider to bill immediately for data and voice minutes.

Beyond the entry level a whole range of options are possible including adding masts to enable a small 2G or 4G mobile cell

The Vivada Rural Village Ecosystem includes all the infrastructure and software to provide power, water and telecoms in a village. In some cases, entrepreneurs are buying the entire system so that they can offer the essential utilities that their friends and neighbours need and want.

About WTL

Headquartered in Belgium with offices in Nigeria, Brazil and the UK, WTL is a mobile infrastructure provider that develops the Vivada range of small cell solutions, and a range of connectivity platforms. These enable operators to deploy advanced wireless services, and to achieve flexible interconnection.

WTL has deployments in more than 30 countries in Africa with a well-deserved reputation for excellent service, reliable products and an expert team with extensive experience in Africa.

WTL’s innovative, practical and cost-effective portfolio includes :

Vivada Low CAPEX and OPEX solutions for extending mobile networks in urban and rural environments. Low power, self-contained 2G / 4G small cell packages,

A complete range of building blocks to build the network core, support network interconnection and deliver valuable messaging applications. With support for SS7, CAMEL, IP and more.

For more information visit www.wtl.be or contact WTL’s PR rep on +44 7946 342 903, skype: bridgetfishleigh or bridget@telecomsprafrica.com

About Equanet

Equanet is the world’s first integrated search, e-commerce and e-trade protocol built with blockchain and machine learning technologies. Equanet is a human-centric technology platform designed to help level the digital playing field, reduce the digital divide and eliminate international trade access disparities through equal participation of all nations in the digital economy.

Equanet allows businesses, communities, cooperatives and nations to sell their products, services and commodities as well as attract inward investment for their businesses whilst automating the collection of national taxes and revenues for the treasury.

Equanet has created the first global platform that enables local consumers, businesses, visitors, tourists and trade partners to access and buy products, services, commodities and technical knowhow covering all economic outputs of a community on a retail or trade basis. It uses blockchain and AI to make their trades secure, help them achieve and meet international standards of quality and create an environment that prevents the infringement of Intellectual property and brand assets in order to give the world confidence in trading with them.

Equanet is the recipient of the ITU Telecom World Awards 2019 for its participation and commitment to the ITU’s Agenda on global SME Connectivity.

For more information, please visit www.equanet.com.

11 September 2019 – At this year’s NigeriaCom, WTL is celebrating its 12th year of helping to build Nigeria’s telecoms infrastructure.

Hailing from Belgium, WTL is staffed by a team of telecoms experts who have worked with organisations from across the telecoms industry on a range of large projects throughout Nigeria.  All of these projects have succeeded in moving Nigeria’s telecoms industry forward using new, innovative and award-winning approaches to tackle deep-seated problems.

Rolling out VoIP with Nigeria’s Interconnect Exchange Carriers

WTL helped five of Nigeria’s IXC carriers – Breeze Micro, Exchange, ICN, Niconnx and Solid – to build new VoIP networks across Nigeria with local switching enabled at new POPs in Abuja, Lagos, Port Harcourt, Ibadan and Kano.

The five carriers chose to build VoIP networks rather than legacy TDM as it was both quicker and cheaper – and, with the use of WTL’s advanced compression techniques, more calls can be transmitted down the links.

The VoIP networks have significantly improved the quality of voice calls in Nigeria by increasing capacity and taking traffic off existing congested long-distance inter-city links.

To date, more than 10 billion Nigerian calls have passed through WTL’s specialist VoIP switches.

Rural Connectivity

WTL’s Vivada Rural Infrastructure Ecosystem includes all the hard and software needed to provide the essential utilities that a village needs: power, water phone and internet.

It was specifically developed for use in rural and semi-urban areas and has been deployed across Africa winning multiple awards in the process.

Mobile Number Portability

In 2013 WTL helped to develop Text To Port, a vital component of Nigeria’s Mobile Number Portability (MNP) programme.

Text To Port enables people in Nigeria to text their provider in the first instance to notify their intention to switch to another provider. This text then sparks a string of actions by the old and new provider to transition both the number and the customer’s account.

Adviser to the NCC

WTL has a long and productive relationship as a valued adviser to the NCC. It continues to lobby the NCC on a number of issues including….

Utilisation of Spectrum

WTL urges the NCC to introduce a Use It or Lose It approach to spectrum – or to incentivise operators to use their unused spectrum for new shared networks in rural Nigeria where there is little or no coverage at the moment. These networks would be built by a neutral service provider and used by existing operators. Allocating USF money to the CAPEX cost of such networks would reduce the risk.

National Roaming and Infrastructure Sharing

These will enable people to use the network of other service providers in Nigeria where their own service provider does not have a network or has limited network coverage.  In effect, operators share their infrastructure thus eliminating the need to lay duplicate infrastructures in areas where this is not commercially feasible.

WTL also believes that infrastructure sharing will be of great benefit to Nigerians with increased coverage, improved service levels and competition driving down costs.

Payments and Billing

WTL urges the NCC to compel MNOs to pay their bills in a timely fashion as delays seriously affect the cash flow of smaller operators in Nigeria.

Award-Winning Work in Nigeria

WTL has picked up many awards for its work in Nigeria including:

• Nigerian Telecom Awards – Telecom Innovation Company of the Year
• AfricaCom – Best Connectivity Solution for Africa
• Global Carrier Awards – Best Project in Africa
• Capacity Africa – Best Technology Deployment in Africa

About WTL

Headquartered in Belgium with offices in Nigeria, Brazil and the UK, WTL helps operators in emerging markets to deploy cost-effective, reliable voice and data networks for both rural and urban environments.

WTL has deployments in more than 30 countries in Africa with a well-deserved reputation for excellent service, reliable products and an expert team with extensive experience in Africa.

Its innovative, practical and cost-effective portfolio includes:

• Vivada (Village Voice and Data), a complete system to provide rural connectivity for 2G and 4G
• Award-winning range of high capacity VoIP and hybrid VoIP/TDM switches specifically designed to replace the huge, expensive, maintenance-heavy switches that have traditionally been used to transfer VoIP traffic onto other networks
• Signalling gateways and pre-paid applications for emerging carriers and telecom service operators.

For more information visit www.wtl.be or contact WTL’s PR rep on +44 7946 342 903, skype: bridgetfishleigh or bridget@telecomsprafrica.com

3 September 2019 – WTL today announced a partnership with Anti-Spam Specialist Katia to help operators eliminate unwanted SMS spam.

Nuisance text messages are an ongoing problem for both consumers and operators. Recent figures estimate that in 2018 around 33.4 billion spam texts were received by people in the US alone.

Katia’s software scans the content of text messages to check for patterns of suspicious or offensive content, key words – and identical content being sent to multiple devices. Katia identifies the IP addresses sending suspicious texts and incorporates these into its database of banned IP addresses. This database is constantly updated both internally and by tracking spam activity across the world and is applicable to both P2P and A2P messaging.

By including Katia’s database of banned IP addresses into its award-winning software, WTL can block nuisance SMS traffic as it enters an operator’s network.

WTL’s new Anti-SMS Spam Service is easy for operators to deploy within their networks. It can be offered direct to their subscribers as a premium service – or incorporated into the overall offering and used to differentiate the operator from other providers.

Maxime Winkler, CEO of Katia said “WTL is much admired for its innovative signalling and messaging product portfolio. By partnering with us, it is now able to block most SMS spam messages across its networks. This will be welcomed by WTL’s operator customers – and their customers”.

WTL’s Anti-SMS Spam Service is available as a stand-alone service or as part of its SMS Hub Service, which enables operators in emerging markets to set up their own SMS hubs. It will support both IP-based and legacy network infrastructure. Operators can increase revenues from text messages by setting up their own SMS hubs rather than outsource the routing of text traffic to and from other networks to SMS hubs such as Infobip based in London or Syniverse in Florida, USA.

Leigh Smith, MD of WTL, said “Marketers see texts as an easy way to reach consumers direct. However, not all of us want to receive unwanted and unrequested information in this way.

We received requests for help for a number of our operator customers and I am delighted that we are able to include a proven anti-spam system in our system”.

WTL’s multi-award winning systems are used by operators across the world to build and manage their VoIP and messaging networks.

About WTL

Headquartered in Belgium with offices in the UK, Nigeria and Brazil, WTL helps operators in developed and emerging markets to deploy cost-effective, reliable voice and data networks for both rural and urban environments.

WTL has deployments world-wide with a well-deserved reputation for excellent service, reliable products and an expert team.

WTL’s innovative, practical and cost-effective portfolio includes its:

• Signalling gateways and pre-paid applications for emerging carriers and telecom service operators.
• Award-winning range of high capacity VoIP and hybrid VoIP/TDM switches which have been specifically designed to replace the huge, expensive, maintenance-heavy switches traditionally used to transfer VoIP traffic onto other networks.
• Award-winning Vivada (Village Voice and Data), specifically developed so that operators, wholesale carriers and ISPs in emerging markets can build low OPEX, low-CAPEX networks in rural areas.

For more information visit www.wtl.be or contact WTL’s PR rep on +44 7946 342 903, skype: bridgetfishleigh or bridget@telecomsprafrica.com

13 August 2019 – WTL and edpnet today announced that Belgium’s first all-VoIP network is now live with businesses benefiting from high-quality, cost effective voice services.

Established in 1999, edpnet is a fast-growing mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) providing voice services in Belgium, The Netherlands and Russia. In Belgium edpnet interconnects to Proximus, the country’s largest telecoms company which is majority owned by the Belgium Government.

edpnet has become the first operator in Belgium to switch its traffic from traditional ISDN to a VoIP platform. This move is an investment for edpnet’s future growth as it is now very easy to add more capacity. Multi-award-winning World Telecom Labs is a long-term supplier to both edpnet and Proximus and was chosen once again to help edpnet with its migration to VoIP.

edpnet has deployed WTL’s specialist VoIP switches to deliver its VoIP links to improve the quality of calls, ensure that the network is always available and optimise bandwidth capacity without compromising voice quality.

WTL’s switches have been specifically designed to replace the huge, expensive, maintenance-heavy switches that have traditionally been used to transfer VoIP traffic onto other networks. For edpnet, WTL’s suite of switches have a number of advantages over traditional switches including: Increased capacity, greater flexibility, high reliability even under very heavy traffic loads and full redundancy.

Joachim Slabbaert, COO edpnet said WTL is a technologically innovative company whose team really understand what VoIP operators want and need. We buy from them because they do what they say – improve our network and reduce our costs. This migration is a huge milestone for our company and has been a complete success thanks to the help and support of the experienced VoIP team at WTL.

Leigh Smith, MD of WTL, said Congratulations to edpnet on its achievement of this landmark VoIP interconnect. We are delighted to have been part of the company’s past, current and future successes. Passing the tests of Tier 1 operators like Proximus just helps to prove our claims that our VoIP equipment is the most reliable and secure offering on the global market enabling challenger operators like edpnet to offer competitive and cost-effective voice services.

We have created a real niche for ourselves as an innovative company with proven techniques to improve the quality, bandwidth efficiency and reliability of VoIP networks. Many VoIP operators simply don’t realise that there are myriad ways in which their network can be optimized to increase capacity and reduce costs.

WTL’s VoIP optimisation services and equipment are being used by a number of operators throughout Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

About WTL

Headquartered in Belgium with offices in the UK, Nigeria and Brazil, WTL helps operators in developed and emerging markets to deploy cost-effective, reliable voice and data networks for both rural and urban environments.

WTL has deployments world-wide with a well-deserved reputation for excellent service, reliable products and an expert team.

WTL’s innovative, practical and cost-effective portfolio includes its:

• Signalling gateways and pre-paid applications for emerging carriers and telecom service operators.
• Award-winning range of high capacity VoIP and hybrid VoIP/TDM switches which have been specifically designed to replace the huge, expensive, maintenance-heavy switches traditionally used to transfer VoIP traffic onto other networks.
• Award-winning Vivada (Village Voice and Data), specifically developed so that operators, wholesale carriers and ISPs in emerging markets can build low OPEX, low-CAPEX networks in rural areas.

For more information visit www.wtl.be or contact WTL’s PR rep on +44 7946 342 903, skype: bridgetfishleigh or bridget@telecomsprafrica.com

Usually, when we comment on how our Vivada small cells bring connectivity to the unconnected, we point to the economic benefits that will come from such deployments. These are undeniable – and become even more compelling when we consider other elements in the Vivada ecosystem, such as agricultural information, e-health, power generation and more. However, we rarely consider the human aspect.

And, as a recent article (1) in The Economist makes clear, we really should. That’s because, whatever else new internet access brings to people, it also unlocks fun! The article notes that, while newly enabled internet access may well bring new applications and services to people, in fact, “play dominates work, and leisure overtakes labour”, according to a source quoted.

In other words, when people get connected, they seek out diversions, games, music, videos and social interaction, in just the same way as they do in any other country. And, because a mobile phone provides an increasingly affordable means of accessing fun things, at least in comparison with other devices, it “outperforms all other options”. In fact, mobiles offer “an unsurpassable opportunity for turning otherwise empty time into something enjoyable”.

And why not? One of the things about the internet is the range of possibilities it unlocks. From serious to trivial, from practical to playful, the internet is the means of accessing a beguiling and rewarding world. And, this is perfectly encapsulated in the wonderful Indian-English word “timepass”, which neatly explains the “essence of the internet”.

So, while we can calculate economic benefits, determine ROI based on productivity and access to information and new services, we must not forget that the internet revolutionises leisure time. And, this has clear benefits too. According to research cited, the majority of the top 25 apps by revenue in the Google and Apple app stores are games. Similarly, give people access to sports, music and more, and they will devour it, generating new revenue for service and content providers.

The interesting thing, of course, is that there will be an increasingly fragmented experience – with local language content, localised games, local sports and so on, likely creating regional and national ecosystems which, in turn, will build economic value. This wider impact is, of course, yet another reason for ensuring that connectivity solutions offer adequate data capabilities. In this respect, offering data to the most remote creates something of a virtuous circle, as consumption will fuel demand for suitable data-based treats.

There’s no doubt about it. The internet offers a unique combination of productivity and entertainment benefits. We must acknowledge this. Connecting the unconnected is laudable at so many levels. It’s a global imperative – but it’s one that will not only empower people, it will also educate them, it will inform them – and, happily, it will provide uncalculated opportunities to entertain them.

(1) “How the pursuit of leisure drives internet use – a global timepass economy”, The Economist, 08/06/19.

As Satya explained, one of the key problems with spectrum allocation is that owners have rights to frequency – legitimately acquired through auction processes – but regulators do not have the right to confiscate spectrum without significant legal hurdles. While this protects competition, an unintended consequence is that spectrum may simply not be used in some areas, because there isn’t an economic incentive for spectrum holders to deploy infrastructure.

But, while many national MNOs may meet their coverage obligations in terms of reaching a specific proportion of the population, they often fail to deliver truly national coverage. This can leave many hundreds of thousands, if not millions of people in rural areas denied the benefits of voice and data connectivity. So, regulators need new instruments to help encourage the spread of coverage to the most remote regions – one of which is national roaming and the establishment of neutral operators.

Neutral operators don’t own spectrum but can be given free access to what is effectively a national asset by regulators. In turn, the neutral operator is obliged by the regulator to provide open access to the licensed MNO, who can then offer service directly to end customers. So, MNOs avoid the risk of being the first to deploy infrastructure in a remote region, and can complete on more favourable terms.

Unsurprisingly, this model is beginning to excite commentators, as it provides a way of de-risking investments while delivering new economic and social benefits. So, when will it happen? That’s the big question but the very fact that an organisation as important as the NCC is exploring the concept suggests it’s now reaching the top of the agenda and may soon be on the priority list.

All of which will be great news – and, if you would like to understand more about how National Roaming models can be established, why not get in touch to have an exclusive briefing with Satya?

He’ll explain how National Roaming can work in practice, how it can be realised with Vivada – and, crucially, he’ll show you how there are hidden benefits that can be unlocked.

Book a briefing with Satya today.

6 May 2019 – WTL, whose pioneering and innovative work to connect the unconnected in Africa has been widely recognised and received multiple awards, has repeated its call for an alternative approach to be adopted to help increase the number of networks built in rural Africa.

The ongoing unwillingness to invest in rural networks will mean that hundreds of millions* of Africans continue to experience Deliberate Digital Exclusion, a new term used by WTL to describe people who continue to be failed by traditional MNOs in Africa – and regulators.

Connecting the unconnected continues to be a huge issue in the industry with the UN listing increased access to ICT and universal and affordable access to the internet as 9c of its Sustainable Development Goals. However, progress has been slow.

To help address Deliberate Digital Exclusion, WTL has been championing the National Roaming model for several years. This has a two-part approach: it advocates the allocation of dedicated spectrum by the Regulator specifically for rural coverage and the building of new shared networks in rural areas where there is little or no coverage at the moment.

WTL has also developed the Vivada Rural Infrastructure Ecosystem, a multi-award-winning system specifically designed to provide voice, data, electricity and water in rural areas.

WTL’s innovative and far-sighted approach has been informed through its extensive work with MNOs of all sizes across Africa – and its regular outreach to the telecoms community which includes an annual survey of people from across the ecosystem.

WTL’s recent survey once again showed that, despite the significant investment in Africa’s telecom infrastructure, the cost of building rural networks combined with low ARPUs and a long ROI continue to be the major barriers to building rural networks.

• There was no agreement over which countries are managing to get things right which clearly shows that no one is taking the lead and progress has been limited.
• 38% of Respondents said that of all the operators in Africa, MTN is most ready to build rural networks. However, 23% said that no operators are really trying to address the issue which, of course, is disappointing.
• 54% agreed that operators are still concerned that installing a tower and radios in a rural village to provide Voice and Data is not profitable.
• However, people agreed that extra services could and should be added to make a rural network more profitable with an electricity supply, pre-paid Water and mobile banking all identified
• Showing that rural networks are needed for more than voice and simple internet, and that there are additional potential revenue streams, 77% of people who completed the survey agreed that IoT should be part of rural deployments with agriculture being the overwhelming sector followed by health.
• And finally 85% support WTL’s National Roaming vision and said that all elements of a rural network can be shared: Tower, Base Station, Backhaul etc.

Leigh Smith, MD of WTL, said 5G is already proving to be the hot topic of 2019. Unfortunately this is not an issue in much of Africa where we are still trying to connect millions of people for the first time. We are open to discussions with all stakeholders who are interested in collaborating to help break barriers, extend boundaries and deliver more coverage.

*The GSMA’s latest report ‘The Mobile Economy Sub-Saharan Africa 2018’ predicts that there will be 634 million unique mobile subscribers across Sub-Saharan Africa by 2025, equivalent to 52% of the population, up from 444 million (44%) at the end of last year, well below the global average of 66%.

About National Roaming

WTL’s National Roaming model has two components:

• Building new shared networks in rural areas where there is little or no coverage at the moment. These would be built by a neutral service provider and used by existing operators. Allocating USF money to the CAPEX cost of such networks would reduce the risk.
• Enabling people to use the network of other service providers where their own service provider does not have a network or has limited network coverage. In effect, operators share their infrastructure thus eliminating the need to lay duplicate infrastructures in areas where this is not commercially feasible.

About WTL

Headquartered in Belgium with offices in Nigeria, Brazil and the UK, WTL helps operators in emerging markets to deploy cost-effective, reliable voice and data networks for both rural and urban environments.

WTL has deployments in more than 30 countries in Africa with a well-deserved reputation for excellent service, reliable products and an expert team with extensive experience in Africa.

WTL’s innovative, practical and cost-effective portfolio includes its Vivada Rural Infrastructure Ecosystem, a multi-award-winning system specifically designed to provide voice, data, electricity and water in rural areas.

Vivada enables operators, wholesale carriers and ISPs to build low OPEX, low-CAPEX networks. It includes a micro GSM or LTE base station, wifi routers, backhaul optimisation, billing and provisioning software, VoIP compression switches and SMS servers. The entire system runs on less than 200W which can be supplied by solar with battery back-up.

Villagers are also able to charge devices such as phones and powerboxes at the Vivada installation. In addition, WTL has partnered with eWATERpay to include the provision of water into Vivada.

For more information visit www.wtl.be or contact WTL’s PR rep on +44 7946 342 903, skype: bridgetfishleigh or bridget@telecomsprafrica.com

A recent article noted that Africa has become the world’s fastest growing mobile market, which reflects the sheer scale of the continent and the growing population. There’s a lot happening in mobile in Africa – and exciting times are ahead.

That’s not because 5G is on the horizon. While some African operators are investing in trials and early launches, 5G is unlikely to take off for some time to come. Instead, 2G, 3G and 4G continue to dominate. As WTL has noted, there is a significant deployed base of 2G, while long handset replacement cycles mean that, even where a later ‘G’ is available, it may take time for the device fleet to catch up.

These networks need to be supported – but they are also sources of innovation. As the article points out, there is considerable innovation coming from the continent, due to this ongoing investment in earlier generations of mobile network technology.

The industry as a whole has benefited from the rapid spread of mobile payments, for example, pioneered by a number of African operators. Another interesting area is that of ‘data-free’ applications, for which innovators such a Bi.nu have pioneered solutions that allow users without data in their accounts to access mobile applications, or to enable data exchange for reverse-charge models. And, with growing pressure to close coverage gaps, there’s also considerable ongoing innovation in terms of both solutions and policy making.

As the article suggests, this activity is often overlooked, particularly at the world’s leading conference focused on the mobile industry: Mobile World Congress. We tend to agree. We’ve seen African innovation at first-hand over the course of many years and it’s clear that there is much from which the rest of the world can learn.

In this context, it’s worth thinking for a moment about 5G. Yes, this will bring many benefits, enabling new services but the investments operators have made in 2, 3 and 4G will continue to yield dividends for some time to come – and African innovations, such as those enabling data-free access, will be critical to maximising these. But, the benefits of 5G are also some way off for other operators, so they cannot afford to neglect existing technologies and customers. There is a risk that they focus too much on jam tomorrow, rather than bread today. Operators elsewhere can and should learn from African innovators.

As such, the GSMA should devote more space and time to showcasing the best of Africa, so that others can learn from innovative use cases and applications from existing technologies which tend to be overlooked in the hype around the next generation of mobile networks.

For MWC to really live up to its billing, it shouldn’t just be about the future, but about innovation that allows operators to make the most of existing assets and innovations – and in this regard, the world’s fastest growing mobile market has much to offer.