4G LTE, ULTRA-BROADBAND NETWORKS A CATALYST FOR CHANGE IN AFRICA

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for Alcatel-Lucent, Michael Combes

By Our Correspondent

THE Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for Alcatel-Lucent, Michael Combes, said that 4G LTE and Ultra-Broadband networks in Africa have enabled a positive change – politically, economically and socially, adding moving forward the goals are clear.

“For me Africa is at the heart of tomorrow. Becoming digital is an important catalyst for change. The focus of development will continue to bring connectivity to users by working with local, regional and international partners to literally help ‘connect’ the African people," Combes, states.

According to Combes, Ultra-Broadband is the most transformative technology since electricity, and one of the most promising assets for governments seeking to boost their economies and social development in an open digital world.

Combes adds that Ultra-Broadband creates opportunities for people to unleash their skills by enriching the way they innovate, do business and share knowledge.

“Broadband for all is not only a nice marketing moto but every network has its success is the reality. Alcatel-Lucent strongly believe that universal access for all will break network barriers to improve the end user mobile broadband experience and that is the only economical way to meet the increasing demand for mobile broadband,” the CEO said.

Combes noted that industry and service providers are changing and they need more than a traditional technology vendor but an innovative partner who will accompany them in the race of shaping the future – going forward from breakthrough innovation to proven and excellent operational capabilities so as to meet network requirements.

Over the last century Dar es Salaam, has transformed from a sleepy fishing town into a thriving metropolis of over four million people – who for the last two years have had access to lightning-fast Internet access on their phones and at home (otherwise known as 4G LTE). This has not only allowed the country’s economy to grow, it’s already quickly bringing significant change to lives across the continent and creating a new blueprint for digital inclusion to the world.

“The hunger for data in Africa is enormous, it’s immense and every day we’re surprised at how much data people use,” Chief Operating Officer for Smile Communications, Tom Allen, said.

Since 2012 Alcatel-Lucent has been working with Smile to introduce and develop the 4G LTE network throughout Tanzania. “Networks are now fundamental. Being able to actually exchange information in a way that is quick and efficient – that’s a data world,” Allen, stated. He also added: “Alcatel-Lucent believed in us and the 4G technology they supplied does better than we could have imagined”.

It’s a sentiment echoed at the top of Alcatel-Lucent too. Michel Combes, Alcatel-Lucent’s CEO, is emphatic in reiterating the significance of Africa to Alcatel-Lucent’s growth and the pride of the company to take such a key role in developing opportunities across the continent. “Our Global 'Shift Plan' strategy perfectly focuses on those technologies that meet the connectivity challenges of the African continent,” Combes, said.

“What we are doing is much more than just installing a mast or selling a cable. It has an impact on the people in this country. It gets a different kind of meaning”: said Daniel Jaeger, Vice-President for Africa, Alcatel-Lucent.

4,000 miles away from Tanzania and with a population of almost 24 million, the West African country of Côte d'Ivoire will soon experience a surge in 4G LTE technology. “A study of the World Bank claims that a 10% growth in the number of Internet users in sub-Saharan Africa will generate a GDP increase of more than 1.3%,” Chief Technology Officer for YooMee Africa, Chris Kilala,said.

YooMee is aiming to change the game for broadband connectivity in Africa and bring the quality of Internet services to the level of that in Europe or the US. The company’s Group Sales and Marketing Manager Emmanuel Forson believes that together with Alcatel-Lucent’s technology they can “reduce the digital divide in Africa, contributing to the emerging progress of the continent”, a sentiment that is echoed throughout Alcatel-Lucent.