16 WEDNESDAY 14th NOVEMBER 2012 FEATURE | BLUWAN By Shayan Sanyal, CCO at Bluwan
Broadband Access for Africa – which horse to back?
development. The first decade of the new millennium saw Africa focus on mobile infrastructure, recently overtaking Latin America as the second largest mobile mar- ket in the world according to the GSMA. The next phase of Africa’s ICT revolution will undoubtedly be for widespread broad- band access.
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CONNECTING AFRICA Across Africa, operators have been hindered by the operational cost of deploying broad- band infrastructure. This is especially true in areas where physical geography repre- sents a significant obstacle; rocky terrain, hills and valleys, changeable atmospheric conditions, and where low density rural areas do not justify a sufficient ROI. The proliferation of new submarine
cables has been fundamental in enabling investments into overland fibre networks. However, providing affordable broadband access to the interior is a challenge. Recent estimates predict that reaching the last mile accounts for 45 - 60 per cent of the cost of broadband (Analysys Mason Report - In- ternet global growth: lessons for the future - September 2012). Fibre networks are undoubtedly the
preferred choice for ubiquitous broad- band access. They have the capacity and speed to deliver a variety of services and applications to large populations and projects by fixed-line operators to expand geographical reach are currently coming to fruition. In the meantime VSAT satellites are playing a part connecting the last mile. Unfortunately satellite cannot match the large scale capacity requirements for pro- viding widespread high-speed, low-laten- cy, broadband access, even with newer Ka band satellite technology.
WIRELESS – THE WAY FORWARD The only technology capable of bridg- ing the last mile that comes close to fibre, considering cost and ease of installation, is wireless. However, there are a confusing plethora of technologies available, all of which have different use cases. Mobile broadband has seen the most
success, but spectrum auctions for 3G, never mind LTE, are some way away across Africa. As such 2G and 3G are still being rolled-out with CDMA /WCDMA
roadband is vital for establishing economic viability in Africa; it fuels economic growth, em- ployment and socioeconomic
and GPRS technologies being deployed. GPRS has limited throughput, latency and quality of service and although CDMA450 provides long-range high-speed voice and data connectivity, only a handful of devic- es can use the 450MHz frequency (Making ICT More Accessible and Affordable in Rural Areas, September 2011, agropedia). On the whole, GSM technology is much wider spread. WiMAX has helped increase broad-
band traction in Africa; in fact Africa has the biggest number of national WiMAX networks in the world with 117 networks in 43 countries in May 2011, according to the GSMA. WiMAX, however, lacks capacity; a maximum of 35Mbps on a sector can only provide 2Mbps average speeds to about 15 customers simultaneously. LTE offers higher download speeds,
up to 100Mbps, and upload speeds of 50Mbps, making it a viable alternative to fibre. However, LTE deployments are only just beginning, with spectrum availability constraining wider rollout. Consequently, no single technology solu-
tion will prevail. Instead, hybrid wireless access solutions are presenting a compelling solution to extend last mile connectivity. They typically have much lower installa- tion and operating costs, and are quicker to install - meaning operators can redeem profits faster, and they re-use existing infrastructure.
FIBRE THROUGH THE AIR Bluwan’s FTTA Access solution enables op- erators to very quickly and cost-effectively complement fibre optic high speed broad- band access. The wireless transmission sys- tem provides ultra-high bandwidth delivery and easy deployment, while keeping capital and operational expenses low. Bluwan’s FTTA is comprised of small
outdoor antennas that receive wireless broadband transmissions from a Central Transmission Hub. Each hub provides up to 8 gigabits per second capacity in a 360º, five kilometre radius, deliver- ing average speeds of 2Mbps, and up to 100Mbps peak performance to thousands of customers, over 80km2. This enables operators to offer other revenue generat- ing services delivered through over-the top applications with reliable, high qual- ity levels of service. In addition, by utilising the 12 GHz (10.7 - 12.7 GHz) spectrum, Bluwan’s FTTA is ideal for rural areas, tropical or humid cli-
Bluwan FTTA in Hargeisa
mates. This is due to its cell coverage range of more than 5 kilometres. Because FTTA integrates with both newer (LTE, HSUPA) and legacy (WiMAX, 5 GHz) uplink technology, operators can deploy very high speed broadband in low-mid density rural areas, or subtropical zones without increas- ing fibre investments.
NEXT GENERATION BROADBAND ACROSS THE HORN OF AFRICA Somcable, Somaliland’s largest integrated communications solutions provider, is using Bluwan’s FTTA to deliver high capac- ity broadband access across the Horn of Africa. The system, delivered and integrated by Globecomm Systems, complements Somcable’s multi-million dollar invest- ment to provide next generation last mile connectivity. Using Bluwan’s FTTA, Somcable will
provide high-speed internet, VoIP, IPTV and Video on demand services, enabling a whole new lifestyle experience in Somali- land. With premium broadband service reaching speeds of 100 Mbps, consumers will now be able to download and watch movies and music videos, and enjoy TV over broadband. They will also be able to play games, access educational materials and information and receive medical help and diagnosis, revolutionising their qual- ity of life. Similarly, with hub capacity of up to 8 gigabits per second, business users will benefit from the broadband services
by being able to work from home, use cloud services, and exploit a host of other opportunities, including e-commerce and video conferencing.
CONCLUSION Africa’s mobile revolution has already proven that it can embrace ICT on a massive scale. To facilitate the move to ubiquitous broadband access will be no mean feat. However, with new, innova- tive technologies, the goals set out by the Connect Africa Summit may not be too far off. Wireless access technologies, such as
Bluwan’s FTTA Access solution, are prov- ing the effectiveness of enhancing fibre investments. With access to high-availa- bility, high-capacity triple play wireless broadband, people across the continent can realise a wealth of new opportuni- ties, from healthcare and education to enhancing their way of life with banking, e-government and e-commerce services. Overall, economies will continue to grow, making African nations powerful interna- tional players.
Bluwan have developed a positioning paper ex- ploring these issues in more depth, it is available for download at:
http://www.bluwan.com/blog/ solutions/accessafrica. To understand more about Bluwan and its solutions; visit the company at AfricaCom, stand P34.
AFRICACOM DAILY 2012 I
http://africa.comworldseries.com/
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