The MDXI data centre has
partnered with Avanti Communications
Group Plc, a leading British satellite operator, to host and manage the
satellite operator’s in-country Gateway Earth Station (GES), reports ITRealms.
MDXI, ITRealms gathered,
is a subsidiary of MainOne, with this
partnership delivers the commissioning of Avanti’s first GES in West Africa,
hosted at MDXI’s satellite farm in Lagos.
The project, ITRealms also reports, has seen Avanti invest
up to USD 20 million in the Nigerian Gateway, will ensure data from the HYLAS 4
Ka-band satellite is delivered efficiently in-country and interconnected with
other networks.
The HYLAS 4 Ka-band satellite will deliver High Throughput Satellite (HTS) connectivity to
complement the country’s existing fibre-optic networks, ensuring access is
available to enable high-speed internet everywhere, even to the most remote and
rural locations.
Applications that will be supported by this Avanti’s 3rd
Ka-band satellite include satellite broadband services for homes and Small and
Medium Enterprises (SMEs), rural schools, large enterprises and government
agencies and cellular backhaul for 2G, 3G and 4G mobile networks. Avanti
already has an established track record deploying such services via existing
satellites across East and Southern Africa as well across Europe and the Middle
East.
Avanti’s efforts in Nigeria will also include the deployment
of its Every Community Online (ECO) initiative, with built-in Wi-Fi hotpots in
schools, communities and government agencies, especially in the underserved and
remote parts of the country where power availability and connectivity services
remain a challenge. In addition, the satellite operator will take advantage of
MainOne’s extensive coverage to extend its market reach across nine countries
in West Africa.
Avanti’s technology has been proven to deliver sustainable
digital inclusion by delivering terrestrial-quality, affordable and superfast
satellite broadband services. Given the satellite’s footprint across Nigeria
and Sub-Saharan Africa, the services provided will greatly enhance eGovernment,
eLearning, eCommerce, eHealth and eBanking services in rural areas among
others. The new satellite will also offer support to oil and gas companies and
enable coverage to remote Onshore, Offshore and Deep Offshore locations.
MDXI has been chosen to launch this project in West Africa
based on its capability to deliver mission-critical data centre services and
provide extensive interconnection with other operators, Internet Service
Providers (ISPs) and the Nigerian Internet Exchange.
Speaking on the agreement, General Manager of MDXI, Gbenga
Adegbiji said “As a carrier-neutral data centre enabling multiple local,
regional and global networks in West Africa, Avanti’s choice of MDXI was
inevitable. Working closely with Avanti, our engineers have already implemented
a bespoke colocation solution to support the largest Gateway Earth Station in
the region with uninterrupted power, connectivity and security to ensure
24/7/365 operations. While ineffective distribution of available bandwidth
inland continues to hinder Nigeria’s broadband targets, our partnership with
Avanti provides Nigeria the opportunity to make accelerated broadband expansion
possible via satellite, to overcome last-mile gaps experienced in fibre
infrastructure and enable the attainment of 30% broadband penetration target in
the National Broadband Plan.”
Dave Bestwick, Chief Technology Officer at Avanti
Communications, explained that the project would guarantee employment
opportunities in ICT, engineering and communications to indigenes, as well as
enable a huge leap towards economic growth in the ICT sector in Nigeria. “We
are delighted to be partnering with MainOne and MDXI, to rollout satellite
broadband services across Nigeria and West Africa. Avanti’s products will
greatly complement MainOne’s existing network and provide reliable broadband
connectivity to places within the region without terrestrial fibre
connectivity. We look forward to expanding our collaboration in serving the
people of Nigeria with market-leading products.”
Nenye Dom/GEE
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