CBNL, InterCEL+ To Boost Broadband in Guinea

By Dipo Olowookere

Cambridge Broadband Networks (CBNL), the market leader in licensed point-to-multipoint (PMP), has today announced a landmark partnership with InterCEL +. a subsidiary of Expresso Telecoms Group, to build a major wireless network that will distribute high-capacity broadband from the ACE (Africa Coast to Europe) submarine fibre system to major urban and business regions in Guinea.

Utilising CBNL’s VectaStar PMP solution, InterCEL + has already established phase one of the network in the capital city of Conakry, offering businesses up to a tenfold increase in bandwidth compared to the legacy WiMAX links they had previously been limited to. In the following phases, InterCEL + will extend connectivity to major urban areas along the coast and inland to the under-served mining regions, which have previously lacked substantial broadband provision.

The project is set to provide a significant boost to local economies across Guinea, offering businesses affordable access to fibre-like broadband speeds that enable a wealth of advanced communications. With the mining sector representing 15 percent (http://APO.af/5kj6Wh) of Guinea’s Gross Domestic Product, the network will drive enormous benefits for the nation.

VectaStar’s highly efficient business case played a central role in realising the project, offering up to 50 percent total cost of ownership savings over alternative carrier-grade point-to-point technology. This has already enabled InterCEL + to deploy area coverage of 600Mbps across many areas of Conakry, which businesses can connect to in just a matter of days.

Mutaz Elbadawi, Chief Commercial Officer, InterCEL +, said: “We’re delighted to announce CBNL’s landmark project with InterCEL +, which will deliver the ACE fibre system’s high-speed internet to the door of thousands of businesses across the country. The network has the potential to revolutionise broadband in Guinea, helping businesses develop value added services, compete on international markets and transform their growth potential.”

“VectaStar was the stand-out solution for the project, offering best-in-class performance and a business case that enables us to quickly deploy coverage across the country. The platform is now established as a key component of our network strategy and will play an important role as we scale our network capacity in the future.”

Kamel Kaddoumi, VP Sales MENA, CBNL, commented: “We’re excited to work with InterCEL + on such a key deployment and strengthen CBNL’s strategic partnership with the Expresso Telecoms Group across West Africa.”

“By using the market-leading licensed PMP solution, InterCEL + will benefit from VectaStar’s significant cost savings, together with guaranteed bandwidth and the ability to build hub sites delivering up to 14.4Gbps. The project is well under way in Conakry and will replicate the success CBNL has already had in supporting Expresso to expand high-capacity broadband across Senegal and Mauritania.”

This latest partnership strengthens CBNL platform’s global footprint, with VectaStar now deployed across 47 countries, including for seven of the world’s top ten largest mobile operators.