30 December 2016

Mobile operator InterCEL + is building 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.

The company is using a point-to-multipoint (PMP) microwave system and has already established phase one in Conakry.

It has already rolled out a network that supports 600Mbps across many parts of the capital, and is said to be offering businesses up to a ten-fold increase in bandwidth compared to the legacy WiMAX links they had previously been limited to.

InterCEL + is now extending connectivity to major urban areas along the coast and inland to the underserved mining regions, which have previously lacked substantial broadband provision.

Its new PMP network in Guinea is using CBNL’s VectaStar platform. It’s claimed this is offering up to 50 per cent TCO savings over alternative carrier-grade point-to-point technology, and has given InterCEL + the ability to build hub sites delivering up to 14.4Gbps.

Mutaz Elbadawi, the operator’s CCO, says: “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.”

InterCEL + is part of the Dubai-based Expresso Telecoms Group which also runs African operations in Sudan, Senegal, Mauritania and Ghana.

As well as offering consumers and enterprise a range of mobile, high-speed data and voice services, Expresso plays a key role in managing ACE’s cable landing stations and expanding connectivity across the countries it operates in.