Widening digital horizons with Washa Wi-Fi
18 June 2025
In the vibrant heart of Nairobi, Kenya, a transformative initiative called Washa Wi-Fi emerged, driven by Syokinet. With a mission to enhance digital accessibility, this community-centric project sought to provide high-speed Wi-Fi in public spaces. By doing so, Syokinet aimed to empower communities and foster economic growth in bustling areas such as bus stations and marketplaces, where connectivity was crucial for everyday activities and business transactions.
Facing the connectivity challenge
As Syokinet embarked on this ambitious venture, they quickly realized the challenges that lay ahead. To augment their existing fibre network, the company sought to install a high-speed Wi-Fi service across Nairobi’s high-traffic zones. They aimed to offer affordable internet packages to a wider audience, yet the infrastructure deployment proved to be an uphill battle. One of the most significant hurdles was the lack of accessible AC power at the public utility poles designated for installation. Prior attempts to create an internal solar power solution with various components became costly and unsustainable, threatening the project’s viability.
Read the full article Connecting Côte d’Ivoire with the RuralStar solution
18 June 2025
Côte d’Ivoire, situated just above the equator and south of the Tropic of Cancer, enjoys a unique combination of geographical benefits and a favourable climate. The nation’s flat terrain and low elevations, which do not exceed 400 meters, offer fertile plains and plateaus ideal for extensive agricultural development. The tropical climate ensures abundant sunshine throughout the year, creating optimal conditions for cultivating high-quality crops such as cocoa, coffee, cashews, and rubber — key products for both domestic and international markets.
Despite its agricultural potential, Northern Côte d’Ivoire faces significant challenges in network connectivity. With nearly 47% of the population living in rural areas, the agricultural sector is crucial for both employment and economic stability. However, due to a lack of infrastructure, many rural residents are effectively cut off from essential communication services, including voice calls, text messaging, and internet access. This isolation hampers local economies, obstructs e-commerce initiatives, and stifles necessary digital transformations within the agricultural industry.
Read the full article
Endeavour Mining strikes gold with DMR
03 April 2025
Endeavour Mining is a major gold mine company operating in Côte d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, and Senegal in West Africa.
While expanding their mining area, Endeavour Mining identified a problem with the communication equipment which was worsening over time to the extent that some facilities had no equipment for communication at all. Radio coverage access is required across the whole mining site for their 940 employees. The lack of reliable communications infrastructure challenged the operational efficiency of the mine as the on-site command and dispatch centre could not function properly.
Read the full article Namibia mine enhances driver safety via TETRA
03 April 2025
Data mapping showing the remote operating geography of the customer mine and location of drowsiness warning events (red dots) transmitted from Optalert systems via radio network
Mining is inherently dangerous, with workers facing constant risk from cave-ins, explosions, and exposure to toxic materials. One of the critical challenges in many mines, particularly in remote areas of Africa, is the lack of reliable connectivity, without which workers are left vulnerable. Indeed, modern mines increasingly require robust critical communications systems to ensure worker safety, enabling real-time alerts, monitoring, and coordination in emergency situations.
One major mining company operating in Namibia approached Optalert to discuss trialling the Eagle Industrial early-warning drowsiness detection system, which detects the physiological warning signs of early onset drowsiness. A tiny LED is built into the lightweight frame of the glasses and measures the velocity of the user’s eyelid 500 times a second. From this measurement the level of user fatigue can be derived in real time using the Johns Drowsiness Score (JDS).
Read the full article