Alcatel-Lucent and Surfline Communications Ltd today announced the first commercial deployment of a 4G LTE network in Ghana and, more generally, in Western and Central Africa.
Alcatel-Lucent will provide hardware and software, along with installation, optimisation, maintenance and managed services, helping Surfline rollout out next-generation mobile communications in response to rapidly increasing data demand driven by the proliferation of lower cost smart phones.
The new IP architecture-based network will give Surfline the ability to quickly and economically expand mobile broadband capacity as customer demand grows. The 4G LTE network will provide Surfline customers access to social networking sites, Internet browsing, e-mail, online gaming, streamed videos and video calling with dramatically increased performance.
Surfline believes the Ghanaian market has matured beyond the products and services currently available in the market. This is especially true in the data sector. As a data-centric communications provider Surfline will address national requirements for broadband connectivity that will greatly contribute to Ghana’s social and economic growth.
In Ghana, and elsewhere in Africa, 4G LTE is expected to transform the use of technology with regards to mobile consumers, healthcare, transportation, energy, security, agriculture, sales and payments industries and infrastructure. Affordable country-wide broadband connectivity will act as a catalyst for the development of a digital-based economy by increasing information and communications technology (ICT) literacy.
Daniel Jaeger, Vice-President of Alcatel-Lucent in Africa said: “The recent announcement of Alcatel-Lucent’s “Shift Plan” underlined the importance of our technological edge in next-generation access technologies. Africa represents a major opportunity for growth in ultra-Broadband, and it is a significant part of our strategy to form strategic partnerships with operators like Surfline, who are committed to making a positive contribution to people’s lives.”
The network will initially cover the capital Accra, followed by all major cities and an eventual nationwide rollout.
