Re: Colo in Africa

[Mark Tinka <mark.tinka () seacom mu>]

On 18/Jul/19 11:04, Denys Fedoryshchenko wrote:

> Africa, Russia...
>
> You can take as example Lebanon.
> Capital and major city in tiny country, ~40km away from each other,
> and only way you can get 2 points connected over microwaves(due
> mountains - several hops), over "licensed" providers, DSP, who hook
> this points for $10-$30/mbps/month. And many of them don't have
> support at evenings and weekend. Of course, due crappy electricity in
> country and economical situation, discharged batteries and outages at
> evening/night at "licensed" DSP sites - common case.
> The laws of the country are so cool, that it is even forbidden to lay
> optics from the building standing next to other building, unless you
> are government monopoly (and they don't sell fiber connectivity).

There is no shortage of countries around the world that stifle the
development of their telecommunications industry because they don't
understand how different the Internet is from POTS.

Countries such as Djibouti land a tremendous amount of submarine cable
systems, and yet it makes very little sense to the average operator to
deploy meaningful network there. The Middle East, Asia, Europe and Latin
America all have their own examples of the same. North America is no
exception in some parts of those countries.

You need to remember that Africa is not one country. Observing an
assessment in one country has nothing to do with the the situation in
the other 54.

> In Africa, many people do not have electricity at all and cook on open
> fire, i imagine what difficulties they have with connectivity.

Cooking with firewood is not a linear basis for the depth of
connectivity in Africa. Traditional views don't always work, which is
how Africa is the fastest growing mobile phone economy in the world. It
shouldn't be, but it is.

You'll need to open your mind to how differently folk get by this side
of the world.


> The last time when I worked with a team on study to invest in telecom
> in Africa - results discouraged even trying to engage in telecom
> subject there.

I'm curious where this team was based...

We have no shortage of "consultants" that desktop Africa from an office
in New York.

I can send you my consulting contract if you like. I live in Africa :-).


> I think the only ones who are interested in decent connectivity there
> - mobile operators. Maybe worth to find connections and talk to them.

Perhaps it's time I went and got my mobile operator license :-).

Mark.