Telecom
The Need for Speed
Data boom pressures operators to speed up deployment of new data centres – increased focus on turnkey prefabricated solutions
The seemingly insatiable demand by users for more data has taken many players in the African telecom and communications sector by surprise.
To keep up with demand, new infrastructure is often needed and particularly data centres – the heart and brain of any network.
With speed to operations being essential, prefabricated and modular data centres that can be deployed in mere days have become all the rage. Peter Karaszi , telecoms expert explains.
Global mobile data traffic grew 81 percent in 2013, according to a recent report by Cisco (Global Mobile Data Traffic Forecast Update).
Last year’s mobile data traffic was nearly 18 times the size of the entire global Internet in 2000. Smartphones and tablets are driving this traffic explosion.
A typical smartphone generates 48 times more mobile data traffic than a basic-feature cell phone.
Not surprisingly, traffic growth was strongest in Africa and the Middle East, up 107 per cent. Despite high costs for data traffic, consumers on the mother continent are snapping up smartphones and rapidly building an addiction to being online everywhere, all the time.
And it is not slowing down anytime soon: global mobile data traffic is expected to increase nearly 11-fold between 2013 and 2018, growing at a compound annual growth rate of 61 per cent.
Again, Africa is outpacing the rest of the world with an expected annual growth of 70 per cent.
So where does this leave mobile operators, scrambling to benefit from this data boom?
To cope with the increasing traffic, telecom infrastructure is key. And that often means investing in new infrastructure, and better infrastructure.
There are many ways to improve efficiency in every part of the network, from smarter OSS solutions to ultra-high efficiency antennas.
Let us take a look at maybe the most important link in the chain: the data centre. High quality, efficient data centres are essential.
They house and power all the equipment needed for transmission of data and are both the heart and brain of any network.
Telecoms operators and other IT players often have long lists of reasons for planning for a new data centre, but the increasing data demand by customers is the most common reason.
They have quite simply run out of space in their existing facilities and urgently need to expand to meet current demand (and let alone future demand).
Lack of capacity is no option. It would be like telling all existing and future customers to get lost and rather turn to a competitor. It would seriously hurt the brand and the bottom line.
Data and switching equipment is relatively easy and quick to order. The data centre building itself is trickier.
In Africa, it can take over a year to plan, co-ordinate (with different suppliers) and construct a new data centre facility.
There are often delays and budget over-runs. Buildings for data centres are often not purpose built to be used as technical facilities and often have water leaks and other problems.
So mobile operators, hosted data providers, internet service providers and others are increasingly choosing turnkey prefabricated data centres instead of brick and mortar solutions.
They are much quicker to deploy, which saves time and money, and will always be the “right” size since their modular structure make them easy to quickly expand in response to changing needs.
Roof top data centre installation in just eight days
Vodacom Mozambique’s deployment of a prefabricated data centre (Flexenclosure’s eCentre) on top of a six-storey building in central Maputo is one excellent example of the need for speed when installing a new data centre.
The 126 square meter data centre building was manufactured in Sweden, shipped to Maputo and installed in just eight days!
Benefits to the client were a guaranteed product (versus an uncertain project), a guaranteed budget and guaranteed delivery on time.
This would have been very difficult, if not impossible, to achieve with a traditional brick and mortar structure.
A second reason for mobile operators needing a new data centre speedily is when there has been a data centre-related incident of some kind, which needs a very quick fix.
In August 2013, a battery-related fire damaged Vodacom Tanzania’s energy centre in Dar es-Salaam, resulting in a serious (and very public) disruption to its network services.
This time the eCentre was chosen to replace the old energy centre. It included separated A and B sides and separated batteries, increasing redundancy and security and thus minimising the risk of any impact on business continuity in case of another accident.
Prefabricated data centres are not constructed on site but rather in a clean environment far away from the deployment location.
All engineering expertise is already there and the systems can be thoroughly tested before shipment.
Energy efficiency is also becoming more important, especially in Africa where energy supplies are generally unreliable and the cost of power is constantly rising.
A modern prefabricated modular data centre uses the most appropriate and efficient cooling solutions available. For example, indirect free air cooling can provide up to 70 percent electricity savings.
A smart infrastructure management system can monitor energy efficiency remotely and optimise power usage. In all, this leads to significant reductions in energy consumption and cost.
In conclusion, experience on the ground has given the industry strong incentives to choose turnkey modular data centres over traditional builds.
In the long run, this is very good news for both end consumers and suppliers of sought-after data to keep the smartphones ticking and beeping.
The very strong trend in favour of custom-designed prefabricated data centres is set to continue.
Peter Karaszi is a communications expert in intelligent telecom solutions based in Cape Town, South Africa. He has over 30 years of experience from the telecom and IT industry, including at C-level positions and boards of global technology corporations. He has written six books and numerous articles.
Airtel Nigeria has restated its commitment to transparency, customer safety, and regulatory collaboration following recent regulatory enforcement by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).
The NCC had served Airtel Nigeria a notice of sanction over some alleged SIM infractions in Kano State and consequently slammed a fine of N104 million on the telecommunications firm.
NCC had in a letter, addressed to Airtel Nigeria Chief Executive Officer, dated May 26, 2025, signed by Chizua Whyte, head, Legal and Regulatory Services, and Mohammed Dari, acting head, Compliance Monitoring and Enforcement, on behalf of Dr Aminu Maida, executive vice chairman, NCC, titled: ‘Notice of Sanction: Non-Compliance with SIM Registration Directive in Kano,’ where the infractions were spelt out.
According to NCC, Airtel infractions include unauthorised SIM registrations using 198 unapproved devices, resulting in 8,275 registrations outside the 281 verified Airtel shops; premature activation of 63 MSISDNs prior to proper SIM registration, contrary to the provisions of the Registration of Communications Subscribers Regulations 2022; failure to conduct effective eyeballing, leading to 407 fraudulent SIM registrations with multiple NINs, contrary to the provision of the Registration of Communications Subscribers Regulations 2022 and failure to provide satisfactory explanation for SIM registrations conducted between 12.00 a.m and 6.00 a.m.
On the matter, the letter revealed that there were some letter exchanges and subsequent meetings on the infractions between the telecom regulator and Airtel, starting from January 12, 2025, March 19, 2025, March 24, 2025, and March 27, 2025, respectively.
Apparently, after investigations and responses from Airtel, the NCC was not satisfied and this led to the fine of N104 million, which was to be paid within seven days from the date the letter was issued.
Specifically, NCC fined Airtel N5 million, N12 million, N81.4 million and N5 million for the infractions respectively.
Reacting, Airtel, expressed appreciation to the NCC for uncovering the infractions, describing the development as a critical opportunity to strengthen internal processes and further align with national security and regulatory expectations
“We thank the NCC for its vigilance and continued support in protecting the integrity of the telecoms ecosystem. Airtel takes these findings seriously and is already implementing corrective measures,” a spokesperson for the company said.
Only recently, Airtel Nigeria’s CEO recently announced that the company is doubling its investment in the country, focusing on network expansion, fiber-to-the-street rollout, 4G/5G deployment, customer care upgrades, and digital infrastructure security.
These investments reinforce Airtel’s long-term vision of building a resilient and forward-looking telecom network that meets the evolving needs of Nigerians.
“Our systems are constantly evolving to stay ahead of scammers and malicious actors,” the spokesperson added. “This is not just about compliance; it’s about our responsibility to the millions of Nigerians who rely on Airtel daily.”
Airtel Nigeria says it will continue to work closely with the NCC and other arms of government to ensure high standards of service and safety for all telecom users nationwide.
Kenya is celebrating its regulatory ecosystem being ranked as the most progressive in Africa. The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) has ranked the East African country first in its most recent ICT Regulatory Tracker.
ITU’s ICT Regulatory Tracker is an evidence-gathering tool for decision-makers and regulators. It demonstrates the effectiveness of regulatory systems in the age of technology.
The ITU evaluates the design of the national regulatory authority, the scope of the regulatory mandate, the obtaining regulatory environment, and the robustness of the competition framework in member countries.
Kenya received 93 points, up from 92 in 2023, and now leads the continent in best practices for ICT regulations.
Nigeria and South Africa finished second and third, with 92 and 88 points respectively. Malawi, Egypt, Rwanda, Morocco, Uganda, Burkina Faso, and Senegal complete the top 10 list.
Globally, Kenya was ranked 20th out of 194 countries covered.Italy led the rankings, with 100 points.
The regulator, Communications Authority (CA) of Kenya, said the achievement underscored Kenya’s commitment to creating a robust, technology-neutral regulatory environment that supports innovation, affordability and access.
Steve Isaboke, permanent secretary for broadcasting and telecommunications, visited CA Centre in Nairobi following the announcement on Thursday.
“The ranking is a clear testament of the excellent work that CA has done in spearheading Kenya’s digital transformation and driving digital access for all,” he said.
“After 25 years, CA’s regulatory regime has attained maturity, and gained global recognition. This ranking shows that the CA staff and leadership are executing their work diligently.”
MTN Nigeria Communications PLC has announced a significant increase in female representation within its leadership, with women now making up 41.4% of its workforce, a notable rise from 38.7% in 2023.
This figure reportedly doubles the industry average, positioning MTN Nigeria as a frontrunner in gender diversity within Nigeria’s ICT sector.
The company’s recently released 2024 Annual Report highlights its sustained commitment to workplace inclusion and gender equality, aligning with its “Ambition 2025” strategy. Female representation within the executive management team has reached approximately 46.7%.
MTN Nigeria attributes this progress to dedicated initiatives aimed at empowering women professionally. These include the “Women in Tech” programme, which provides targeted upskilling in high-demand fields such as Cloud Computing, Software Engineering, AI/ML, Data Science, and Cyber Security.
The “MTN Y’ello Mums Internship Programme” also supports young mothers in their transition back into the corporate world after career breaks.
Odunayo Sanya, executive director of the MTN Foundation, was recognised as the CSI Personality of the Year at the Nigeria Tech Innovation & Telecoms Awards (NTITA), further underscoring the company’s impactful social initiatives.
Additionally, Uto Ukpanah, the company secretary, received the inaugural Global Corporate Secretary of the Year Award from the Corporate Secretaries International Association (CSIA).
Speaking at a recent conference, Odunayo Sanya, emphasised the importance of balancing profitability and sustainability equation, saying, “Businesses today need to be purpose-driven. While the soul of business is profitability, it is not profitability alone that should matter to stakeholders.”
Uto Ukpanah, added, “Showcasing our corporate values and ethos to the world opens the door for greater collaboration with other organisations, as we believe there’s a lot to learn when we all come together. Governance continues to evolve. The challenges today are not the same as they were 10 years ago. Greater accountability is expected, and companies can only continue to do better.”
The company’s broader efforts in diversity and inclusion have been acknowledged with multiple accolades, including the Corporate Responsibility Award. MTN Nigeria also received the “Employer of the Year” award at the 4th Edition of the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) Employers’ Excellence Awards.
Karl Toriola, CEO of MTN Nigeria, in the report, reiterated the company’s commitment to building a purpose-driven organisation, emphasising that its success is intrinsically linked to its people and their dedication to a shared vision.
“Since we initiated our culture transformation journey in 2021, our culture transformation has significantly enhanced employee engagement and organisational cohesion. It’s directly strengthened our ability to deliver outstanding business performance and drive sustainable long-term value for all our stakeholders.”
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