Africom stands out as the crème de la crème
in ICT
The crème de la crème, when it comes to information
communication technology (ICT), is without doubt Africom,
the first privately owned company to obtain a public data
network licence, from the telecommunications regulatory authority,
POTRAZ in 2001.
Africom provides data communication solutions, and since
the award of its licence, has been building the foundations
of its public data network; laying fibre optic cables, installing
switches, setting up wireless base stations at strategic locations
and connecting up some of its customers to the new network.
Last month it also decommissioned its old wireless equipment
on the roof of the Causeway Post Office building, which had
been using frequencies in the Industrial, Scientific and Medical
(2.4GHz) band, and commissioned new broadband wireless equipment
in the same building, which uses licenced frequencies Potraz
has assigned to Africom. This allows Africom to deliver a
guaranteed service level, free from congestion and disruption
as what characterised wireless service in the ISM band.
The new equipment was officially commissioned by Potraz Communications
Director Gideon Magodo, who commended Africom for taking the
lead in complying with current regulations, which forbid the
use of ISM bands for commercial purposes.
Africom has begun work on the network in Bulawayo, which
should be connected to the Harare network within the next
few months. Rollout targets for the network will see coverage
extending to he whole of Zimbabwe within the next five years.
Whereas in the past, Africom provided point-to-point links
between a company and its various branches, with the client
investing in the network infrastructure, the new network eliminates
the need for capital expenditure on the clients’ part.
Africom instead, outlays the capital investments and then
leases bandwidth to customers, who pay on a recurring basis.
Africom’s public data network allows the high speed
transmission of computer data from one physical location to
another through optic fibre cables and broadband wireless
channels. It can be used for such applications as internet
access, file transfers, point of sale transactions using debit
or credit cards and automated teller machine (ATM) transactions.
Africom has defined its mission as “to continually improve
information flow on the continent to enable African communities
to profitably participate in the information economy.”
While it is a Zimbabwe company and its main focus of operations
has been Zimbabwe, Africom Zimbabwe, which is a subsidiary
of Africom Holdings, is also involved in projects elsewhere
in the region with projects in Angola and Zambia.
Africom is notable for the focus and aggressive approach
of its management team. It has succeeded in obtaining recognition
as one of the leading players in its field.
It prides itself on its commitment to development in the
nations it is operating in and on contributing to development
throughout the African continent, through the provision of
efficient and reliable information communication technology.
It is, put simply, the crème de la crème, when
it comes to information communications technology. It is keen
to establish its place in this regard not only in Zimbabwe
but throughout the region and continent. It has already begun
to do this and looks set for even greater success.
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