Tech

Africa Mobile Networks pens deal with Starlink to connect millions in Africa

Published

1 year ago

August 16, 2023

Pan-African mobile operators, Africa Mobile Networks (AMN) has entered into a commercial agreement with Elon Musk’s SpaceX to use Starlink constellation of low Earth orbit satellites to connect its station bases across the African continent.

Mike Darcy, CEO of AMN Group, who made the announcement on Wednesday, said the deal would see AMN’s mobile network migrate to high-speed and low-latency services to “serve even the most remote and rural communities in the world.”

According to Darcy, the partnership will pull their vision closer than ever and will “enable AMN to bring 3G and 4G services to rural communities with high quality of service, and deliver ever-increasing amounts of bandwidth and volumes.”

“We are already making rapid progress in Nigeria where we have over 1,000 operational base stations today, to connect more unconnected communities, and we are seeing a huge appetite for data services in many of these places,” Darcy said.

“AMN plans to deploy Starlink terminals at sites in Nigeria during 2023, as part of a larger project to connect 700 additional rural communities before the end of the year.

“By collaborating with Starlink, we can support significant growth both in terms of the number of sites and services offered,” Darcy added.

The CEO reiterated that AMN was committed to its vision of a fully connected world where no community of significant size was deprived of telecommunications services for the social, educational and economic benefit of the population.

“AMN has made significant progress towards this vision, with telecommunications services now accessible to more than 10 million people in nearly 4,000 communities in 14 countries in sub-Saharan Africa as a direct result of the AMN towers.”

Chad Gibbs, SpaceX Vice President for Starlink Business Operations, who also commented on the partnership, said:

“We are excited to work with AMN on our shared vision of a fully connected world. Today’s announcement of Africa’s first cellular network to use Starlink for the backhaul is an important step that will bring high-speed connectivity to millions of people on the continent for the first time. especially in rural and isolated communities.”

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Tech

20 African tech-preneurs embark on Korean innovation tour

Published

7 hours ago

December 22, 2024

Isaac Dachen

The African Development Bank Group’s Innovation and Entrepreneurship Lab has selected 20 promising tech entrepreneurs from various African technology ventures and enterprise support organisations to embark on a two-week study tour of the Republic of Korea, with the aim of seeking investment and insights from the country’s innovative tech ecosystem.

The selected entrepreneurs are from 133 ventures that participated in last month’s Africa Tech Startup Forum.

The forum which will hold under the auspices of the lab’s “Leveraging the Entrepreneurial and Innovation Success of Korea to Strengthen African Enterprise Support” project, had selected entrepreneurs who pitched the best business models during the week-long virtual market access and acceleration programme preparing, training, and connecting technology ventures with opportunities.

The 20 young tech-preneurs were selected from eight African countries including Nigeria, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, Rwanda, South Africa, and Uganda, with the delegates spanning various sectors in the technology space.

While in Korea, the African delegates will pay visits to prestigious institutions such as Global Startup Centre, LG Science Park, the Korea Software Technology Association, and the Global Digital Innovation Network.

Speaking on behalf of the delegates, founder of Kenya-based health technology venture Zuri Health, Uche Ezadinachi said:

“I am excited to go to Korea because the country has made serious technological developments. The country is a technology-driven society, and this tour is an opportunity for me to see how we can bring such technology to Africa.

“We will share experiences with our Korean counterparts; they will learn from us as much as we learn from them,” he added.

Tech

Kenya’s ticketing startup BuuPass partners Flexpay for flexible travel payments

Published

3 days ago

December 19, 2024

Isaac Dachen

Kenyan digital ticketing startup, BuuPass, has entered into a partnership with goal-based savings platform, Flexpay, to offer customers flexible payment plans ahead of holiday travels as well as simplify travel planning and ease the financial burden of holiday travel for Kenyans.

Co-founder and CEO at Buupass, Sonia Kabra, who unveiled the package at a press conference, said the collaboration between the two platforms will allow travellers to save for their journeys in manageable, interest-free installments over four to 12 weeks.

“Travelers can select their travel dates, book tickets, and pay a small deposit upfront, with the remaining balance spread across weekly or monthly payments,” she said.

“This approach offers a stress-free way for families and large groups to secure their tickets early, helping them avoid last-minute price hikes as fares are locked in.

“By partnering with Flexpay, we’re giving travelers the flexibility to budget for their trips in advance. This initiative aligns with our mission to make travel accessible to everyone, providing a solution that meets customers where they are financially,” said Kabra.

Also speaking at the event, Richard Machomba, CEO and founder of Flexpay, said:

“Flexpay’s mission is to empower individuals by providing accessible financial solutions that make it easier for them to achieve their financial goals.

“By partnering with BuuPass, we’re making travel more accessible and stress-free for Kenyans, especially during the holiday season when expenses can be overwhelming,” Machomba added.

Founded in 2016 by Kabra and Wyclife Omondi, BuuPass is a B2B2C mobility marketplace that enables users to search, compare, and book travel tickets via web, app, or USSD, while its SaaS platform helps bus operators manage their operations, inventory, and sales.

FlexPay, on the other hand, is an online and offline payment gateway that allows merchants to offer interest-free targeted savings to their customers in Africa.