Alcatel-Lucent will enable YooMee Africa, a high-speed Internet service provider in Cameroon, to expand into new African market by offering TDD LTE ultra-broadband wireless access.
YooMee – previously known as 4G Africa – provides high-speed reliable Internet access and value added services to residences and businesses customers throughout sub-Saharan Africa. It has selected LTE to build wireless broadband networks as it is the latest worldwide standard to offer mobile internet services replacing technologies like WiMax.
YooMee has targeted deploying TDD LTE in its new markets within the next six months, expecting to build out in average 35 to 50 sites per capital city before deploying in remaining cities of the countries it operates in.
Alcatel-Lucent will deploy a complete end-to-end TDD LTE solution consisting of eNBs, wireless backhaul and the evolved packet core (EPC). It will also provide professional services such as network planning, pre-launch optimisation, network integration, and start-up assistance services to accompany YooMee with its commercial rollout.
Dov Bar-Gera, CEO of YooMee Africa, says, “YooMee is committed to helping eliminate the digital divide in Africa and providing ultra-broadband accessibility as the means to accomplishing that goal. In addition to our efforts in Cameroon, we plan to deploy TDD LTE in other countries in which YooMee is holding the relevant licenses in the coming years.
“Our work at the University of Douala giving 70 000 students and faculty access to broadband internet at very affordable rates is another indicator of our commitment to improving the quality of life in Africa by overcoming the digital divide.”
Peter Ziegelwanger, chief technology officer of YooMee Africa, adds: “YooMee Africa made the choice of Alcatel-Lucent because it brings a strong momentum in LTE as well as a competitive solution with a powerful IP-Centric ePC based on its 7750 Mobile Gateway. Alcatel-Lucent strong and historical presence in Africa was also very important to us as we need competent and responding support in all countries we operate.”
“The choice of Alcatel-Lucent by YooMee confirms our leadership in LTE and specifically our market leadership in Africa. We have shown that we can adapt to the different requirements of service providers in Africa by offering the products, services and expertise to meet their need,” says Daniel Jaeger, VP of Alcatel-Lucent in Africa.
“This solution leverages both our Wireless and our IP leadership capabilities to provide exactly what YooMee needed for their plans. We look forward to working alongside YooMee as they expand ultra-broadband service in sub-Saharan Africa.”