AXIAN Telecom collaborates with Cisco to advance high-performance connectivity and digital transformation across Africa. (Image source: AXIAN Telecom)

AXIAN Telecom has announced a strategic collaboration with Cisco to advance infrastructure development and expand access to secure, high-performance connectivity solutions across Africa

Under its unified brand Yas, AXIAN Telecom has launched the Next Generation Secure Business Connect Portfolio, a comprehensive suite of advanced, ready-to-activate digital solutions designed to empower African enterprises and public institutions.

By integrating Cisco’s globally trusted networking and security technologies, the new platform delivers enhanced reliability, scalability, and performance. The initiative underscores AXIAN Telecom’s commitment to accelerating Africa’s digital economy by combining Yas’ regional expertise in managed services and network infrastructure with AXIAN Telecom’s technical depth and international reach.

As the digital landscape evolves at an unprecedented pace, cybersecurity has become a critical business priority across Africa. According to PwC’s East Africa Digital Trust Insights Survey, 74% of organisations in East Africa now regard cyber risk as a top concern, with strong board-level involvement. The survey also highlights that enterprises using cloud-based infrastructure have improved their cybersecurity posture by 53%, supported by better governance and advanced security protocols.

The Next Generation Secure Business Connect Portfolio is currently operational in Madagascar, Tanzania, the Comoros, Senegal, and Togo, with expansion plans targeting additional African markets in the near future.

“At AXIAN Telecom, our mission is to empower Africa’s digital future by making secure, high-quality connectivity universally accessible to enterprises and government institutions. With our advanced technology platforms now fully operational, our clients can seamlessly activate world-class digital services, instantly, reliably, and at scale. This marks a pivotal step in accelerating digital transformation across the continent, enabling organisations to thrive in an increasingly connected world,” remarkred Hassan Jaber, CEO, AXIAN Telecom.

“At Cisco, we believe secure connectivity is foundational for inclusive growth, innovation, and crucially, the backbone for future AI applications. Through our collaboration with AXIAN Telecom, we are committed to expanding access to advanced networking and security solutions, accelerating Africa’s digital transformation and its potential in AI,” added Zayan Sadek, managing director SP, Middle East Africa.

This partnership signifies a major milestone in Africa’s digital evolution, enabling enterprises and governments to embrace next-generation technologies with confidence, security, and scalability.

Empowering Africa’s industrial connectivity

Across Africa, industries continue to face major Wi-Fi connectivity gaps. From vast mining operations and ports to large construction projects and energy facilities, many sites extend well beyond the reach of fibre or LTE networks

Traditional meshed Wi-Fi systems often prove too expensive or inefficient to cover such wide areas, with latency further hampering real-time machine operation. As a result, businesses are left struggling to maintain reliable communication and operational oversight.

A new long-range wireless technology, Super Wi-Fi, is addressing these challenges. Designed specifically for large-scale industrial and outdoor environments, Super Wi-Fi provides coverage up to ten times greater than conventional Wi-Fi, delivering strong, low-latency connectivity across complex and remote sites.

Solving traditional connectivity barriers

“Many heavy industrial NEC XON customers struggle with traditional Wi-Fi due to range, latency, and interference,” explained Willem Wentzel, senior architect at NEC XON. “Now we can offer them Super Wi-Fi, which overcomes those barriers. It’s built with intelligent antenna technology and advanced radio algorithms that mitigate noise and extend coverage, delivering high throughput and low latency. In ideal circumstances this extends across multiple kilometres but for more real world environments we find the effective range is 900m to 1.3km.

“Unlike LTE, which requires costly licensed spectrum and agreements with mobile operators, Super Wi-Fi operates in unlicensed bands, making it faster to deploy and more cost-effective for private industrial use. Each base station can cover hundreds of metres to several kilometres, connecting customer premises equipment (CPE) units across mining pits, port terminals, or remote field offices,” remarked Bernadette George, NEC XON Presales: 4G, 5G & oRAN Ecosystem Connect & Access.

Super Wi-Fi also offers exceptional industrial-grade resilience. The latest models feature 8×8 MIMO smart antennas, dual-band operation across 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz and lower 6 GHz, and rugged IP67-rated enclosures built for outdoor or hazardous conditions. Explosion-proof versions are available for deployment in oil and gas environments.

The system’s architecture enables centralised cloud management, supporting configuration, analytics, and proactive maintenance. This makes it possible to integrate connectivity with other critical services such as CCTV, analytics, cybersecurity, and managed network operations, creating a single, unified view of site performance and safety.

Proven global deployments

Super Wi-Fi has already demonstrated its value internationally. In Senegal, the technology reduced the number of required access sites by 90% in a citywide rollout, earning the “Connecting West Africa” award. Similar success has been achieved at industrial terminals in Malaysia, and in large warehouses in Mexico and India.

According to Wentzel, the simplicity of Super Wi-Fi is a key advantage. “It’s easy to install, requires far fewer access points than traditional networks, and integrates cleanly into existing infrastructure. The result is lower total cost of ownership and better operational continuity, especially in sectors where downtime isn’t an option.”

Now, the technology is being rolled out across African industries where mobility, reliability, and coverage are essential, from mining and ports to utilities, construction, and banking. As Wentzel concluded: “Super Wi-Fi is not just about better connectivity. It’s about enabling safer, more efficient, and more intelligent operations across Africa’s most challenging environments.”

GVA to launch fibre broadband network

French-owned Group Vivendi Africa (GVA), the parent company of CanalBox, is set to introduce high-speed fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) internet services in Ghana, beginning with Accra and Kumasi

The launch marks GVA’s entry into its tenth African market and reinforces its mission to provide affordable, unlimited broadband connectivity across the continent.

A GVA delegation led by CEO Jean-François Dubois met with Ghana’s minister for communication, digital technology and innovation, Samuel Nartey George, in Accra to discuss the commercial rollout and potential government collaboration. The meeting focused on strengthening Ghana’s digital infrastructure and ensuring broader access to affordable, high-speed internet.

George commended GVA’s proposed pricing model, describing it as “revolutionary” and aligned with the government’s goal of expanding affordable digital access nationwide.

The minister pledged to engage the minister for energy and the electricity company of Ghana (ECG) to resolve infrastructure access challenges that could impact implementation. He also encouraged GVA to present a detailed proposal outlining its service plans, investment framework, and areas that might require government support.

Additionally, George suggested collaboration between GVA and Canal+ to bundle broadband services with premium entertainment content, which he said could significantly transform Ghana’s pay-TV and internet landscape. He assured GVA of the government’s full support for investors committed to improving the country’s digital infrastructure and bridging the connectivity gap.

Dubois reaffirmed GVA’s commitment to Ghana, noting that the company aims to replicate its successful fibre deployment model already operating in nine African countries. 

A subsidiary of Canal+ Group, GVA operates in Burkina Faso, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Togo, Gabon, Uganda, and Benin, where it recently launched CanalBox services in Cotonou and Abomey-Calavi. The company has already deployed over 40,000 km of fibre-optic cable across Africa, serving more than 2.8 million homes and businesses.

GVA’s expansion into Ghana follows Canal+ Group’s recent acquisition of MultiChoice Group, securing a 94.39% stake in the South African pay-TV giant. The merger is expected to enhance Canal+’s content distribution network and potentially enable GVA to offer bundled internet and media packages across Africa.

With government backing and strong consumer demand for affordable home broadband, GVA’s entry into Ghana is expected to intensify competition in the telecommunications market and accelerate the nation’s digital transformation agenda.

Regional experts approve feasibility for new cable. (Image source: ECOWAS)

Experts from Cape Verde, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea-Bissau, alongside their technical and financial partners, convened in Monrovia, Liberia, from 22 to 24 October 2025 to review and approve the feasibility study report for the installation of a second submarine cable connecting the four nations

The initiative, spearheaded by the ECOWAS Project Preparation and Development Unit (PPDU) in collaboration with the Directorate of Digital Economy and Postal Services, aims to strengthen digital development across the participating countries. By establishing a robust international connectivity infrastructure, the project will enhance network reliability, improve Cabo Verde’s integration with the West African region, and support regional initiatives such as roaming services.

The new submarine cable will also expand the international capacity available within the ECOWAS region, facilitating internet growth, enabling advanced digital applications, and ensuring redundancy and security of international communications links.

The opening ceremony on 22 October 2025 was presided over by Mohammed Massa-Ley, deputy minister of posts and telecommunications in charge of technical services for the Republic of Liberia. The event was attended by Kebba Fye, interim director of the PPDU; Bénédict Roberts, head of the ECOWAS National Office in Liberia; and Dr Nathaniel Walker, political adviser to the ECOWAS Permanent Representation to the Republic of Liberia.

This collaborative meeting marks a crucial milestone toward the realisation of the second ECOWAS submarine cable, positioning the region to benefit from improved connectivity, digital resilience, and enhanced economic integration.