Page 92 - SAMENA Trends - May-June 2024

ARTICLE SAMENA TRENDS

ARTICLE

Building a Framework for Neutral Hosting in Middle

East and Africa

Digital connectivity is synonymous with progress. As the United
Nations highlights, it is for many people a basic service that
connects them to health, welfare, education, financial services and
more. It is the neural network behind the digital click of the button
that opens the door to economic growth, citizen engagement
and social equality. However, in developing countries, only 70%
of households have internet compared with 92% in developed
countries. There is a need for increased connectivity to ensure
that countries lagging on digital within the Middle East and Africa
region are pulled forward into the digital age, benefitting from the
social and economic advantages it has to offer.

In South Africa, the State IT Agency (SITA) has committed to the
development of a national broadband project estimated at around
R6 billion. The goal is to increase connectivity while reducing the
costs across government, municipalities, and state agencies. As
Communications Minister, Mondli Gungubele, stated in April 2024,
SITA has committed to 98% core network availability across more
than 7,500 connected government sites.

One of the core benefits of a neutral hosting
model is that it can recover network build
costs through the hosting of multiple
tenants – it frees up resources that can be
redirected towards core business activities
while empowering organisations to deliver
Daniel Mausoof exceptional services.
Market Head,Technology and Solutions for
Mobile Networks The initiative was set to establish 9,900 Wi-Fi hotspots across 16
MEA Nokia districts in 2023 using its SA Connect programme and is running
behind the commitment, highlighting the need for increased
collaboration with key stakeholders alongside the use of neutral
hosting and network sharing to drive momentum. This is already
a key role played by Nokia in the Middle East and Africa with its
strategic approach to neutral hosting as it narrows the digital gap
and is aligned with the company’s mobile network strategy of
connecting the unconnected.

92 MAY-JUNE 2024