Project to provide high-speed wireless Internet in Dar es Salaam and Mtwara regions by October 2013 followed by phased national rollout

Paris, October 25, 2012 - Alcatel-Lucent (Euronext Paris and NYSE: ALU) is to enable Telesis Tanzania to offer affordable 4G LTE services by providing mobile broadband technology, potentially stimulating economic growth as well as business and cultural life in the east African country.

Telesis operates as a Mobile Virtual Network Aggregator (MVNA), supporting services for a number of Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNO) which serve their customers using Telesis’ infrastructure. Telesis Tanzania is focused on developing individual, tailored, and cost-effective solutions for its MVNO partners by offering leading technology infrastructure, proven commercial and distribution capabilities, enhanced commercial and operational support and managed services.  These MVNO’s include, but are not limited to, licensed mobile operators, Internet service providers (ISP), governments, banks and business partners.

To support these efforts, Alcatel-Lucent will provide Telesis with its comprehensive 4G LTE mobile broadband solution. Affordable nationwide broadband connectivity will act as a catalyst for the development of a digital-based economy by increasing information and communications technology (ICT) literacy, supporting national initiatives aimed at socio-economic development and increasing demand for investment in complementary infrastructure and industries.

The mobile broadband network will be launched using the digital dividend spectrum available for Long Term Evolution (LTE) services. The LTE network offers speeds exceeding 100 megabits per second (Mbps) which is particularly effective when transferring the large amounts of data needed to support bandwidth-intensive services. LTE is expected to revolutionize the use of technology with regards to mobile consumer, healthcare, transportation, energy, security, agriculture, sales and payments industries and infrastructure, to name a few. The network will act as a backbone for these initiatives by providing service resilience and continuity.

Mihayo Wilmore, Director and Co-Founder of Telesis said:  “Telesis lives by its motto, ‘connecting the unconnected’. The wireless broadband project allows us to work towards bridging the gap in the digital divide by addressing the key stumbling blocks – access and affordability.  Both Alcatel-Lucent and Telesis have been entrusted by the regulator (TCRA) and the Tanzanian Government at large to truly become a game changer, leading the establishment of a business model where collaboration rather than competition will benefit the economy at large. Tanzania has over 20 million addressable broadband users, 200,000 registered businesses, and nearly 30,000 educational institutions that all need to be connected. This is a true test of technology, will and human capital - Telesis believes it has the building blocks for all three. As such we are very pleased to be able to work with Alcatel-Lucent to leverage its expertise in 4G LTE technology and make affordable Internet services a reality”.

Daniel Jaeger, vice-president of Alcatel-Lucent in Africa said: “Alcatel-Lucent is committed to developing projects that make Internet and communications technologies a reality for people in areas that are currently underserved, providing new opportunities and driving economic growth. We are proud to be working on this project to deliver our leading 4G LTE solution and help the company provide superior service with even faster speeds.”

The Alcatel-Lucent technology solution for Telesis
For the project Alcatel-Lucent will provide its 4G LTE solution including Radio Access network (RAN) products, the Evolved Packet Core solution (EPC), the Service Aware Manager the Subscriber Data Manager, Convergent Charging System as well as its services expertise including project management, integration and optimization.

As global demand for Internet services continues to rise, Alcatel-Lucent is providing companies such as Telesis with a clear, efficient broadband evolution path. Alcatel-Lucent’s innovative mobile broadband solutions, including the groundbreaking lightRadio™ portfolio are designed with this in mind, and provide a framework for wireless networks that offer superfast data speeds while reducing operating costs and power consumption.

About Telesis Tanzania Ltd

Established in 2011, Telesis Tanzania has over 80 years cumulative shared experience in operations, sales and marketing management, telecommunications and technology related industries.

These extensive leadership skills are supported by field experience in data network roll-out, marketing billing and operational management both within Tanzania and internationally. 

Telesis Tanzania brings to the masses affordable, widely available, accessible Internet services, through the roll out of a 4G LTE network. Affordable nationwide access will act as a catalyst toward the development  of a digital based economy and e-government services  by supporting national education  initiatives while catalyzing local and international enterprises in their business and entrepreneurial pursuits both within  Tanzania and Internationally. The network will act as a backbone to these initiatives by providing service resilience and continuity to those most affected by the digital divide. Telesis Tanzania, through its objective, will roll out an extensive service throughout the country addressing the pressing issue of the digital divide while simultaneously generating jobs, creating wealth and insuring access to knowledge.