Intelligent CIO Africa Issue 72 | Page 14

NEWS

Orange launches commercial 5G network in Botswana ambition to leverage Fourth Industrial Revolution ( 4IR ) innovation towards transforming Botswana into a knowledgebased economy , leaving no-one behind .

Orange Botswana is the first Orange affiliate in Africa to launch 5G commercially . The 5G network will be available in greater Gaborone and Francistown , covering 30 % of the population from November 11 2022 . Other cities will follow in early 2023 .

It follows the launch of Botswana ’ s first Orange Digital Centre which will help bridge the digital divide and prepare Batswana youth for employment in a blossoming digital ecosystem . New healthcare , education and security services will be enabled in the country by the 5G technology .
This 5G launch will further support innovation and digital inclusion in the country , putting Botswana at the forefront of 5G in Africa and is closely aligned with the government ’ s
Orange Botswana has partnered with MRI Botswana to create a ‘ Connected Ambulance ’ project that will allow doctors to guide paramedics through life-saving procedures on their way to hospitals . This telemedicine intervention will change lives and would not have been possible without 5G . Orange Botswana is looking forward to collaborating with the government and enterprises to implement 5G-based use cases .
After the commercial launch of its 5G services in Botswana , Orange Middle East and Africa intend to maintain its efforts in getting the latest and most advanced technologies in all its MEA countries adding value to local economies and continuously bridging the digital gap within the African populations .

Africa Data Centres to build its first data centre in Kigali , Rwanda

Africa Data Centres , a business of

Cassava Technologies , a pan-African technology group , has announced it is building its first data centre in Kigali , Rwanda . The data centre will have 2MW of IT load and will be purpose-built to meet growing demand in the region .
“ It is an exciting time for Africa Data Centres ,” said Tesh Durvasula , CEO at Africa Data Centres . “ Our decision to build a data centre in Kigali was an easy one , given Rwanda ’ s robust economic recovery post the COVID-19 pandemic and the Government of Rwanda ’ s focus on Digital Transformation .”
Hardy Pemhiwa , Group President and CEO of Cassava Technologies , added : “ This latest announcement adds to and complements our existing investments in Rwanda and elsewhere in East Africa . We will work closely with both public and private enterprises in Rwanda to ensure that they can harness the benefits of our data centre facility to enable the provision of digital services that Rwandan citizens need .”
Although Rwanda is a landlocked country in East Africa , there is stable network connectivity and infrastructure connecting it to Uganda and from there to the Kenyan coast into Uganda . Africa Data Centres will ensure that Rwanda becomes part of their ecosystem in East Africa by connecting the new data centre to its site in Nairobi .
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