Category: APO-OPA

GENEVA, Switzerland, December 19, 2012/African Press Organization (APO)/ — As a number of cities in the north and centre of the Central African Republic, including Ndélé and Bria, have come under the control of armed groups, thousands of people have fled the fighting.

“The situation is made very complex by the number of parties involved and the population movements that the fighting and the fear of violence have unleashed,” said Georgios Georgantas, the head of the delegation of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Bangui. “Whatever happens, it is essential that the parties respect and protect the residents of areas where there is violence and tension. People’s property must also be respected, not looted or destroyed. And those administering first aid to the sick and the wounded, or withdrawing them to safety or providing them with care, must be able to perform these tasks without obstruction.”

“Our staff are hard at work bringing aid to people who have been harmed by the violence, in particular those who have been displaced and those injured in the fighting,” said Mr Georgantas.

In the northern city of Ndélé, one of the first places attacked 10 days ago, the number of people who fled their homes to seek protection in the Catholic mission or in a military base near the airport is rising every day. Others prefer to remain outside the city, in rough shelters next to their fields.

“Yesterday, we delivered 16,000 litres of clean drinking water to the Catholic mission and the military base where displaced people have found refuge,” said Gabriel Mukalaï, who heads the ICRC’s sub-delegation in Ndélé. “Making sure that hygiene conditions are satisfactory for displaced people is our priority.”

In Kaga Bandoro, where many displaced people have gone, the Central African Red Cross Society has deployed six first-aid teams with logistical support from the ICRC. Using a motorcycle, the first-aid workers are criss-crossing the city’s neighbourhoods searching for any casualties in order to provide them with first aid and take them to hospital.

PARIS, France, December 19, 2012/African Press Organization (APO)/ — France Telecom-Orange (http://www.orange.com) and the other members of the Africa Coast to Europe (ACE) consortium announced in a ceremony held today in Banjul, The Gambia, that the ACE submarine cable is now operational for the first phase linking France and Sao Tomé & Principe. The cable, which will extend as far as South Africa for the second phase, provides connectivity to broadband internet in Africa and will add extra capacity to existing international networks.

Logo Orange: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/plog-content/images/apo/logos/orange-logo.jpg

Nearly 12,000 km of optical fibre running along the west coast of Africa have been deployed to connect 13 countries from France to Sao Tomé & Principe. Two landlocked countries, Mali and Niger, will also be connected through extensions to the terrestrial network. Finally, Nigeria will also be connected to the cable in 2013.

Map: http://www.apo-mail.org/ACE_Orange-map_VA_Dec-12.jpg

Seven of these countries – The Gambia, Guinea, Equatorial Guinea, Liberia, Mauritania, Sao Tomé & Principe and Sierra Leone – will benefit for the first time from a direct connection to a submarine cable enabling them to enjoy optimal access to the international broadband network. By using this new network, the telecoms operators in these countries will now be able to develop innovative broadband services that are essential to their economic and social development.

The ACE cable will also contribute to the development of multinational companies present in Africa by improving connectivity between the local subsidiaries and their global networks. This will allow them to develop added-value services in areas such as Unified Communications, IT and customer relations.

The commissioning of this first phase marks the beginning of the deployment plan for the ACE submarine cable, which will ultimately run for a total of approximately 17,000 km. Seven additional countries will be connected in the second phase.

To carry out this ambitious project, France Telecom-Orange, together with its subsidiaries Côte d’Ivoire Telecom, Orange Cameroon, Orange Mali, Orange Niger and Sonatel, have combined forces with other major partners to form an international consortium.

Greater security for network traffic

Through links to other submarine cables, ACE also provides an additional western route for traffic between Europe and Asia via Africa. ACE, for example, offers an alternative and secure route for communications to countries already connected to the SAT3-WASC-SAFE cable linking Portugal and Malaysia. Finally, the cable also diversifies transmission arteries between Portugal and France.

ACE relies on what is currently the most advanced technology used for submarine cables: wavelength division multiplexing (WDM). With WDM, cable capacity can be increased without additional submarine work. Overall capacity will be boosted to 5.12 Tbps using the new 40 Gbps technology which supports ultra-high speed broadband networks.

An essential part of the Group’s broadband network in Africa

The cable’s construction amounts to a total investment of around USD 700 million for the consortium, with around USD 250 million financed by the Group and its subsidiaries. This major investment furthers two strategic objectives of France Telecom-Orange: to provide widespread access to the internet in the more than twenty African countries where the Group is present and to continue to improve the quality of service provided by the network in all of its subsidiaries.

Through the development of its submarine networks, France Telecom-Orange is contributing to the development of a high quality worldwide network. These cables constitute the essential arteries to provide the Group with access to high-performance systems at a reasonable cost in order to help service the ever increasing volumes of data being exchanged.

1 France, Portugal, Mauritania, Senegal, The Gambia, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon and Sao Tomé & Principe.

2 Canary Islands (Spain), Benin, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Angola, Namibia and South Africa.

Distributed by the African Press Organization on behalf of Orange.

About Orange

France Telecom-Orange is one of the world’s leading telecommunications operators with sales of 45.3 billion euros for 2011 and has 170,000 employees worldwide at 30 September 2012, including 105,000 employees in France. Present in 33 countries, the Group has a total customer base of 227 million customers at 30 September 2012, including 169 million mobile customers and 15 million broadband internet (ADSL, fibre) customers worldwide. Orange is one of the main European operators for mobile and broadband internet services and, under the brand Orange Business Services, is one of the world leaders in providing telecommunication services to multinational companies.

With its industrial project, “conquests 2015”, Orange is simultaneously addressing its employees, customers and shareholders, as well as the society in which the company operates, through a concrete set of action plans. These commitments are expressed through a new vision of human resources for employees; through the deployment of a network infrastructure upon which the Group will build its future growth; through the Group’s ambition to offer a superior customer experience thanks in particular to improved quality of service; and through the acceleration of international development.

France Telecom (NYSE:FTE) is listed on NYSE Euronext Paris (compartment A) and on the New York Stock Exchange.

For more information (on the internet and on your mobile): http://www.orange.com, http://www.orange-business.com, http://www.orange-innovation.tv or to follow us on Twitter: @presseorange

Orange and any other Orange product or service names included in this material are trade marks of Orange Brand Services Limited, Orange France or France Telecom.

Press contacts:

+33 1 44 44 93 93

Tom Wright, tom.wright@orange.com

Mylène Blin, mylene.blin@orange.com

GENEVA, Switzerland, December 19, 2012/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The United Nations Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, Gulnara Shahinian, today called on the Government of Madagascar to take urgent measures to fight poverty in the country. Combatting poverty is at the heart of combating slavery in Madagascar.

“Human rights cannot thrive in an environment of extreme poverty,” said Ms. Shahinian at the end of her first fact-finding mission to the country, from 10 to 19 December. “Madagascar’s experience has shown the extent to which men, women and children suffering from extreme poverty end up living in conditions of contemporary forms of slavery such as domestic servitude; child slavery in mines and quarries; bonded labour; and servile marriages,” the independent human rights expert warned.

The Special Rapporteur stressed that the lack of robust action and commitment from the authorities to tackle extreme poverty has left large sections of societies completely abandoned and in despair. There has been scarcely any investment in services such as health care and education- many of which have closed down due to lack of funds. “This endangers the future human potential of the country and is a major setback to Madagascar which was on its way to achieving the UN Millennium Development Goals on reducing the inequity between boys and girls attending school,” she said.

“I met with women, boys and girls who had been victims of physical, verbal and sexual violence as a result of working respectively as migrant domestic workers abroad and child domestic workers in Madagascar,” Ms. Shahinian said. “I learnt that parents send their children to be domestic workers so as to either pay off a debt or earn money to feed the family.”

The expert noted that parents are desperately poor, have little alternatives for their employment and are unable to send their children to school, and that children suffer from chronic hunger which affects their development physically and mentally as their brains do not develop. “Those carrying heavy loads as a result of their work on mines, quarries, brick making and the provision of water for private and commercial use also experience stunted growth due to pressure on their spinal cords and experience a great amount of physical pain in their neck, shoulders and back,” she explained.

The Special Rapporteur stressed the need for the authorities to ensure that existing national legislation is applied with a particular focus on fighting impunity and holding those responsible accountable. “The country has sufficient legislation to combat slavery but the laws are not implemented or monitored which accounts for the impunity and corruption,” she underscored.

Children are illegally working in the artisanal mining and quarrying sector. Often living in remote areas in communities characterized by violence and lawlessness, these children are also exposed to rape, prostitution, respiratory diseases and other illnesses leading to early deaths.

Regarding servile marriages, Ms. Shahinian noted that despite the national legislation which sets the minimum age for marriage in Madagascar to 18 years, numerous girls and boys are being forced to marry against their will as young as 10 years old. The Special Rapporteur heard that, in some cases, girls marry men who are significantly older and sometimes elderly men and when widowed they face discrimination and social exclusion.

“Victims of such arrangements are likely to be also victim of domestic servitude and sexual slavery. They are equally denied their right to health, education, non-discrimination and freedom from physical psychological and sexual violence,” she warned. “Such servile marriages do not tend to last for more than ten years.”

In addition, the Special Rapporteur was informed of the deeply rooted discrimination based on caste. In a country where over 70 percent are poor and over 50 percent are extremely poor, the slave descendants are the most vulnerable as they suffer from social, economic and political discrimination.

“The Government, as well as civil society and international organisations cannot continue to ignore this issue. All actors must work with local communities in order to eradicate the stigma that slave descends experience,” she stressed. “The country cannot effectively move forward until these old wounds are recognised and addressed. The government must work at all levels -particularly through community leaders such as the fokotany and lunaka in order to tackle such discrimination.”

The independent expert also urged the authorities to prioritise and devote sufficient resources to address the phenomena. “During my field visits, I met with local authorities and civil society organisations who were working to combat slavery with limited resources,” she said. “Amongst my other recommendations, I urge the government to develop urgent measures and fully resourced programmes with local authorities and work closely with civil society and international organisations in order secure funding and combat contemporary forms of slavery.”

“Education has also proved to be an effective deterrent to early marriages. “Focusing on providing free education and literacy for children and adults is crucial in guaranteeing the economic future of the country. Free vocational training backed up with employment opportunities are also crucial in providing teenagers and adults with viable economic alternatives to slavery like practices.”

During her first mission to Madagascar, Ms. Shahinian visited Antananarivo, Antsirabe, Ambositra, Fianaransoa, Ihosy, Sakaraha, where she met with government representatives, law enforcement agencies, NGOs, victims and community members.

Ms. Shahinian will present a comprehensive report on the visit’s findings at the Human Rights Council in September 2013.

(*) Check the 2011 report on child slavery in the artisanal mining and quarrying sector: http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Issues/Slavery/SR/A-HRC-18-30_en.pdf

BRUSSELS, Kingdom of Belgium, December 19, 2012/African Press Organization (APO)/ — In further response to the transformation of the countries of the Southern Mediterranean, the High Representative and the European Commission issued today a Joint Communication setting out proposals to support the five countries of the Maghreb in their efforts towards closer cooperation and deeper regional integration.

Although rich in development potential and joined by common cultural and linguistic ties, the Maghreb is one of the least integrated regions in the world. Studies have repeatedly shown that the removal of barriers in the region could have significant economic benefits as well as help in common efforts to combat instability and address a number of regional challenges including by promoting socio-economic development, combating climate change, protecting the environment and developing clean, sustainable energy.

EU High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the Commission Catherine Ashton said: “The Maghreb is a region with enormous human, economic and cultural potential. We welcome the calls from partners in the region for closer cooperation and deeper integration between them. Citizens on both sides of the Mediterranean stand to benefit from such developments. This Joint Communication, which I discussed with partners during my recent trip to the Maghreb, aims to support our partners in their efforts to take forward Maghreb integration and forms a part of the EU’s wider response to recent developments in the region”.

Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy Štefan Füle added that this Communication responds also to calls from public and private actors within the Maghreb countries for progress in integration. “We have proposed a wide range of measures to support efforts in this field while recognising that it is for Maghreb partners themselves to determine the extent and pace of integration,” he said and recalled the EU´s own extensive integration experience. “Based on that experience, we believe that efforts towards integration within the Maghreb would not only bring real benefits to the people of the region but also ultimately to the EU itself. We look forward to discussing these proposals with the Governments of the countries concerned, as well as with representatives of business and civil society”.

One of the areas for closer integration of the Maghreb countries is energy. “Energy plays an important role in the development of the region. With our Mediterranean Solar Plan we are aiming to help our partners,” Commissioner for Energy Günther Oettinger said.

The Joint Communication forms part of the EU’s overall response to recent events in the southern Mediterranean and represents greater engagement in the region. As such it complements the substantial support currently being provided by the EU for the countries of the Maghreb bilaterally and regionally through the European Neighbourhood Policy and, in the case of Mauritania, the European Development Fund and the EU Strategy for Security and Development in the Sahel.

EL FASHER (DARFUR), Sudan, December 19, 2012/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The African Union United Nation Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) on 17 December handed over a health center, to the State Ministry of Health, in Matbaa locality, located appro…

BRUSSELS, Kingdom of Belgium, December 19, 2012/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The European Union will support a project to build a desalination plant which will use renewable energy to provide water to 200,000 inhabitants, one-fourth of the cou…

GENEVA, Switzerland, December 19, 2012/African Press Organization (APO)/ — On hearing of the death of the Governor of Kaduna State, Nigeria, in a helicopter crash on Saturday 15 December, His Royal Highness Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad and the World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary, Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit expressed their sadness at the news.

The two international religious leaders had met Governor Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa in May 2012, when they were co-leading a joint Christian-Muslim delegation to Nigeria, co-sponsored by the WCC and the Royal Jordanian Aal Al-Bayt Institute (RABIIT).

The delegation had visited Kaduna as part of its mission to express concern on behalf of the international community in regard to the people of Nigeria in view of the present level of inter-communal violence.

The group had been warmly welcomed to Kaduna by Governor Yakowa, and both His Royal Highness Prince Ghazi and Tveit were made very aware of the commitment by the governor to the work of peace-building between Muslims and Christians, particularly in Kaduna State.

They commented, “We were very saddened by this tragic news. It is to be hoped that the good work which Governor Yakowa had begun will be able to be continued under his successor. Our condolences and prayers are with his family.”

MALABO, Equatorial Guinea, December 19, 2012/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (http://www.acp.int) wrapped up a successful 2-day summit for Heads of States and Government on 13-14 December at the Grand Sipopo International Conference Centre in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, committing to intensified South-South cooperation, while calling for more development-friendly relations with European partners.

Logo: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/plog-content/images/apo/logos/acp-group-of-state.jpg

The 72-point Sipopo Declaration addressed broad areas of peace, security and good governance; development finance; international trade; energy, climate change and sustainable development; and the future outlook of the ACP Group as an international institution.

In particular, the outcome document highlighted members’ determination to “stay united as a Group” and retain relevance by “enhancing the ACP-EU relationship as a unique North-South development cooperation model, while developing South-South and other partnerships.”

The document lauded the EU’s efforts in helping ACP countries achieve the Millennium Development Goals, while urging that the European Development Fund (EDF) remain outside the regular EU budget framework as a mechanism of development financing for the ACP countries. Leaders also expressed concern over the notion of differentiation and graduation in allocating development funds, calling on the EU to keep to the legal framework of the Cotonou Agreement.

On trade, ACP leaders emphasized “development-friendly” Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) between ACP countries and the EU, insisting on coherence between European development and trade policies. Taking a stand against proposed amendments to Market Access Regulation 1528/2007 as well as the Generalised System Preferences (GSP), leaders appealed for a “joint ACP-EU high level political engagement” to be convened to resolve pending issues.

Looking towards the future of the 79-member Group, ACPHeads of State noted the need to shape a more dynamic and innovative ACP Group to engage with the EU in the third five-year review of the Cotonou Partnership Agreement in 2015. They welcomed plans to set up an Eminent Persons’ Group to revive the vision, mission and response of the ACP Group to global challenges.

High level delegates from at least 63 countries, including more than 15 national heads attended the conference. Representing the regions, this included Benin President and President-in-Office of the African Union, H.E. Mr Yayi Boni, St Lucia Prime Minister and Chair of the Caribbean Community Hon. Dr Kenny Anthony, and Cook Islands Prime Minister and Chair of the Pacific Islands Forum Hon. Mr Henry Puna, along with the Presidents of Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Ghana, Togo, Zimbabwe, the Prime Minister of Namibia, and five Vice Presidents (Burundi, Seychelles, Sudan) and Deputy Prime Ministers (Papua New Guinea, Swaziland).

Participants at the Seventh Summit reaffirmed their solidarity as the collective voice of the 79-member intergovernmental body, representing a population of 930 million people. As the new republic of South Sudan joins the organisation, membership will expand to 80 nations.

Special guests such as African Union Commissioner H.E Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, European Commissioner for Development Mr Andris Piebalgs, and Co-President of the ACP-EU Joint Parliament Assembly Hon. Louis Michel were also present.

Distributed by the African Press organization on behalf of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (ACP Group).

For further enquiries:

Josephine Latu, Press Attachée +32-2-743 0617 or email: latu@acp.int

ALGIERS, Algeria, December 18, 2012/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Broadband for Africa, Realize the potential of a connected world and tackle rural inclusion

I – Alcatel-Lucent presence, activities and foot print in Africa.

II- Broadband in Africa, vision and view according to Daniel Jaeger Vice-President of Alcatel-Lucent Africa.

I – Alcatel-Lucent’s presence, achievement, success and foot print in Africa.

Alcatel-Lucent (http://www.alcatel-lucent.com) has a very strong presence in Africa, connected to its global organization, leveraging central support and ensuring best practices, the company has dedicated teams with local knowledge and global expertise on the ground in most of Africa’s countries , specialized in a wide array of technologies for both fixed and mobile communications including and not limited to 2G, 3G, 4G/LTE, Optics and IP, broadband access, VoIP, applications, managed and professional services as well as Enterprise solutions that deliver a competitive edge to businesses of all sizes. These experts are working with customers, operators, governments, businesses and partners which form an efficient ecosystem to develop and introduce new technologies and solutions, to ensure growth and capture business opportunities – with the ultimate goal to bring Broadband to the people in Africa. Alcatel-Lucent’s strong presence in African countries is a real asset for operators. Our company is ready to engage anywhere in Africa with the accurate expertise and at any level.

Logo: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/plog-content/images/apo/logos/Logo-6.jpg

Alcatel-Lucent is present in most of the African continent, including but not limited to Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Mauritania, Cote d’Ivoire, Senegal, Cameroon, Mali, Ghana, Nigeria, Togo, Kenya, Somalia, Uganda, Tanzania, South Africa, Angola, Madagascar, Mozambique and Zimbabwe….. The company brings an unmatched heritage of ideas and execution to the challenge of realizing the potential of a connected world.

In term of Research & Innovation, the innovation engine behind Alcatel-Lucent is its Bell Labs, the company’s research arm, one of the world’s foremost centers of research and innovation in communication technology. Alcatel-Lucent has more than 29,100 active patents, in which more than 2,600 have been obtained in 2011, and seven Nobel Prizes in Physics (shared by 13 scientists). Alcatel-Lucent was named one of MIT Technology Review’s 2012 Top 50 list of the “World’s Most Innovative Companies” for breakthroughs such as lightRadio™, which cuts power consumption and operating costs on wireless networks while delivering lightning fast Internet access. Through such innovations, Alcatel-Lucent is making communications more sustainable, more affordable and more accessible as we pursue our mission – to guarantee our partners return on investment, while mastering network complexity and providing good customer experience.

Enabling International and Pan-African connectivity- Alcatel-Lucent is involved in most of the major submarine projects recently launched

Leveraging over 150 years of experience in the submarine business, Alcatel-Lucent is strongly involved of the telecom infrastructure development in this part of the world, with many successful projects implemented around Africa. The African continent is definitely still yearning for affordable connectivity, as it is essential for social and economic development. The need for more connections is particularly vibrant in high-growth economy countries, where submarine cable networks can help bridge the digital divide and fuel economic and social development. International bandwidth in sub-Sahara countries has dramatically increased by 2012. This massive bandwidth has landed in West African and East African coasts thanks to EASSy, SEAS, GLO1, LION, MENA (Orascom Telecom), TE North (Telecom Egypt), ACE, TEAMS, Seacom, WACS and a few other submarine networks; as a result, the cost of International connectivity is reducing considerably; and the continent will witness explosive growth for mobile, fixed and broadband traffic at competitive rates.

Alcatel-Lucent is involved in most of the submarine systems in Africa:

 ACE a 17,000 km from Cape Town in SA to Penmarch in France , linking 20 countries (Europe-Africa) and bringing connectivity to Mauritania, Gambia, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Sao Tome and Principe, and Equatorial Guinea.

 Sea-Me-We 4 a 20,000 km, linking 14 countries from France to Singapore

 SAT-3/WASC system – linking Portugal to South Africa with branches to Spain, Senegal, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon and Angola.

 SAT-3/WASC reliant le Portugal à l’Afrique du Sud, avec des embranchements en Espagne, au Sénégal, en Côte d’Ivoire, au Ghana, en République du Bénin, au Nigeria, au Cameroun, au Gabon et en Angola.

 EASSy, 10,000 km submarine network linking eight countries from East Africa and Sudan to South Africa.

 Kenya-United Arab Emirates cable for the East Africa Marine System (TEAMS) consortium – spanning 4,900 km to connect Mombassa in Kenya to Fujairah in the UAE.

 WACS – 14,000 km submarine network connecting South Africa to Europe. In service in 2012.

 système sous-marin de 14 000 Km reliant l’Afrique du Sud et l’Europe. Mise en service en 2012.

 LION, connecting Toamasina in Madagascar to SainteMarie in La Réunion and Terre Rouge in Mauritius via a link of approximately 1000 km.

 SEAS 1900km linking Seychelles and Tanzania.

 GLO1: 9,800Km connected Ghana to West Africa and Europe.

 Middle East North Africa (MENA) 3 850 Km cable for Orascom Telecom, positioning Egypt as a central hub for traffic transit between Europe, the Middle East and Asia.

 TE North system for Telecom Egypt – 3,100 km, it started with ultimate capacity of 128 x 10 on each of its eight fiber pairs, which makes it one of the largest cable systems in the region. Now in service using 40G technology.

 Atlas Offshore for Maroc Telecom – linking the cities of Asilah in Morocco to Marseille in France, over more than 1,630 km. It directly interconnects Maroc Telecom with the various European operators.

Customers’ experience -Trusted Partner

Alcatel-Lucent to bring faster, higher-quality broadband to Africa: In Africa, Alcatel-Lucent is focused on three major segments; infrastructure, applications and services; all three are critical to its long-term commitment to its Customers.

In terms of revenues, investment and local presence, Alcatel-Lucent has a major role in building and transforming Africa’s telecommunications networks for many world-class fixed and mobile operators in Africa, including but not limited to Airtel, Kenya Data Networks (KDN), Uganda Telecom, Orange, Etisalat Nigeria, Globacom (Nigeria and Ghana), MTN, Unitel Angola, Mcel Mozambique, TDM Mozambique, Vodacom, Telkom South Africa, Smile, Togo Cellulaire ,Tigo Millicom Ghana, Telesis Tanzania, Algerie Telecom, Maroc Telecom, Inwi Morocco, Tunisiana, Orascom Telecom along with many other international key players, regional and local service providers. Additionally, Alcatel-Lucent is also present in the Oil and Gas sector and with various governments – bringing advanced, affordable and convenient services to its customers across the region.

Fast fact on Alcatel-Lucent’s achievements in Africa including but not limited to:

In North Africa:

 In December 2012, Alcatel-Lucent and Tunisiana sidned a four-year agreement to build a new superfast wireline broadband high capacity access network across Tunisia.

 In 2011, Tunisiana selected Alcatel-Lucent for complete mobile network IP transformation.

 In 2010, Alcatel-Lucent deployed turnkey communications solution for gas extraction, treatment and transport system to Saipem in Algeria (a leading Engineering Procurement and Construction contractor in the oil and gas industry).

 In 2009, Alcatel-Lucent accompanied Sonatrach the first oil & gas Algerian company to evolve its telecommunication network.

 In 2009, Maroc Telecom selected Alcatel-Lucent to migrate and integrate its billing and customer care solution.

 In 2008, Morocco’s WANA (Inwi) and Alcatel-Lucent signed a frame agreement for wireless transmission and network integration services.

 En 2007, Tunisie Telecom selected Alcatel-Lucent’s broadband access solution for triple play and VPNs.

In West and Central Africa:

 In December 2012, Alcatel-Lucent and Main One Cable Company have renewed their marine maintenance contract for Main One’s submarine cable system connecting Portugal to Nigeria over 7,000 km.

 In December 2012, Alcatel-Lucent builds Airtel’s IP/MPLS network backbone across Africa; to help the operator meet rapidly growing demand for mobile broadband services. This new backbone network will support all mobile broadband services to Airtel’s 17 affiliates across Africa – serving 60 million customers.

 In November 2012, in the frame of a new 2012 network expansion, Togocellulaire selected Alcatel-Lucent for a major transformation of the West African mobile operator’s network, boosting its GSM and 3G broadband capacity, quality and reliability across the country.

 In September 2012, Alcatel-Lucent extends Ghana’s e-government services to rural regions for NITA Ghana’s National Information Technology Agency. (fiber optics backbone and managed services)

 In August 2012, Etisalat Nigeria selected Alcatel-Lucent Optism™ to introduce permission-based mobile advertising to over thirteen million customers.

 In 2011, Etisalat Nigeria renewed managed services contract with Alcatel-Lucent.

 In 2011, Tigo (Millicom) Ghana and Alcatel-Lucent bring personalized mobile advertising to millions of subscribers in Ghana.

 In 2011, MTN Nigeria selected Alcatel-Lucent for DSL access and aggregation network transformation.

 In 2008, Alcatel-Lucent and Globacom succesfully launched Nigeria’s first commercial 3G UMTS/HSPA mobile broadbdand network and the operator selected ALU to deliver converged multimedia services.

In East and South Africa:

 In December 2012, Alcatel-Lucent builds Airtel’s IP/MPLS network backbone across Africa; to help the operator meet rapidly growing demand for mobile broadband services. This new backbone network will support all mobile broadband services to Airtel’s 17 affiliates across Africa – serving 60 million customers.

 In November 2012, Smile and Alcatel-Lucent to expand availability of 4G services in Africa (Network launched in Tanzania in June to be followed by extension of mobile broadband network to Uganda).

 In November 2012, Alcatel-Lucent and Angola Cables, a consortium of Angolan telecoms operators to connect Southern Africa in Angola and the global community through a superfast terrestrial data link based on the 100G optical coherent technology.

 In October 2012, Alcatel-Lucent and Telesis Tanzania to help stimulate industry and economic development with launch of 4G LTE mobile broadband service.

 In June 2012, Alcatel-Lucent supplies network equipment to enable Telkom South Africa to expand the delivery of superfast broadband services across the country.

 In 2010, Alcatel-Lucent has been selected by Kenya Data Networks (KDN) to further extend and upgrade its IP/MPLS network which is based on the Alcatel-Lucent Triple Play Service Delivery Architecture (TPSDA).

 In 2009, Orange Uganda selected Alcatel-Lucent to build and manage its mobile network.

 In 2008, Alcatel-Lucent has been selected by Unitel S.A in Angola to expand and enhance its wireless network with the latest generation of Alcatel-Lucent’s GSM/EDGE radio equipment.

 In 2009, Bechtel selected Alcatel-Lucent to deploy a fully integrated end-to-end communications solution for Angola LNG Plant.

 In 2009, TDM (Telecomunicacoes de Mocambique) selected Alcatel-Lucent to extend nation-wide optical backbone and bridge digital divide in Mozambique.

 In 2008, Alcatel-Lucent signed contract with mcel Mozambique to deploy 3G network covering key markets in the country.

II- Broadband in Africa, vision and view according to Daniel Jaeger Vice-President of Alcatel-Lucent Africa.

Daniel Jaeger vice-President of Alcatel-Lucent Africa speaking on Africa market and his vision; he said: Africa is a growing market and a clear focus area for Alcatel-Lucent; it is among the company’s most promising markets. Broadband being one of the top priorities in the continent, and with the arrival of the submarine cables; good progress has been made to connect landing points, national backbones connect the regional hubs, but the connectivity to smaller places and rural areas is still poor, at large.

Photo: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/plog-admin/plog-manage.php?level=pictures&id=14

Alcatel-Lucent is gaining more and more ground on the African continent. Service and network providers appreciate the focus of our company on the most cost-effective and innovative products, architectures and business models, mastering the totality of topics related to telecom business. We have the strong belief that constant technology innovations in the various domains will lead to the optimal end-to-end network transformation strategy for the service and network providers’ community.

Africa has a vast demand for connectivity – more and more broadband – on top of its infrastructure needs in some areas. More developed areas where existing infrastructures must now deliver high-quality broadband connectivity to support services like high-speed Internet access. The globalization of the economy and the growth of the internet have enhanced worldwide communications. End users wherever based in a remote village or in a big city should rely on stable telecommunications connections to enquire about the wider world and make their contribution to it. The convergence of services (broadband internet + video on demand + voice) has become a significant reality. Telecom operators, service providers, enterprises rely on their networks to run their voice, data and internet communication.

He also added: Africa is in need of affordable connectivity, which is essential for its social and economic development. Increasing the availability of high-bandwidth connections is crucial for Africa’s future development – also high growth in smart phones sales is dramatically changing usage patterns. On the other hand, the internet continues to become unwired; it remains a catalyst for change, for development and innovation, while operators and service providers are embracing the economic opportunity while coping with the capacity challenge.

Having said that, universal access to all will break network barriers to enrich and improve end users mobile broadband experience – The only economical way to satisfy the mass market hunger for mobile broadband is to capture all circuit-switched, packet-switched, fixed access and aggregation networks in a single, end-to-end IP architecture — But operators need more than cutting edge technology, as this challenge requires a technology partner that can translate breakthrough innovation into operational excellence in the field with proven capabilities in wireless and IP with the aim of providing simplified, flexible and cost effective networks.

Alcatel-Lucent promotes diversity, inclusiveness and respect across the world. Its employee base represents a multitude of various nationalities capable to communicate between each other, while carrying Alcatel-Lucent values which are the company’s cornerstones at the heart of everything we do: Customers First, Innovation, Teamwork, Respect, Ethic and Accountability.

Distributed by the African Press Organization on behalf of Alcatel-Lucent.

Alcatel-Lucent Media contact :

Sherine AZIEZ

Regional Communications Manager for Africa

Email: sherine.aziez@alcatel-lucent.com

T: +213 770 968 119

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