Convergence Partners » Wireless

New Dawn Satellite on track for launch

admin — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 14:53:04 +0000

New Dawn, the first of its kind joint venture between Convergence Partners and Intelsat, is on track to launch its $250m geostationary communications satellite, which is targeted at the African market, by the end of the year, Flavien Bachabi, vice-president for Intelsat Africa said yesterday, 13 April 2010.

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Convergence Wireless Networks Invests in Tanzanian ISP

admin — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 09:41:48 +0000

Convergence Wireless Networks (Convergence Wireless), a joint venture between Convergence Partners and Comsol Wireless Solutions (Comsol), today announced that it has acquired a 35% stake in WIA Company Limited (WIA), a Tanzanian wireless connectivity provider focused on the enterprise market segment.

Convergence Wireless will take on an active role in the business by providing high-level support at a strategic and operational level but also facilitate access to resources across the wider Convergence Partners network to accelerate WIA’s evolution into a fully fledged converged communications solutions provider. Comsol will act as WIA’s technology partner bringing significant knowledge and expertise in the deployment of world-class wireless broadband networks.

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Convergence Wireless Networks invests alongside Internet Solutions in Mozambican ISP

admin — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 09:39:35 +0000

Convergence Wireless Networks and Internet Solutions announced today that they have collectively acquired a 68.5% equity stake in leading Mozambique based INTRA Lda.

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Convergence Wireless Networks brings wireless broadband connections to Africa

admin — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 13:22:12 +0000

Communication Solutions (Comsol) in partnership with one of its shareholders Convergence Partners is seeking to build a portfolio of wireless broadband data operations across multiple countries in Africa. A new investment company called Convergence Wireless Networks (CWN) has been formed for this purpose.

CWN will investigate opportunities to secure spectrum/licences in high economic growth areas in Africa with a view to participating in the roll-out of networks (as a strategic, minority financial investor) in those markets. “The potential for growth in wireless broadband usage across the continent is massive given the low existing base of penetration,” says Iain Stevenson, CEO of Comsol. Currently the total number of broadband connections in Africa numbers approximately less than 3 million, the majority of which are 3G connections.

Stevenson says that CWN will take up strategic equity interests in and supply value-added services across the entire wireless broadband market in Africa from equipment supply, to network installation, ongoing network maintenance, licensed spectrum acquisition, wholesale network operation and even ultimately to retail network operations. “CWN will work in conjunction with local country partners and existing players either in the technology arena or existing network operators,” says Brandon Doyle MD of Convergence Partners.

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CP Research Report Vol.1 No.2 2007: WiMAX = 4G

admin — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 13:45:42 +0000

Conclusion: The long-term evolution of GSM (LTE), commonly referred to as 4G, is planned to start rolling out from 2011 and will finally enable the promised benefits of 3G (fast internet, mobile TV etc.) to be realised. However, today technology is available that is able to already deliver most, if not all, of these benefits several years before LTE promises to deliver it.

WiMAX is this technology (the so-called “elephant in the room”): standards have been passed, mobility will soon be enabled, and the cost of its rollout can be achieved at a fraction of the cost of the capital requirements of a 3G network. The equipment is robust and manufacturers are pressing on with chip developments for the new generation mobile devices.

So why then does LTE continue to exist? In our view the answer to this question lies in the following:

Resistance from some existing network operators;
Limited availability of spectrum; and
WiMAX mobility is only starting to look possible.

Nonetheless, in this report we demonstrate that WiMAX serves as a cheap and viable solution to Africa’s wireless broadband needs, and is a serious contender that can be implemented by existing GSM operators and is in fact already being rolled out.

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