Operator Africell Sierra Leone is to roll out a high-capacity disaggregated IP/MPLS (internet protocol multi-protocol label switching) backbone to deliver mobile and fixed services, with support from IP Infusion, a manufacturer of carrier-grade networking software.
IP Infusion announced that Pine Networks, a systems integrator based in Paris, has chosen its OcNOS network operating system to provide a disaggregated networking solution for Africell.
Africell offers mobile coverage throughout the entire country. Africell also provides high-capacity FTTx (fibre to the ‘x’) to cater to the connectivity needs of businesses and residential areas in Freetown, the capital and city of Sierra Leone. Due to the surge in traffic resulting from its 4G coverage and in preparation for the introduction of 5G, it became crucial for Africell to deploy a scalable IP backbone network for the backhauling of both mobile and fixed traffic.
Africell, therefore, made the decision to deploy its new backbone infrastructure using disaggregated routing solutions based on the IP Infusion OcNOS Network Operating System and the Edgecore hardware switches. Systems Integrator Pine Networks developed and delivered this turn-key project to Africell, from network design and proof of concept, to integration and traffic migration.
Ali Abou Hamdan, head of transmission and IP at Africell Sierra Leone, says “We made the decision to use a disaggregated routing solution because it covered all of our requirements and provided the flexibility we need at a lower point than traditional solutions.”
“The IP Infusion OcNOS was the right choice for Africell, because it provides the required features for current and future requirements as Africell introduces more advanced services,” says Hadi Choueiry, general manager of Pine Networks.
“We are pleased to have more deployments in Africa, which is an important market for IP Infusion. This deployment expands our global footprint and is further proof that IP Infusion products have a place in the broader international market,” says Atsushi Ogata, president and CEO of IP Infusion. “Innovation, performance, and cost-effectiveness are product traits appropriate for every market that IP Infusion is proud to deliver on.”
