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Expedience 4G WiFi offload holds the key for e-learning


Pretoria, 03 Mar 2014
Base Transceiver Station (BTS) NSXw Subscriber Unit
Base Transceiver Station (BTS) NSXw Subscriber Unit

In South Africa, only about 7% of schools have an adequate library, while only 10% of schools have sufficient Internet access and desktops for staff and pupils (Africa mobile fact book 2012). Education and skills development is a top priority for government, and e-learning will have a significant role to play in the future.

"Affordable connectivity by means of 4G WiFi offload holds the key for e-learning in South Africa, with the cost for 3G and LTE data expected to remain prohibitive," says Michelangelo Technology CEO Andr'e Nel. "The most important factor in making the opportunity a reality is providing a secure and seamless user experience for smartphone and tablet users, with data priced at 80% below the data rates offered by mobile operators."

ITU's Wireless Broadband Network in Africa project aims at developing and implementing wireless broadband connectivity and applications that will provide free or low-cost digital access for schools, hospitals, and under-served populations in rural and remote areas Africa-wide.

Burundi will be the first nation to benefit from the new infrastructure, with deployments also planned for Djibouti, Burkina Faso, Mali, Rwanda and Swaziland. Expedience, the world's number one proprietary fourth generation Non-Line of Sight (NLOS) broadband wireless solution, was selected by the ITU in 2012 to deliver 180 base stations for the project.

The Expedience broadband wireless system uses advanced Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplex modulation technology to provide reliable, optimised service in difficult, high-multipath urban RF environments, as well as providing long-range data infrastructure in rural areas. The channel size is flexible with an 8MHz channel achieving throughput in excess of 17Mbps under optimal conditions within a cell radius of 10km for urban deployments (BTS-4G), while a 6MHz channel ensures a maximum cell radius of 32km in rural areas (BTS-R). The next generation outdoor subscriber unit with a high performance embedded WiFi access point (NSXw) is ideal for WiFi offload.

Michelangelo Technology has been installing Expedience broadband networks in Africa over the past eight years. Its customers in Congo, Angola and Mozambique have more than 70 base stations in operation serving thousands of customers. Michelangelo is the distributor for Expedience in South Africa and has type approved the Expedience system with ICASA in both 2.6GHz and 3.5GHz licensed frequency bands. Due to saturation in the South African mobile market, the opportunity for virtual network operators (VNO) has arrived. A unique brand in a niche market such as e-learning that offers carrier class 4G Expedience connectivity with WiFi offload and attractive pricing could make an impact in the next few years.

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Michelangelo Technology

Established in 1999, Michelangelo Technology has been developing energy-efficient solutions for the last eight years. Significant exports into Africa of Expedience Broadband Wireless systems have made it possible to fund the in-house development of energy-efficient, theft-proof Safe Computers as well as solutions for modular green construction ideal for e-learning laboratories. Today, Michelangelo's Green Economy business model is based on online metering for managing electricity and water usage, with solutions including energy-efficient heat pump assisted solar water heating and LED lighting as well as DC inverter air-conditioning along with water conservation and grey water recycling. Michelangelo's Green Economy projects are feasible in almost all cases, with payback in about three years, and are scalable to include residential, hospitality, educational, commercial and industrial markets. Visit www.michelangelotech.co.za

Editorial contacts

Andr'e Nel
Michelangelo Technology
(083) 460 6839
ajnel@michelangelotech.com