Africa is poised to grow within the global telecommunications sphere, but operators need to start thinking globally, as the future will belong to global processes.
This is according to Derek Wilcocks, CEO of Dimension Data MEA, speaking at the annual Southern Africa Telecommunication Networks and Applications Conference yesterday.
Wilcocks said while “globalisation is absolutely here” when it comes to the local IT industry, the telecoms sector represents a different story, largely due to the fact that networks are bound to a host of local standards.
As SA and Africa aspire to become more connected in a “hyper-connected” world, this setup will not be good enough. “We will need to see global, open networks. Telcos need to start thinking a lot more globally.”
“The realisation of a connected continent relies heavily on government and the private sector working together.”
In pursuit of the common goal of connectivity and consequent economic upliftment, Wilcocks said: “Government needs to work to speed up and standardise processes. [To this end] it needs to find ways to work together with the private sector.”
Mobile, he pointed out, is one of the primary aspects Africa can leverage in this shift to globalisation. “When one looks at what makes Africa and providing connectivity in Africa successful, mobile is key. Mobile operators have created an entire infrastructure and I believe connectivity will largely be mobile for the foreseeable future.”
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