A communications network solution delivering affordable telephony and data services to buildings in the central business district of the Ugandan capital, Kampala, represents the first time in Africa - and only the second time in the world - that British transport and German access communications technologies from the Marconi product portfolio have been brought together and controlled under a single network management system.
The network, which is also the first "fibre to the kerb" installation in Africa, is being installed by Marconi Communications South Africa (MCSA) for MTN Uganda in a turnkey contract worth R40 million.
Designed, planned and project-managed by Marconi, the broadband fibre network will reach into and serve the hub of Ugandan commercial activity. Some 90% of Ugandan business is conducted from Kampala and the network is therefore expected to stimulate the Ugandan economy.
The installation of the initial 14km-long fibre optic cable ring network around the Kampala CBD and industrial area has been completed and work is proceeding on inter-switch trunk connections and access rings. About 30% of the first phase has been installed to the extent that even at this early stage, the network can carry the equivalent of more than 3 500 simultaneous telephone calls.
A number of subscribers have already gone live on the system and they will not be disrupted by the ongoing roll-out of the network. Subsequent phases will take services to other areas of the city.
The network is designed to take high bandwidth right to the desks of commercial, industrial and government subscribers, making it easier and quicker for MTN customers to do business both locally and internationally. At the same time the network provides quick and easy access to international information and knowledge bases.
"Fibre to the kerb is ideal for a greenfield installation such as this one," says MCSA technical director George Debbo. "The synchronous digital hierarchy (SDH) backbone links British-developed TM-16 technology and thereafter German access technology in the form of MSV-5 and MS 1/4 distribution nodes and optical network units (ONUs) that take POTS (plain old telephone services), ISDN (integrated services digital networking) and leased lines to end-users with the possibility of also supplying xDSL services.
"The network is cost-effective and efficient. It overcomes traditional copper wire problems such as cable theft and if the optic fibre ring is accidentally cut, all voice and data traffic is automatically switched back to run in the opposite direction to reach subscribers. The cut is also pinpointed for quick repair."
The main transport ring has the capacity to handle the equivalent of 30 240 simultaneous telephone calls, which illustrates the leading-edge capability of SDH technology to deliver high-quality voice and high-speed data services. Marconi`s distributed multi-service platform (DMP) technology is used to take the services into the buildings and ultimately to the desktop and the entire system is managed and controlled by the ServiceOn access network management system.
Debbo says the optic fibre network is also replacing the existing MTN microwave system between GSM base stations and will be used to connect a second MTN GSM cellular services switch to the original GSM switch. The microwave components can then be re-used for the rapid deployment of services elsewhere.
"Our overall design was driven by the need to maximise services and benefits while catering for cost-effective and swift capacity expansion. The ring topology allows rapid deployment because of the proximity to the customer and it is inherently resilient and reliable.
"The fibre to the kerb, or fibre to the office technology gives flexibility. Subscribers can select the bandwidth that suits them, from POTS at the lower end right up to STM-0 that at the higher end of the scale gives more than 50Mb capacity.
"This technology has the potential to become the ideal solution for cellular voice and data network systems throughout Africa. It is perfect for both business and urban areas and, being highly scaleable, long-range links can be used to join cities. Wireless access, copper access, SDH transport and microwave links can be included, all manageable under a single network management platform. It is a real `brick-to-click` solution."
The Kampala system will provide subscribers with voice, fax, high-speed data services for e-mail and the Internet, ISDN services, multimedia services, direct Internet bandwidth and leased lines.
MCSA won the contract on open tender against a number of major international telecommunications companies on the strength of its total solution approach covering network design, planning, implementation, commissioning and overall project management.
As project managers, MCSA has involved a number of sub-contractors for the laying of cabling, ducting and the installation and connection of the network to each building and, wherever possible, Ugandan contractors are being used.
The Marconi network equipment and components are being sourced from SA, the UK and Germany.
MTN Uganda is the second national operator (SNO) in Uganda. The Kampala project is core to MTN Uganda`s overall drive to deploy a fixed wire-type network to provide cost-effective telephony services throughout the country.
Marconi Communications South Africa (MCSA) employs around 730 people, with its network division and headquarters at Midrand and a manufacturing division at Springs. Empowerment group African Renaissance Holdings (ARH) holds 25% of the MCSA equity.
Marconi plc is a global communications and IT company with around 49 000 employees worldwide. Marconi has research and development facilities in 19 countries, manufacturing operations in 16 countries, and serves customers in over 100 countries. It supplies advanced communications solutions for Networks, Enterprise and Wireless customers, globally. Marconi plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange and Nasdaq under the symbol MONI. Additional information about Marconi can be found at www.marconi.com.
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