#Africacom2015: Alcatel-Lucent to drive Cape Town’s digital transformation with advanced IP routing technology

Alcatel-Lucent is to deploy its advanced IP core routing network technology in Cape Town as the economic and tourism hub of South Africa’s Western Cape transforms itself into a fully digital city working with Bytes Systems Integration

As the economic hub of the Western Cape, a major tourist destination and one of the most populous cities in South Africa, Cape Town is home to many technology start-ups and a base for many global software companies, retail chains and financial companies. To drive growth and encourage new businesses to the area, the City of Cape Town wants to reduce the cost of broadband in order to expand access.

The new IP-based ultra-broadband infrastructure will help to lower the cost of broadband connectivity, connect underserved communities and stimulate new digital business development, while facilitating high-speed local government services.

With just 34 percent of South Africa’s population connected to the Internet in 2013, the national government wants to see that number increased to 50 percent, connected at 5 Mbps, by 2016 and 90% by 2020 under the national broadband plan.

Daniel Jaeger, Vice President Alcatel-Lucent Africa, said: “This project highlights how our powerful 7950 XRS core router can serve the needs of governments and other organisations in addition to telecommunications service providers. This agreement builds on our growing momentum with governments in EMEA and around the world to develop more competitive nations and smarter cities, leveraging our expertise in IP networking, ultra-broadband and cloud technologies.”

Working with its former subsidiary, Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise (divested to China Huaxin in 2014) and Bytes Systems Integration, Alcatel-Lucent is providing its IP routing portfolio – including the powerful 7950 Extensible Routing System – for the development of a high-performance IP network infrastructure.

“The development of this high-speed communications infrastructure will further reduce the cost of broadband services through enabling open access to the City’s broadband infrastructure for commercial service providers. This is facilitating easy access and driving competition hence reducing broadband services cost to the citizens. As a result of this, commercial ISPs are also using the City’s broadband infrastructure to provide internet access to the public via Wi-Fi Zones,” said Leon Van Wyk – Telecommunications Manager, City of Cape Town.

This will initially enable high-speed government administration and management services including access for emergency services. In addition the City of Cape Town wants to encourage infrastructure sharing to allow third party communications providers to connect underserved communities, facilitate the delivery of e-services and drive socio-economic growth.