Internet Solutions in Ksh 280 Million deal with Telco Systems for new network

Internet Solutions Kenya, formerly Access Kenya Group, has announced a partnership with Telco Systems, a US-based company that designs and develops telecom network communications solutions, for the upgrade of its fibre-access network.

According to a press statement by Internet Solutions Kenya, Telco Systems will upgrade the entire IS Kenya fibre network in the next 12 months, increasing the service provider’s capacity on the fibre ring to 10GE. The enhanced network means that customers will now access multiples of Gigabyte connections at any point on the network.

“In the last two years, there has been a growing demand for capacity and other services layered on connectivity, from our enterprise customers. This new infrastructure has the capacity to support greater bandwidth, cloud services and enhance our data centre connectivity,” said Richard Hechle, managing director, Internet Solutions Kenya.

He added that the enhanced network now gives all IS Kenya clients access to faster data-carrying service on the fibre network, which translates to improved service quality in a market that has recorded a growing demand for cloud services and data in the last year. In the exercise, the IS Kenya network will be fully automated, allowing for the quick provisioning of new and existing services , a simplified deployment of the network and simpler maintenance activities.

The company is looking to leverage the upgraded network to cater to increased demand for data traffic without significantly increasing capital or operational expenditure on a backdrop of ongoing network expansion set for completion in April 2017 for Kisumu, Eldoret and Thika, at a cost of Ksh 25 million.

“Our key focus is not only expansion, but improving resilience on our existing network and better utilizing the infrastructure we already have. In addition to enhanced connectivity, we shall utilise our infrastructure to deliver benefits of the cloud to our customers including Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Software as a Service (SaaS) and Platform as a service (PaaS),” Hechle added.

In a strategic move aimed at further utilising existing infrastructure, IS Kenya said it has also partnered with Surf to deliver affordable, high-quality bandwidth to middle- and low-income individuals and households, adding that Surf is utilising IS Kenya’s infrastructure for the deployment of unlimited internet services and high-speed public Wi-Fi hotspots in Eastlands and the Central Business District of Nairobi, with a planned rollout across all major cities and towns in Kenya over the next few months.