Radisys, owned by RIL unit Jio Platforms Ltd (JPL), along with Tech Mahindra and Finland’s Nokia, is partnering with Next-Gen Infrastructure Co. (NGIC), in which the Government of Ghana, Ascend Digital and K-Net own shares for the raid.
NGIC, which is the first neutral 5G shared infrastructure provider in Africa, plans to offer 4G and 5G network support in Ghana and subsequently across Africa.
Under the proposed business model, NGIC will invest approximately $200 million over three years to expand its 4G and 5G networks. These will be offered to mobile operators in Africa as a shared infrastructure resource, optimizing costs for local telcos who do not want to invest in expensive network installations.
People familiar with the matter said JPL-backed Radisys is likely to offer NGIC its own 5G software stack.
NaaS model
JPL’s 5G stack uses Open-RAN (radio access network) technology and equipment to deliver 5G-based fixed wireless access (FWA) services in African markets starting with Ghana.
“We are delighted to be part of this strategic partnership in Ghana and Africa and look forward to working with all strategic partners to realize NGIC’s vision,” Radisys CEO Arun Bhikshesvaran told ET. He added that FWA along with 4G and 5G mobile services will help promote economic growth and digital inclusion. “Radisys looks forward to helping Ascend and NGIC build a disruptive and affordable shared broadband infrastructure across Ghana,” he said. “Additionally, our communication platform and digital applications will help create new digital experiences.”
He further highlighted that NGIC’s Network as a Service (NaaS) model is exciting for Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) as they seek to achieve capital expenditure and operational expenditure efficiencies by leveraging the Open-RAN architecture.
Recruitment of global sellers
Chairman Mukesh Ambani had unveiled RIL’s plan to become a telecom vendor four years ago during the company’s annual general meeting. It announced at the time that Jio had developed an indigenous 5G technology solution and planned to offer it to other telcos globally, a move that would pit it against global vendors such as Nokia, Ericsson, Huawei and Samsung, experts said . it was the first such initiative by a mobile operator.
“Once Jio’s 5G solution is proven at scale in India, Jio Platforms would be well positioned to be an exporter of 5G solutions to other telcos globally as an integrated managed service,” Ambani had said in 2020.
Jio’s rival Bharti Airtel already has mobile broadband services in 14 African countries. The Sunil Bharti Mittal-led company is the second largest telecom company in the continent. India’s growing influence in Africa underscores the impact of its low-cost, high-speed data model, which is at the heart of the country’s telecom success story.
“NGIC’s NaaS model aims to leverage India’s successful model of affordable devices, digital platform, local content and apps,” Harkirit Singh, CEO of Ascend Digital and executive director of NGIC, told ET. “NGIC intends to replicate a high-speed mobile data model like India across Africa, starting with Ghana.”
FWA gear & smartphones
NGIC is structured in such a way that it will enable it to integrate mobile operators and strategic partners as potential equity investors in the future. It will build dedicated, national 4G and 5G networks and will cost-effectively launch 4G and 5G-enabled FWA equipment and smartphones in Ghana within the calendar year. Two mobile operators β AT Ghana and Telecel Ghana β have already announced partnerships with NGIC.