PCCW Global and Phase3 Telecom collaboration signals new era of communications solutions for Nigeria and other West Africa nations
Agreement sees PCCW Global gain improved access to local networks in Nigeria via Phase3 Telecom’s fiber infrastructure
HKT (SEHK: 6823) – HONG KONG / ABUJA, NIGERIA, March 25, 2014 – PCCW Global, the Hong Kong-headquartered international operating division of HKT, Hong Kong’s premier telecom service provider, has signed a collaborative agreement with Phase3 Telecom, a West African market leader in telecommunications infrastructure and broadband solutions.
PCCW Global operates an international network which covers more than 3,000 cities in 130 countries worldwide, providing services based on the latest Ethernet, IP, fiber and satellite transmission technologies in major cities across the globe as well as to markets in Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Latin America.
Phase3 Telecom is a National Long Distance Operator (NLDO) licensed by the Nigeria Communication Commission to provide transmission services to Nigerian telecommunications operators, Internet service providers and corporations using fiber optic systems carried along electricity infrastructure.
Co-operation between the two companies will enable new and advanced communications solutions for Nigeria and other West African countries with Phase3 Telecom now having access to PCCW Global’s vast international MPLS network covering major African cities such as Nairobi, Dar es Salaam, Maputo, Johannesburg, and Cape Town, as well as 3,000 other cities around the world. PCCW Global will also gain improved access to networks in Nigeria via Phase3 Telecom’s robust fiber infrastructure.
Mr. Stanley Jegede, Phase3 Telecom’s Chief Executive Officer, said, “We have deployed more than 6,000 km of fiber optic cable to date with another 3,000 km planned for the next 18 months while commissioning several Points of Presence at sites in all key cities. This partnership is a strong endorsement of the quality of the network we have built and a clear step forwards in our mission to connect all Nigerians with each other, and with the rest of the world. PCCW Global’s extensive network provides us with an unrivalled offering for corporate and institutional clients looking for a truly global solution, locally. We will continue to expand our West African network, and diversify our business with additional products distributed through our infrastructure.”
PCCW Global has a solid track record in providing superior data, voice, high-definition video solutions and managed services based on cutting-edge technologies. The company’s African MPLS capability consists of an extensive network covering most of the continent and is served by PoPs in a variety of African cities.
Mr. James Welch, PCCW Global’s Vice President and Head of Sales of EEMEA, said, “PCCW Global is keen to explore new opportunities with Phase3 Telecom, as our collaboration opens up new connectivity in West Africa. We are looking at facilitating improved communications for Nigerian businesses and beyond, thanks to our cost-effective and reliable communications solutions.”
Phase3 Telecom is on track to complete an additional aerial cable system connecting Lagos with Cotonou, the largest city and economic center of West Africa’s Benin. The move will offer alternative routes and increased resilience for Nigerian and multinational enterprises wanting to connect with other West African markets at low cost. PCCW Global and Phase3 Telecom will continue to collaborate to enable the expansion of advanced telecommunications services across Nigeria and throughout the African continent in order to deliver the most innovative communications solutions for businesses operating in the region.
In January, PCCW Global announced that it will collaborate with 16 other prominent service providers to construct the Asia Africa Europe-1 (AAE-1) cable system, which will interconnect Hong Kong, Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Europe. AAE-1 will be the first high-capacity system to link all the leading Southeast Asian nations with Africa and Europe via the Middle East, thereby supporting unprecedented Asia-Africa trade growth.
About PCCW Global
PCCW Global is the international operating division of HKT, Hong Kong’s premier telecommunications service provider, which is majority-owned by PCCW Limited.
Covering more than 3,000 cities and 130 countries, the PCCW Global network supports a portfolio of integrated global communications solutions which include Ethernet solutions, IP solutions, fiber and satellite transmission solutions, managed services and solutions, international voice and VoIPX services.
PCCW Global maintains regional centers in Hong Kong, China, Japan, Korea, Singapore, the United States of America, the United Kingdom, France, Belgium, the United Arab Emirates and South Africa. To learn more about PCCW Global, please visit www.pccwglobal.com.
About HKT
HKT (SEHK: 6823) is Hong Kong’s premier telecommunications service provider. It meets the needs of the Hong Kong public and local and international businesses with a wide range of services including local telephony, local data and broadband, international telecommunications, mobile, and other telecommunications businesses such as customer premises equipment sale, outsourcing, consulting, and contact centers.
Together with the highly successful media business of its parent company, PCCW Limited, HKT offers innovative media content and services across the PCCW Group’s unique quadruple-play platforms – fixed-line, broadband Internet access, TV and mobile.
About Phase3 Telecom
Phase3 Telecom was licensed as a national long-distance telecommunications network operator by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to provide transmission services. Phase3 operates a 6000km fiber optic network using its unique Right of Way (RoW) to deploy fiber infrastructure along Nigeria’s high voltage power transmission lines in Nigeria and across the West Africa sub-region. Headquartered in Abuja the company operates a fast growing effective and reliable fiber-optic backbone servicing many of Nigeria’s largest telecommunications operators and institutions and is committed to continuing to enhance the availability of fast and reliable internet to the unserved and the underserved parts of the region. Phase3 has embarked on a major expansion project set to deliver an additional 3000km of fibber infrastructure over the next 18 months. Visit www.phase3telecom.com to learn more about the future of African broadband.
