NEWS
Tigo , part of Axian Telecom , recognised as fastest network in Tanzania
Tanzania ’ s digital lifestyle telecommunication company , Tigo , which is a part of the Axian Telecom Group has won the prestigious Ookla Speedtest Award as the Fastest Mobile Network in Tanzania for the year 2023 . The Ookla Award is an elite designation reserved for fixed and mobile providers in a market , based on consumer-initiated tests and background scans from speed test applications .
Tigo has scooped the coveted award against the backdrop of the company ’ s robust investment in its network modernisation and upgrade across the country .
Since 2022 , Tigo committed to invest over TZS 1 trillion within 5 years to improve and modernise its network infrastructure , an investment that has significantly enhanced the telecoms company customer ’ s digital experience hence led to Tigo earning local and international accolades , including the latest Ookla Speedtest award .
The Ookla Award presented to Tigo , recognises Tigo ’ s network quality and reliability following its huge investment in network upgrade , a fact that was underscored by Okba . Tigo ’ s investment has enabled it to launch the fastest , 1Gbps 5G technology in Tanzania in addition to upgrading all sites to 4G technology across all regions in Tanzania mainland and Zanzibar .
Speaking about the award , Tigo Chief Executive Officer , Kamal Okba said , “ We are excited and thrilled to win this muchsought-after award . The Ookla award is a clear demonstration that Tigo ’ s heavy investment in network modernisation , new sites rollout and technology upgrade are paying off .
“ We are currently executing an extensive modernisation project to offer state-ofthe-art and best in-class technology in each site including rural areas across Tanzania Mainland and Zanzibar to improve experience , competitiveness and accelerate transformation of the digital economy .”
“ After conducting an in-depth analysis of consumer-initiated tests taken with Speedtest , Tigo has been named the Fastest Mobile Network in Tanzania by Ookla ’ s Speedtest Awards ,” said Stephen Bye , President and CEO of Ookla .
Africa must monitor carbon footprint of components used in green technology
Renewable energy capacity in Sub-Saharan Africa is projected to nearly double , by 2027 , with the addition of over 40 GW from alternative power sources . More than 60 % of this growth will be derived from South Africa , largely due to its Renewable Independent Power Producer Programme .
However , as the world ’ s attention increasingly focuses on optimising energy consumption and minimising CO 2 emissions , the sustainability of the components used in renewable energy projects becomes paramount .
Dr Andrew Dickson , Engineering Executive at CBI-electric , low voltage , emphasizes that despite their eco-friendly nature , all electricity generation technologies , including renewables , emit greenhouse gases during their lifecycle .
The carbon footprint of renewable energy can range from 11 to 740 grams of CO 2 equivalent per kWh . Therefore , to achieve true sustainability , it is imperative to adopt advanced , greener technologies wherever possible .
Something as innocuous as a circuit breaker should be factored in when determining the carbon footprint an installation creates . While these are essential for safeguarding electrical installations , they still consume electrical energy during normal operation and though they are passive devices , they are contributing to
CO 2 emissions .
To this end , Dr Dickson recommends a refocus on Hydraulic-Magnetic , Hy-Mag , circuit breakers over thermal-magnetic counterparts in renewable energy projects . Hy-Mag circuit breakers utilise magnetic flux to switch , relying on the relationship between current flow and coil turns to create the necessary tripping force .
In contrast , thermal-magnetic breakers require the heating of a bimetal strip mechanism , which , by its nature , consumes more electrical energy .
12 INTELLIGENTCIO AFRICA www . intelligentcio . com