Data Set to Outstrip Voice in Africa - Gateway reacts with new products.

While Africa has traditionally been seen as a target for voice rather than data connectivity, the continent is set for a data revolution. The demand for available capacity is off the scale and as more multinationals move their operations into one of the fastest-growing emerging markets in the world, the ability of the telecommunications infrastructure to support their needs becomes critical.

Yes, the continent has also seen an increase in the amount of voice traffic. After all, there are more people, more phones, more affluence and as a result more calls. However, these factors also mean that there is more demand for data services. People want access to applications that deliver convenience and quality of life - and businesses in turn, want access to people and the money they have to spend. The stumbling block in this equation is the conduit to facilitate this transaction.

While Africa is teeming with telecommunications providers who try to fit what the market requires into whatever niche it is in which they operate, we at Gateway take a different approach. We don’t hang our hat on a single solution or approach – that is the advantage of being a truly African operator. We can confidently state that as the largest independent provider of carrier and business network solutions in Africa, Gateway Communications has the advantage of offering our clients the best and most appropriate means to deliver the connectivity they require.

Efficient data connectivity delivered to world-class SLAs is a business imperative globally and Africa is no different. We have invested significantly in our networks - whether it is ensuring we own the majority of the satellite capacity over the continent; buy into the terrestrial and sub-sea deployments underway; or invest in spectrum licenses which deliver the kind of high bandwidth connectivity enterprises require.

Organisations, whether multinationals or of African origin, aim to do the kind of business with their customer bases that generates serious revenues. Data connectivity that supports their business processes and gives them access to their target markets is a fundamental in this equation. The investment Gateway Communications has made in technology, people and on-the-ground support has proven time and again, to be the crux of its thriving partnerships with many of Africa’s most successful organisations.