Telecom Namibia Managing Director Frans Ndoroma (left) at theNewTelco Frankfurt Data Centre being briefed by Eckart Zollner, Business Development Manager for Jasco Co-location Solutions, which is in a joint venture with German based co-location specialists NewTelco GmbH. The Telecom MD was accompanied by Amanda Hauuanga, Head of Marketing; Laban Hiwilepo, Head of Design, Engineering, Planning and Implementation (DEPI) and Heiko Trost, Chief Commercial Officer.

29 March 2013

Telecom Namibia has announced today that the installation of its own international points of presence (PoPs) in two European capitals, connected to the West African Cable System (Wacs) undersea cable, is making good progress.

That is according to Frans Ndoroma, Managing Director of Telecom Namibia, who says the PoPs in Frankfurt and London are expected to be up and running before the end of March this year.

Ndoroma was in Germany on his way from this year’s World Mobile Congress held in Barcelona to gain firsthand knowledge of progress made in installing the PoPs for the efficient and effective use of the much-vaunted WACS undersea cable to which Namibia is connected since last year.

The PoP service being rolled out follows the signing of an agreement between Telecom Namibia and a Jasco Group company, NewTelco SA, which is a joint venture with German based co-location specialists NewTelco GmbH, providing an interconnection hub in the sub-Saharan region with a neutral service, for global interconnectivity and reliable, high quality of service.

“We visited the sites in Frankfurt and London where we were shown the installation in progress. I was happy with the progress made. The actual completion is scheduled for the end March 2013,” he said.

“Due to our ability to deploy a number of teams in parallel across our global locations we are able to achieve short implementation times and are pleased with the progress made across the locations,” explains Eckart Zollner, business development manager for Jasco Co-location Solutions.

Telecom Namibia and NewTelco are also installing PoPs in Cape Town and Johannesburg to enable Telecom Namibia to offer its customers in South Africa and abroad direct connections to a number of existing and future undersea cable systems, including Wacs, Seacom, Eastern African Submarine Cable System, SAT3, the Africa Coast to Europe submarine cable and the Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa submarine cable systems.

“These PoPs are an extension of our network in Germany and the UK; which means our customers will hop onto our network right in London and Frankfurt and need not be carried by third parties. These cities are the main hubs of international telecommunication traffic,” Ndoroma said.

While the infrastructure is being built, Telecom Namibia is making use of NewTelco’s existing infrastructure.

Zollner pointed out that the partnership with Telecom Namibia has been very positive for both sides. He said the PoP service allows Telecom Namibia to deploy its own network services at a very short lead time of four weeks across Europe at no capital expense.

“We look forward to growing the mutual benefits for both parties. As the network is completed we are able to bring a vast number of global carriers, content and solution providers to Telecom Namibia, thus giving access to a wide range and choice of products and services which Telecom Namibia in turn is able to offer to its customers and partners,” he said.

“By extending their network outside Namibia into Europe and the rest of Africa, Telecom Namibia has taken a leading role in Sub-Saharan Africa with the provisioning of connectivity and services across the region. This concept has been successfully implemented across Europe, Russia and Asia over the past few years and has contributed significantly to the rapid economic development of these regions. We feel that Telecom Namibia should be commended for this visionary approach and look forward to jointly play a continuous role towards improving affordable broadband penetration across Africa,” Zollner concluded.

The four PoPs formed the first phase of a larger solution and Telecom Namibia plans to establish additional PoPs and extend its national infrastructure in future phases.

Using NewTelco as a carrier neutral and vendor neutral service provider with global reach across 25 locations in 20 countries removes any requirements on capital expenditure on the part of Telecom Namibia as NewTelco offers solutions on the basis of Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS).

Joseph 'Smokey' Hilongwa will make his long-awaited return to the boxing ring when he takes on Sibusiso Twani of South Africa for the WBF International Super Flyweight title on Friday night.

Hilongwa is still unbeaten as a pro fighter with a record of 11 wins from 11 fights and one no contest, but he has not fought since July 2011.

At a press conference in Windhoek yesterday, he said he was in good shape and ready for the fight.

"Many people thought that I am done with boxing since I became a promoter, but that's not true. I just wanted to give an opportunity to other boxers who have been suffering like me," he said.

"Everything is in place and now I can continue with my career. I am 100 percent fit physically and mentally and I hope the Namibian fans will come in big numbers to support me, I promise that I will give them a good show."

His 25-year-old opponent Twani, who has a record of six wins, two defeats and one draw, said he was ready for the fight.

"I have been training for this fight for more than a year. I was supposed to fight for the South African title last year but it didn't happen and then I got this opportunity to fight for the WBF International title. This is a very big honour for me and I am ready," he said.

Twani remained tight-lipped about the outcome.

"I don't know anything about Smokey, but I'll do my talking in the ring," he said.

In the main supporting bout Namibia's Albinus Felesianu will take on Herbert Quartey of Ghana for the IBF Featherweight World Youth title.

Felesianu, who has a record of 14 wins and three losses, said he was confident of victory.

"I have been training for two months for this fight and I am ready and prepared. I don't know anything about my opponent but I will do my job in the ring on Friday," he said.

Quartey, who has a record of 10 wins and eight defeats, was also in confident mood.

"I have been training for three months and am fit and ready. It's not a problem for me to fight in Namibia because I have travelled before. My dream is to become the world champion," he said.

There will be six other fights on the undercard featuring some of Namibia's up-and-coming boxers like Lukas 'The Demolisher' Ndafoluma, Steven Shimbonde, Christian Ukelo and Matheus Shiimbi.

The boxing bonanza, which will take place at the Windhoek Country Club, is a joint promotion between Warriors Promotions and Kinda Promotions and will be sponsored by Telecom Namibia.

Promoter Nangolo Kinda thanked Telecom for their sponsorship, saying that the fight would not have been possible without it.

"Telecom Namibia has been supporting boxing in Namibia since the beginning and we are very thankful for their sponsorship. This will be a big night with two title fights and I call on the Namibian public to come out in large numbers to enjoy some top class boxing," he said.

The tickets cost N$100 and N$200 for ringside seats and are available at the Namibian Boxing Control Board office or through Computicket at Checkers and Shoprite.

Wonderful moment: Telecom MD Frans Ndoroma handing over food parcels to senior citizens at Otavi during the company’s 20^th anniversary party at the town.

By Oiva Angula
17 March 2013

Telecom Namibia on Friday distributed food parcels to all senior citizens at Otavi at a party organised for them as part of the company’s year-long 20th anniversary celebration which was launched in August last year.

At the local hall decorated for the occasion, about 350 elderly people were served with a meal, sponsored by Telecom Namibia and supported by the Ada Ma/Hao Senior Citizens Committee at this town of 12 000 inhabitants in the Otjozondjupa Region.

Others in attendance were the chairperson of the Management Committee of the Otavi Town Council, Joan Basson, two local authority councillors, town officials, church elders, police and army officers, members of the business community, and the media.

Managing Director of Telecom Namibia, Frans Ndoroma, said the event was not only part of the ongoing celebrations of the company’s 20th anniversary but was also about bringing the elderly in the community together to socialize and get to know one another as well as mingle and fellowship.

“As a company, it is part of our mandate to give back to society through our corporate social responsibility programmes. We are committed to fulfill this social contract to remain true to our statutory obligation as a true corporate citizen of this country,” Ndoroma said.

The party and donation were made possible by a financial contribution of N$15 050 made during the Telecom Namibia Charity Golf Day held in Windhoek last year. Each dollar pledged at the charity event was matched by Telecom Namibia with N$5.60 to make the event possible.

Participating companies at the golf charity event included Nashua, Nedbank Namibia, Standard Bank Namibia, Africa Online, and private individuals who fully embrace the spirit of giving to help those less fortunate in society and put a decent meal on the table for them – at least for a day.

Each food bag had maize meal, flour, cooking oil, canned foods, macaroni, tea, coffee, sugar, juice, and many more items.

Councillor Basson expressed thanks to Telecom Namibia for the generous donation, which will help feed some of the most vulnerable people in the community – the elderly.

Amongst the elders who received the food bags were Eryka Dinga (89), Vilho Shimbashike (88), Paulus Gumba (82), Martha Naikep Tsaes (96), Claudia Goraes (77), Susanna Kheimses (88), Eveline Khaibes (97) and Noso Domnikus (92).

Maria da Conceicao Lourence, patron of the Ada Ma/Hao Senior Citizens Committee, also heaped praise on Telecom Namibia’s corporate social activities, adding that elders in Namibia like in all of Africa remain marginalised and denied the right to a dignified life. She said that the provision of social protection for older people is a subject of great importance that needs to be addressed.

“We are always grateful for any donations to help the needy of Otavi and everything that is donated to the Ada Ma/Hao Senior Citizens Committee goes directly to deserving people,” Da Conceicao Lourence said, in reference to her committee that strives to promote better living conditions of the elderly in Otavi through home-based care and soup kitchen to its members, including the disabled and bedridden.

Ndoroma said that Telecom Namibia was working to contribute to the task of lifting the underprivileged and the poor out of poverty, through the provision of a modern telecommunication infrastructure in rural, semi-urban and other under-serviced areas of the country.

“The telecommunication infrastructure, throughout the world, serves as the engine that facilitates better communication, boosts local economies, and enhances the delivery of social services like health, education and other essential services,” he said.

He said that the company has provided Otavi with a modern infrastructure since the beginning of 1997 when the town made an historic break with manual exchanges (“Nommer Asseblief!”) and moved straight into the digital era, bypassing the electro-mechanical stage.

“Otavi today is linked to the national fibre optic backbone and is provided with a digital exchange, which are the latest words in modern telecommunications. Today we have close to 600 customers enjoying our services in this town and its immediate surroundings,” the Telecom MD pointed out.

“These are some of the achievements that Telecom Namibia wants to celebrate with the residents of Otavi with dancing and laughter, specifically with our senior citizens today. This is a demonstration of great community spirit on the part of Telecom Namibia.”

Ndoroma also thanked the elderly for their past contribution to the development of telecommunications in the country. “Some of you present here today had a grandmother and father, mom or dad, uncle and aunt, niece or cousin, brother or sister, son or daughter, who have worked at one or the other time in the telecommunication sector of our country since the telegraph line was extended for the first time between Usakos and Otavi as well as from Otavi to Grootfontein in 1906,” he said.

The elderly were deeply touched by the gesture of Telecom Namibia and its partners in the charity drive. The beneficiaries were united in their collective appreciation of Telecom Namibia’s care and concern for their welfare and well-being, some shedding tears of gratefulness.

"I have nothing to eat today, absolutely nothing. I am really happy for Telecom Namibia,” said Abraham Tjirongo (77).

“It is my first great party since I became a pensioner. We appreciate it from the bottom of our hearts. My wife and I will have a good meal at least for two months,” added Berhard Mushosho (67).

“I think this party was a good idea, especially with regards to the senior citizens in our town just giving them something different to enjoy, especially the gift of the food bag. Food is a basic necessity,” said Ananias Howaeb (75).

“This was a fantastic cause. I am delighted that we were able to bring cheer to hundreds of senior citizens in Otavi. This gesture was not only part of our corporate social responsibility, but also a reflection of our duty as an institution to give back to society through tangible and effective charity initiatives. Indeed, the concept of charity-giving is well-entrenched in our corporate culture as is exemplified by the numerous occasions on which Telecom Namibia has made significant donations to a number of recognised associations within the country,” said Franscisco Fortuin, Telecom Namibia’s manager for network operations, who joined the event from Tsumeb, some 60km north of Otavi.