Telkom Kenya has partnered with Japan-based technology services provider Rakuten Symphony and US-based Open RAN developer Airspan Networks, to develop and test Open RAN technology in the East African nation.
The Japanese and United States governments have agreed to fund the project through a technology grant of US$4.4 million that will be administered by Rakuten Symphony and Airspan Networks.
Under the agreement, the project partners will set up a testing facility and conduct field and network tests to advance 4G/5G, Open RAN, and AI innovation on the African continent.
The three companies will also conduct field trials to ensure optimal performance and seamless integration into Telkom’s network infrastructure.
The partners say that a long-term objective of the project is knowledge transfer and training of local developers and engineers.
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“Telkom is pleased to collaborate in this consortium of cutting-edge technology leaders in this field of open architecture telecommunications network and reap the benefits of modern, and ultimately, inevitable technological advances such as AI," Telkom’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr Mugo Kibati says.
"This is a significant milestone in positioning Kenya and Africa as a research, development, manufacturing, and testing hub of leading cutting-edge technology.”
Telkom says it is also investing in talent up-skilling, positively impacting its R&D and Innovation, which will in turn enhance its overall proposition to its customers.
“Unlike other operators in the region that purchase RAN technology, Telkom is intent on being involved in the entire process; the development, testing, and consequent deployment of the technology in an open environment," Telkom's Kibati says.
"In addition, our teams will benefit greatly from knowledge transfer with global market leaders.”
President and CEO of Airspan, Glenn Laxdal says Telkom’s collaboration with the consortium to explore the latest telecommunication advancements will place Kenya in a position of technological leadership within the African region.
"Airspan is proud to support this vision with advanced 4G/5G solutions, alongside Rakuten Symphony, whose expertise as the one of world’s largest commercial Open RAN vendors ensures impactful results,” Laxdal said.