{"id":2020,"date":"2025-06-05T12:22:33","date_gmt":"2025-06-05T12:22:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vindicatorslnews.com\/?p=2020"},"modified":"2025-06-05T12:22:36","modified_gmt":"2025-06-05T12:22:36","slug":"one-mobile-launches-west-africas-first-open-access-5g-network","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vindicatorslnews.com\/?p=2020","title":{"rendered":"One Mobile Launches West Africa\u2019s First Open-Access 5G Network"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Four and a half years ago, our digital lifeline was hanging by a thread.
The submarine cable landing station was limping along, international capacity hovered around 60 Gbps, and outages were a daily frustration.
When we were entrusted with that landing station, an entire nation held its breath, hoping for something better.
We got to work.
\u2981 We repaired what was broken, modernized what was outdated, and scaled capacity to over half a terabit.
\u2981 We added true redundancy\u2014so when faults hit Ghana or C\u00f4te d\u2019Ivoire, Sierra Leone barely blinked.
\u2981 Wholesale prices plummeted. Reliability soared.
But we quickly realized something crucial: bandwidth sitting at the coast means nothing if it can\u2019t reach homes and businesses inland.
While mobile penetration\u2014thanks to companies like Orange and Africell\u2014was growing, fixed broadband was lagging far behind. So we built the missing middle layer: 2,000 kilometers of open-access fiber.
I remember back in 2018, I was quoted $3,000 just to get fiber to my house\u2014and $400 a month for a 9 Mbps connection. Today, you can get 100 Mbps, no installation fee, for about $50 a month.
That\u2019s not just cheaper internet\u2014that\u2019s opportunity priced within reach.
Next, we asked: What happens after people connect? How do they participate in the digital economy?
Mobile money wallets were thriving\u2014but each one was a closed ecosystem. So we built bridges:
We connected banks, cards, wallets\u2014into an inclusive fintech platform that allows a farmer in Kono to swipe a Visa card, or a student in Freetown to receive payment for online work in minutes.
The fact that Sierra Leone\u2019s creative community can now get paid for their work tells me we\u2019re succeeding.
From the outside, these steps may seem scattered\u2014a landing station here, a fiber ring there, a fintech platform in between.
But every milestone followed a clear roadmap: Open Access. Open Possibility.
To our people:
\u2981 Our Chief Operating Officer (possibly a Martian) assembled a dream team who chose sweat over sleep.
\u2981 Our CTO refused to accept \u201cimpossible\u201d as an answer.
\u2981 Our finance team stretched every Leone,
\u2981 Our supply chain team spun miracles from shortages,
\u2981 And our engineers climbed, spliced, and soldered through rains that would scare a fisherman.
So, what came next?
With immense pride\u2014and a bit of relief\u2014I can say:
Sierra Leone now boasts the first open-access, 5G Standalone network in West Africa.
Powered by Nokia, this network is faster, more affordable, and more reliable than most systems globally. And like everything we build\u2014it runs on renewable energy, thanks to our partners at CrossBoundary.
A mix of new towers, smart rooftop placements, and co-location with some MNO partners has enabled us to create something bold:
An open-access, Open RAN infrastructure ready for any operator\u2014incumbent, startup, or even a student building the next big thing from a dorm room.
This isn\u2019t just infrastructure.
This is a platform for competition, innovation, and the dreams of the dreamers.
Open access\u2014that’s the operative phrase. And a favorite of our unstoppable Minister of Communication.
But none of this could happen without vision.
To the Government of Sierra Leone\u2014thank you.
For believing in what this country can become.
For your persistence, your courage, and your vision of a future powered by technology.
You gave us\u2014and our investors\u2014the confidence to take these risks, to make these moves.
So now, to every Sierra Leonean, I say:
Our digital runway is now as fast and smooth as any in the world.
It should make no difference whether you\u2019re in London, Dubai, New York City\u2014or Freetown.
5G has arrived.
Step onto it. Build on it. Break things\u2014then build them better.
Let\u2019s watch what the next generation will create.
Thank you for trusting us, challenging us, and celebrating with us.
Enjoy the summit\u2014let the packets fly.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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