Alcatel-Lucent to build Ghana’s first commercial 4G network

French-based Alcatel-Lucent has partnered Surfline Communications, a wholly owned Ghanaian company, to deploy West and Central Africa’s first ever commercial 4G LTE network in Ghana.

According to Alcatel-Lucent who announced this July 9, 2013 on its website, it will provide hardware and software, along with installation, optimization, maintenance and managed services, helping Surfline to rollout out next-generation mobile communications.

The rollout of the network is said to be in response to the rapid increase of data demand driven by the proliferation of lower cost smart phones on the Ghanaian market which Surfline believes has matured beyond the products and services currently available.

“The 4G LTE network will provide Surfline customers access to social networking sites, Internet browsing, e-mail, online gaming, streamed videos and video calling with dramatically increased performance,” said Alcatel-Lucent.

The 4G network will initially be deployed in Accra, followed by all major cities and later  nationwide, according to the New York listed telecoms service company.

Alcatel-Lucent’s 4G network deployment in the country includes an LTE Radio Access Network and an Evolved Packet Core.

“We chose Alcatel-Lucent to build and operate our LTE network because of the strong trust and relationship we developed,” John Taylor, Executive Chairman of Surfline was quoted as saying.

Daniel Jaeger, Vice-President of Alcatel-Lucent in Africa was of the view that users will benefit from the deployment of the 4G LTE solution in Ghana.

By Ekow Quandzie