ecentre helps MTN Ghana stay number one

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1 ecentre helps MTN Ghana stay number one By deploying Flexenclosure ecentres, MTN Ghana has been able to rapidly expand its network capacity in a way that wouldn t otherwise have been possible, and so remain the country s favourite telecoms company. The Challenge To find a way of rapidly adding to MTN s telecoms capacity and provide the competitive advantage needed for MTN to remain Ghana s leading mobile telecoms operator. The Solution ecentre by Flexenclosure - a complete, pre-fabricated, pre-equipped, custom designed modular solution to house and power data and telecom equipment. ecentre enabled MTN to not only meet its immediate capacity needs but also expand its network at a later date with minimum disruption to ongoing operations. One of the main drivers of Africa s future economic prospects will be the quality and depth of the infrastructure that is built there. However, while trying to extend road and rail systems across vast tracts of often inhospitable terrain remains a difficult and long-term challenge, expanding the continent s telecoms networks offers a far faster means of connecting people and invigorating business. Of course, to do this successfully in a sector that s still in a state of relative infancy will require the involvement of innovative and pioneering companies that are able to understand and meet the particular needs of potential subscribers. Companies such as Johannesburg-based MTN. As a multinational telecommunications group with a commitment to generating economic growth through communications, MTN has swiftly established itself as a leading supplier of voice and data products and services to individuals and businesses in emerging markets. As a result, it now holds GSM licences in 22 countries, is a proven Internet service provider in the Middle East and Europe and has become a significant telecoms company with 201 million total subscribers world-wide. The Benefits Rapid installation that avoided the complications of variable local on-site construction standards A solution that operates comfortably even in the harshest climatic conditions A future-proofed site where additional internal space can be created easily and on demand Modern open-plan technical areas suitable for the latest in data equipment Optimised for energy efficiency and low TCO These three ecentres will be critical in helping us achieve our vision of leading the delivery of a bold new digital world. Abbad Reda, Chief Information Officer, MTN 1

2 Rapid network expansion required Not surprisingly, with its focus on offering an affordable, accessible and quality service, MTN has quickly become the go to company for many since it took over Investcom Holdings African networks in One of the most competitive of its markets is Ghana, where 12.6 million subscribers make it that country s leading telecoms provider. But to stay firmly ahead of the competition, MTN Ghana knew that it had to rapidly develop additional capacity to continue meet the needs of an increasingly demanding market place, and to help it do that it turned to Flexenclosure. For MTN, developing this capacity meant not just creating additional floor space, but also suitable working environments in which 21st century power- and coolinghungry equipment could operate effectively and reliably. From experience, MTN knew that if it wanted to see its expansion plans roll out rapidly then it had to avoid the potential scheduling and quality issues that come with on-site bricks and mortar construction. Similarly, it also knew that containerised options didn t offer sufficient flexibility for future expansion, or provide the quality conditions that are essential for flawless operation of the latest data equipment. Consequently, when it came to tendering, MTN unhesitatingly specified Flexenclosure s ecentre. Having already installed fifteen bespoke ecentres in Nigeria and another in Cameroon, for MTN they were a tried and tested concept, and they were confident that this modular system, built in Sweden and shipped in, was the fastest and most reliable way forward. Once in place, the ecentres would together create 2,000m² of internal open plan space, distributed between three locations: two just outside Ghana s capital, Accra, and another at Kumasi, Ghana s economically key second city. Through our previous experience working with Flexenclosure we were confident that all three sites would be up and running on schedule. Factory fabrication prevents on-site error With contracts awarded and Flexenclosure s civil works partner simultaneously at work on the foundations on site, three ecentres were soon being tailored to MTN s requirements at Flexenclosure s plant at Vara in the southwest of Sweden. Ibrahim Misto, Project Manager, MTN With manufacture and testing undertaken under tightly controlled factory conditions, the highest quality and reliability could be guaranteed, with any potential on-site issues avoided - a major benefit in countries where construction standards can be variable and erratic. Having a clean roll out for the project was fundamental to the MTN ethos and in keeping with its formidable reputation for operational excellence, technological superiority and ability to adapt to ever-changing needs. 2

3 Pre-installation for faster roll out Accra One, a multi-discipline site, was the first to be completed, with two transmission facilities, two switching facilities, two data centre facilities, a stand alone selfcontained energy centre, a VSAT farm and a 70 metre high transmission tower, as well as being equipped with diesel pumps, transformer rooms and fire-fighting facilities. With cabling and power sockets pre-installed beneath raised floors and fire prevention, alarm, UPS and air conditioning systems all in place, connection to the backbone network was swift and straightforward, and by the end of 2010, MTN Ghana had 54 ecentre modules in place. Through our previous experience working with Flexenclosure we were confident that all three sites would be up and running on schedule. However, the speed with which we ve been able to roll out the project, as well as the quality of the result, has exceeded our expectations. The speed with which we ve been able to roll out the project, as well as the quality of the result, has exceeded our expectations. The ecentres offered us not just the quality of product that we were looking for, but also future flexibility in what is a fast developing market. And, because they assumed turnkey responsibility, Flexenclosure also gave us an uncomplicated and seamless process right from initial design through to completion, said Ibrahim Misto, Project Manager, MTN. Ibrahim Misto, Project Manager, MTN Now well established, the significance of the projects has been profound, as together they have formed the cornerstone of a major upgrade that has helped turn MTN Ghana s national network into a modern and stable 21st century telecoms infrastructure. ecentres for the future What s more, because additional foundations and cabling were put in place during the initial build a simple process with ecentre all three sites are effectively future-proofed. This means that extra transmission and data centre modules can be added as required, to meet the needs of an ever growing population of subscribers. In fact, so significant has been the impact of the ecentre solution on MTN Ghana in terms of network performance, OPEX savings and meeting business needs, that the Accra One site has become a benchmark for quality and flexibility across the entire MTN group, not just its in-country operations. All in all, these three ecentres will be critical in helping us achieve our vision of leading the delivery of a bold new digital world, said Abbad Reda, Chief Information Officer, MTN. Thanks to this investment MTN Ghana s subscribers have benefited from expanded services, enhanced speech quality and improved coverage that has seen network expansion into new areas of the country. All of which has put the company at the forefront of Africa s mobile revolution, by creating the personal and business communication infrastructure that will be so crucial in positioning Ghana and the rest of the continent for economic success. 3

4 Accra One From greenfield site to fully operational Foundations laid After clearance of the site just outside Accra, our civil works partner laid concrete foundations for the ecentre. Extra foundations laid at this time effectively future proofed the site, allowing for the ecentre to be expanded with additional modules providing extra capacity when required. Flexenclosure factory 3,700 miles away the ecentres destined for the two sites at Accra and a third at Kumasi were manufactured and tested at Flexenclosure s plant in south-west Sweden. Factory fabrication under controlled conditions allows for a far higher specification of quality and finish than can be achieved by building from scratch on site. ecentres delivered to site Once delivered to site, the ecentre modules were simply lifted into position on the foundations, ready for final fitting and commissioning. At the three sites were there were a total of 54 modules of 42m2 each, creating some 2,000m2 of new open plan data centre space. 4

5 Sun roof installed Although a sun roof is not essential, it does provide the ecentre with further protection from the extremes of weather. Fully customisable interior A modern alternative to traditional brick and mortar structures, an ecentre s modular construction allows bespoke configuration to precise open plan working space requirements. Energy centre An ecentre can be used for several purposes as determined by customer requirements, including a data centre, switching centre, meeting rooms, staging areas and NOC. And in this case, an energy centre. Accra One in operation All three ecentres in Ghana are now well established and fully operational, and playing a crucial part in the development of the country s telecoms infrastructure. 5

6 Flexenclosure is a specialist supplier of intelligent power management systems and prefabricated data centres for the ICT industry. The company provides systems that are fully integrated, modular, factory tested for reliability, adaptable to local conditions and quick to install. esite is a portfolio of energy-efficient hybrid power systems for base station sites in areas where grid power is unreliable or unavailable. esite can deliver a 90% reduction in diesel fuel consumption, CO2 emissions and energy related OPEX compared to traditional diesel based systems. Fully integrated into esite is emanager, a one-stop interface for remote management and energy optimisation of esite networks. ecentre is a prefabricated, fully equipped modular data centre solution, to house and power data and telecom equipment. Optimised for energy efficiency and low TCO, ecentre is specifically designed to be fast to deploy and fully future proof. Flexenclosure was founded in 1989 and is based in Vara, Sweden, headquartered in Stockholm and with additional offices in India, Kenya, Malaysia, Mozambique, Nigeria, Pakistan and the UAE. Customers include global companies airtel, MTN, Vodacom and Zain. ECEN-M-CAS-002 (Rev 0)