NI Deployments [222]: Safaricom Uses CommProve to Improve QoE

With 30% increase in the number of active data subscribers in just one year (see chart below), Safaricom needs the tools to control its service quality. After deploying Mobixell's optimization solution (here), the MNO adds a network intelligence solution.

CommProive announced that it will ".. deploy its next generation network monitoring solution, CommProve NetLedge across Safaricom’s network. The deployment is scheduled for completion by the first half of this year".

Thibaud Rerolle, Technical & IT Director, at Safaricom said: “We needed to work with a company that has a platform that is able to enable network monitoring across multiple network interfaces including LTE and WiMAX to support our existing network as well as our future plans”

See "CommProve announces Safaricom new customer win" - here.

Optimization Deployments [189]: Safaricom [Kenya] Deployed Mobixell for QoE Management and Content Filtering

   

Mobixell Networks announced that Safaricom "..  has deployed Mobixell Seamless Access as its mobile data traffic management solution".

Thibaud Rerolle, Director Technology & IT, Safaricom said: “.. Our customers will now have faster access to data services faster and at the same time will be able to protect their families from unsuitable content [see "Mobixell and Commtouch Offer Parental Control W/Real Time Content Categorization" - here]”. 

Safaricom has 19M mobile subscribers; At the end of March 2012 it had 4.6M data customers - mobile and fixed. It uses OSS solutions from Huawei (here) and Alepo (here). 

See "Safaricom, Kenya’s Largest Mobile Operator, Accelerates Web Browsing with Mobixell Seamless Access" - here.

PCRF Deployments [159]: SafariCom [Kenya] Deploys Huawei's CBS

Did Safaricom add a new PCRF supplier in addition to Alepo (used for its WiMax network- here) or replaced it?

Robet Alai reports to Kenya Daily News that "Safaricom has migrated its 3G billing to a Huawei Online Charging System (OCS). The company which formerly used a PCRF system has now deployed the Huawei system which brings with it few changes in the 3G pre-paid billing".

See "Safaricom Deploys a New 3G Billing System from Huawei" - here.

Safaricom saw an increase of 80.3% on its data revenues in 2011 and had more than 17M subscribers at the end of that year. The compnay says that "Revenues grew [12.9%] at a faster rate than subscriber growth [8.8%] as we continue to maintain market leadership" (here).

Huawei explains ("Safaricom consolidates its competitive advantage with Huawei CBS" - here): 

"A total of four platforms were consolidated during Phase 1 and Phase 2:

• Legacy IN
• Offline billing
• PCRF platform for data
• AAA platform for WiMAX and authentication"

Source - Huawei - "CBS Deployment, Safaricom"

PCRF Deployments (54): Safaricom [Kenya] Selected Alepo for its WiMAX Network

     

Alepo announced a ".. partnership with East Africa's leading integrated communications firm, Safaricom, to support its growing WiMAX network with enhanced policy control, QoS granularity, and IP address management".

See "Safaricom Partners with Alepo to Bring 4G Services to Kenya" - here.

Safaricom has 3.6M data subscribers (September 2010) and total of 16.7M subscribers. The Wimax network has 165 base stations (more - here).

  

Safaricom CEO Bob Collymore (picture) said: "The implementation of Alepo's core network elements will afford Safaricom greater control over network policy, security and resource allocation, while achieving more flexibility in designing WiMAX and Wi-Fi service offerings for our customers, residential and commercial"