Multi-million Dollar deal to spread Wi-Fi3 to Western & Central Africa

Edgewater Wireless Systems Inc. has announced it has entered into a $4.9 million Content Delivery Network (CDN) agreement with World Affinity Telecom to supply next-generation WiFi3 technology as part of phase 1 of a multi-phase program designed to deliver WiFi and WLAN coverage throughout several Western and Central African countries.

The initial deployment will take place in Freetown, Sierra Leone in the second half of 2012.

Edgewater Wireless’ WiFi3 technology will be used to deliver broadband services and applications over WiFi and WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network) networks – initially throughout Freetown, and extending the network across the country by the Autumn of 2013.

Edgewater Wireless will work closely with World Affinity Telecom to define and design the network and associated product requirements for the Freetown deployment which will include government buildings, schools and hospitals.

World Affinity Telecom and its local subsidiary, Sierra WiFi, are leveraging a state-of-the-art fibre network within Sierra Leone to provide wireless broadband services. In addition to the national deployment of WiFi3 technology in Sierra Leone, World Affinity Telecom has secured licenses to deliver national WLAN coverage in a number of other Western African countries, including Guinea, where the company plans expansion of a WLAN network, backboned by WiFi3 technology, by the end of 2012.

“As a former Minister and Ambassador to Canada for Senegal, I am strongly committed to the growth and development of our continent through the advancement of technology,” said Amadou Tidiane Wone, Chairman of World Affinity Telecom. “Through our partnership with Edgewater Wireless, WiFi3 brings an innovative solution which will strengthen our communications and technology infrastructure in order to accelerate the development of our natural and human resources.”

“This agreement with World Affinity represents a huge market opportunity for Edgewater Wireless to deliver broadband wireless services to Western & Central Africa,” said Andrew Skafel, President of Edgewater Wireless. “We expect Africa to be one of the fastest-growing markets globally for WiFi over the next five to ten years. The inherent advantages of Edgewater Wireless’ WiFi3 technology are a perfect fit for the large and rapidly emerging data access markets in Africa.”

Staff Writer