Tata Communications expands connectivity to Africa with Neotel

Tata Communications today said it had further expanded its network reach into Africa through an arrangement with South Africa's first converged communications network operator, Neotel, earlier known as SNO, in which VSNL, now a part of Tata Communications has a 26-per cent stake.

The new multi-service Point of Presence (PoP) established in Johannesburg, South Africa, seamlessly integrates with Neotel's next generation network and IP/MPLS infrastructure for onward national and regional connectivity.

The new PoP offers MPLS, Ethernet, IP and International Private Leased Circuit (IPLC) services, connecting through Tata Communications' global network to over 600 cities in 50 countries and onwards to customers in over 200 countries. Tata Communications owns and operates one of the world's largest private sub-sea cable networks, enabling flexible, scalable end-to-end solutions backed by strong Service Level Agreements (SLAs), and delivering service to over 1,600 wholesale and 10,000 enterprise customers.

The South African government and business process outsourcing (BPO) industry has invested in positioning the country as a preferred BPO or contact centre destination, which would be facilitated by the new multi-service point of presence (PoP) which has been established in Johannesburg by Tata Communications  and Neotel.

Neotel has been voice and data services carrier since 2006. Its service portfolio consists of high-speed internet, VPN, network management and hosting services to customers in South Africa. 

Stefano Mattiello, executive head of enterprise group, Neotel, said, ''By launching this multi-service PoP to connect to Tata Communications' global network, we will leverage their extensive telecoms expertise to bring international standard services to South Africa, while at the same time provide South Africa with much-wanted bandwidth''