Cambridge Broadband Networks opens Centre of Excellence in Nigeria

AfricaCom, Cape Town, South Africa and Lagos, Nigeria – 9th November, 2011 – Cambridge Broadband Networks (CBNL), the multipoint microwave network specialist for 3G and LTE backhaul, has opened a new Centre of Excellence in Lagos, Nigeria as the company expands its operations and investment in the African continent.

Fully equipped with workshops, labs and training facilities, the new Centre of Excellence will provide local telecoms engineers with dedicated training and resources to become a VectaStar Certified Engineer, enabling them to plan and install CBNL microwave transmission equipment and networks. Cambridge Broadband Networks also plans to reach out to the local community further, building relations with educational institutes, for example, and using the new facilities in other ways within the local community.

“The African mobile market is growing at a rate of between 18 – 20% each year and it now has more mobile subscribers than Western Europe. It also has the potential to overtake Europe in the technology stakes as well, with operators in the region already looking at deploying LTE networks, despite the majority of African nations remain without 3G infrastructure,” said Vincent Chirouze, Vice President, Sub-Saharan Africa, Cambridge Broadband Networks. “We’ve been a part of its phenomenal success for the past five years and the opening of our Centre of Excellence in Nigeria is testament to our commitment to the region and our investment in the people of West Africa.”

The Centre of Excellence will be co-located with Cambridge Broadband Networks new Nigerian office and will be the company’s second facility in the region, following the success of its South African centre.

The VectaStar training provides engineers with a certified accreditation that offers a solid grounding in the telecoms industry – covering aspects such as network design, installation and testing – and could stand them in good stead as the industry continues to boom in Nigeria.

About Cambridge Broadband Networks

Cambridge Broadband Networks provides telecommunications operators with carrier-class wireless point-to-multipoint transmission equipment. The company’s unique approach to backhaul means that its technology provides operators with a highly compelling business case, reducing backhaul costs by up to 60%.

To date, Cambridge Broadband Networks products have been commercially deployed and technically proven in more than 30 countries, and the company continues to expand into new geographical markets as wireless networks become more widespread throughout the world. Privately-held, Cambridge Broadband Networks has headquarters in Cambridge, UK, with offices in Nigeria and South Africa and manufacturing facilities in China.