The Group CEO of
WIOCC Group, Chris Wood and TEXAF CFO Christophe Evers, have signed a landmark shareholder
agreement for the operation of OADC Kinshasa, which will be the Democratic
Republic of the Congo (DRC)’s first open-access, Tier-III certified (by the
Uptime Institute), carrier-neutral data centre and is expected to go live in
November 2023.
Chris Wood, Group CEO of
WIOCC Group, whose subsidiary Open Access Data Centres (OADC), the
fastest-growing data centre company in Africa, will operate the TEXAF-backed
data centre, commented: “OADC Kinshasa
will boost the DRC’s economy by delivering vibrant digital ecosystems and
converged open digital infrastructure (CODI) services, including tailored
colocation and reliable connectivity, which can be used by content providers,
cloud operators, telcos and Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to provide a
multitude of digital products and services to business and domestic customers.”
Christophe Evers, CFO of
TEXAF, declared: “We are proud to be
partnering with OADC in the creation of another essential building block of the
digital ecosystem here in the DRC. This fully validates our strategy of
attracting international industry leaders such as OADC to the country and
specifically into our new SILIKIN VILLAGE digital hub. It is also an affirmation
of our standing and reputation in the country.”
With a population of more
than 16 million people, Kinshasa is at the epicentre of demand for digital
connectivity services within the DRC. Located within TEXAF’s Silikin Village,
one of the largest digital hubs in Central Africa, the 2MW-capable OADC
Kinshasa is an important, strategic element of digital infrastructure for the
DRC, which the World Bank reports1 as being one of the most underdeveloped
digital economies in Africa. It will also create rich and vibrant digital
ecosystems, and provide content distribution networks and cloud content
providers with access to a quality peering location in the country.
OADC Kinshasa will
underpin and expedite further development of the country’s ICT capabilities,
delivering colocation and other value-added data centre services that support the
cloud infrastructure needs of a wide range of businesses and enterprises,
enabling them to improve efficiency, expedite digitisation initiatives and more
effectively service business and customer needs.
The open, carrier-neutral
facility will create the first vibrant and comprehensive interconnection and
peering ecosystem in the country involving multiple carriers, ISPs, content
providers, and Internet Exchanges; a first in the DRC, transforming the digital
infrastructure ecosystem.
Mohammed Bouhelal, Managing
Director of Open Access Data Centres DRC, reports, “There has already been strong uptake from telcos looking to colocate
in our facility, while the banking sector is leading the way in adopting OADC
solutions. It is also attracting large international content providers to the
DRC.”
OADC Kinshasa is a
strategic element within OADC CEO Dr. Ayotunde Coker’s innovative core-to-edge strategy, which is based on rapid deployment of appropriately scaled data
centres into key business hubs, delivering transformational hosting/colocation
services to cloud operators, content providers, telcos, ISPs and major
enterprises across Africa. Configured with an initial 400 square metres of IT
white space, it will grow to 1000m of white space and will ultimately accommodate
more than 550 racks.
The facility embodies
carrier-neutral principles, maximising interconnection opportunities for all
clients. Increased competition and improved operator cost-efficiencies will
contribute to the expected decrease in the cost of internet connectivity for the
Congolese people and companies and will be a major enabler for the emergence
and enhancement of the DRC’s digital ecosystem. Unique converged open digital
infrastructure (CODI) offering Converged open digital infrastructure - the
provision of carrier-neutral, open access data centre facilities connected to
resilient, hyperscale, open-access, subsea and terrestrial networks -
supplemented by a rich, vibrant digital ecosystem, will help boost the DRC’s
economy and expedite digital transformation in the country.
It will not only offer
businesses a viable alternative to self-build and self-manage data centre
facilities, with all the dedicated resources, expertise, management time, and
cost benefits that come with that but also support the cloud infrastructure
needs of a wide range of businesses and enterprises, enabling them to improve
efficiency, expedite digitisation initiatives and more effectively service
business and customer needs.
Carriers too will
benefit, because OADC Kinshasa offers them connectivity revenue opportunities
and the opportunity to extend their service portfolios, by including a managed
colocation service capability.
By: Kanto Okanta
