Johannesburg: TECHz – News Desk
NEC XON, a leading African systems integrator, has partnered with Mimosa Networks, a global leader in fixed wireless solutions, to accelerate digital inclusion by delivering high-speed broadband connectivity to underserved and rural communities across Africa. This partnership has already secured a landmark deployment into four territories with one of Africa’s largest mobile network operators – a significant step toward bridging the digital divide on the continent.
Liesle Botha, Key Account Executive, NEC XON: “Too often, connectivity is the privilege of the few. Our vision with Mimosa is to extend reliable, high-speed broadband to the communities, schools, hospitals, clinics, and government facilities that need it most – places that fibre simply cannot reach easily or affordably.”
Addressing connectivity challenges in rural South Africa
In many rural areas, commercial mobile network operators lack incentives to deploy broadband infrastructure due to low demand for services like streaming. Yet, these communities need reliable internet for education, basic services, and economic participation.
Mohsin Ali, Director, Channel Sales for MEA, Mimosa Networks: “Mimosa’s technology is specifically engineered for challenging environments, such as rural South Africa. By leveraging unlicensed spectrum, high-gain antennas, and robust design, we partnered with NEC XON to overcome spectrum congestion issues to deliver reliable broadband.”
Mimosa’s technology enables point-to-multipoint connectivity, delivering robust broadband access from a single location to multiple surrounding points. This cost-effective and rapid deployment model is ideally suited for Africa’s challenging geographies, where traditional fibre rollout is either prohibitively expensive or logistically impossible.
Key benefits of Mimosa’s solution include:
• Extended frequency support for greater reach and flexibility.
• High subscriber speeds even in congested or interference-heavy environments.
• New non-line-of-sight (NLoS) devices that ensure connectivity even where direct access points are obstructed.
The solutions are already being deployed in collaboration with multiple operators in Southern Africa, with additional rollouts planned across the continent.
Liesle Botha, Key Account Executive, NEC XON: “Our strategic partnership with Mimosa positions NEC XON to lead the charge in expanding wireless broadband infrastructure across sub-Saharan Africa. Together, we’re creating scalable, affordable, and carrier-grade solutions that are not only disrupting legacy access technologies but also empowering millions with access to education, healthcare, government services, and economic opportunities.”
Mimosa’s massive global profile
Mimosa, backed by India’s Jio Platforms, has become the fastest-growing provider of point-to-point and point-to-multipoint solutions globally, with more than three million devices deployed worldwide. Their aggressive roadmap for Africa includes further advancements in non-line-of-sight connectivity, making them a key disruptor in the wireless broadband space.
This collaboration represents a major step in NEC XON’s mission to connect the unconnected and drive Africa’s digital transformation.
