Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani is all set to join the league of global telecom companies. According to an Economic Times reports, Ambani is eyeing an entry into Africa with a new telecom venture.
The report said that the venture — Radisys, owned by Jio Platforms Limited (JPL), will offer a range of services including 5G connectivity with a local company backed by Ghana. JPL, established in 2019, is a subsidiary of Reliance Industries.
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Radisys along with Tech Mahindra and Finland’s Nokia is partnering with Next-Gen Infrastructure Co (NGIC) for the foray.
The Ghanaian government, Ascend Digital and K-Net hold equity in NGIC — the first neutral 5G shared infrastructure provider in Africa. It has plans to offer 4G and 5G network support in Ghana and then across Africa.
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Under the proposed business model, the ET report said, NGIC will invest about $200 million in three years to scale up its 4G and 5G networks. These will be offered to mobile operators as a shared infrastructure resource.
Citing people aware of the development, the report said that Radisys is likely to offer NGIC its own 5G software stack.
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“We are pleased to be part of this strategic partnership in Ghana and in Africa and look forward to working with all strategic partners in realising NGIC’s vision,” Radisys CEO Arun Bhikshesvaran told ET.
At present, Sunil Bharti Mittal-led Bharti Airtel operates mobile broadband services in 14 African countries. It is the second-largest telecom operator in the continent.
