NIGERIA – Ericsson, a multinational networking and telecommunications company, has announced plans of building a new Automation Hub in Nigeria to support operators for improved consumer experience and expanding the capabilities of its existing facility in Abidjan, Ivory Coast.

Ericsson Automation Hub is an open innovation platform, inspired by lean startup methodology in which Ericsson team works in close dialog with customers, users and partners to showcase and reach the high potential that network automation allows in configuration, provisioning, assurance and orchestration of network services.

This will enable service providers to gain the ability in their environments to govern, manage and orchestrate hybrid networks holistically and in real time and as a result, offer an enhanced consume experience.

Fields to be covered include but not limited to 5G and Internet of Things (IoT) use cases, Network Slicing and Orchestration, Hologram Calls, Complex Standalone, Business Support System (BSS) and Operations Support System (OSS), Cloud and Core product cases, Automated Acceptance Tests demonstration and enhancements as well as complex charging scenarios for 5G and 4G networks.

“As Industry 4.0 accelerates in Africa, automation in operations is proven to boost customer experiences,” Lucky La Riccia, Vice President and Head of Digital Services at Ericsson Middle East and Africa at Ericsson said.

“Ericsson continues to support the telecom industry players in setting #AfricaInMotion, and with the Ericsson Automation Hub in Nigeria, we will focus on driving business outcomes for our partners in Africa as they aim to leverage on digital transformation to turn complexities to opportunities while offering a greater experience and value to consumers.”

Expected to be operational by Q3 2015, the network operations centers will help operators keep pace with rapid socio-economic and technological changes in Sub-Saharan Africa – a region that had 635 million subscriptions in 2014 and is expected to have 930 million subscriptions by the end of 2019.

“As the country with both the largest population and the largest economy in our region, Nigeria was the logical choice as the host country for our newest network operations center,” Fredrik Jejdling, Head of Region sub-Saharan Africa at Ericsson, said.

“Together with the expanded facility in Ivory Coast, this center will allow us to continue a proud tradition of more than 100 years working with our customers in Africa.”

Ericsson is the global leader in telecommunications managed services, managing networks for multiple operators worldwide via a combination of global and local network operations centers.

Ericsson employs 66,000 services professionals in 180 countries and provides managed services for networks that serve more than 1 billion subscribers.

Lagos and Abidjan were selected as the sites for the network operations centers due to the availability of talent, infrastructure and connectivity, and will act as hubs used to manage networks across the rest of Africa.

Liked this article? Subscribe to DealStreet Africa News, our regular email newsletter with the latest news, deals and insights from Africa’s business, economy and more. SUBSCRIBE HERE