Challenge

Connecting large enterprises with fiber only in Lagos is very expensive and time consuming, particularly in urban areas with a high density of commercial corridors.

Solution

Leveraging wireless optical communication, Liquid Intelligent Technologies quickly distributed high-capacity connectivity from local data centers to nearly a dozen enterprises, including local internet service providers, banks, and a power company.

Aerial view of wireless optical links distributing bandwidth from its points of presence at Africa Data Centres and other leading data centers to nearly a dozen enterprises in Lagos, Nigeria.

Distributing data center capacity

Urban centers across Africa face challenges with expanding access to affordable, high-speed connectivity. The limited reach of existing metro fiber networks means demand for enterprise connectivity in rapidly growing urban areas is outpacing the speed at which operators can deliver fiber connectivity using traditional deployment methods.

Lagos, Nigeria is one of Africa’s largest and fastest-growing commercial hubs, but expanding network infrastructure is difficult in its dense urban environments. In Lagos, the cost and time to procure, deploy, and maintain fiber is a challenge for operators trying to meet the growing demand for affordable and reliable connectivity for local businesses.

Liquid Intelligent Technologies is a leading provider of pan-African digital infrastructure with a 116,000 km-long fiber broadband network and satellite connectivity that provides high-speed access to the Internet anywhere in Africa. Since 2019, Liquid has been deploying Taara Lightbridge, a wireless optical communication technology, in a number of African countries, including Kenya, Democratic Republic of Congo, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, and most recently Nigeria.

Over the last 2 years, Liquid used nearly a dozen Taara links to quickly extend high capacity bandwidth from its network points of presence at Africa Data Centres and other leading data centers, to large local enterprises across Lagos.

For Liquid, deployment speed has been one of the most significant advantages. Traditional fiber deployments aren’t always a possibility, especially across difficult terrains. Taara links can often be installed and activated within hours, allowing Liquid to ensure that it is remaining true to its mission to create a digitally connected future that leaves no African behind.
— Eugene Uka, Acting Chief Executive Officer at Liquid Intelligent Technologies Nigeria

Expanding reach to more enterprises

In addition to enabling faster time to service for more enterprises, Taara links provide a high-capacity backup where fiber already exists, helping Liquid offer higher uptime and service continuity for customers with demanding connectivity requirements. In urban areas that are being built up, fiber is vulnerable to outage once every couple of days.

By combining fiber and wireless optical communication, Liquid offers protected connectivity with service level agreements of up to 99%, helping enterprise customers balance performance, resilience, and cost.

Each Taara link, or Taara Lightbridge, delivers up to 20 Gbps of capacity over up to 20 kilometers using narrow, invisible beams of light over the air. Occupying a unique position between fiber and wireless radios, it extends network reach beyond existing infrastructure footprints without the need for permitting, trenching, or spectrum licensing. Taara is not only helping strengthen the overall resilience of the network, but also increasing the overall network capacity at a lower cost.

Liquid is now exploring opportunities to expand enterprise connectivity into regions across Nigeria, including Abuja, Ibadan, and Kano, where favorable deployment conditions for wireless optical communication create opportunities for Liquid to boost commerce, trade, and digital inclusion for more businesses across the city by making high-speed internet more accessible and affordable.

As demand for connectivity continues to grow, operators need more flexibility in how they expand and reinforce their networks. Fiber remains an essential part of modern communications infrastructure, but there are many situations where deploying fiber quickly or cost-effectively can be difficult. Wireless optical communication gives operators another tool to extend capacity, reach customers faster, and build more resilient networks without compromising performance.
— Bhavesh Mistry, Regional Lead for Africa, Taara.

To learn more about Taara for data centers, please reach out to info@taaraconnect.com.