Telecom Infrastructure Sharing as a Strategy for Cost Optimization

As the river of voice and broadband subscriptions rise, the erosion of ARPU comes together with the heat of economic downturn, we need to strengthen our “Iroko” tree, namely the telecommunications network. We need to favour sharing models that would sustain the gains of the last decade. My purpose for this book is to influence telecom players, policy makers and entrepreneurs to harness these sharing models which in essence typify the communal nature of the African spirit. A popular Ashanti proverb goes thus: “"Do not call the forest that shelters you a jungle." Let Africa arise and build this telecom forest that would shelter us, our children and posterity. Telecommunications network across the continent can be likened to the giant African “Iroko” tree having trunks and stems shared by branches and leaves at the top. It is the true symbolism of the great strength unleashed by sharing common infrastructure below while preserving identities at the top. Africans do understand the great spiritual significance of the “Iroko” tree uniting us by common infrastructures, enriching and purifying our ecosystem. Let us share the roots and stem while we retain our identities at the top.