NAIROBI: A new deal inked on Monday between Essar Telecom Kenya and Tata Communications will allow yuMobile to route all international voice calls through the Tata communications networks. The deal has been praised by analysts as a means of boosting technological efforts in the country. “It's a really smart move that should increase our company's efforts to bring international calling to more Kenyans,” Andrew Mambiso, an Essar Group manager, told IT News Africa/Bikyamasr.com. “We believe this is the future of telephony in Kenya and the world.” He added that it should help reduce rates across their pay scale for customers. The partnership will allow yuMobile one of Tata's key suppliers of telecommunication services throughout Kenya, to tap into the company's extensive voice infrastructure, enabling it to deliver higher quality international calls at competitive rates to customers in Kenya. “Tata Communications aims to use the deal to harness from the increasing demand for high quality voice services in Africa generated by a rapid rise in the number of mobile subscribers on the continent,” a Tata statement said. Madhur Taneja, country manager, yuMobile said in a separate press release, “We understand the importance of tying up with partners who can deliver the best in their field of expertise. “Having access to Tata Communications' extensive global network and advanced voice traffic management tools allow us to focus on our core business and the latest mobile technology advancements, giving us the competitive edge in the booming African mobile market.” Tata Communications' strategic voice traffic outsourcing and advanced voice traffic management tools will allow yuMobile to minimize the administrative burden and operational costs associated with managing an international voice interconnect organization. “It will also enable the company to focus on its core business and capitalize on the key growth areas in the African market,” added the statement. BM
