Stem Connect – The backbone of Southern Africa’s top fibre VNOs
Stem Connect is a leading ICT solution provider with a strong reputation for excellence throughout Southern Africa.
Stem Connect focuses primarily on B2B services and has become well-respected for its work with virtual network operators (VNOs) to support their provision of fibre services.
It offers its managed VNO services in South Africa, and has also expanded this offering to neighbouring countries.
A great example is how Stem Connect recently worked with a Namibian VNO to help it build a strong and sustainable fibre business.
Building a network
The Namibian VNO sought a highly technical partner that could provide layer-2 managed networking services across its core and access networks.
Stem Connect stepped up.
It agreed to build, manage, and maintain a world-class layer-2 network infrastructure while leaving the layer-1 network to the VNO to handle.
Stem Connect worked with the VNO in accordance with its roll-out programme, enabling the VNO to deliver excellent connectivity services in Namibia.
Low risk
As part of the ongoing agreement, Stem Connect commissions core and access aggregation network equipment to the VNO at any point of presence where it is required.
This includes all layer-2 equipment, such as OLTs and ONTs, supplied at Stem Connect’s cost.
Instead of billing the VNO up front for this equipment, Stem Connect recovers its money through a monthly fee only implemented once each link goes live.
This ensures the VNO is not at risk of making a loss, as it only needs to repay Stem Connect once it is generating income from a client.
Stem Connect agreed to offer this business model until the VNO has several thousand customers live.
At this point, it will be possible to revisit the agreement and change the arrangement to include a fixed fee – provided both parties are happy with this arrangement.
Alongside supplying physical equipment, Stem Connect offers the following managed networking services to its VNO partners:
- Planning – Preparation of a balanced network strategy.
- Automation – Automated configuration, integration, and onboarding of network infrastructure, allowing operators to scale
- Provisioning – Zero-touch end-user provisioning.
- Monitoring – Proactive problem detection via detailed metric collection
- Proactive Support – Immediate reaction to network alerts and events, all day, every day.
- Scheduled Maintenance – Network-wide regular software and firmware upgrades.
- Centralised Management – Network performance monitoring and baselining.
Why Stem Connect
Thanks to its extensive experience in the connectivity sector, Stem Connect is the best-managed VNO partner in Southern Africa.
It has supported network infrastructure for many years across various sectors; in fact, four of South Africa’s top banks use Stem Connect for their connectivity services.
To service these clients, Stem Connect boasts an extensive presence in Southern Africa that is built on a large network of international fibre routes and global peering POPs.
It has even leveraged these resources to expand globally, most recently acquiring a Cable TV company in Ireland that it will modernise and manage similarly to how it manages its VNO customers.
This strongly positions Stem Connect as a managed services partner for VNOs that require a highly knowledgeable partner to create, manage, and support a robust and effective layer-2 infrastructure.
Click here to learn more about how Stem Connect supports VNOs in Southern Africa.
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