Liquid Intelligent Technologies at the forefront of Africa’s data sovereignty

As the global digitisation revolution continues, African countries risk losing control over their data as most of it is hosted outside the continent. This is one of the main issues being discussed at the African Peering and Interconnection Forum 2022 (AfPIF), which is being held at Kigali Marriott Hotel. Other issues include internet interconnection dynamics, content distribution, and transit obstacles at local and regional levels. These, according to Ben Roberts, Group Chief Technology and Innovation Officer at Liquid Intelligent Technologies, would more or less be tackled easily if most data was hosted on the continent with enhanced regional collaborations. The benefits of In-House cloud services include optimal service performance, improved network, data localisation, in-country support and proximity to data, he said. In the quest to help more businesses digitise their operations in Rwanda, earlier this year, Liquid Intelligent Technologies launched an Azure Stack Hub, a hybrid cloud platform that lets you deliver services from your data centre. According to Alexis Kabeja, CEO of Liquid Intelligent Technologies Rwanda, hosting the data in the country not only enhances performance but also cuts the price of internet, which makes it even more accessible. “The data is to be stored locally in a liquid data centre, which brings the element of security and compliance,” he said, adding that a carrier-grade solution for Microsoft will be used to be able to host services, where billing will be made in Rwandan Francs instead of dollars. Reflecting on the ongoing forum, Roberts said, “In order to leave no African behind, as per our mission, there’s an undeniable need for regional collaboration as we try to drive connectivity and bridge the digital divide in Africa.” He gave Rwanda as an example in setting pace for cross border collaboration. Data centre providers in Rwanda pay a lower electricity tariff, and the country uses Universal Service Fund to subsidize the cost of hosting, which facilitates cloud services businesses growth, he noted. “However, Rwanda is just a landlocked country that needs to link with others. See for example we have fibers that run throughout Uganda, Burundi, Tanzania, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Currently, we are finishing a very long fiber that goes up to Kinshasa,” he added. Liquid Intelligent Technologies is a pan-African technology group with capabilities across 14 countries, primarily in Sub-Saharan Africa. Established in 2005, Liquid has firmly established itself as the leading pan-African digital infrastructure provider with an extensive network spanning more than 100,000 KM. It supports Kigali’s Smart city ambitions through its different business units including, Liquid Networks, Liquid Business, Liquid Sea, Liquid Cloud, Liquid Cyber Security, Liquid Home, Liquid Innovation, and Liquid Satellite. Liquid Intelligent Technologies is now a full one-stop-shop technology group that provides tailor-made digital solutions to businesses in the public and private sectors across the continent. The group also operates state-of-the-art data centres in Johannesburg, Cape Town, Nairobi, Harare and Kigali, with a combined potential 19,000 square metres of rack space and 78 MW of power.

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Liquid Intelligent Technologies at the forefront of Africa’s data sovereignty