Telezer0 deal aims to address the digital divide

Telezer0 SA (Pty) Ltd, a telecommunications solutions provider and participant in the maxum Business Incubator at The Innovation Hub, has successfully concluded a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Korean company GN&S (Global Network and System) to collaborate in hardware and software technology transfer.

Signing the MoU between SA-based Telezer0 and Korean company GN&S, are (standing ltr) Telezer0's Nishkalan Pather, Martin Manmohan of the maxum Business Incubator and David (Young) Lee, Vice President at GN&S and (seated ltr) Telezer0's CEO Rehana Nchabeleng and Chairman Adil Nchabeleng, with GN&S CEO Kyu-Sung Han and Vice President Mee-Kyung Hwang.

Signed in February this year, the deal has resulted from months of engagement with GN&S - a leading supplier of high-tech wireless and telecommunications hardware and software - and marks the start of a relationship that aims to help address the digital divide in South Africa.

The focus will be on providing low-cost telecommunications hardware, such telephone handsets and networks hardware switches, and wireless technology, such voice-over Internet services, wireless public phones and prepaid card vending machines. According to Telezer0 Chairman Adil Nchabeleng, "we believe that access to affordable communications is a basic human right".

Other products will include power line communications technology, enabling homes owners, schools, hospitals and corporate offices to use the existing electric grid to access voice, data and video technology solutions and systems, such as ADSL Internet access to run technologies such as Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) which is a low cost alternative to conventional analogue telephony.

The MoU gives Telezer0 access to leading technological skills from Korea, thus creating significantly improved local know-how through transfer of scare skills and technology to customize product solutions and new products for the local market, and own the related intellectual property, says Nchabeleng. As the sole agent for GN&S products in South Africa, Telezer0 will develop product prototypes on site at The Innovation Hub and outsource assembly and manufacturing to suitable service suppliers.

New products will be aimed at SME markets locally and in Africa. The first of these will be commercially available to the local market toward the end of this year. This joint venture with their Korean partner has certainly given the company an edge in the wireless broadband market locally, as South Africa has not yet fully deployed wireless broadband access. This technology will give a long awaited advantage to under-developed areas such as townships and rural geographical areas currently experiencing difficulties in accessing broadband services.

For further information contact Adil Nchabeleng on +27 12 844 0445.

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