Verizon improves Africa business offerings

Verizon Business has expanded its business to an additional 14 African countries through a partnership with Gateway Business that enables private IP network interconnection between the two companies.

The agreement allows Verizon Business to leverage Gateway Business' network presence and extend coverage of the Verizon multiprotocol label switching (MPLS) network by using interconnection points between the companies' networks.

"Our network alliance and the MPLS interconnect enables full traffic integration of Verizon Business' global Private IP network with Gateway Business' network in this important emerging market; our multinational customers can rely on a single, secure global network foundation for their business operations around the world," said Ihab Tarazi, vice president of Verizon's global network planning.

In Africa, Verizon offers latency-sensitive applications, such as VoIP and video, as well as advanced reporting tools for network and application performance.

Verizon Business customers now can access private IP network capabilities in Tanzania and Kenya in Africa's eastern region; Nigeria, Ghana, Ivory Coast and Cameroon on the western coast; and Namibia, Botswana, Mozambique and South Africa in the central and southern regions. Other countries to be added to the private-IP gateway interconnection arrangement are Uganda, Lesotho, Angola and Zambia.