AFRICAN UNION COMMUNICATIONS

I became interested in telecommunications as a result of my interest in the mechanics of how radio works; how it is that you can have people communicating across distances as if they are close to each other.

“I am from a rural background – this curiosity was triggered at a time when I was shepherding my father’s sheep in the Eastern Cape village of Cingco. I began asking questions, but no one could answer them, so I took an interest in scientific studies. The rest is history!”

Both inquisitive of and inspired by the ever-evolving capabilities of technology, Mlami Booi’s passion for telecommunications remains as pronounced today as it was 30 years ago.

An entrepreneur at heart, he spent many years as an engineer, regulator and businessman after graduating from the University of Cape Town with a Master of Science degree in electrical engineering, now standing as the

CEO of SENTECH SOC, driving digital innovation in the public sector.

“Connectivity and the accessibility of internet services are more important than ever before,” he declares. “Telecommunications and infrastructure are some of the cornerstones of this digital economy, pillars that the economic development of Africa will be dependent upon.

“It’s SENTECH’s mission to be a crucial part of this evolution, operating as an industry spearhead in delivering digital content. The role of our organisation in driving connectivity to facilitate the fourth industrial revolution is something we are very much proud of.”

27 years in the making

The organisation itself began life in 1992, initially having been formed as

African Union Communications SA has a well- established delivery framework for managed services, providing operators or third party vendors with global coverage and local expertise.

From our operation centre in South Africa, AUCOM SA manages networks and business support systems and hosted solutions for operators and service providers on a 24-seven basis, 365 days a year. By building on our accumulation of valuable experience, we are committed to continuously improving our service and efficient delivery model to the highest standards.

T +27 12 001 8670

E sales@aucom.co.za www.aucom.co.za

Responsible for providing broadcasting signal distribution services across South Africa, SENTECH’s business model has been segmented into three service offerings, namely:

Services which cover broadcasting signal distribution, including business television delivered via satellite. Other value-added solutions that form part of this include telco-over-the-top services, broadcast monitoring and syndication, and hybrid broadcasting such as HbbTV and Hybrid Radio.

SENTECH has vast experience in managing different types of networks, from broadcasting to telecommunications. SENTECH has built up capabilities in network design, deployment, operation and maintenance. The facilities leasing and managed services offerings are collectively referred to as managed infrastructure services.

The company has positioned itself as a public sector broadband organisation focused on closing the broadband access gap, especially in underserved areas. SENTECH plays a significant role in the implementation of SA Connect, a government project whose objective is to connect schools and clinics to broadband. Its strategy is to use wireless broadband to deliver services to any area.