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Mobile phone company Ericsson has begun a partnership with a rival African firm that aims to save the lives of fishermen on the world’s second-largest inland lake.
The Swedish multinational is teaming up with pan-African mobile operator Celtel, a subsidiary of the Middle East-based telecoms business Zain, to provide network coverage for more than 90 per cent of fishing zones on Lake Victoria in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. Fishermen will for the first time be able to phone for help if they get into difficulties.
About 200,000 people make their living from fishing on the lake, but each year about 5000 die as a result of accidents or attacks by pirates – often because they lack the means to call for emergency aid.
The partners will also create a rescue co-ordination service to assist lake users in difficulty.
Ericsson, which works in 175 countries and had revenues of $28billion (£14bn) last year compared to Celtel’s $6bn, hopes the move will reduce the ‘high and unnecessary’ mortality rate, not just because it will allow fishermen to raise the alarm, but because the mobile technology will provide emergency services with an instant location for the caller.
The partnership expects the provision of a mobile phone network to lakeside areas where more than 30 million people live will also fuel development by encouraging trade – not least by giving fishermen up to date information on the best prices for their catch.
The work, which will take about six months, will involve building 21 radio sites to provide mobile coverage up to 20 kilometres into the lake.
Although the partners say there are ‘solid’ business reasons for the project, they point to the support for the emergency services infrastructure as evidence that they are seeking more than just profit.
The two companies will work with the GSM Association, a global trade body representing 700 mobile-phone operators. In the long term, the rescue service will be run by a local organization.
The Swedish multinational is teaming up with pan-African mobile operator Celtel, a subsidiary of the Middle East-based telecoms business Zain, to provide network coverage for more than 90 per cent of fishing zones on Lake Victoria in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. Fishermen will for the first time be able to phone for help if they get into difficulties.
About 200,000 people make their living from fishing on the lake, but each year about 5000 die as a result of accidents or attacks by pirates – often because they lack the means to call for emergency aid.
The partners will also create a rescue co-ordination service to assist lake users in difficulty.
Ericsson, which works in 175 countries and had revenues of $28billion (£14bn) last year compared to Celtel’s $6bn, hopes the move will reduce the ‘high and unnecessary’ mortality rate, not just because it will allow fishermen to raise the alarm, but because the mobile technology will provide emergency services with an instant location for the caller.
The partnership expects the provision of a mobile phone network to lakeside areas where more than 30 million people live will also fuel development by encouraging trade – not least by giving fishermen up to date information on the best prices for their catch.
The work, which will take about six months, will involve building 21 radio sites to provide mobile coverage up to 20 kilometres into the lake.
Although the partners say there are ‘solid’ business reasons for the project, they point to the support for the emergency services infrastructure as evidence that they are seeking more than just profit.
The two companies will work with the GSM Association, a global trade body representing 700 mobile-phone operators. In the long term, the rescue service will be run by a local organization.
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