The launch took place at the Deux Plateaux Smart Store (Cocody, Abidjan), attended by Amadou Coulibaly, Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, government spokesperson; Christel Heydemann, CEO of the Orange Group; Jérôme Hénique, CEO of Orange Middle East and Africa; and Mamadou Bamba, CEO of Orange Côte d’Ivoire.
“We recognise that 5G is a new opportunity for businesses eager to diversify, optimise or revitalise their activity," said Mamadou Bamba, CEO of Orange Côte d’Ivoire.
"To support them, it is crucial that this space offers ready-to-use tools and allows the results of these experiments to be assessed in a practical fashion. This initiative reflects our historic commitment to digital inclusion. We aim to foster innovation and help create value within the local ecosystem.”
With 5G network deployment across Côte d’Ivoire scheduled for 2023, Orange Côte d’Ivoire is laying the foundations for it by providing local businesses with a new collaborative space that is equipped and dedicated to practical applications of 5G.
“Like the Orange Digital Center opened last year, the Orange 5G Lab will allow faster adoption of this technology by local businesses," added Jérôme Hénique, CEO of Orange Middle East and Africa (OMEA).
"They will not only be able to benefit from the expertise and tools available here, in Abidjan, but they will also have access to feedback from more than 1,500 businesses and local authorities that have had access to an Orange 5G Lab worldwide – including 127 that have already been able to set up testing based around their own practical examples.”
The facility also offers services and support in partnership with tech vendors such as Huawei, Nokia or ZTE. In addition, the site will host a 5G demo space for different business sectors, conferences, training, co-working sessions, co-innovation and practical 5G application sessions.
“As a leader in the telecommunications sector and a key player in technology innovation, the Orange Group welcomes this new Orange 5G Lab in West Africa," said Christel Heydemann, CEO of the Orange Group.
2It confirms our local influence and commitment to encouraging digital uses requiring high-speed internet, notably for start-ups and businesses. Orange has already opened 15 Orange 5G Labs, including 2 in Africa, and it will continue to drive this initiative throughout the Group's footprint.”
