Italy’s first international service provider has announced the expansion of its network working with Novel Point, an Iraqi international provider of connectivity and ICT solutions.
The agreement was signed at Capacity Middle East 2024.
The PoP in Erbil leverages Novel Point’s cutting edge open data centre and Sparkle’s Tier 1 global IP backbone Seabone (AS6762) to deliver internet connectivity services to the Iraqi market as well as to neighbouring countries.
Enrico Bagnasco, CEO of Sparkle told Capacity, “We have been operating in the corridor that connects Europe to North Africa, the Middle East and the far East for many years. It’s one of the main sources of business for us. Connecting Iraq is extending the network to a region that has very high expectations of growth.”
He continued, “With the opening of our PoP in Erbil, Sparkle further expands its global network while acting as an accelerator for the development of value-added digital services in the region”,
By connecting to Sparkle’s PoP in Erbil, network providers, ISPs, OTTs, content and application providers as well as enterprises can benefit from reliable, low latency IP Transit services in scalable multiples ranging from 10 GB to 100 GB.
In addition, customers can gain access to Sparkle’s comprehensive IP portfolio including DDoS protection - that grants customers the option to self-protect their networks from attacks and virtual NAP which provides virtual access to leading Internet Exchange Points (IXPs) without the need to build proprietary infrastructure.
“This strategic undertaking, capitalizing on the robust Sparkle Seabone IP backbone, represents a pivotal opportunity for Iraq to leverage its geographical advantage and align with the government's agenda to fortify its burgeoning digital economy”, remarked Govan Shukri, CEO of Novel Point.
“It brings me great joy to witness the increasing interest of prominent international telecom companies, such as Sparkle, a Tier-1 operator with global presence, in the Iraqi telecom market.
"The collaboration between Sparkle and Novel is commendable initiative that aligns well with the strategic vision of the Iraqi government to advance the digitalisation of our nation and position it prominently in the realm of international data traffic”, said Dr. Hiyam Al-Yasri, Iraqi Minister of Communications. She continued, “This partnership is seen as a positive step towards achieving our goals, and we anticipate that it will provide both international and local enterprises a significant tool to enhance their operational efficiency within Iraq.
"I extend my gratitude to Sparkle for their keen interest in the Iraqi market, and I look forward to witnessing further developments through our collaboration.”
The agreement was signed at Capacity Middle East 2024, underscoring the commitment of both companies to usher in a new era of innovation, connectivity, and technological progress in Iraq, positioning the nation as a hub for digital excellence.
