Last Updated- Jun 5, 2009 3:56 - - 1 Comment


Gold Fields implements Internet connection between Ghana operations, South Africa head office

ictSouth African gold-mining major Gold Fields has been working with Gateway Communications subsidiary GS Tele-com to provide data, voice and Internet connectivity between its Ghana operations and its Johannesburg head office and globally.

The project and ongoing contract involves the engineering and design of the communications systems, equipment supply, installation, maintenance and support, and the provision of terrestrial links with backup Vsat and spares management.

Gold Fields’ Ghana sites – Accra, Tarkwa and Damang – now have direct data access to Gold Fields’ head office with a guaranteed availability of 99,5% and a full service-level agreement.

The Gold Fields Ghana offices have UK public switched telephone network numbers that allow for voice communication between the offices and Gold Fields’ head office at local call rates.

The network is managed and monitored from Gateway’s network operations centres (NOCs), in Ghana, which provide primary management with 24/7 backup solutions through mobile phones to all technical managers.

The fully manned NOC is the focal point for fault reporting, and is also responsible for the proactive management of Gold Fields’ network.

Users are free to contact the NOC directly or through any of Gateway’s 17 offices to log complaints or to seek online technical support.

Faults reported to the NOC are logged and assigned job identity numbers that can be tracked until resolved.
The NOC provides reports to Gold Fields’ management on the state of the network.

Gateway also provides a full escalation procedure that allows Gold Fields personnel to contact Gateway’s local management team about faults or any concerns.

Gold Fields Ghana information technology manager Steve Larbi says that Gateway has created a loyal customer in Gold Fields. “The staff have been supportive, knowledgeable, professional and very responsive to our needs. Gateway proactively monitors the network, troubleshooting and resolving problems, and communicating with our team. The field crew performs regular maintenance of the equipment, and always arrives on schedule.”

He adds that the company has experienced great network reliability and performance using Gateway services.

Gateway owns and operates its own pan-
African network, offering over 400 direct connections into Africa and providing international connectivity.
In addition, the company offers its African customers local support through its 17 offices
across Africa.

The company delivers connectivity solutions to GSM operators and multinational companies, with services including cellular backhaul, turnkey network and satellite installation, Vsat and radio wireless Internet access, general packet radio service, mobile internet and voice solutions across the African continent and to the rest of the world.

It provides customers with access to the submarine cable that serves West Africa, SAT-3, between Ghana, Nigeria and Cameroon to the US, the UK, France and Belgium.

Source: Mining Weekly

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Comments

One Response to “Gold Fields implements Internet connection between Ghana operations, South Africa head office”

  1. charles k bruce on August 20th, 2009 1:21 pm

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