Wedoany.com Report-Apr. 29, Sonatel, a leading telecommunications company in Senegal, has partnered with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to introduce the first AWS Wavelength Zone in West Africa, located in Senegal. This marks only the second such deployment in Africa, reinforcing Senegal’s role as a regional technology hub. The initiative aligns with the "New Technology Deal," a $1.7 billion government-backed program to advance Senegal’s digital transformation.
AWS Wavelength Zones, developed with AWS partners, enable businesses to create and deploy applications locally, ensuring compliance with data residency requirements and delivering low-latency performance. The Senegal Wavelength Zone will support industries such as finance, healthcare, telecommunications, and the public sector, where secure local data processing is essential. It will also enhance performance for applications like the Internet of Things (IoT), gaming, and video streaming, which demand minimal latency.
Sonatel will offer comprehensive support to customers adopting AWS services, including consulting, application migration, cloud resource optimization, and operational assistance. The company itself utilizes the Wavelength Zone to host internal applications, benefiting from local data storage, reduced latency, and cost efficiencies. This approach demonstrates Sonatel’s commitment to leveraging the same advanced cloud solutions it provides to its clients, furthering its own digital transformation.
Sekou Drame, CEO of Sonatel, stated: “By welcoming AWS Wavelength into our Datacenter, we are enabling our customers to consume innovative cloud services, while meeting local requirements in terms of data residency and performance. This progress is part of our mission to make technology accessible, reliable, and useful to the local economy.”
Jyoti Ball, Sub-Saharan Africa Lead at AWS, added: “It’s exciting to bring AWS Wavelength to Senegal, in collaboration with Sonatel. The launch will empower organizations of all sizes with AWS services to unlock innovation and accelerate digital transformation. Access to local AWS compute and storage for data residency, low latency, and security will open up opportunities across a wide range of industries and sectors, and we look forward to seeing how this new Wavelength Zone drives growth for local and regional businesses.”
The launch of the AWS Wavelength Zone in Senegal is a significant step toward enhancing the country’s digital infrastructure. By providing local access to advanced cloud technologies, Sonatel and AWS aim to foster innovation, support economic growth, and empower businesses and public institutions across Senegal and the broader region.
