Independent, global mobile operator Telecom26 has been appointed by its long-term customer, SystemOne, to provide connectivity to new healthcare clinics across Angola and Nigeria.

The two companies are already working together in Ghana, Mozambique and Zimbabwe where SystemOne has tested more than 1.3 million blood samples for TB, HIV and COVID using the Telecom26 network.

These tests provide speedy diagnosis enabling patients to start treatment earlier which improves outcomes - and for measures to be taken to prevent the uncontrolled transmission of these deadly infectious diseases.

The companies underline the critical role that reliable connectivity plays in the success of SystemOne’s digital health and real-time diagnostic programs across Africa, with speed of diagnosis and treatment often the difference between life and death with many infectious diseases.

Unreliable bandwidth and patchy connectivity are problems encountered by e-health programmes across the world. The traditional route is to buy local SIMs to provide device connectivity. Unfortunately, this limits users to one mobile network operator - and adds juggling multiple SIMs across devices to find the strongest local network to a long list of headaches for healthcare providers.

In a statement Telecom26 explained its Global SIM cards and routers were developed with the specific goal of improving connectivity in remote and rural areas.

“They enable devices to automatically access and switch between multiple cellular networks - and any Wi-Fi or LANs - both in-country and across borders to ensure that they are using the best performing service at any one time,” the companies said.

SystemOne’s new digital healthcare initiative in Nigeria uses a custom-built app to track the result delivery, treatment initiation and recovery of patients with infectious diseases. Telecom26 has provided 1000 of its Global SIM cards which automatically switch between networks to find the fastest and most reliable connectivity.

In Angola SystemOne’s medical devices are connected to a router via WiFi cables with mobile broadband provided to the router by Telecom26 using the best available networks.

Brad Cunningham, COO at SystemOne, said, “Reliable connectivity is an essential component of our digital health offering. Once again, Telecom26’s global connectivity service has proved to be the best, and most reliable, in Africa and there is no need for me to worry about the coverage of a single MNO, or the existence of roaming alliances. Together we are improving the healthcare provided to millions of people across Africa”.

Telecom26’s Global SIMs are compatible with 1100 cellular networks from over 625 mobile operators in more than 220 countries.

Nicola Beradocco, CEO at Telecom26 said, “SystemOne is an inspirational organisation providing innovative e-health services in some of the most remote places in the world. We are delighted to have had our contract extended to cover more countries in Africa. Our IoT networks are proven to speed up diagnosis and treatment and help to reduce the spread of the world’s most terrible diseases”.