Tata Communications, a leading digital infrastructure provider, and South African ICT services provider Dreamtime Technologies (Pty) (DTTech), have joined forces to build a new cloud-based virtual mobile network to serve African mobile and IoT providers.

It will act as the foundation for next-generation mobile and Internet of Things (IoT) services in sectors such as healthcare, transport, mining, agriculture, banking and retail. DTTech will also use the new cloud-based network to give mobile network operators (MNO) the flexibility to introduce new services and extend their geographical reach, which will help them attract new customers and generate new revenue streams without large upfront investments.

''From vehicle fleet management and agriculture to healthcare and retail, mobility and IoT open the door to new, truly transformational services with regional and global scale,'' said Anthony Bartolo, Chief Product Officer, Tata Communications. ''Yet, all too often businesses' digital transformation ambitions are being constrained by the inherently local nature of mobile networking, marred by complex roaming agreements and patchy, unreliable connectivity in different countries. With our Tata Communications MOVE™ platform, and our partnership with DTTech, we bring businesses ubiquitous, high-quality connectivity for their mobile and IoT services in Africa, and enable them to capture, move and manage information securely and reliably across borders.''

Shares of the company declined Rs 11.55, or 1.82%, to trade at Rs 623.00. The total volume of shares traded was 8,580 at the BSE (3.11 p.m., Tuesday).