A telecommunications expert and data scientist, Kelvin Echenim, has described the rapid growth of mobile users and increasing demand for internet access as factors putting significant strain on telecom infrastructure.
Kelvin, whose work is revolutionising how telecom networks in developing economies manage and optimize their infrastructure, explained that keeping the complex machinery of a telecom network running smoothly, especially in a world where seamless communication is more vital than ever.
Speaking to journalists, Kelvin said his work at Globacom, one of Africa’s largest telecom providers, is a showcase of how innovative thinking can transform not just a company’s operations but entire markets. He stated that his focus on optimizing Quality of Service (QoS) has drastically improved how millions of users experience voice calls, internet access, and data transmission.
Commenting on his major contribution, the telecom engineer said he oversees network performance and ensures that users—from dense urban centres to remote rural areas—have reliable connectivity through his pioneering use of predictive analytics and network optimization techniques.
According to him, the number of users connecting to a network can fluctuate wildly based on the time of day, local events, or even weather conditions. Such volatility often results in congestion, packet loss, or even service disruptions. Kelvin added that his innovations focus on predicting these patterns before they become problems, enabling automatic bandwidth adjustments and proactive resource management.
“We’ve been able to anticipate network traffic in a way that lets us make real-time adjustments,” Kelvin explains. “By doing that, we can prevent bottlenecks and ensure that everyone stays connected, no matter where they are.”
Continuing, Kelvin said the impact of his work extends far beyond immediate improvements in connectivity. For telecom providers in developing economies, he said, where infrastructure can be inconsistent and resources limited, the ability to optimize networks on the fly is a game-changer.
He added that with predictive models, Globacom — operates in markets where expanding access to reliable telecommunications is critical to economic development — has been able to anticipate traffic surges, whether during a major event in Lagos or in rural areas where people rely heavily on mobile connectivity for daily activities.
He further explained that his solutions offer a blueprint for how telecoms can expand their services without overhauling their existing systems entirely. “Our focus was not just on quick fixes, but on creating sustainable systems that can evolve as the network grows,” Kelvin added.
These models predict when certain cell towers will experience high demand and proactively adjust bandwidth allocation to keep the network balanced, he added.
Speaking further on minimizing packet loss, a common issue in mobile networks where data gets “lost” during transmission, leading to poor voice quality or slow internet speeds, the data scientist explained that he, alongside his team, has drastically reduced these incidents, further enhancing the user experience by analyzing network data and traffic patterns.
“By keeping our network proactive instead of reactive, we’ve been able to stay ahead of issues before they affect our customers,” says Kelvin.
He added his work may have started at Globacom, but its implications reach far beyond Nigeria’s borders, stating that the methods offer scalable solutions that can be adapted to telecom networks in other developing regions, from Southeast Asia to Latin America.
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