Tata Communications, a global communications service provider, and Essar Telecom Kenya (yuMobile), a unit of Essar Group have on Thursday signed a mutually beneficial strategic sourcing agreement.

Under the landmark deal, yuMobile will, exclusively, route all its international voice traffic through Tata Communications’ network.  yuMobile continues to be one of the company’s key suppliers of telecommunication services throughout Kenya.

The partnership will allow yuMobile to tap into Tata Communications’ extensive and robust voice infrastructure, enabling it to deliver higher quality international calls at competitive rates to customers in Kenya. Through yuMobile, Tata Communications will benefit from the increasing demand for high quality voice services in Africa generated by a rapid rise in the number of mobile subscribers on the continent.

"We understand the importance of tying up with partners who can deliver the best in their field of expertise” said Madhur Taneja, Country Manager, yuMobile 

“Having access to Tata Communications’ extensive global network and advanced voice traffic management tools allow us to focus on our core business and the latest mobile technology advancements, giving us the competitive edge in the booming African mobile market”, he added

Michel Guyot, President of Global Voice Solutions,Tata Communications said, “Becoming yuMobile’s sole provider for international voice termination is a unique deal for us in Africa. Africa represents one of the strongest growth opportunities in the voice sector and our experience in the region means that we are ideally placed to help yuMobile build its business in Kenya.