Kenyan Internet Services provider, BRCK, has acquired its rival Surf, in a move that makes it one of sub-Saharan Africa’s biggest public networks. The details of the deal remain undisclosed as of the time of writing. The company said in a statement on its website that the acquisition will enable BRCK to take off-the-shelf routers, partner with local ISPs, and roll out network faster into fiber-connected locations. The statement read, “One of the great advantages that we were looking for was an ability to have a fixed WiFi strategy to add to our transportation and edge compute model. All of this will run the Moja platform, so there is a seamless user experience between public locations and public transportation.” The acquisition is inclusive of Surf’s US-based parent Everlayer and extends BRCK’s network to more than 2 500 hotspots across the two East African countries, the Nairobi-based company said in an e-mailed statement on Friday. BRCK had 1 500 hotspots before the acquisition, according to director of commercialisation Christian Doyen. BRCK has long been on a mission to create an onramp to the internet for people who can’t afford it regularly; bringing products like the SupaBRCK which supports the Moja Network. Brck has expanded its services through Kenya and recently into Rwanda.
