With days to go before the kick-off of the biggest sporting event in African history, the eyes of the world are focusing on South Africa. The officials and politicians are striking a confident pose, the players and fans are excited and hopeful, but one question remains on everyone’s mind: can South Africa really pull this off? Can a World Cup hosted in Africa, even in Africa’s most developed country, really match preceding tournaments for organisation, polish, and sheer excitement?

Concerns over the readiness of the stadiums and other tournament infrastructure, and worries about ticket pricing and access to tickets have been major challenges for the local organisers and for Fifa. But a world-class telecommunications infrastructure is equally important for the success of the tournament, although the work in this area has not been getting as much public attention as the glittering new stadiums.