INDUSTRY TRENDS

Vanu announces solar-powered base station rollout in Nigeria

Vanu, a provider of equipment, tools and services that enable mobile network operators to profit by serving off-grid communities, has announced that, working with a local deployment partner, it has brought mobile network base stations to several communities in Nigeria.

The base stations were deployed on behalf of an as-yet-unnamed leading Nigerian operator and voice and data traffic over the network is currently active.

Working with deployment partner Information Connectivity Solutions Limited (ICSL), Vanu says it has installed, and will maintain, multiple solar-powered network base stations that will allow users in previously uncovered areas to access, for the first time, cellular network connectivity and the internet.

Vanu’s systems are specifically designed to be deployed and operated jointly with local partners in remote locations, using solar power to avoid the high costs, inconvenience and environmental damage of diesel-powered generators.

These systems, says Vanu, are easy and low cost to install, commission and maintain, and include a suite of services that can provide a turnkey solution – from commercial feasibility and network design through operations, maintenance and support.

The Vanu partner platform enables local technology providers to access new business opportunities and revenue streams generated by the successful deployment of innovative connectivity solutions across previously uncovered off-grid areas.

By partnering with local companies, such as ICSL, Vanu says it is able to efficiently duplicate its entire deployment process across hundreds of planned sites, using trained, local technicians.