INTELLIGENT BRANDS // Green Technology
Agreement expanded to connect
off-grid villages
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V
anu, a provider of equipment, tools
and services that allow mobile
network operators to serve off-grid
communities, has announced the expansion
of its ongoing agreement with Africa Mobile
Networks (AMN) to supply mobile network
infrastructure in support of AMN’s mission to
serve rural communities in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Vanu and AMN share the goal of providing
mobile network operators (MNOs) with a
capex-free path to a fully connected Africa
and have collaborated to enable coverage
for as many as 1.1 million previously
unserved people.
“While mobile network operators have
significantly increased coverage in recent
years, off-grid markets present unique
challenges that have left 1.2 billion people
without coverage,” said Andrew Beard, CEO
of Vanu. “AMN and Vanu both view small-
cell network architectures powered by solar
energy to be the best way to extend services
to the unconnected. We are privileged to be
a technology supplier for AMN’s networks in
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Africa and we see a significant opportunity
for our organisations to positively affect
more communities in more countries in the
months ahead.”
Currently, 1.2 billion people lack
connectivity worldwide. Vanu helps close
the digital divide by providing cellular
mobile connectivity to off grid markets.
To efficiently cover villages, Vanu uses a
combination of specialised equipment,
tools and services, including low TCO (total
cost of ownership) cell sites, mapping tools
and network planning tools (to ensure
sites are built in optimal locations), as well
as monitoring, optimisation and support
services (to ensure maintenance resources
are used efficiently).
Vanu’s equipment, tools and services enable
MNOs and partners, such as AMN, to provide
off-grid coverage profitably. In addition,
Vanu’s unique high-resolution coverage
mapping tool, VanuMaps, provide MNOs,
their partners and potential investors with the
high-resolution coverage and population data
needed to more accurately and efficiently
identify the return on investment afforded by
serving previously uncovered villages.
The mission of AMN is to build mobile
network base stations serving rural
communities in sub-Saharan Africa which
have no existing service, providing existing
licensed mobile network operators with a
capex-free route to add new subscribers and
new revenues and with incremental costs
which deliver guaranteed operating profits
– and with sufficient population to deliver
positive operating profits and cash flows for
its shareholders.
AMN CEO Michael Darcy said: “Vanu has
been a great partner for AMN. The locations
we operate are very challenging and we
need solutions that reflect the unique
requirements of our market. Using Vanu
equipment and working together with
Vanu’s team, AMN has been able to create
cost-effective solutions that AMN uses to
increase subscribers, revenue and profit for
our MNO customers.” n
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