Parallel Wireless, an Open RAN technology vendor headquartered in Nashua, NH, has partnered with Hotspot Networks, an Abuja, Nigeria-based Network-as-a-Service provider, to extend coverage to 500 previously unconnected rural sites throughout Nigeria. The goal of the collaboration is to connect rural residents to essential services, such as health, education, and financial services that can help improve their quality of life.
According to Hotspot Networks, the growing technology gap between urban and rural areas in Africa risks leaving rural residents behind as government and private sector services move to digital formats in populated areas. In response, the company is working directly with mobile network operators in Nigeria along with local and national governments to build 2G and 4G wireless communications infrastructure beyond the MNO networks.
“The terrestrial hurdles faced today are the same as those faced in years past, but the urgency has grown,” said Morenikeji Aniye, Hotspot Networks Founder and CEO. “Technological advancements in our ability to connect these previously unconnected areas … bring [rural residents] into modern times and all the necessities that come with it.”
Once Hotspot Networks’ hardware is installed, Parallel Wireless manages the sites and network activity via its Open RAN software. Hotspot Networks’ medium to long-term plan is to extend connectivity to over 11 million unconnected people in Nigeria and West Africa using solar-powered base stations.
With the Hotspot Networks partnership, Parallel Wireless claims that it now has over 1,500 sites in Africa. The company points out that expanding mobile connectivity throughout the region is challenging due to unreliable or unavailable electrical grid connections and rugged terrain that makes physical access difficult.
To address these challenges, Parallel Wireless says that it has partnered with regional telecommunications providers and governments in countries including Nigeria, Tanzania, Guinea Conakry, Ghana, South Sudan, Uganda, DRC, and Malawi to deploy hybrid networks tailored to the needs of specific regions within their borders. The company indicates that its solutions include 2G and 3G for rural areas, and 2G and 4G for urban and suburban areas.
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