BICS, an international connectivity enabler, and Lynk Global, Inc., a satellite-direct-to-phone telecom company, announced yesterday both companies signed an agreement to enable mobile network operators (MNOs) to expand mobile coverage to people in remote areas around the world. Coverage areas will include North America, the Caribbean, Latin America, South-East Asia, and several rural areas in Africa. Pairing Lynk’s patented satellite technology and BICS’ network, mobile operators will see network coverage extended to these areas that lack terrestrial cell towers.
“BICS firmly believes that connected communities are stronger communities,” says Mikael Schachne, VP Telco Market at BICS. “With Lynk, we recognized the chance to create something very meaningful and special for our Mobile Network Operators’ partners and their subscribers. This partnership is about building bridges so that more people can connect to and benefit from a connected society than ever before.”
Analysts say around 450 million people, or six percent of the world’s population, live within the “digital divide” and are locked out of digital communications – excluded from all the educational, social and economic advantages that a connected world can offer. Despite advancements, many remote areas still remain largely unconnected because of the costs associated with building and maintaining land-based cell towers. Lynk’s ‘cell tower in space’ technology is designed to fix that by providing a satellite-direct-to-mobile-phone service. By partnering with MNOs, BICS and Lynk aim to connect people who have, until now, lived completely off the grid, otherwise known as 0G.
BICS, a provider of mobile data services globally, said it will leverage its network to pair Lynk’s satellite constellation and the world’s mobile operators. Lynk’s technology allows standard roaming partner integration without any hardware or software changes to the mobile operators’ networks, bringing coverage to remote areas, islands, and even offshore.
“Mobile service is taken for granted by so many people who live in cities and suburbs, but we need to remember that billions of people still experience extended periods of disconnectivity, and hundreds of millions live without any connectivity,” notes Charles Miller, Lynk CEO and co-founder. “Being left out of the digital world creates barriers to economic growth and social improvement — trapping hundreds of millions in the deepest poverty. It also eliminates access to basic emergency services, making life more dangerous. Our partnership with BICS will allow MNOs to affordably expand their coverage and connect more people, saving lives and accelerating economic development for those living in the remotest parts of the world,” Miller continues.
Reader Interactions