Vanu partners with AMN to deliver mobile connection services in Africa

Vanu 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.

With orders exceeding 2,500 systems this year, AMN has now placed orders for more than 3,000 Vanu systems over the last two years. Vanu and AMN have collaborated to enable coverage for reportedly 1.1m previously unserved people.

Commenting on the partnership, Andrew Beard, CEO of Vanu Inc. said: “While mobile network operators have significantly increased coverage in recent years, off-grid markets present unique challenges that have left 1.2bn people without coverage”.

“AMN and Vanu both view small-cell network architectures powered by solar energy to be the best way to extend service to the unconnected. We are privileged to be a technology supplier for AMN’s networks in Africa and we see a significant opportunity for our organizations to positively affect more communities in more countries in the months ahead,” he added.

To cover villages, Vanu uses a combination of specialized equipment, tools and services, including low TCO (total cost of ownership) cell sites, mapping tools and network planning tools, as well as monitoring, optimization and support services.

Vanu’s equipment, tools and services enable MNOs and partners, such as AMN, to provide off-grid coverage. In addition, to Vanu’s coverage mapping tool, VanuMaps, provide MNOs, their partners and potential investors with the high-resolution coverage and population data needed to accurately and efficiently identify the return on investment afforded by serving previously uncovered villages.

Commenting on the new project, AMN CEO Michael Darcy noted, “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”.