Parallel Wireless has partnered with Nigerian network-as-a-service (NaaS) provider Hotspot Network Ltd to extend 2G and 4G coverage to previously unconnected rural sites throughout Nigeria using Open RAN solutions.
Hotspot Network is an ISP that provides infrastructure sharing and colocation services to mobile networks in Nigeria. It’s currently working directly with local and national governments to build 2G and 4G infrastructure for unserved rural areas.
Under the new partnership with Parallel Wireless, Hotspot Network will deploy 500 new sites using Parallel’s Open RAN solution. Once Hotspot Networks’ hardware is installed, Parallel Wireless will manage network activity via its Open RAN software, enabling reliable service.
The new sites will not only connect residents in those areas for the first time, but also give them access to vital services such as phone banking, education, and health services.
Hotspot Networks founder and CEO Morenikeji Aniye said this is crucial as residents in rural Africa risk being left behind as government and private sector services move to digital formats.
“The terrestrial hurdles faced today are the same as those faced in years past – but the urgency has grown,” he said in a statement. “Technological advancements in our ability to connect these previously unconnected areas instantaneously brings them into modern times and all the necessities that come with it.”
Yisrael Nov, EVP of global sales at Parallel Wireless, touted Open RAN as a key technology to help connect the disconnected and give them access to digital services.
“Rather than letting cumbersome technologies constrain our shared ambitions, we tailored the Open RAN implementation to fit the project needs and make for a more nimble deployment,” he said.
