An estimated 3.5 billion people globally remained unconnected to mobile internet as of 2023, according to GSMA Intelligence data. In rural regions, the biggest issues concern the cost and speed of network deployment, and access to reliable power.
Nokia Rural Connect enables operators to provide reliable rural coverage quickly, with a secure power supply. It can be deployed at speed because it reuses existing or refurbished RAN hardware and can use re-deployable civil works. This maximises hardware reuse and reduces inventory. It can also lower costs relating to masts and towers. The solution comprises the RAN, power, transport and an established renewable energy system.
Nokia Rural Connect has so far been used for deployments in Ethiopia, Egypt, Cameroon and Mali. Implementations cover 2G, 3G and 4G technologies with different backhaul options.
In one of the first implementations, in a rural town in Cameroon, there was a fivefold increase in the average number of mobile users in the first two weeks. The site reused existing radio equipment, in an area with no AC power (it used a fully off-grid solar solution).
