The U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) is accelerating the deployment of “trusted” U.S.-made wireless infrastructure in West Africa to connect off-grid communities in a region dominated by Chinese-made wireless systems, the U.S agency announced on Tuesday.
Towards this, USTDA announced funding for a feasibility study to install approximately 1,500 turnkey mobile communications base stations from Massachusetts-based company Vanu Inc. (Vanu), across Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana and Nigeria.
“USTDA is bringing private sector solutions to unlock widespread, affordable, trusted internet access in off-grid communities across West Africa,” said Thomas R. Hardy, USTDA’s Deputy Director. “By helping American companies compete in these critical markets, we are offering an alternative to insecure infrastructure while creating export opportunities that make America more prosperous.”
USTDA’s assistance will fund the study for Vanu Côte d’Ivoire, which has selected Georgiabased Vernonburg Group LLC to provide U.S. expertise to assess the commercial viability of large-scale deployment and help mobilize financing for implementation.
The study will evaluate existing network infrastructure, analyze market conditions across all four countries, assess legal and regulatory frameworks, and develop a comprehensive financing plan.
The project will generate substantial opportunities to deploy trusted U.S. wireless solutions, network management systems, and other digital infrastructure throughout the project’s implementation.
The deployment of American-made mobile base stations will address West Africa’s urban-rural connectivity gap and provide millions of West Africans with faster, more reliable mobile access, supporting economic activity in areas that have historically been offline or limited to outdated 2G and 3G networks.
Andrew Beard, CEO of Vanu Inc., said: “Vanu is proud to partner with USTDA to demonstrate how our systems enable mobile network operators in West Africa to deliver broadband Internet and voice services in some of the most economically and operationally challenging markets and prove that connectivity in these markets can be profitable, sustainable and scalable.
“Building on our pioneering world-first Federal Communications Commission certification of a software radio product, Vanu has developed an ecosystem of American companies to deliver cost-effective systems based on open interfaces and architectures.
“The USTDA study will help catalyze new investment, expand U.S. exports, and accelerate deployment of trusted, secure digital infrastructure to connect billions of people worldwide.”
A statement on the deployment explained that “the U.S. Trade and Development Agency is the U.S. government’s first mover on critical infrastructure development in emerging markets, advancing the shared strategic priorities of the United States and our overseas partners while creating opportunities to deploy trusted U.S. solutions. USTDA funds the upfront technical work that accelerates the development of infrastructure projects, helping them attract the financing they need for implementation and procurement of U.S. goods and services.”
