WordPress Websites for Engineers: Elevate Your Brand
Providing Rural Coverage Solutions
1. This document is offered compliments of
BSP Media Group. www.bspmediagroup.com
All rights reserved.
2. "Providing Cost Efficient Coverage To
Previously Unprofitable Areas”
12th November 2013
bad news, worse news, drivers, challenges, issues, opportunities, not so bad news…
3. The challenge of rural coverage
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
No money - $2 ARPU
No power – dead devices
No access – bad or no roads
No interest – from MNOs
High cost – Capex & Opex
Low literacy – voice only
Vast areas – remote communities
Long distances - distributed communities
Tech divide – urban priority & data
High risk – licence obligation vs loss making sites
4. GSM industry in a state of change
• Licence renewal (10-15 year anniversary) looms
(unprecedented threat of losing a licence - imagine
losing it because of a lack of rural coverage)
• As voice revenue declines, data revenue
demands significant investment
• Operator generation shift – Technology centric to
marketing centric
• Leading to a focus on greater efficiency and
leveraging capex to maximise returns
• While regulators and users grow more
demanding
6. Traditional Solution Challenges
• MNOs have difficulty in accepting technologies
outside their major vendors – so limited rural
solutions
• Towerco model presently limited to passive
infrastructure – so its not the answer
• USF models are slow and politically motivated so not necessarily sustainable on its own
• Major backbone upgrades to fibre for data
means low priority rural rollout for operators –
but NOT regulators
7. Demand for Rural GSM
• The next 1billion subscribers
• 87% will come from emerging economies
• Large areas in developing countries without
coverage
• 70% live in rural communities
• Telecoms - the key to economic development
• Economic growth increases by 1.2% for every 10% rise in mobile
users - GSMA
• Political and regulatory pressure
• Licence renewals and a drive towards rural empowerment are
resulting a scramble to address the lack of rural service delivery
8. The challenge of rural coverage
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
No money - $2 ARPU
No power – dead devices
No access – bad or no roads
No interest – from MNOs
High cost – Capex & Opex
Low literacy – voice only
Vast areas – remote communities
Long distances - distributed communities
Tech divide – urban priority & data
High risk – licence obligation vs loss making sites
19. The answer to rural coverage
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
No money
No power
No access
No interest
High cost
Low literacy
Vast areas
Long distances
Tech divide
High risk
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
There is money
Innovative solar
Lightweight solutions
Regulation & politics
New business models
Smart people
VSAT solutions
Added value solutions
Rural tech solutions
Zero risk solutions
20. Thank you
CONTACT:
Dion Jerling
Special Projects Director
CONNECT AFRICA
Cell: +260 965 860 113 (Zambia)
Cell: +27 82 487 8354 (South Africa)
Email: dion@connectafrica.net
www.connectafrica.net
