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The U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) has announced funding for a feasibility study to install approximately 1,500 mobile communications base stations from a Massachusetts-based company across Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana and Nigeria, according to a statement posted on the agency’s website on Tuesday.
USTDA said the study would assess the commercial viability of deploying trusted US-made wireless infrastructure in West Africa, a region currently dominated by Chinese-made systems.
“USTDA is bringing private sector solutions to unlock widespread, affordable, trusted internet access in off-grid communities across West Africa,” the statement quoted Thomas R. Hardy, USTDA’s Deputy Director, as saying.
“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,” Hardy said.
USTDA said its assistance would fund the study for Vanu Côte d’Ivoire, which has selected Georgia-based Vernonburg Group LLC to provide U.S. expertise and help mobilise financing for implementation.
According to the agency, the study will evaluate existing network infrastructure, analyse market conditions across all four countries, assess legal and regulatory frameworks, and develop a comprehensive financing plan.
USTDA said the deployment of American-made mobile base stations would 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West Africans with faster, more reliable mobile access, supporting economic activity in areas historically limited to outdated 2G and 3G networks.
Andrew Beard, CEO of Vanu Inc., said in the statement: “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 catalyse new investment, expand U.S. exports, and accelerate deployment of trusted, secure digital infrastructure to connect billions of people worldwide.”
