AMN wants to increase its capacities to better help telecom operators meet the growing demand for high-speed connectivity. To improve its reach, the company has signed partnerships with satellite operators like Starlink, Gilat, Intelsat, Hughes Network Systems…
Telecom tower builder Africa Mobile Networks (AMN) is leveraging Starlink's low-orbit (LEO) satellite constellation to boost its internet capabilities in rural Nigeria. In a press release published on April 18, the company announced the implementation of a first mobile network base station connected to the satellite network.
“ By using Starlink terminals to provide a low latency satellite link, we are able to deliver the full capacity of AMN's single multi-operator radio access node with 3G and 4G as well as 2G, with ever-increasing amounts of bandwidth and data volumes demanded by subscribers while remaining economically viable. The LEO backhaul also paves the way for AMN to provide 5G services, expected before the end of 2024 ,” the company explained.
The project is part of a larger agreement signed by AMN and Starlink in July 2023 to strengthen the capabilities of its telecoms sites in Africa. The initiative aligns with the company's aim to strengthen its capabilities to help telecom operators better meet the growing demand for broadband connectivity on the continent, particularly in rural areas. In November 2022, it obtained a $20 million loan from Finnfund and BlueOrchard Finance to finance its expansion .
This project should help improve access to the Internet in Nigeria. According to the latest statistics from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the country had 163.3 million Internet service subscribers as of the end of February. The same source indicates that 93.4 million subscribers used broadband, a penetration rate of 43.1%.