Nokia and iSAT Africa have established a strategic agreement to improve rural connectivity in Liberia, to bridge the digital divide and provide underserved regions with reliable, affordable network access. This deployment will last three years and cover about 200 sites in rural Liberia.
Said Rakesh Kukreja, Founder and Managing Director at iSAT Africa: “Our partnership with Nokia underscores our commitment to reducing the digital divide and enabling greater connectivity across Liberia. The Nokia Rural Connect solution offers lean, energy-efficient, and easy-to-deploy technologies that allow us to extend coverage into underserved areas. This deployment will strengthen our position as a leader in providing Network as a service and improve lives by enabling reliable voice and data services and connecting the unconnected.
Nokia’s Rural Connect solution leverages its AirScale radio portfolio, which includes Massive MIMO radios, remote radio heads, and base stations. iSAT Africa will also benefit from Nokia’s MantaRay Network Management solutions, which provide a unified, automated view of the network, improving monitoring and management capabilities while solving crucial obstacles such as limited coverage and a significant digital divide in rural areas.
This cooperation intends to spur socio-economic development in Liberia’s distant communities by expanding network access outside major towns. The 200-site deployment will increase iSAT Africa’s network reach, providing mobile network operators with a cutting-edge solution that is both cost-effective and highly efficient. This extension will improve rural populations’ access to key services, resulting in social and economic improvement in the region.
Osama Said, Customer Team Head, West Africa and Enterprise at Nokia: “We are proud to collaborate with iSAT Africa on this important initiative to enhance connectivity in rural Liberia. Our Rural Connect solution ensures robust coverage in remote areas, enabling voice and data services for communities that have been historically underserved. This partnership represents a significant step toward reducing the digital divide and fostering socio-economic development.”
The partnership highlights the commitment of both Nokia and iSAT Africa to driving digital inclusion and bringing the benefits of connectivity to all corners of the country.
