MTN Nigeria and Huawei announced the commercial deployment of the inclusive RuralCow solution, a rapid-deployment, all-in-one mobile base station that provides mobile coverage to remote rural areas.
By connecting the unconnected, RuralCow helps narrow the digital divide between urban and rural communities, unlocks the latent demand for mobile communications in rural regions, and injects vital momentum into Nigeria’s drive toward digital inclusion.
Nigeria is Africa’s most populous nation, with rural residents accounting for nearly half of its population—around 105 million people (World Bank, 2024). In rural areas, the absence of reliable grid power and fiber transmission infrastructure makes the cost of deploying traditional base stations far higher than in cities.
Moreover, according to Huawei’s insights, most villages with a population of fewer than 3,000 are characterized by dispersed settlements and low average revenue per user (ARPU), which result in a prolonged return on investment (ROI) period. These factors make it highly challenging for operators to build base stations.
To accelerate the development of rural communications infrastructure, Huawei has introduced the innovative RuralCow solution, enabling efficient mobile network rollout.
RuralCow combines a baseband unit, radio unit, and transmission equipment, and supports multiple frequency bands and radio access technologies.
Compared with traditional macro base stations, it cuts overall power consumption by about 85%, reduces equipment quantity by roughly 70%, and requires no heavy machinery for installation. Operating without fiber or microwave links, it can achieve non-line-of-sight transmission distances of about 30 kilometers, significantly enhancing coverage, while its intelligent remote operation and maintenance functions keep on-site visits to a minimum.
Live network deployment statistics show that for villages with populations between 1,000 and 3,000, RuralCow shortens the ROI period from 5–10 years to around 3 years, delivering efficient coverage and sustainable commercialization in underserved regions.
The world’s first RuralCow commercial deployment by MTN Nigeria and Huawei
Yahaya Ibrahim, Chief Technical Officer of MTN Nigeria
We believe that everyone deserves the benefits of a modern connected life. Rapidly extending wireless coverage to remote rural areas and ensuring equal access to digital benefits is our shared mission.
Fang Xiang, Vice President of Huawei Wireless Network Product Line
As an industry leader in inclusive connectivity, Huawei is committed to bringing leading technology to rural areas to narrow the digital divide. RuralCow is an ultra-simple, green, and cost-effective solution to provide coverage to rural areas, an essential element of a healthy, sustainable business ecosystem. We will continue on our innovation-driven mission of Connecting the Unconnected to push for a digitally inclusive world.
