Page 26 - SAMENA ELITE - January-May 2025

INDUSTRY UPDATES
26 JANUARY-MAY 2025

Tarana to Bring ngFWA Broadband to Underserved Communities in
Africa in Collaboration with Microsoft

Tarana, the creator of next-generation
fixed wireless access (ngFWA)
broadband technology, announced
a collaboration with Microsoft to
expand internet access in rural and
underserved communities across
Africa. Together, the companies
will help service providers in rural
and underserved Africa deploy
government-approved telecom
equipment at competitive pricing,
along with training and technical
support.

Access to secure, affordable telecom
equipment remains a major barrier to
internet connectivity in Africa. Despite
progress, high infrastructure costs and
limited rural coverage have allowed access (FWA) technology, ngFWA Basil Alwan, CEO of Tarana, added,
the digital divide to persist. In some delivers high-speed broadband “We admire the Airband Initiative’s
regions, fewer than 30% of people service in both non-line-of-sight mission and appreciate this
have reliable internet access. Through (NLoS) conditions and heavy radio opportunity to collaborate. We
the Airband program, Microsoft interference, making it an ideal look forward to making significant
is working to expand affordable solution for hard-to-reach and progress on the digital divide
connectivity to communities in Africa underserved markets. More than 250 together.”
by collaborating with local service operators worldwide are deploying
providers, governments, and non- ngFWA to deliver better broadband “Access to affordable, secure
profit organizations. more efficiently. broadband infrastructure is essential
for unlocking economic opportunity
Engineered to achieve a similar Tarana’s collaboration with Microsoft through digital access across Africa,”
mission, Tarana’s ngFWA broadband will help lower the cost of ngFWA said Vickie Robinson, General
platform combines fiber-class equipment for internet service Manager, Energy, Connectivity, and
performance with the agility of providers in Africa and assist with Sustainability at Microsoft. “By working
wireless technology to connect deployment logistics, enabling them with Tarana, we’re helping local
communities at a fraction of the to deliver life-changing internet operators overcome cost and
cost or time required to deploy wired access far faster and more cost- deployment barriers so they can bring
solutions. Overcoming two primary effectively. high-speed connectivity to the
limitations of traditional fixed wireless communities that need it most.”

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