Closing the Coverage Gap: How Innovation Can Drive Rural Connectivity
Contents Introduction and context Innovation in: Base stations Backhaul Energy Business models Wrap-up 2 Introduction | Innovation in base stations | Innovation in backhaul | Innovation in energy | Innovation in business models | Wrap-up
Ten years of Mobile for Development Bullet 1 Bullet 2 www.gsma.com/mobilefordevelopment/10yearsofm4d 3 Introduction | Innovation in base stations | Innovation in backhaul | Innovation in energy | Innovation in business models | Wrap-up
GSMA Connected Society Programme The GSMA Connected Society Programme works with the mobile industry and key stakeholders to increase access to and adoption of the mobile internet, focusing on underserved population groups in developing markets. Our Approach: Insights Support Advocacy • Innovation Fund for Rural • Capacity building with • Industry leading research, Connectivity regulators and policy makers data and case studies • Digital skills projects • Convening National Dialogues • Mobile Connectivity Index and Coverage Maps for Digital Transformation in key markets 4 Introduction | Innovation in base stations | Innovation in backhaul | Innovation in energy | Innovation in business models | Wrap-up
Addressing key obstacles to adoption Accessibility: Facilitating access to network coverage, handsets, electricity, agents and formal IDs Affordability: Tackling affordability including handsets, tariffs, data and transactions fees Accelerating affordable smartphone Triggering mobile internet use in Usability and skills: Improving usability of ownership in emerging markets cote d’Ivoire and Tanzania handsets and services and building digital skills and awareness Safety and security: Enhancing security and safety by addressing harassment, theft, fraud and data protection Relevance: Promoting local, relevant content products and services Triggering mobile internet use among MISTT: Tigo Rwanda pilot men and women in South Asia evaluation 5 Introduction | Innovation in base stations | Innovation in backhaul | Innovation in energy | Innovation in business models | Wrap-up
The Coverage Gap: 750 million people do not have mobile broadband coverage 1% 4% 4% 7% 10% 11% 12% 24% 30% 28% 41% 39% 44% 49% 55% 46% 75% 68% 56% 53% 47% 40% 33% 24% Global North America Europe and Middle East East Asia and Latin America South Asia Sub-Saharan Central Asia and North Pacific and Caribbean Africa Africa Data: GSMA Intelligence Connected Usage gap Coverage gap 6 Introduction | Innovation in base stations | Innovation in backhaul | Innovation in energy | Innovation in business models | Wrap-up
In Sub-Saharan Africa 300 million people do not have mobile broadband coverage 1% 4% 4% 7% 10% 11% 12% 30% Global North America Europe and Middle East East Asia and Latin America South Asia Sub-Saharan Central Asia and North Pacific and Caribbean Africa Africa Data: GSMA Intelligence Connected Usage gap Coverage gap 7 Introduction | Innovation in base stations | Innovation in backhaul | Innovation in energy | Innovation in business models | Wrap-up
Mobile broadband rollout is increasingly an economic, not technical, challenge +35% more expensive Remote deployment 61% 12% 41% 21% than urban deployment +18% more expensive than Rural deployment 58% 12% 38% 10% urban deployment Urban deployment 48% 12% 30% 10% Cost of urban deployment Data: Annualised cost of mobile coverage sites in rural and remote Tower and civil works Active network costs Power Backhaul locations (relative to urban), by major component. All figures are GSMA generalised benchmarks, taken from GSMA Intelligence data. 8 Introduction | Innovation in base stations | Innovation in backhaul | Innovation in energy | Innovation in business models | Wrap-up
Priority areas for innovation in infrastructure are base stations, backhaul technologies, and energy Base stations can be very expensive – often requiring transporting materials Backhaul connects users to the core and undertaking extensive civil mobile network. Fibre-optic cabling can engineering. often be too expensive for rural deployments, whilst satellite and Energy represents a sizeable and microwave technologies also have ongoing cost for network operation. In limitations. many rural areas, a reliable power supply may not be available. 9 Introduction | Innovation in base stations | Innovation in backhaul | Innovation in energy | Innovation in business models | Wrap-up
Our approach Expert interviews with senior and technical stakeholders Secondary research Analysis of over thirty technologies Illustrative, not exhaustive Supported by: 10 Introduction | Innovation in base stations | Innovation in backhaul | Innovation in energy | Innovation in business models | Wrap-up
How Innovation Can Drive Rural Connectivity: Innovation in base stations
Innovation in base stations is relatively advanced Nearly 14 million base stations have been installed around the world – both macrocells and small cells Macrocells are a difficult investment in rural locations We need to avoid creating, reinforcing, or exacerbating the digital divide: suitable handsets need to be available for those living within the footprint of a network. 12 Introduction | Innovation in base stations | Innovation in backhaul | Innovation in energy | Innovation in business models | Wrap-up
Simplified, light, and modular base stations can be cheaper and less complex to deploy Photos: Huawei, Ericsson, Kuha.io 13 Introduction | Innovation in base stations | Innovation in backhaul | Innovation in energy | Innovation in business models | Wrap-up
Simplified, light, and modular base stations can be cheaper and less complex to deploy Photos: Huawei, Ericsson, Kuha.io 14 Introduction | Innovation in base stations | Innovation in backhaul | Innovation in energy | Innovation in business models | Wrap-up
Simplified, light, and modular base stations can be cheaper and less complex to deploy Photos: Huawei, Ericsson, Kuha.io 15 Introduction | Innovation in base stations | Innovation in backhaul | Innovation in energy | Innovation in business models | Wrap-up
More radical, wide-area coverage, solutions have the potential to help close the coverage gap Photo: Altaeros 16 Introduction | Innovation in base stations | Innovation in backhaul | Innovation in energy | Innovation in business models | Wrap-up
How Innovation Can Drive Rural Connectivity: Innovation in backhaul
Innovation across all backhaul solutions is important for rural mobile internet coverage Composition of backhaul technologies, Operators have a wide range of by region (2025) backhaul tools, but only some are feasible in rural areas Other, 5% Other, 8% Fibre, 15% Satellite Microwave and satellite dominate, but Fibre, 40% 3% they remain expensive and complicated to deploy… Satellite 1% Microwave 77% …But there is significant potential to Microwave improve their role and effectiveness for 51% rural connectivity. Global (2025) Sub-Saharan Africa (2025) Data: ABI research 18 Introduction | Innovation in base stations | Innovation in backhaul | Innovation in energy | Innovation in business models | Wrap-up
The potential for innovation in backhaul technologies is slightly longer- term… Photo: O3b Networks, Loon 19 Introduction | Innovation in base stations | Innovation in backhaul | Innovation in energy | Innovation in business models | Wrap-up
…but microwave still has an important role to play Photo and graphic: DragonWave-X 20 Introduction | Innovation in base stations | Innovation in backhaul | Innovation in energy | Innovation in business models | Wrap-up
How Innovation Can Drive Rural Connectivity: Innovation in energy
A reliable, cost-efficient replacement for diesel generators is needed Rural sites are often off-grid, with no reliable power supply available Diesel generators dominate, however renewable solutions are increasing in prevalence More than 4,000 sites powered by renewable energy operating across the African continent Providing reliable, efficient, and cost- effective energy could be transformational. 22 Introduction | Innovation in base stations | Innovation in backhaul | Innovation in energy | Innovation in business models | Wrap-up
Fuel cell technology may be an effective solution Photo and diagram: GenCell 23 Introduction | Innovation in base stations | Innovation in backhaul | Innovation in energy | Innovation in business models | Wrap-up
How Innovation Can Drive Rural Connectivity: Innovation in business models
Innovation is also needed in business models Coverage-as-a- Coverage-as-a- Community Energy and service service collaboration connectivity (CapEx) (revenue sharing) deployment model business model 25 Introduction | Innovation in base stations | Innovation in backhaul | Innovation in energy | Innovation in business models | Wrap-up
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