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Orange ORANY and Vodacom recently formed a pioneering partnership to create Africa’s first rural tower company (towerco). The collaboration aims to address the persistent connectivity challenges in underserved regions of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and promote digital inclusion to a vast population. The joint venture (JV) will focus on building, owning and operating solar-powered mobile base stations in the DRC’s rural areas. By leveraging 2G and 4G technologies, the initiative is expected to provide network access to 19 million people across rural communities, enabling them to connect to essential voice, data and mobile financial services.
Orange RDC, a subsidiary of the Orange Group, has been transforming the DRC landscape for the past 12 years. With over 15 million subscribers and more than 3,400 sites, 90% of which are 4G-enabled, Orange RDC has showcased its commitment to innovation and inclusion. The company’s initiatives, such as the Orange Digital Centers & Clubs, provide free digital training to thousands of young Congolese, providing the youth with next-gen tech knowledge.
Building and maintaining networks in remote rural areas remains a major challenge in the DRC. To address this, Orange and Vodacom have pledged to construct up to 2,000 solar-powered base stations over the next six years, starting with an initial commitment of 1,000 sites. The project has the potential to scale further, with plans for an additional 1,000 towers. The JV’s completion is subject to approval from regulatory, administrative and competition authorities. With the first solar-powered base stations anticipated to commence operations in 2025, the JV is likely to be the foremost choice for other developing regions struggling with connectivity challenges.
Furthermore, the shared use of active and passive infrastructure strengthens the collaboration, with both companies acting as anchor tenants for an initial 20-year term. Also, the partnership will open its passive infrastructure to other MNOs, fostering competition and broadening consumer options in these regions.
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Currently, mobile Internet penetration in the DRC stands at just 32.3%. The DRC's National Digital Plan Horizon 2025 outlines a vision for a robust digital economy, emphasizing e-citizenship, e-government and e-commerce. The collaborative project aligns seamlessly with this vision by enabling greater access to digital services, driving job creation and boosting economic growth.
Based in Paris, France, ORNAY offers a range of fixed telephony and mobile telecommunications, data transmission, Internet and multimedia, and other value-added services to consumers, businesses and other telecommunications operators under the Orange brand worldwide.