Install Site Portfolio

Remotely Managed, Low-cost Power for Telecommunications in Nigeria

IHS Towers, Nigeria

Clear Blue Technologies partnered with a rural telecommunications infrastructure provider IHS Towers to connect Africa’s most remote, unconnected areas through the application of Smart Off-Grid Power.

Why Smart Off-Grid

Rural areas are not densely populated. Thus, internet service providers' average revenue per unit (ARPU) can be significantly lower in rural areas than in high-traffic urban centers. To make rural telephony in Africa technically and commercially viable, the telecommunications provider needed a power solution that minimized capital and operating costs. Clear Blue’s Nano-Grid Power Solution, a Smart Off-Grid system with a modular design, met the specific energy requirements of the application and the energy production capabilities of the geographic location. This minimized the upfront cost while allowing for the addition of more power as service needs grow. Plus, Clear Blue’s remote management capability eliminated the need to make costly maintenance visits reducing ongoing costs.

Results

Smart Off-Grid power proved that rural telephony is feasible with a low-cost power solution. As a result, IHS moved forward with large-scale rollouts, in 2021 and 2022, of hundreds of sites installed across areas of rural Africa, which previously lacked connectivity. Clear Blue’s Smart Off-Grid power systems will have enabled 2G and 3G services at hundreds of sites for this telecommunications provider. In addition, Nano-Grid, will pave the way for future telecommunications deployments in rural Africa and beyond to help bridge the rural digital divide across Africa and bring millions of people online.