Alphabet’s Loon and Vodacom have signed a deal to use Loon’s balloon-powered Internet solution to expand the Vodacom network in Mozambique.
In a statement, the mobile operator says in terms of the agreement, Loon will help Vodacom provide service to un-served and under-served parts of the country with a network of floating cellphone towers that operate 20 kilometres above Earth.
Loon is an Alphabet subsidiary working on providing Internet access to rural and remote areas. The company uses high-altitude balloons in the stratosphere at an altitude of 18km to 25km to create an aerial wireless network with up to 4G-LTE speeds.
In 2018, Telkom Kenya became the first African telco to sign a commercial deal with Loon.
The Loon technology was also used by US telecoms operators to provide connectivity to more than 250 000 people in Puerto Rico after a hurricane hit the island.
Network expansion
Using the Loon solution, Vodacom will expand mobile network access to Cabo Delgado and Niassa provinces, two regions that have proven hard to cover in the past due to the vast and logistically challenging geographical areas, together with low population density.
Vodacom says the Loon solution will provide a 4G service that supports data, voice, SMS and USSD, which will also enable mobile financial services.
It notes that the service will be available to any Vodacom subscriber with a standard 4G-VoLTE enabled handset and SIM card.
Users will not need to do anything special to connect to the service; they will connect just as they would to a normal cell tower.
“In fact, it’s unlikely that a user will know that they are connected to the service provided by a high altitude balloon, except for the fact that they may have a signal in a location where it previously did not exist,” the company says.
Vodacom Group CEO Shameel Joosub says: “Vodacom’s partnership with Loon is a perfect example of how technological innovation can connect the most rural communities in Africa.
“We are pleased to be part of this initiative in Mozambique, which is helping to bridge the digital divide. This is even more pertinent in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, where more Mozambicans will now have access to healthcare information through our Loon partnership. We look forward to forging similar partnerships and projects across the continent, as we ensure that no one is left behind when it comes to accessing the global digital economy.”
Loon and Vodacom have been working collaboratively with Mozambican communications and aviation regulators, including Autoridade Reguladora das Comunicações de Moçambique and the Institute for Civil Aviation of Mozambique, to obtain the necessary approvals to enable service in Mozambique.
Loon’s CEO Alastair Westgarth says: “We’re extremely pleased to be partnering with Vodacom, one of Africa’s largest mobile network operators, to begin serving parts of Mozambique in the coming months. Vodacom has a big footprint in Southern Africa, and provides service to tens of millions of people across multiple countries every single day. We view this as the first step to a larger partnership that will allow us to serve more of those users throughout Africa.”
Ground infrastructure installations
The companies says they are grateful to have received approvals to start importing and installing the required ground infrastructure for Loon’s balloons to operate in the stratosphere above the country, and for Loon to provide service over the Vodacom network.
Vodacom Mozambique chief technology officer, Pedro Rabacal, says: “Vodacom Mozambique is excited and proud to be able to bring the latest technological innovation to some of the most remote areas of the country.
“In times such as these, it is more important than ever that we find ways to ensure that we expand our coverage and services and that our customers have access to critical hygiene and lifesaving information. This partnership with Loon offers a key solution that will significantly accelerate Vodacom’s 4G coverage to areas of Mozambique that have been challenging to service. Our aim is to expand and push to the edge of coverage so as to provide the same quality voice, data, SMS and M-Pesa services to all Mozambicans.
“This agreement symbolises yet another advance in the field of mobile communications technologies in the country and will allow greater connectivity for Mozambicans in any geography. With this action, we reaffirm our position as a company focused on innovation and, above all, on providing an increasingly better experience to our customers. We have ambitions to continue to grow with more modern and comprehensive solutions by improving the quality of our services and responding positively to the needs of Mozambicans.”
In the coming months, Loon and Vodacom will work together to continue installing terrestrial infrastructure, which will serve as the physical connection point for Loon’s balloons to Vodacom’s Internet and core network.
Loon will also begin flying balloons above Mozambique to learn the stratospheric wind patterns on which the balloons must navigate to remain above the service area.
According to Vodacom, network integration testing is ongoing in order to ensure that this innovative solution works as intended.
Loon and Vodacom expect to begin providing service to users in the coming months.
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