Huawei Uganda presents RuralStar solution to President Museveni at the 2nd annual National ICT Job Fair

The Ministry of ICT and National Guidance and Huawei Technologies Uganda held the 2^nd National ICT job Fair at Kololo ceremonial grounds.  The event was graced by The President of Uganda H.E Yoweri Kaguta Museveni and was attended by various government officials, heads of different entities in Uganda and thousands of youth from different universities.

Upon arrival of the Chief guest the President of Uganda, he inspected the different exhibitions from the different companies that where showcasing what they do and what opportunities they are offering to the people of Uganda. Among the companies that had set up for exhibition, Huawei Technologies which was the main sponsor of the 2^nd Annual National ICT Job Fair 2023 welcomed the President H.E Yoweri Kaguta Museveni to their booth and one of the Huawei Uganda Directors Mr. Maurice Magembe presented to the President of Uganda the Huawei RuralStar solution which provides rural coverage to connect the unconnected.

Mr. Maurice Magembe explained that to date, there are a number of major challenges for operators In Rural Network Construction that include but are not limited to:

1. Costly Deployment – Rural areas are often characterized by the lack of reliable public infrastructure, such as the mains power and roads. This significantly increases the capital expenditure (CAPEX) during network deployment and the operating expense (OPEX) for network operation and maintenance (O&M), in addition to other uncertainties and risks. Recent GSMA reports show that the expenditure on the power supply and transport networks for site deployment in rural areas is two to three times that in urban areas.
2. Low ARPU (Average Revenue Per User) – Rural areas are often sparsely populated and concentrated with users with low per-capita income. Despite a strong demand for mobile communications and Internet services in rural areas, the penetration rate of mobile terminals in rural areas is much lower than that in Urban areas and therefore the corresponding ARPU in rural areas is quite low.

Mr. Magembe stated that “With the popularization of mobile communications, more and more rural areas are demanding network coverage. Many countries require operators to improve the population coverage in remote areas. In rural areas, the economic development relatively lags behind, the population is scattered, the ARPU is low, and the ROI (Returns On Investment) period is long. Therefore, the investment willingness of operators is low.”

To adapt to targeted coverage scenarios and 3-year ROI requirements, Huawei the Global Leader in ICT solutions has developed the innovative RuralStar solution. RuralStar1.0 achieved a breakthrough from 0 to 1. It provides a cost-effective, innovative targeted coverage solution based on RRN3901 wireless backhaul (model of the telecom equipment). This solution provides coverage from villages with 3000 people and achieves ROI within less than three years. Based on RuralStar1.0, RuralStar2.0 further improves the relay capability, reduces the power consumption of base stations, and reduces the energy costs. This solution reduces the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) by 25% in three years, provides coverage for villages with 2000 people, and achieves ROI within less than three years. After the RuralStar presentation from Mr. Magembe, the President of Uganda H.E Yoweri K. Museveni thanked the Huawei team for the presentation during his inspection of the exhibition. The RuralStar solution if deployed in Uganda will enable the extension of ICT services to the rural communities throughout the country and enable a better-connected Uganda. The President of Uganda commended Huawei Technologies during his speech at the opening ceremony of the National ICT Job Fair for its works since the early 2000’s.