AMN has installed more than 1,000 new mobile network base stations using capacity provided by SES. Photo: AMN via SES

SES is helping to bring better connectivity to people in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), working with Africa Mobile Network (AMN). Together the companies now support more than 1,100 base stations and increasing population coverage by 27%, bringing mobile network access within reach for more people, many in rural communities. The two companies announced the expanded coverage milestone on Feb. 26.

Through this collaboration, AMN has successfully installed an additional 292 new mobile network base stations across the country using capacity provided by SES, providing critical telecommunication services to more than 5.8 million people. The sites were deployed in just 90 days.

The partnership between AMN and SES plays a central role in AMN’s efforts to bring connectivity to people across the country and region. Because sites are entirely solar-powered and utilize VSAT backhaul, they are able to deployed without relying on power grids or existing network infrastructure.

In order to deploy the sites, AMN installation teams had to navigate impassable roads and hand carry equipment for miles.

“Building nearly 300 sites in just three months, under some of the toughest conditions imaginable, is an extraordinary achievement. This is what happens when determination meets purpose. This is exactly why AMN exists: to connect even the most remote communities sustainably, reliably, and at scale,” Michael Darcy, CEO of Africa Mobile Network, said in a statement.