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title: Tarana and Microsoft bringing next-gen FWA to underserved African communities - Developing Telecoms
description: Tarana and Microsoft are partnering to expand internet access in rural and underserved communities across Africa.
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Tarana and Microsoft are partnering to expand internet access in rural and underserved communities across Africa.

Together, the companies will help service providers in rural and underserved Africa deploy government-approved telecom equipment at competitive pricing, along with training and technical support.

Access to secure, affordable telecom equipment remains a major barrier to internet connectivity in Africa. Despite progress, high infrastructure costs and limited rural coverage have allowed the digital divide to persist. In some regions, fewer than 30% of people have reliable internet access. Through the Airband program, Microsoft is working to expand affordable connectivity to communities in Africa by collaborating with local service providers, governments, and non-profit organisations.

Engineered to achieve a similar mission, Tarana’s next-generation fixed wireless access (ngFWA) broadband platform combines fibre-class performance with the agility of wireless technology to connect communities at a fraction of the cost or time required to deploy wired solutions. Overcoming two primary limitations of traditional fixed wireless access (FWA) technology, ngFWA delivers high-speed broadband service in both non-line-of-sight (NLoS) conditions and heavy radio interference, making it an ideal solution for hard-to-reach and underserved markets. More than 250 operators worldwide are deploying ngFWA to deliver better broadband more efficiently.

Tarana’s collaboration with Microsoft will help lower the cost of ngFWA equipment for internet service providers in Africa and assist with deployment logistics, enabling them to deliver life-changing internet access far faster and more cost-effectively.

“Access to affordable, secure broadband infrastructure is essential for unlocking economic opportunity through digital access across Africa,” said Vickie Robinson, General Manager, Energy, Connectivity, and Sustainability at Microsoft. “By working with Tarana, we’re helping local operators overcome cost and deployment barriers so they can bring high-speed connectivity to the communities that need it most.”

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