The Orange Côte d’Ivoire Group and Vanu, Inc. announce a partnership to provide connectivity in rural areas in Côte d’Ivoire and to Orange Côte d’Ivoire Group’s subsidiaries in Burkina Faso and Liberia.

According to the companies, Orange and Vanu “will deploy an innovative model that will allow for a ‘win-win’ partnering for both companies by sharing mutual opportunities.”

They will use the latest mobile technology to accelerate the development of digital projects in healthcare, agriculture, education and financial services, among others.

Orange expects to improve the overall customer experience, and Vanu will facilitate the rollout of sites in uncovered areas of Côte d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso and Liberia.

The project will begin with 1,070 sites, of which 700 will be in Côte d’Ivoire, 170 in Burkina Faso, and 200 in Liberia. The partnership between Orange and Vanu will provide technology upgrades and will be based on the innovative model of ''Network-as-a-Service'' (NaaS).

Orange Côte d’Ivoire Group saw a need to change its investment model for deployment in remote areas, for a more efficient model.

Nafy Coulibaly, Deputy Director General in charge of operations in Côte d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso and Liberia, says: "In order to provide digital services for all, Orange will deploy its services by strategically improving/increasing its network coverage so that no one will be left behind. This will be achieved by ensuring that we provide, to as many people as possible, free and unfettered access to digital services everywhere. Orange welcomes this partnership, which will offer digital services to millions of uncovered people in rural areas in Côte d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, and Liberia.”

Andrew Beard, CEO of Vanu, noted: “Vanu is pleased to provide technology and expertise in support of Orange’s coverage goals and our team looks forward to rolling out network sites across regions where extended connectivity will have an enormous and immediate impact for the uncovered population.”

The companies add that execution of this project will be done in accordance with environmental standards, which is a major priority for Orange Group.

This partnership aligns with Orange’s IDEAL program, aiming to extend coverage to 20 million rural inhabitants through the construction of 5000 sites within four years.