MTN Nigeria and Huawei have announced the commercial deployment of the RuralCow solution, an all-in-one mobile base station designed to bring reliable mobile coverage to remote rural communities. The two companies said the rollout marks a major step in closing connectivity gaps and improving digital access for millions of Nigerians who currently lack stable mobile network services.
Nigeria remains Africa’s most populous country, with rural residents making up nearly half of its population, estimated at around 105 million people according to the World Bank in 2024. Many of these communities face long-standing challenges such as the absence of grid power and fiber transmission infrastructure, which makes building traditional base stations costly and difficult. Huawei noted that most villages with fewer than 3,000 residents are widely dispersed and typically record low average revenue per user, leading to long return on investment periods for operators. These conditions have slowed network expansion in underserved regions.
Huawei developed the RuralCow solution to tackle these challenges and speed up rural communications infrastructure growth. The system combines a baseband unit, radio unit, and transmission equipment in one compact setup and supports multiple frequency bands and radio access technologies. Compared with conventional macro base stations, RuralCow cuts overall power consumption by about 85 percent and reduces equipment needs by roughly 70 percent. It also requires no heavy machinery for installation.
The solution does not rely on fiber or microwave links and can deliver non-line-of-sight transmission over distances of about 30 kilometers. This feature allows operators to extend coverage into hard-to-reach areas while using intelligent remote operation and maintenance to minimize on-site visits. Data from live network deployments further shows that in villages with populations ranging from 1,000 to 3,000, RuralCow can shorten the return on investment period from 5 to 10 years to about 3 years, improving both coverage and commercial sustainability.
Yahaya Ibrahim, Chief Technical Officer of MTN Nigeria, said, “We believe that everyone deserves the benefits of a modern connected life. Rapidly extending wireless coverage to remote rural areas and ensuring equal access to digital benefits is our shared mission.”
Fang Xiang, Vice President of Huawei Wireless Network Product Line, added, “As an industry leader in inclusive connectivity, Huawei is committed to bringing leading technology to rural areas to narrow the digital divide. RuralCow is an ultra-simple, green, and cost-effective solution to provide coverage to rural areas, an essential element of a healthy, sustainable business ecosystem. We will continue on our innovation-driven mission of Connecting the Unconnected to push for a digitally inclusive world.”
