VNL

Wrap Up of Africa Com in Cape Town, South Africa 2010 17 Nov, 2010

The continent’s biggest telecom conference and expo attracted even more exhibitors and visitors than last year. The show received a staggering 75% increase in attendance. Firmly established as Africa’s leading telecoms event, AfricaCom gathered more than 4,000 attendees from across the African continent and beyond for two days of contact building, learning and buying.

The speaker line-up represented a “Who’s Who” of those at the top of some of Africa’s most successful and important telecoms companies. A record 100 speakers presented across the two days including Suraj Chaudhry, Head of Business Development for VNL on “Using Solar Power to Deploy Rural Networks in Low Economy Areas” and Mats Nilson, VP of Shyam Networks, who presented “Strategies for Handling the Drastic Increase in Data Transmission Demand.”

VNL’s booth at #B01 was one of the largest and most visible from anywhere on the floor. Taking up 90 sqm, it showcased an actual Village Site deployment configuration.

Solar and other alternative energy-based solutions were available all over the floor, from solar, wind, and hybrid systems to a variety of fuel-cells. It is clear that Africa is poised to be the continent that will deploy and be the testing ground for a number of new green powered technologies in the near future. (Frankly, we’re happy to see all green powered programs move forward, eliminating the case for diesel powered systems in rural areas - period.)

One of the questions we get all the time from visitors at our booth is how individuals will be able to charge their phones in areas with no electricity. At our booth, we showcased a number of solutions from Suntrica out of Finland and IdeaForge from India that use solar, hand cranks and connections to bicycle wheels to create electricity to power mobile phones. We also saw a solar mobile phone or two at other booths.

The bottom line? In our opinion, Africa is at the forefront, with more mobile operators at the testing or deployment stage using non-traditional power sources for their mobile networks. We were glad to be able to present our products to a seasoned crowd of operators already working in the same direction – connecting rural networks in a sustainable and affordable manner that serves the underserved in Africa.

Wrap Up of Connecting the Next Billion in Jakarta, Indonesia 2010 10 Nov, 2010

To further our commitment in Asia, VNL sponsored the first Connecting the Next Billion Conference held at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Jakarta, Indonesia in November. Organized by Beacon Events, and scheduled during what turned out to be unusually inclement weather and an angry volcano, connecting rural areas in the APAC region was of such interest that it was still well attended by operators, press and analysts.

Udit Mehrotra, CMO of VNL, presented a program on “Using Solar Power to Deploy Networks in Low Economy Rural Areas” which provided case studies of deployments in India and Africa. It drew a large number of questions from an audience eager to learn more about the intricacies of rural deployment. The attendees were well aware of the issues that kept mobile operators from deploying in these areas; they were very interested in seeing a working solution and applying it to their own locations. Many attendees visited the actual Village Site product display featured in the conference room and met with our staff to discuss how they could get started in their country.

It was easy to see that Asia is ready and eager to deploy solar powered GSM and broadband infrastructure equipment in rural areas. We were glad to be able to present our products to operators already working in the same direction – connecting rural networks in a sustainable and affordable manner that serves the underserved in Asia.

VNL at Africa Com in South Africa, November 10-11, 2010 1 Nov, 2010

Mobile operators in Africa now have a way to provide mobile voice and broadband services to rural communities and still turn a profit.

VNL is proud to announce its participation at Africa Com 2010. This conference will be held at the Cape Town Convention Centre in Cape Town, South Africa from November 10th to 11th, 2010.

VNL’s participation will announce the addition of broadband services as part of their award-winning WorldGSM™ solution for Africa - the solar powered GSM network infrastructure equipment specifically made for rural areas with ARPUs of less than $2. WorldGSM™ is the first commercially viable GSM system that is independent of the power grid. It runs exclusively on solar power and requires no diesel generator backup. It is also designed for simple delivery and deployment by local, untrained workers – all resulting in zero OPEX, dramatically lower CAPEX, and near zero maintenance.

The next billion subscribers will be coming from rural populations, away from saturated urban markets. If you’re planning on visiting Africa Com 2010, stop by VNL’s booth and see the future of rural wireless telephony. VNL is changing the DNA of rural telecom by providing commercially viable new building blocks that will transform the way you build your networks in the future.

Visit us in Booth #B01-06 to learn more.

• Click here to see the map.
• Click here to arrange an appointment to visit us in the booth and receive a free mobile phone charger.*

Also Visit VNL at:

• February 15-18, 2011: Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain – booth # 2B33

*While supplies last.

VNL at Connecting the Next Billion Conference in Indonesia, November 2-4, 2010 22 Oct, 2010

Mobile operators in Asia now have a way to provide mobile voice and broadband services to rural communities and still turn a profit.

VNL is proud to announce its participation as a Senior Sponsor at the Connecting the Next Billion Conference 2010. This conference will be held at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Jakarta, Indonesia from November 2nd through 4th, 2010.

VNL’s participation will announce the addition of broadband services as part of their award-winning WorldGSM™ solution for the APAC region - the solar powered GSM network infrastructure equipment specifically made for rural areas with ARPUs of less than $2. WorldGSM™ is the first commercially viable GSM system that is independent of the power grid. It runs exclusively on solar power and requires no diesel generator backup. It is also designed for simple delivery and deployment by local, untrained workers – all resulting in zero OPEX, dramatically lower CAPEX, and near zero maintenance.

The next billion subscribers will be coming from rural populations, away from saturated urban markets. If you’re planning on visiting Connecting the Next Billion 2010, stop by VNL’s booth and see the future of rural wireless telephony. VNL is changing the DNA of rural telecom by providing commercially viable new building blocks that will transform the way you build your networks in the future.

Stop by VNL and receive a free mobile phone charger (while supplies last).

• Click here to arrange an appointment to visit us in the booth and receive a free mobile phone charger.*

Also Visit VNL at:

• November 10-11, 2010: Africa Com in Cape Town, South Africa – booth # B01-B06
• February 15-18, 2011: Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain – booth # 2B33

*While supplies last.

VNL at Futurecom in Brazil, October 25-28, 2010 3 Oct, 2010

Mobile operators in Latin America now have a way to provide mobile voice and broadband services to rural communities and still turn a profit.

VNL is proud to announce its participation at Futurecom 2010. This conference and exhibition will be held at the Trans America Convention Center in Sao Paulo, Brazil from October 25th through 28th, 2010.

VNL’s participation will announce the addition of broadband services as part of their award-winning WorldGSM™ solution for Latin America - the solar powered GSM network infrastructure equipment specifically made for rural areas with ARPUs of less than $2. WorldGSM™ is the first commercially viable GSM system that is independent of the power grid. It runs exclusively on solar power and requires no diesel generator backup. It is also designed for simple delivery and deployment by local, untrained workers – all resulting in zero OPEX, dramatically lower CAPEX, and near zero maintenance.

The next billion subscribers will be coming from rural populations, away from saturated urban markets. If you’re planning on visiting Futurecom 2010, stop by VNL’s booth and see the future of rural wireless telephony. VNL is changing the DNA of rural telecom by providing commercially viable new building blocks that will transform the way you build your networks in the future.

Visit us in Booth #B10 to learn more.

• Click here to see the map.
• Click here to arrange an appointment to visit us in the booth and receive a free mobile phone charger.*

Also Visit VNL at:

• November 2-4, 2010: Connecting the Next Billion in Jakarta, Indonesia
• November 10-11, 2010: Africa Com in Cape Town, South Africa – booth # B01-B06
• February 15-18, 2011: Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain – booth # 2B33

*While supplies last.

PRESS RELEASE: Zero Opex Now Commercially Available in the Americas 24 Jun, 2009

News from VNL – Main Hall, Stand 3

VNL announces availability of its solar-powered GSM system for rural areas where ARPUs are less than $2

AMERICAS COM, JUNE 30, 2009 – VNL today announced that WorldGSM, the world’s first solar powered GSM system specifically designed for remote rural areas in South America and throughout the world, is now commercially available.

VNL’s WorldGSM enables mobile operators to reach remote rural areas where ARPUs are less than $2 a month – and still make a profit.

For years, operators and GSM equipment vendors have struggled with the same problem: traditional GSM equipment is not designed for the unique challenges posed by remote rural areas. It costs too much, is too expensive to run, uses too much power and is too difficult to deploy (especially in areas with no electricity, poor roads and a lack of trained engineers).

VNL has spent the last 5 years re-engineering GSM to overcome these challenges. The result is WorldGSM – the world’s first truly environmentally sustainable mobile network.

Trials in remote villages in Rajasthan, the largest state in India, have recently finished. Many people made their first ever phone calls thanks to VNL.

VNL’s WorldGSM uses solar power as its single energy source – no diesel generators required. It is made for simple delivery and deployment by local workers – all resulting in zero opex, dramatically lower capex and near zero maintenance. The use of solar power not only drastically reduces operating expenses for mobile operators but also contributes to a much lower environmental impact. VNL estimates that mobile networks in India alone require two billion litres of diesel every year to power back-up diesel generators.

WorldGSM won the “best technology foresight” category at last year’s World Communications Awards and was runner up in the “Green Network Hardware and Infrastructure” category at the 2009 CTIA Wireless E-Tech Awards.

<h4>OVERCOMING BARRIERS TO RURAL MARKETS</h4>
WorldGSM overcomes the many barriers to serving rural markets without making any unnecessary compromises. The system integrates with existing GSM macro networks and extends them into previously unreachable rural areas. It is 3GPP compliant and compatible with all standard handsets. The highlights:

• Zero opex – made possible by major reductions in power consumption; allowing for the use of solar power as the single energy source. No diesel generators are required.
• Low capex – priced at less than traditional GSM base stations -so that it’s profitable even at very low population densities and ARPU levels.
• Rural-optimized and easy to transport – compact and rugged; can even be transported on bullock carts.
• Self-deploying and near-zero maintenance – can be installed in just 6 hours by 2 unskilled persons and can be maintained by local workers.
• Solar powered – needs only 50–150 W per base station compared to the 3000 W required for traditional GSM. Each site can be powered by a 2-8 m² solar panel, rather than the 200 m² panel required to power a traditional GSM base station.

WorldGSM also opens up a new microtelecom business model – involving microfinance – where operators can partner with local entrepreneurs to accelerate deployment and reduce costs still further.

Rajiv Mehrotra, VNL’s Chairman, CEO and founder, says;

“We have overcome the challenges of providing GSM networks in rural areas. Now operators have a truly viable way to build profitable networks to connect the next billion mobile users.”

WorldGSM can be seen at VNL’s booth (stand 3) at AmericasCOM in Rio de Janeiro 30 June – 1 July.

For more information, visit www.vnl.in or contact VNL’s PR representatives Rafael Junquera (+1-305-735-8095, rafael.junquera@tele-medios.com or Skype: rafaeljunquera) or Juan Gimenez (+54 11 4772 8777, juan.gimenez@tele-medios.com or Skype: tucholin.

Comms Day International Edition: June 18, 2009 23 Jun, 2009

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VNL’s solar-power GSM nodes now commercial available

VNL has developed a solar-powered WorldGSM base station for rural villages officially launched at Singapore’s CommunicAsia trade show yesterday. Rajiv Mehrotra, founder, CEO and chairman of VNL, told Comms Day that the system will provide remote villages with GSM coverage through a model that encourages local entrepreneurs while alleviating the capex and opex obligations for operators.

Read the complete article on Page 3 (PDF) »