Telecom in Africa faces a difficult challenge: the demand for connectivity is exploding, but building traditional towers and centralized infrastructure is slow, expensive, and often impractical in rural and semi-urban areas.
At ARED, we believe the future lies not in building more of the same — but in rethinking how networks are designed. That’s where our Edge infrastructure + CBRS technology comes in. Together, they can deliver voice, messaging, and internet more efficiently, cost-effectively, and at scale.
What is CBRS and Why Does It Matter?
CBRS (Citizens Broadband Radio Service) uses spectrum in the 3.5 GHz band. Unlike traditional telecom spectrum that is tightly controlled and extremely costly, CBRS is shared and flexible.
That means:
Affordable local networks: Communities and businesses can run cellular-grade connectivity without billion-dollar licenses.
Telecom offloading: Operators can reduce traffic on their traditional towers by shifting some users to CBRS-based networks.
Scalability: Deployments can start small (a single site) and expand seamlessly.
When paired with ARED’s Edge Gateway, CBRS allows us to create micro-cellular networks that deliver not just Wi-Fi, but full mobile services — calls, SMS, and data.
The ARED Edge Difference
Our Edge Gateways aren’t just connectivity boxes. They are mini digital hubs that combine:
CBRS radios to provide local 4G/5G coverage.
Wi-Fi for public and business access.
SIM integration so users can make calls and send messages.
App hosting for health, education, payments, and more.
Offline-first processing so services keep running even with poor backhaul.
In short: with an ARED device, a community can suddenly act like its own “mini telecom tower” — but at a fraction of the cost.
How This Changes the Game
1. Cost-Effective Expansion
Traditional telecom expansion requires building towers, running fiber, and maintaining centralized infrastructure. With ARED + CBRS, one device can light up a neighborhood, marketplace, or bus stop.
Instead of millions of dollars per tower, operators can scale with hundreds of micro-sites, drastically lowering rollout costs.
2. Better Service Quality
How many times have you tried to make a call in a crowded area and failed? That’s because towers get overloaded.
By offloading voice, SMS, and data traffic to local Edge-powered CBRS networks, we reduce the pressure on traditional towers. The result:
Fewer dropped calls.
Faster internet.
More consistent messaging.
3. Last-Mile Access at Scale
In rural and semi-urban communities, big towers often aren’t financially viable. But a few ARED CBRS Edge devices can provide reliable mobile connectivity for thousands of people — from farmers in remote areas to students in small towns.
This means millions more can access the digital economy without waiting decades for infrastructure build-outs.
4. A Decentralized Network Model
Instead of relying only on massive, centralized networks, ARED’s vision is decentralized.
Each Edge device is a node:
Delivering mobile service locally.
Hosting apps locally.
Processing data locally.
Sharing revenue with hardware host.
If one device goes down, the network keeps running. It’s resilient, flexible, and designed for Africa’s realities.
Why Telecom Operators Should Care
ARED + CBRS isn’t competition for telecoms — it’s a partnership opportunity.
Scale faster: Expand coverage in rural/semi-urban areas without the CAPEX of towers.
Improve QoS: Reduce congestion on core networks.
New revenue streams: Monetize public Wi-Fi, apps, ads, surveys, and edge services.
Regulatory alignment: CBRS is designed to complement, not replace, licensed spectrum.
ARED helps operators do what they already want: reach more users, at lower cost, with better service quality.
A Vision for Africa’s Telecom Future
We believe the future of Africa’s networks won’t just be built on tall towers and expensive infrastructure. It will be built from the ground up — with smart Edge devices, local CBRS coverage, and communities connected at scale.
Public spaces will become digital hubs.
Rural villages will gain reliable voice and data services.
Telecoms will scale more profitably.
Millions of Africans will access calls, messaging, internet, and apps seamlessly.
This is more than connectivity. This is Africa leapfrogging the old model of telecom expansion — and rewriting the rules of digital infrastructure.
ARED + CBRS isn’t just a technical innovation. It’s the game changer that can finally bring universal, affordable, high-quality connectivity to the people who need it most.
