DUBAI, UAE, Sept. 21, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Although there are many mobile service providers in Africa, broadband infrastructure in major cities and their suburbs is virtually non-existent. According to research by 3air, over 99% of Africa’s population does not have access to a broadband internet connection or stable TV and IP telephony signals. It is immediately apparent that Africa’s economies are severely undersupplied.
3air and K3’s broadband solution
The 3air platform leverages K3’s broadband technology to provide network connectivity to billions of people worldwide by leveraging blockchain technology. The K3 Broadband Mesh Network uses patented technology to provide stable, reliable, and affordable wireless broadband Internet connections.
The hardware setup includes a base station capable of providing IP telephony, digital TV and internet within a 50km radius, with the capacity to host 50,000 users with network speeds up to 1000Mbps/user. The technology is particularly suitable for densely populated urban areas in emerging countries, since no trenches have to be dug.
Services offered by K3 include:
- Ultra high broadband internet speed
- OTT services (Netflix, Apple TV and other TV, streaming services, timeshift, VoD functionality, over 150 digital SD and HD TV channels, for an unlimited number of TV users, since the TV signal is broadcast becomes)
- VoIP content (services with full premium functionality: multi-line concurrency, caller ID, forwarding, fax, voicemail, etc.)
K3’s Last Mile project has been operational in Sierra Leone since 2019 and is currently expanding in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). K3’s vision aligns with 3air’s – to bring equal opportunity to cities in Africa by providing stable, secure and affordable broadband, television and telephony. K3’s broadband solution will spur 3air’s plans to provide broadband connectivity to the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Nigeria, and eventually to more countries.
So what does 3air bring to the table? The 3air platform enables financial services through decentralized finance tracking (DeFi) and digital identity services. DeFi lowers the barrier to entry for the billions of people who still don’t have access to traditional bank accounts and financial services. For example, 3air NFTs are embedded in connectivity packages that, when activated, provide access to the broadband mesh network. Additionally, 3air will enable members of the African community to use crypto, credit cards or cash to access decentralized lending, borrowing and yield farming. The DeFi marketplace is constantly expanding.
Market analysis for IP telephony and digital television in Africa
3air’s market analysis reflects the current status of broadband data, IP telephony and digital television in Africa.
broadband data
The broadband market is dominated by Africell, Airtel, Vodacom, Orange etc., with a strong focus on the mobile sector. However, the lack of cable infrastructure and fixed broadband in Africa has motivated these players to enter the ISP space via Wi-Fi hotspot dongles and point-to-point solutions for residential and corporate customers. Since none of these solutions offer fixed broadband services on par with Western standards, they offer high-priced services with limited functionality and capacity.
Digital TV
The two market giants, DStv and Canal+, work with satellite technology that is very susceptible to signal interference from extreme weather conditions such as rain. They offer various digital TV channel deals with packages ranging from $7 to $105 per month.
IP telephony
Market participants only offer IP telephony for additional fees. Such services are not commonly purchased due to the inability to deploy PBX systems, which are critical to enterprise offerings and large enterprises, and the lack of IP phone functionality.
Market analysis for Sierra Leone revealed that the average K3 customer consumes 140 GB of data per month. This shows that the most robust package from the Internet provider Vodacom with 100 GB is not enough for normal broadband use and does not even include TV and IP telephony.
This data represents the situation in most major cities in Africa.
Together, 3air and K3 will offer consistent, high-speed broadband services to residential, government and corporate customers at around 50% less than the competition.
Visit 3air’s website at 3air.io or follow them on Twitter, Telegram and Youtube to learn more about the project and their activities.
