Each year at World Space Business Week, Novaspace, a merger of Euroconsult and SpaceTec Partners, award the most forward-thinking businesses and innovations contributing to the future of the global space sector.

The Universal Broadband Award recognizes those committed to helping transform the lives of underserved communities.

Together, Avanti and IHS Nigeria have been helping improve the connectivity landscape across Nigeria, bringing broadband connectivity to rural communities nationwide, where the cost of traditional telecommunications networks can leave millions behind.

IHS Nigeria already has a strong footprint in Nigeria, operating over 16,000 towers across the country.

To help extend this reach, Avanti has been supplying the physical, transport and network layer for the transmission of cellular backhaul traffic to and from cellular towers, back to the core network of mobile network operators.

The partnership has delivered fast, cost-effective and reliable 3G and 4G connectivity to 700 rural sites across Nigeria, directly benefitting more than 3.5 million people.

Mohamad Darwish, CEO, IHS Nigeria, said, “We are deeply honored to receive this award, recognizing our commitment to innovation and social responsibility in expanding global connectivity. As one of the largest independent tower companies globally, IHS Towers is dedicated to helping bridge the digital divide, particularly in Nigeria, where we operate more than 16,000 towers. IHS Nigeria’s partnership with Avanti Communications has been pivotal in bringing broadband connectivity as well as delivering sustainable, reliable, and cost-effective solutions to rural areas. Together, we are striving to help transform lives by enabling digital inclusion, job creation, and driving socio-economic development across underserved and unserved communities.”

Kyle Whitehill, CEO at Avanti, said, “The mission to provide cost-effective, reliable, and sustainable internet solutions is more than a professional endeavour; it is a mission we each carry personally at Avanti. Access to the internet is not a luxury, it is a necessity. It opens doors to education, healthcare, economic opportunities, and global connectivity. For too long, the remote and hard-to-reach regions of Africa have been left in the dark, disconnected from the boundless potential connectivity brings.”

As a result of greater convergence between terrestrial and non-terrestrial connectivity, the satellite industry has grown rapidly over the past few years.

While this has given customers more choice and flexibility, it has also driven complexity. The new strategy will help Avanti better respond to the diverse needs of its customer base, while continuing to deliver high-performance solutions on a global scale.

Avanti’s customer-centric approach is built on a “customer pull” vs. “technology push” model, boosting choice, value and the provision of tailored solutions for customers with even the most challenging of requirements.

Avanti’s customers span a range of industries, including defence, aero and maritime, rural communities and schools, satellite operators, governments and enterprise.

Elaborating on new strategy, Toby Robinson, Chief of Strategy and Business Development at Avanti, said:

“The needs of our customers are evolving, and we need to be led by this. It is our job to provide the expertise and experience to create and build a custom solution, considering LEO, MEO and GEO. Unlike other providers, we start with the customer first, rather than the technology, which will continue to give us a competitive edge in this rapidly growing and fast-moving industry.”

Avanti is in talks with a leading low-earth orbit (LEO) operator to procure capacity and will also be investing heavily in its managed services capabilities.

Kyle Whitehill, CEO of Avanti, said:

“The space industry is no longer separate to telecoms. Demand for capacity is becoming increasingly competitive and, as we see elsewhere in the telecoms industry, value will inexorably move down the chain from raw connectivity to services and solutions. Rather than investing in new satellites and building and extending our coverage and capacity, we are prioritising strategic partnerships and our service offering so that we can remain agile and responsive to industry trends and the needs of customers – all while maintaining our high performance, reliability and quality of service.”

Headquartered in London, Avanti operates across seven offices in the UK, South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria, Turkey and Cyprus.