World Mobile Bets on Africa, Where Alphabet’s Loon Balloons Failed
- Telecommunications operator in $250 million plan for Tanzania
- London-based company has started installing air nodes in Kenya
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World Mobile Group plans to start commercial operations of connecting rural communities in Africa using balloons from June, as it seeks to succeed where Alphabet Inc.’s Loon project failed.
The London-based operator seeks to use a lower-cost model and sees its first project of $250 million in Tanzania able to connect millions of people across the vast East African country. Most of the money will go to buying equipment and paying for spectrum, according to its founder and chief executive officer, Micky Watkins, who said a mass-piloting phase commences this month ahead of the commercial roll-out.