Coverage Mapping

VanuMaps™ effectively Identifies existing coverage gaps and enables automated planning of new sites to provide optimal coverage.

Vanu, Inc.™ developed VanuMaps to identify regions with coverage gaps and combine this information with an overlay of map population.  This enables mobile network operators to effectively locate pockets of people in sufficient concentration that we can build sites to provide service to them and make it profitable to do so.

Small cell ROI requires precise answer to question; Where should I build?

  • Where are the people located who need coverage?
  • How many people are there?
  • What is the best location(s) for sites to cover the most people?

Network operators require high-resolution accuracy information about population distribution and movement, terrain, propagation and pre-existing coverage in order to ensure you invest in the right locations. Access to coverage data at the granular level enables network operators to identify communities in need and provides a known ROI for the investment.


What is VanuMaps?

VanuMaps is Vanu’s patent pending new coverage mapping tool that is changing the business of serving unserved markets. It includes several data sets, including population and terrain, to enable identification of
uncovered populations.

VanuMaps has two key functionalities:

  • Identifying and prioritizing existing coverage gaps.
  • Automating the planning of new sites for optimal coverage.

VanuMaps enables mobile network operators quantify the business case for investment in regions that lack cellular coverage.


How does VanuMaps work?

Vanu developed a series of proprietary software algorithms that can produce maps incorporating coverage, population, terrain, propagation and other factors with a level of precision not previously available to these markets.

Using this data along with site information, we generate high resolution coverage predictions of each site.

Information from each site is then aggregated to develop a regional view of coverage and its complement, uncovered areas.

Population, economic activity, tourism, displaced populations, conflicts, natural resources, and other activity that generates need for cellular connectivity can then be layered on top of the coverage model to assess areas of greatest need.

Finally, the mapping tool can be used to plan the optimal placement of the new small-cell sites based on the identified areas of need, topographical, terrain and propagation information.


The need for profitability.

We really view connectivity as essential for meeting sustainable development goals and to enable financial inclusion and to have impact, but we also view connectivity as something we must be able to deliver profitability because with 1.2 billion people our solution must scale to have a meaningful impact in terms of being able to connect a significant percentage of those without connectivity today.

We know there are government programs that will hand out subsidies every once and awhile. The problem is you can’t build a scalable business model based on them because you can’t rely on those subsidies always being available if you have an operating expense deficit, so we said this must be profitable and to be scalable to the extent that it was meaningful to us to engage in working on this. So that’s our key focus is delivering profitable systems to these markets to create connectivity.

The mapping tool is a way of identifying where those markets are. We also developed the mapping tool with an awareness that there are other businesses out there that need connectivity to be able to execute on what they do and so that may mean the lack of connectivity creates pull for a solution of ours to go into some of these markets which is great and it may also mean we can help businesses identify where they can go where there is connectivity if they rely on it to make sure their business will be successful and they won’t run into a brick wall when they get there . They have predicated their business model on mobile payments or off-grid solar power and then there is no connectivity so then they can’t monetize their investment. So, there’s a dual purpose of the tool.