Companies operating in the most remote locations, with products purpose-built for off-grid, rural, and often hostile environments, require a reliable global mobile network that provides consistent connectivity worldwide to enable effortless remote monitoring of energy systems. To overcome these many life-critical, energy-delivery issues, there is significant need for reliable GSM connectivity to deliver functional, energy saving solutions.
The World Energy Outlook estimated that 1.2 billion people did not have access to electricity in 2016, with many more people living with an electricity supply described as poor quality or unreliable. More than 95% of those living without electricity are in sub-Saharan Africa and developing Asia, 80% of which live in rural areas. The United Nations Foundation has stated that “energy powers the world’s economic engine.”
Bboxx designs, manufactures, distributes, and finances innovative plug-and-play solar powered systems to improve access to energy across Africa and the developing world. Through a vast network of shops and outlets, Bboxx gives people, many in off-grid communities, access to electricity, while offering superior customer service. Its core products are a range of solar powered battery boxes that sit in a home and allow users to power small appliances, such as lights, mobile phones, refrigerators, or computers.
Bboxx needed to use real-time data to identify device issues early — with pro-active alerts sent to customer service agents to ensure that system problems could be fixed before they evolved. The company required a reliable cellular network that enabled effortless remote monitoring and access to real-time data, as well as the ability to configure and adapt each system so as to maximize battery life and provide cost-effective solutions.
Additionally, Bboxx products are manufactured without a known destination and, as such, with certain mobile network providers, a local SIM card would have to be inserted into the device following sale and then would require local configuration. Therefore, mass global deployment of solutions is only possible by working with a reliable cellular network partner that provided end-toend monitoring and could connect to multiple carriers, regardless of location.
– Christopher Baker-Brian, Co-Founder and CTO, Bboxx
Aeris offers network connectivity in East and Central Africa. Aeris’ global support of major cellular technology standards, such as GSM and LTE, also ensured that Bboxx could deploy its devices in any location during global expansion.
With the Aeris Intelligent IoT Network, Bboxx can install the Aeris global SIM at the point of manufacture, reducing both supply chain costs and deployment time. Also, by utilizing Aeris’ single global access point name (APN), the solar-powered Bboxx system could be deployed on a simple plug-and-play basis, without the need to reconfigure to local network settings.
By utilizing the Aeris connectivity management platform, AerPort, for IoT devices, Bboxx was able to have real-time access to data usage, alert management, and device connectivity management over the SIM life cycle.
Aeris Intelligent IoT Network’s connectivity enables Bboxx to remotely monitor its devices. Configuration and deployment times have been reduced significantly. Predictive and proactive maintenance help lower ownership and maintenance costs. And, these plug-and-play devices can be switched off from a central location if troubleshooting issues arise or if payments are not met. All this adds up to the lowest possible TCO for an IoT solution.
We have built Bboxx Pulse®️, a fully integrated operating system, and combined it with an extensive on-the-ground network to connect customers with clean energy, clean cooking, smartphones, e-mobility and selected financial products – many for the first time.
We are connecting both underserved rural communities and aspiring urban ones with a highly convenient and affordable way to access life-changing solutions, through last mile logistics and data-powered innovative financing methods. Bboxx builds strategic partnerships with investors, utilities providers, global companies, and governments to accelerate growth and provide a wide range of products to consumers in Africa. Our partners are seizing a massive market opportunity by plugging into Bboxx – developed through green tech and big data and designed for scale. Currently, Bboxx is impacting the lives of more than 3.5 million people in 10 operating markets, and is one of the largest networks in Africa — with over 4,000 staff across Africa and offices in the UK and Asia.
Aeris is a pioneer and a leader in the market of the Internet of Things
with a proven history of helping companies unlock value through connected technologies. We strive to fundamentally improve business performance by dramatically reducing costs, accelerating time-to-market, and enabling new revenue streams. Built from the ground up for IoT and road tested at scale, the Aeris Intelligent IoT Network and the Aeris Mobility Suite span the IoT technology stack – from global connectivity to application services. Visit www.aeris.com to learn how we can inspire you to create new business models and to participate in the revolution of the Internet of Things.