Connecting Herdsman’s Yurts in Mongolia
Mongolia is a vast but scarcely populated country with a population density at around 1.9 people/km2. The population is widely dispersed, with 55% living outside of the country’s towns and cities. Of this percentage, almost half (40%) are nomadic herdsmen, living in tent-like homes known as yurts and embracing a way of life which has endured since ancient times. Internet access in these remote communities is rare, in fact only 100,000 homes out of 850,000 homes have internet access. To address this, Huawei and Unitel launched “Ger Internet” wireless home broadband solution in 2017, delivering rural connectivity in remote areas of Mongolia with very low population density.

Currently 50,000 households use the service. Users are reaping tangible benefits such as receiving up-to-the-minute weather forecast and latest farming techniques to increase productivity. Businesses are also using the solution to help build websites, increasing profits by 190% in the last three months due to advertising and access to a wider customer base. In addition, internet access enables consumers to use “UB Shop”, one of the Mongolia’s first online marketplaces. The lives of the Mongolian people have been improved, for example, Kuta, an eight-year-old boy who has lived in a yurt since he was small, was overjoyed when he received a video call for the very first time from his brother, who is studying in Korea. The connectivity offered by the solution gives Kuta access to online learning and online medical consultations. By 2020 it is predicted that a further 300,000 households will become connected with wireless broadband, creating opportunities for distance education, e-commerce, distance medical treatment and more to significantly improve people’s lives.
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