According to the 2019 Statista report, only 78% of the US rural population has access to the Internet, comparing to 92% in urban areas. There are economical and technical challenges that contribute to this digital divide, including cost of deployment, access to spectrum, equipment interoperability and high operational cost in low density areas. With the need to expand the 4G network and with 5G on the horizon, rural carriers are looking for cost-effective network solutions that will improve their business models and help them to not only survive but also thrive.

A key goal of CCA and Parallel Wireless’s strategic partnership is to provide CCA’s members with cost-effective solutions to close this digital divide — not only to begin experiencing cost savings and operational efficiency, but also to future-proof their networks for 5G and adapt to policy and regulations changes.

Steven K. Berry, President & CEO of CCA said, “CCA is pleased to partner with Parallel Wireless to provide our members with a fully-virtualized 4G and 5G Open RAN solution that is flexible and optimized for cost-effective rural coverage. The goal is to help smaller carriers reduce deployment cost, increase revenues, provide ubiquitous connectivity for their customers, whether businesses or individuals, and get their networks ready for 5G, and we are delighted to work with Parallel Wireless in this special partnership.”

Steve Libbey, VP of Sales, Parallel Wireless said, “We are excited to support CCA members by offering our innovative and cost-effective 4G and 5G solutions. We are confident that deployment of Parallel Wireless’s unique architecture can help bridge the digital divide and enable business transformation. We’re looking forward to continuing to support CCA and their members to help them achieve their business goals.”

About CCA
CCA is the nation’s leading association for competitive wireless providers and stakeholders across the United States. The licensed service area of CCA’s nearly 100 carrier members covers the entirety of the country. Visit www.ccamobile.org.

About Parallel Wireless
Parallel Wireless’s mission is to connect the 4 billion unconnected people by reimagining the cellular network. Its unified end-to-end 2G GSM, 3G UMTS, 4G LTE, and 5G Open RAN solution enables operators to deploy ALL G cellular networks with real-time SON as easily and as cost-effectively as enterprise Wi-Fi, whether for rural, enterprise, public safety, M2M, IoT, Smart Cities, or dense urban. The Company is engaged with many leading operators worldwide and has been named as a best performing vendor by Telefonica and Vodafone. Parallel Wireless’s innovation and excellence in multi-technology open virtualized RAN solutions has been recognized with 50+ industry awards. Connect with Parallel Wireless on LinkedIn and Twitter.