Rift Valley Resources Corp. Announces Agreement with ARK Mediacom
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - March 18, 2019) - Rift Valley Resources Corp. (CSE: RVR) (the "Company") announces that the Company, through its wholly-owned subsidiary Ruralink Wireless ("Ruralink") has entered into a Letter of Agreement ("LOA") with ARK Mediacom Inc.
It is estimated that there are over 55 million people, primarily in rural areas in the USA, who have inadequate internet connectivity, and in many cases, virtually no broadband connectivity options. Ruralink is on a mission to solve this problem by bringing cost effective broadband performance to markets that have been left behind in the digital divide by leveraging new technologies to deliver competitive services.
ARK Mediacom ("ARK") controls 283 television licenses throughout the United States, with substantial coverage of rural areas. When fully constructed, this network could provide discrete coverage to approximately 100 million people in the US, representing nearly 33% of all US households.
The LOA provides for the companies to collaborate with technical and market trials for a Wireless ISP network providing broadband internet access using TV White Space ("TVWS") technology.
The agreement also provides for a cooperative effort to build-out complementary "hybrid" broadcast-broadband networks throughout ARK Mediacom's service territories extending much-needed broadband internet access to underserved US communities.
To this end, the parties will conduct a two-phase pilot program in Ardmore, Oklahoma to leverage the use of licensed TV broadcast spectrum with unlicensed TVWS radio spectrum to create a highly efficient and cost-effective solution providing wireless broadband ("last mile") internet access in rural areas.
ARK will provide planning, execution, and coordination for Ruralink to complete this market trial in Ardmore, Oklahoma.
Ardmore will be one of the first markets served by Ruralink. Upon completion of successful trials, Ruralink will move to expand its footprint and regions served with its unique approach of the mixing of mature and disruptive technologies to serve these communities, such as those brought by ARK Mediacom to finally deliver on the long overdue promise of rural broadband connectivity.
About Ruralink Wireless, Inc.: Ruralink is an innovative solutions-driven company founded by executives with extensive experience in wireless, fiber, satellite, and related communications technologies and services. The company's core focus includes:
- Deployment and operations of low-cost, highly reliable, wireless broadband ISP access networks in underserved areas.
- Access to broadband internet content, applications, and services, designed to improve the lives of people living in market areas that do not have cost effective broadband ISP services.
- Design and deployment of enhanced TV White Space access infrastructure and user devices supporting innovative products and service applications enabled by wireless broadband Internet access.
About Rift Valley Resources Corp: Rift Valley Resources Ltd. is a publicly traded company listed on the Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE). The Company recently announced the appointment of Mr. Vern Fotheringham as its Non-Executive Chairman.
About ARK Mediacom, Inc: ARK is a television-based IP content delivery network operator leveraging the new ATSC 3.0 standard serving the rapidly expanding Over the Top ("OTT") internet video market. ARK is combining the "one-to-millions" efficiency of broadcasting for distribution of broadband IP content in concert with high capacity local storage at consumer locations essentially creating a massively "distributed data center" specifically targeted at rural and under-served areas of the United States.
On behalf of the Board of Directors,
Griffin Jones
Griffin Jones
CEO
For more information, please contact Mr. Griffin Jones 604 682 7339 or gjones@metrolinksolutions.com
Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its regulation services provider has reviewed or accepted responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of the content of this news release.
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