Wifi Revolution

Intelsat (News - Alert), Ltd., a provider of satellite-based cellular backhaul solutions for wireless operators, has announced two new customer agreements. Safaricom, Ltd. and MSTelcom in Kenya and Angola, respectively, will receive its service.

 

MSTelcom has contracted for C-band service on the Intelsat 3R satellite at 43 degrees West, and Safaricom has contracted for capacity on the Intelsat 902 satellite at 62 degrees East under a multi-year agreement. Intelsat states that, both cellular telecom providers will be able to extend their communications services throughout the rural and urban areas in their respective countries using its service.

 

MSTelcom, a licensed telecommunications operator in Angola and subsidiary of Sonangol Holdings, expects to use Intelsat satellite capacity to provide transmission services for one of the GSM operators, as it is seeking to rebuild and expand its telecommunications network after the country’s infrastructure was ravished by civil war.

 

“There is a big demand in Angola for reconstruction of telecommunications services—services cellular operators need immediately,” Angelo Gama, CTO at MSTelcom, said in a press release. He also believed that Intelsat is the only satellite operator that is able to offer them “the exact satellite capacity we need to ensure our customers will be able to build out their network infrastructures in a timely manner.”

 

Kenya-based mobile operator, Safaricom has selected Intelsat's capacity to support its network expansion throughout Kenya, and also for its own international gateway connectivity. “Intelsat listened to our requirements and delivered the solution we needed,” said Michael Joseph, CEO at Safaricom.

 

Joseph also added: “Working closely with us, Intelsat’s service and its flexibility in accommodating us with additional capacity on Intelsat 902 provides us with the efficient bandwidth we need to expand our cellular services network into remote regions of Kenya, and for our international services.”

 

“Our wireless expertise is unmatched in the satellite industry—we understand the requirements of this unique segment of the telecommunications market, based in part on our legacy in serving the Africa region for over 40 years,” remarked Flavien Bachabi, regional vice president for Africa at Intelsat. “We are, and will continue to be, the premier satellite service provider for Africa, and Intelsat remains ready to respond to Africa’s growing wireless operator sector.”

 

 

 

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