Congo Dem. Rep.: Gilat signs an agreement with Intelsat to provide a satellite link solution to a mobile operator
April 28th 2022
The demand for telecom services and broadband connectivity has been growing across the DRC since 2020. Telecom operators are increasing investments to respond effectively to this demand, particularly in rural areas where people want to take advantage of services. telecoms.
The satellite telecom service operator Intelsat will rely on Gilat Satellite Networks to improve and modernize communication services in rural areas in the Democratic Republic of Congo. To that effect, the two companies signed a “multi-million dollar” deal which was unveiled on Wednesday, April 27. It will see Gilat provide a satellite cellular backhaul solution to one of the DRC’s leading mobile operators.
As part of the collaboration, Intelsat deployed its CellBackhaul service with Gilat’s SkyEdge II-c Capricorn platform, connecting to a Ku-band satellite. Although the telecommunications company benefiting from the solution being installed has not been specified, it should be noted that the DRC has four main operators, namely: Vodacom, Airtel, Orange and Africell. According to Gilat, its solution is ideally suited to the specific needs of all mobile networks, including future deployments for 5G.
This partnership agreement comes about two months after Intelsat signed an agreement with Vodacom RDC to extend the operator’s mobile services to remote rural areas. These initiatives highlight the strong demand of African populations for telecom services and broadband connectivity, particularly in rural areas, in a context marked by the acceleration of digital transformation on the continent. Telecom operators are investing in satellite connectivity solutions and hybrid energies to better meet this demand.
For Intelsat, these various initiatives are part of the actions undertaken since the beginning of the year to strengthen its revenues and emerge from the bankruptcy situation in which it placed itself in May 2021. Last January, Intelsat already unveiled the order of two software-defined satellites from the manufacturer Thales Alenia Space.
Through this partnership, Intelsat and Gilat aim to extend mobile connectivity to areas where backhaul networks are impractical, expensive or impossible to deploy. “ Through this important strategic agreement with Intelsat in the DRC, we are bringing unparalleled value to our partners and improving the lives of people around the world by helping to bridge the digital divide, ” said Amir Yafe, Vice President of the mobility and global accounts at Gilat.
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