Intelsat, the operator of the world’s largest integrated satellite and terrestrial network, has been chosen to provide Ku-band satellite services to Vodacom DRC, a leading mobile telecommunications company in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). As part of Vodacom’s Rural Communication Solution (RCS) initiative to bring mobile services to deep rural sites in the DRC, Intelsat’s end-to-end managed CellBackhaul service will serve as an alternative backhaul service to specific sites.
Vodacom brings together available transport networks and hybrid power solutions to enhance and upgrade rural communication services as part of the “Inclusion for All” pillar of their Vision 2025 strategy. Vodacom can now extend mobile connectivity to areas where fibre or microwave backhaul networks are unavailable or unfeasible to deploy, thanks to Intelsat’s Ku-band capacity and the CellBackhaul managed service.
“We are delighted to continue working with Intelsat on their new Ku-Band managed service as an alternative backhaul solution to support our rural expansion objectives,” said Didier Kabongo, CNO of Vodacom DRC. “Expanding mobile service to the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s underserved and unserved population is a key pillar of our Vision 2025 strategy.”
CellBackhaul combines the reach and resilience of Intelsat’s largest-of-its-kind global network with network design, installation, and operation services, allowing mobile network operators to deploy services in areas where traditional terrestrial backhaul services are unavailable. A new service called CellBackhaul DRC adds to Intelsat’s managed cellular backhaul solution portfolio, which already includes platforms in the US, the EU, and Japan.
CellBackhaul managed services bring together the suitable capacity, services, and expertise to provide customers with economical alternatives to expand into difficult areas, said Intelsat’s vice president and general manager, EMEA Media and Networks Sales, Rhys Morgan. “Intelsat is committed to this critical partnership with Vodacom DRC, assisting in the delivery of solutions that fill gaps where other technologies are ineffective.”
About Intelsat
Intelsat operates the world’s biggest satellite services company, supplying a vital element of the global communications infrastructure. Compared to other commercial satellite operators, the company offers more satellite capacity, more orbital location rights, more contract backlogs, and more commercial services to more clients in more countries. Media firms, fixed and wireless telecom operators, data networking service providers, multinational enterprises, and Internet service providers (ISPs) all rely on Intelsat’s varied communications offerings. As a significant commercial satellite capacity supplier to the United States government and a small group of military organisations and their contractors, the company is well-known.