Satellite and terrestrial connectivity provider Intelsat and mobile infrastructure provider Africa Mobile Networks (AMN) are expanding their partnership, with plans for additional operations in Madagascar, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Through this collaboration, AMN aims to deploy more than 1,340 rural base stations across the three new markets.
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Technology Integration
The partnership will see combining Intelsat's multi-satellite African coverage with AMN's solar-powered tower solution to extend mobile services to unserved or underserved communities - areas where traditional deployment was not economically viable.
In a joint statement, both companies highlighted the significance of satellite technology in providing "backhaul" connectivity to remote cell towers, especially in locations with challenging terrain where conventional solutions like fibre-optic cable and microwave are impractical.
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AMN emphasised, "Intelsat is a very important partner to AMN. Our strategic partnership has provided essential telecommunication services to 8 million people across Africa, and we look forward to growing that number over the coming years."
Impactful Collaboration
Intelsat and AMN claim to have deployed more than 3,000 rural base satellite antennas across several countries in Africa since 2018, providing communication services to over eight million people.
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AMN notes that its largest network is in Nigeria, where it has deployed over 1,350 sites, including 450 sites that have been built since June 2023. This expansion has provided phone and internet services to over 3.5 million people in previously unconnected Nigerian communities.
