COUNTRY FOCUS : DRC
Gilat ’ s solution cost-effectively extends mobile coverage in the Democratic Republic of the Congo , Africa ’ s second-largest nation , starting with nearly a thousand remote sites .
Intelsat selects Gilat in mult deal to provide satellite cellu solution to a leading mobile
Panorama of Kinshasa city at night , Democratic
Republic of the Congo
Gilat Satellite Networks Ltd , a worldwide provider of satellite networking technology , solutions , and services , recently announced that the company has been selected in a multimilliondollar deal with Intelsat , operator of the world ’ s largest integrated satellite and terrestrial network , to provide the satellite cellular backhaul solution for a leading mobile telecommunication company in the Democratic Republic of the Congo ( DRC ).
Intelsat deployed its CellBackhaul service with Gilat ’ s SkyEdge II-c platform and Capricorn VSATs , connecting with a Ku-band satellite to bring mobile communications to nearly 1,000 previously underserved and unserved remote sites . The implementation brings mobile services to deep rural sites in the DRC , geographically the second-largest nation in Africa , with a growing population of more than 90 million people . Working together , Intelsat and Gilat are extending mobile connectivity to areas where terrestrial backhaul networks are impractical , expensive , or otherwise unfeasible to deploy .
“ Industry-leading know-how and cost-effective satellite technology from Gilat are key components of the solution , significantly augmenting our ability to bring together the right services , and expertise to provide customers an economical way to expand coverage into remote areas with an unbeatably low total cost of ownership ,” said Brian Jakins , GM , and VP of Networks , Intelsat . “ Intelsat values its on-going partnership with Gilat , working together to bridge the gaps that other technologies and solutions can ’ t address .”
42 INTELLIGENTCIO AFRICA www . intelligentcio . com