Satellite and terrestrial network operator Intelsat has unveiled a new satellite cellular backhaul service platform, located at the Open Access Data Centres facility in Lagos, Nigeria. Data centre facility provider OADC is a division of core digital infrastructure solutions and managed network services company WIOCC.
Intelsat says this launch marks a major milestone in its efforts to enhance Nigeria and Africa’s connectivity infrastructure.
As Intelsat points out, sub-Saharan Africa remains the region with the widest usage and coverage gaps (59% and 15% respectively), adding that attempts to expand mobile networks are often slowed by the high cost and slow pace of traditional infrastructure deployment methods – and deterred by low returns on investment.
The company says that Intelsat CellBackhaul Nigeria, its fully managed cellular backhaul service, will support MNOs and ISPs in Nigeria and West Africa by helping them to overcome challenges related to expanding mobile coverage in the region, enabling rapid and cost-effective network expansion via Intelsat’s satellite and terrestrial network.
The new Nigerian solution will be added to the existing platforms in several other African countries delivering services to millions of people across thousands of cell towers.
As Rhys Morgan, RVP, EMEA, Intelsat, explains: “Satellite technology is critical to closing the digital divide. To connect unconnected populations in rural and remote locations, satellite backhaul is often the most viable option for a rapid, reliable, cost-effective connectivity solution,”