Marlink has completed its construction of an extensive VSAT network designed to deliver high-speed internet access to schools, colleges, government facilities and the general public throughout inland French Guiana.
Following the installation of a satellite ground station, Marlink managed to connect 25,000 Guianese and 33 local public educational institutions. The project is completely managed by Marlink in partnership with the Collectivité Territoriale de Guyane government (CTG), and the local public company which was established to drive Guyana’s digital development (SPLANG).
Benefits of Marlink’s high-speed internet solution to the Guianese territory include the standardisation, simplification and automation of administrative tasks; the trust-building value of transparency in making information freely available to the public; and the expanding value of a digital infrastructure which supports authorities to keep services running even in difficult-to-access villages.
Commenting on the development, Alexandre de Luca, President Enterprise, Marlink, said: “Terrestrial coverage is usually unavailable and GSM coverage is poor in inland regions. With the deployment of our VSAT connectivity solutions, it will become far more attractive for the young people to stay in their hometowns, thereby preserving the cultural heritage of their communities. We are extremely proud of this important realisation with the on-time delivery of a network infrastructure of about 50 VSAT stations, while coping with the challenging weather conditions and logistics.”
Jocelyn Ho Tin Noe from SPLANG, added: “An important aspect of this project is to help people in remote inland villages to get online with reliable connectivity for educational and social purposes. Marlink is enabling us to develop a more robust digital education infrastructure and connecting Guianese people with the outside world, which will contribute to mitigating the heavy migration to coastal towns that has been eroding the communities in recent years.”