Satellite operator Intelsat says it has joined the Partner2Connect Digital Coalition, a multi-stakeholder alliance launched by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the United Nations (UN).
The Partner2Connect Digital Coalition aims to foster meaningful connectivity and digital transformation globally, with a focus on (but not limited to) hardest-to-connect communities in least developed countries (LDCs), landlocked developing countries (LLDCs) and small island developing states (SIDS).
Through the coalition, Intelsat aims to provide satellite connectivity as a means to bring broadband to hard-to-reach, unserved populations who are not connected to the internet, as well as to millions who do not have the means to connect.
Intelsat has made a number of pledges to the coalition that are relevant to developing world concerns. They include a pledge to set the standard in uninterrupted global broadband service by offering simplified connectivity through the Intelsat ecosystem of a software-defined, multi-orbit 5G unified network. This unified system, says Intelsat, enables seamless, easy-to-deploy, end-to-end services across different technologies and infrastructures.
Intelsat has also pledged to utilize its Wi-Fi internet access solutions to connect 100 schools in rural and remote areas by 2025 in the context of Giga, a UNICEF-ITU initiative to connect every school to the internet and every young person to information, opportunity and choice. Intelsat also aims to sign a memorandum of understanding providing up to $500,000 of airtime.
In addition Intelsat has pledged to offer white papers to illustrate space sustainability and provide case studies and best practices on satellites as a tool for digital transformation.