Intelsat, the world’s largest satellite communications provider, has signed a deal with Vodacom Business Nigeria to help bridge the digital divide throughout West Africa, expanding its enterprise broadband networks and enabling new and enhanced services throughout the region.
Under a new multi-year agreement, Vodacom Business Nigeria will utilise the satellite services on Intelsat 35e to deliver broadband connectivity to the banking, oil and gas, and enterprise sectors across West Africa. In addition, the improved performance, efficiency and lower total cost of ownership delivered by Intelsat 35e, the fifth of Intelsat’s EpicNG satellites, will enable Vodacom Business Nigeria to further enhance the services being offered to its existing customers in Nigeria; expand its offerings in the enterprise and Internet of Things sectors; as well as extend broadband connectivity in Nigeria.
“Everyone understands the power of connectivity, but it can be difficult to reach certain locations across Africa,” said Lanre Kolade, Managing Director, Vodacom Business Nigeria. “By integrating Intelsat’s satellite services into our network, we are able to rapidly deploy our broadband network into new areas across West Africa and deliver fast, affordable internet access today.”
‘This means that people in the communities that we serve will gain access to services that will provide real benefits such as: business connectivity, news updates, improved quality of services in healthcare, banking and education, in addition to promoting economic development of these communities,” Kolade continued.
“Intelsat EpicNG enables higher data rate applications and smaller terminals, enabling our customers to expand the applications that can be provided,” Brian Jakins, Intelsat’s Regional Vice President, Africa Sales, said. “This means enterprises can expand into new regions and take advantage of business opportunities regardless of where they occur.”
“With the improved performance delivered by Intelsat EpicNG, Vodacom Business Nigeria’s customers will experience an improved quality of service as soon as the service is deployed,” Jakins added. “This positions Vodacom Business Nigeria for bigger operational and business success and demonstrates that Intelsat is the partner of choice for network operators that want to deliver growth for their end users and the latest services for the population.”
