Liquid Telecom plans enhanced speeds and coverage to African VSAT
customers leveraging high performance Intelsat EpicNG
satellite services
Intelsat continues deployment of IntelsatOne Flex
managed service, leveraging Liquid Telecom’s leading African
infrastructure
LONDON & LUXEMBOURG--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr. 20, 2017--
Pan-African telecoms group Liquid Telecom, a subsidiary of Econet
Global, and Intelsat S.A. (NYSE: I), operator of the world’s first
Globalized Network and leader in integrated satellite communications,
have announced a new agreement that will introduce high performance
Intelsat EpicNG satellite services into the Liquid Telecom
network.
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As part of the new, multi-year agreement, Liquid Telecom has committed
to dedicated services on the Intelsat 33e satellite, which began
operations earlier this year. The solution features ground networking
equipment based upon the Newtec Dialog® VSAT platform,
including technology developed under the ESA-funded Project Indigo
announced previously by Intelsat and Newtec.
By taking advantage of Intelsat’s high-throughput satellite (HTS)
solutions, Liquid Telecom will be able to deliver more bandwidth with
greater efficiency to meet the growing needs of businesses across
Africa. The new Intelsat EpicNG services will expand Liquid
Telecom’s coverage and network capabilities across the Democratic
Republic of Congo, Kenya, Malawi, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia
and Zimbabwe, where demand has grown for VSAT technology to deliver
connectivity to underserved remote or rural areas.
“Breakthroughs in technology continue to position satellite as a more
compelling connectivity solution for businesses across Africa. By
teaming with Intelsat, Liquid Telecom will be at the forefront of
satellite communications, ensuring we can meet the future bandwidth
needs of our customers no matter where they are in the region,” said
Scott Mumford, Liquid Telecom’s Group Managing Executive of Satellite
and VSAT. “We are also delighted to be Intelsat’s local partner as it
continues to introduce the suite of Intelsat EpicNG services
to Africa.”
Intelsat 33e, the second in the global Intelsat EpicNG HTS
fleet, is a next-generation, high-performance satellite that delivers
improved performance, better economics and simplified access for
satellite service providers such as Liquid Telecom. Designed as a
complementary overlay to the world’s largest fixed satellite network,
Intelsat EpicNG is backwards compatible with Intelsat’s
existing global satellite fleet of approximately 50 satellites and is
connected by the global IntelsatOne terrestrial network.
Engineering work is currently underway and Liquid Telecom is expected to
begin using the Intelsat EpicNG platform at the end of July.
Furthering the relationship between the companies, Liquid Telecom has
been awarded a three-year contract from Intelsat to provide fiber
backhaul and uplinking services from its South Africa teleport that will
be integrated into the IntelsatOne network as Intelsat extends its
managed services platform into Africa. The gateway service will enable
Intelsat to accelerate the introduction of Intelsat EpicNG
services, building on its leading position in the broadband and
enterprise sectors.
“Our goal is to support customer growth in Africa and to work together
to enhance the infrastructure that connects broadband and enterprise
customers in Africa. Teaming with Liquid Telecom, the leading
independent IP, voice and data provider across Africa, will enhance
their service platform and add to our capabilities as we build upon the
footprint we’ve already established in the region,” said Brian Jakins,
Intelsat’s Regional Vice President, Africa Sales. “We currently have the
largest satellite presence in Africa, and with Intelsat 33e soon to be
joined by Intelsat 35e and Intelsat 37e, two upcoming satellites in the
Intelsat EpicNG program, we will expand our high throughput
capabilities to benefit the entire continent.”
About Liquid Telecom
Liquid Telecom is the leading independent data, voice and IP provider in
Eastern, Central and Southern Africa. It supplies fibre optic, satellite
and international carrier services to Africa’s largest mobile network
operators, ISPs, financial institutions and businesses of all sizes. In
June 2016, Liquid Telecom agreed to purchase Neotel, South Africa’s
first converged communications network operator, for ZAR6.55 billion,
creating the first pan-Africa fibre player.
Liquid Telecom has built Africa’s largest single fibre network currently
spanning over 40,000km, including Neotel’s network, across borders and
covering Africa’s fastest-growing economies where no fixed network has
existed before. Working under various brands, the Liquid Telecom Group
has operating entities in Botswana, DRC, Kenya, Lesotho, Mauritius,
Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, UK, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
The company has been named Best African Wholesale Carrier for the last
five years at the annual Global Carrier Awards. For more information,
visit http://www.liquidtelecom.com.
About Intelsat
Intelsat S.A. (NYSE: I) operates the world’s first Globalized Network,
delivering high-quality, cost-effective video and broadband services
anywhere in the world. Intelsat’s Globalized Network combines the
world’s largest satellite backbone with terrestrial infrastructure,
managed services and an open, interoperable architecture to enable
customers to drive revenue and reach through a new generation of network
services. Thousands of organizations serving billions of people
worldwide rely on Intelsat to provide ubiquitous broadband connectivity,
multi-format video broadcasting, secure satellite communications and
seamless mobility services. The end result is an entirely new world, one
that allows us to envision the impossible, connect without boundaries
and transform the ways in which we live. For more information, visit www.intelsat.com.
View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170420005288/en/
Source: Intelsat and Liquid Telecom
Liquid Telecom
Alex Hawkes, +44 20 7101 6292
Group in-house
writer
alex.hawkes@liquidtelecom.com
or
Intelsat
Jason
Bates, +1-703-559-7044
Media Communications Manager
jason.bates@intelsat.com