SES and Gilat Telecom expands satellite agreement in DRC

SES and Gilat Telecom expands satellite agreement in DRC

SES Networks and its longtime customer in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Gilat Telecom, have expanded the satellite capacity under contract in the country, topping more than 3.0 Gbps.

Gilat has been providing Kinshasa, the capital and largest city in DRC, with expansive internet connectivity services. The company has now also launched service over SES Networks’ O3b Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) satellite fleet to a second DRC location, bringing fibre-equivalent internet to customers in Lubumbashi. 

Gilat Telecom is based in Israel, and offers satellite and fiber-based connectivity services in Africa, Asia and the Middle East. Gilat first deployed SES Networks’ ultra-low latency, high throughput connectivity in 2014, following the launch of the first four satellites in its O3b Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) fleet, becoming the first to use the new connectivity in Africa, and the second worldwide.

“For years, improving connectivity has been a high priority for us and we have been incredibly impressed with the speed and quality of our service through SES Networks,” said Dan Zajicek, CEO of Gilat Telecom. 

“We chose SES Networks MEO Satellites because of its unique ability to rival fibre performance, without having to rely on any land-based link from a neighboring country. We look forward to many more years of partnership with SES Networks, and leveraging the company’s unrivalled breadth of connectivity solutions to expand the reach of internet and mobile connectivity in DRC.”  




“We are proud to celebrate this milestone of three years of service with Gilat,” said CK Kamaitha, vice president of Africa sales for SES Networks. “Our shared commitment to expanding and improving connectivity has enabled us to break through barriers together, and design creative and unique solutions for DRC. Moving forward, we are eager to work with Gilat, leveraging the diverse capabilities of SES Networks for the benefit of customers in Kinshasa, Lubumbashiand across DRC.” 

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