The satellite company is using three of its high-throughput Epic satellites and 23 additional satellites to reach AMN’s tower infrastructure.
Jean-Philippe Gillet (pictured), Intelsat vice president and general manager of networks, said: “Through this partnership, we are now providing access to mobile coverage for the first time to approximately 1.7 million people living in remote communities across several countries that many thought were impossible to connect.”
AMN provides network infrastructure on behalf of operators in Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Nigeria and Zambia. According to its website it plans to expand to Benin, Central African Republic, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Niger, South Africa, South Sudan, Sudan and Uganda.
Michael Darcy, AMN’s CEO, said: “When you close the connectivity gap in sub-Saharan Africa, you can bring about significant positive change in people’s lives. Using Intelsat’s technology, our two companies can make that vision a reality.”
Gillet added: “As both a global corporation and a global citizen, Intelsat is committed to investing in accelerating the adoption of mobile connectivity in sub-Saharan Africa – and throughout the world – and closing the digital divide.”
The companies said that the cost of expansion and geographic complexities in remote rural areas of Africa have made establishing connectivity for the communities, individuals, and businesses in these regions extremely difficult. AMN says it has developed a low-cost solution, powered by a highly reliable small cell solar-based system that can be rapidly deployed in less than six hours.
AMN and Intelsat said they are delivering a mobile network infrastructure that is fast, cost-effective, reliable and able to easily scale to meet emerging data demands.
Darcy, formerly CEO of satellite company Hughes Network Systems Europe, said: “Intelsat shares our vision of installing a cell site in every African village.”
The next printed issue of Capacity, to be published in a few days, includes an interview with Gillet of Intelsat.
