Internet connectivity is a crucial tool that helps people work, learn, shop, visit friends and family, and access healthcare. But while billions of lives are improved by access to the internet, hundreds of millions of people living in remote, rural, and hard-to-reach places still struggle to access essential broadband services. This is especially true for Africa, where satellites play a crucial role in extending internet and communications technologies and enable service providers to expand their network coverage. From low bandwidth needs (SMS/telephony/2G sites) to broadband (3G, 4G, and soon 5G), the possibilities and need for satellite services in the broadband sphere are endless. Intelsat has proudly served Africa since 1965.
The internet penetration rate in South Sudan sits at only 8%, which is low in comparison with other countries in the eastern region of Africa. Mobile network coverage is also poor in most of South Sudan and almost non-existent in many rural areas. This means that approximately 80% of South Sudan’s population – more than 9 million people– living in these areas have either no or poor access to the internet and mobile services. Many industries in the country, such as banking, mining, oil and gas, government organizations, and private and aid-oriented agencies, depend on their ability to distribute information to and gather information from remote places. Intelsat will also support improving its team’s technical skills through specialized satellite training courses as part of this new, multi-year agreement. A government entity in Zambia wanted to connect its most remote sites to its primary network and increase its reliability at critical locations to help drive improvements for the administration and enable mobile tax offices to serve the taxpayers and traders better. Intelsat modernized the entity’s current satellite network, providing a turn-key solution that includes satellite capacity, equipment, implementation services, training, and support services. The plan also bolstered the reliability of customer services through the addition of redundant power. Intelsat helps businesses, communities, and individuals across the globe overcome the challenges of a lack of infrastructure. The company accomplishes this goal by integrating the strength of our terrestrial infrastructure with the power and agility of one of the largest satellite fleets in the world.