Intelsat 28 satellite. Photo: Intelsat

[Via Satellite 03-31-2014] Intelsat will provide a managed broadband service to telecommunications group Vodacom. This solution will allow Vodacom to offer a differentiated broadband service targeting the small office/home office (SOHO) and small/medium enterprise (SME) users across sub-Saharan Africa. The recent growth of SMEs in Africa is considered critical for the continent’s economic development and job creation, and these enterprises will need consistent broadband connectivity to ensure success of their businesses.

Under the agreement, Intelsat will provide Ku-band satellite broadband capacity to Vodacom on Intelsat 28 at 32.8 degrees east, and will also deliver a fully integrated and managed solution powered by Hughes broadband satellite technology. This will allow Vodacom to manage its service platform and determine service levels while maintaining engagement with their SOHO and SME customer base.

“We worked closely with Vodacom to address their future business demands, providing capacity through traditional wide and high-throughput satellite spot beams to locations where our customers need it most,” said Grant Marais, Intelsat’s regional vice president, Africa. “It also reinforces our ability to work with our customers such as Vodacom to anticipate their emerging business demands and tailor our broadband solutions to best fit their business needs and economic model.”