Artist rendition of the Broadband for Africa satellite, which is planned to launch in 2019. Photo: Thales Alenia Space

[Via Satellite 06-21-2016] Eutelsat Communications and InfraMed have entered into an agreement whereby InfraMed becomes a c.21 percent shareholder in Broadband for Africa, the venture set up by Eutelsat to provide satellite broadband services on the African continent. By investing in Broadband for Africa, InfraMed is pursuing its strategy to focus on opportunities in regions characterized by dynamic demographics and infrastructure insufficiency.

“Broadband for Africa will offer telcos, Internet Service Providers and government agencies a quality solution that enables more Africans to get online,” said Laurent Grimaldi, CEO of Broadband for Africa.

Set up by Eutelsat in 2015, Broadband for Africa aims to deploy affordable, high-quality broadband connectivity in Africa using, in the first phase, leased Ka-band capacity on Spacecom’s Amos 6 satellite, and in the second phase, resources on its own dedicated High Throughput Satellite (HTS) that will be launched in 2019. Broadband for Africa will develop direct-to-user consumer and enterprise broadband services and address the market for community networks connected to Wi-Fi hotspots, mobile phone backhauling and rural connectivity.

InfraMed is a 385 million euro long-term investment vehicle dedicated to infrastructure in the Southern and Eastern Mediterranean. InfraMed was jointly created in 2010 by five major investors: Cassa Depositi e Prestiti, Caisse des Deìpôts et de Consignations, the European Investment Bank, Caisse de Deìpôts et de Gestion, and EFG Hermes.