Burkina Faso contracts SES for e-learning
May 8, 2018
By Chris Forrester
The Burkina Faso government in west Africa has contracted with SES Networks for a batch of digital connectivity services including e-learning, e-government and e-health access for its citizens.
The contract covers bandwidth on the SES-owned O3b satellite constellation.
The agreement follows on a Luxembourg and Burkina Faso development cooperation project launched in 2017, which was aimed to improve the IT and communication infrastructure of the country. In the last 12 months, Gaoua, Bobo-Dioulasso, Ouagadougou, Tenkodogo and Dori have had O3b terminals installed, to give the provinces immediate access to fiber-like connectivity. The O3b system allows for seamless integration of satellite with terrestrial networks, enabling integration and interconnection of wireless distribution and access points with the legacy network of the burkinabè administration (RESINA), as well as with the optical fibre backbone. The contracted speed is 600 Mbit/s, which can be further increased to meet future country’s needs.
“Reliable high-speed connectivity is key to driving digitisation and boosting countries’ economies and opening opportunities for their people. We are delighted that the Burkina Faso government has started to reap the benefits of our high-performance service and is keen to leverage the network to enhance the life of its citizens,” said Steve Collar, CEO of SES.