Eutelsat’s Konnect gains African business
September 15, 2022
By Chris Forrester
Eutelsat and Liquid Intelligent Technologies, a business of Cassava Technologies, a pan-African technology group, have signed a multi-year, multi-beam agreement for capacity on the Eutelsat’s Konnect satellite to address the connectivity needs of Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) and Small Office / Home Office (SOHO) customers in Uganda, South Sudan and the Eastern regions of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The agreement sees Liquid leveraging capacity on Eutelsat’s Konnect satellite to increase its portfolio with affordable internet services in territories underserved by terrestrial networks.
Liquid is already a long-standing partner of Eutelsat, where it uses Ku-band capacity on Eutelsat’s 7B satellite for VSAT services in Sub-Saharan Africa under a long-term contract that was renewed and expanded in 2021.
Liquid will also host the first Konnect ground gateway in Sub-Saharan Africa, thus reinforcing its role as a key satellite Ground Segment / Teleport operator in Africa, and further cementing the existing relationship with Eutelsat.
Located in Krugersdorp, South Africa, the new gateway will help Eutelsat expand local coverage and secure and create new business opportunities by offering enhanced broadband service performance.
This Eutelsat Konnect satellite (and not to be confused with Eutelsat’s Konnect VHTS craft launched earlier in September) entered full service more than a year ago, and the satellite has gained strong momentum through multiple agreements with telecommunications operators in many of the most densely populated countries on the African continent.
Scott Mumford, CEO of Liquid Satellite Services, commented: “We offer satellite services in over 27 African countries, impacting the lives of over 1.3 billion people. With this agreement, we will expand our service portfolio to include Ka-band services for the first time. We have always been early innovators and investors towards initiatives and technology that will help us realise our vision of creating a digitally connected future that leaves no African behind.”
Michel Azibert, Eutelsat’s Deputy CEO, added: “This new agreement testifies to the strong appeal of our Eutelsat Konnect satellite in Sub-Saharan Africa and its pertinence in supporting telecom operators in bridging the digital divide. By reinforcing our relationship with Liquid Intelligent Technologies, we will be able to leverage the Eutelsat fleet’s extensive coverage of Sub-Saharan Africa combined with Liquid Intelligent Technologies’ unique expertise and local know-how to deliver best-in-class services to businesses across the continent.”