Connectivity provider Paratus South Africa has extended its partnership with satellite operator Eutelsat to include LEO satellite connectivity from Eutelsat OneWeb in its service offerings in South Africa.
Paratus already provides geostationary (GEO) satellite services via Eutelsat, which completed its acquisition of OneWeb in September 2023. Under the extended partnership announced Friday, Paratus will now use OneWeb to offer a combined GEO/LEO service for businesses operating in remote parts of the South Africa – particularly retail, banking, mining, agriculture, and tourism.
Eutelsat OneWeb services have been integrated within Paratus’ core fibre network, which stretches over 20,000 km across Sub-Saharan Africa.
Eutelsat said its Satellite Network Portals (SNP) for OneWeb have been activated in South Africa and Mauritius. Additional ground station sites in Ghana and Angola are expected to go live soon, which the operator says will further strengthen network services and capacity across the region.
“The adaptability and scalability of the Eutelsat OneWeb system make it a promising solution for the diverse and unique challenges faced by the African continent,” said Eutelsat OneWeb co-GM Cyril Dujardin in a statement. “Together with Paratus South Africa, we will demonstrate how LEO can overcome geographical barriers and redefine connectivity in the region, to serve banking, mining, enterprise, and offshore markets, and to set a benchmark for future communications excellence in South Africa.”
Credit: developingtelecoms.com