MTN subsidiary Bayobab signed a multi-year deal to integrate Eutelsat’s LEO satellites, a move to expand cellular backhaul and coverage in rural areas to meet rising demands from enterprise clients across Africa.
In a statement, the satellite company detailed that MTN’s Bayobab will be tapping into capacity on Eutelsat’s OneWeb constellation to deliver what it described as “fixed connectivity services”.
The deployment will be completed across Africa by December this year, but service is already online for the digital and infrastructure service provider, in four countries on the continent.
Eutelsat Group Connectivity Business Unit Co-President Cyril Dujardin said Bayobab and the broader MTN Group are among African early adopters of the Eutelsat/OneWeb LEO constellation.
“This partnership underscores the commitment of both Eutelsat and Bayobab to drive digital inclusion, and the pertinence of innovative satellite solutions to achieve this aim, notably the unique properties of ubiquitous, low latency LEO capacity.”
Bayobab CEO Frédéric Schepens added: "This collaboration brings cutting-edge digital connectivity to even the most remote corners of the continent and reaffirms our promise of 'Connecting Africa' – a promise rooted in partnership and driven by a vision of a digitally inclusive future."
