Iridium supports Connect Africa Initiative

Details: Michael Schwartz; Category: Satellite Networks; 05 July 2007; 8802 views

Iridium Satellite has become an official supplier to Connect Africa, a not-for-profit organization whose goal is to introduce mobile communication and public service facilities for rural communities across Africa. Iridium will supply satellite voice and data services... Iridium Satellite has become an official supplier to Connect Africa, a not-for-profit organization whose goal is to introduce mobile communication and public service facilities for rural communities across Africa. Iridium will supply satellite voice and data services.

Connect Africa plans to deploy a mobile communication and public service network for rural areas across Africa. The Mobile Multi-Purpose Service Units will visit carefully selected rural communities on a routine schedule where they will offer telephony, Internet and data Information Communication Technology (ICT) solutions along with many other public and private sector services.

The mobile units, which will be operated as individual businesses, will provide cellular and satellite links and distribute public content that is in demand locally, such as education, health, agri-trade, micro-finance, email, sports and entertainment.

"We applaud Connect Africa's vision of bringing modern telecommunications to rural communities in Africa," said Greg Ewert, Executive Vice-President of Iridium Satellite. "Iridium's satellite network can provide convenient, affordable communication service to remote villages, farms, communities and organisations where public switched and cellular telephone networks are non-existent, unreliable or prohibitively expensive."

"We are excited to welcome Iridium Satellite as the official supplier of satellite services for our mission," said Dion Jerling, Special Projects Director for Connect Africa. "In many parts of Africa, satellites provide the only links with the outside world. Iridium's ubiquitous coverage across the entire continent and reliable high-quality voice and data links will play a critical role in achieving our goal."

Connect Africa completed successful proof-of-concept trials in Limpopo Province, South Africa, in early 2007. The organisation is now making plans to conduct a three-month service trial in Malawi later this year with the help of African Parks, a conservation organisation with wildlife refuge parks across the continent. Iridium is providing a range of satellite voice, email and data solutions for the test vehicle to be used in the Malawi field trials. Conservation areas in Zambia, Mozambique and Botswana are also being considered.

"Right now, my recce vehicle is equipped with an Iridium satellite phone, which provides constant real-time voice and email communication as I travel through Malawi and Zambia making arrangements for field tests in those countries," said Mr Jerling. "My Iridium satellite phone installation includes a GPS tracking device, enabling Connect Africa's headquarters to monitor my location and movements in real-time, providing an extra measure of safety and security."

* Connect Africa, with its objectives of helping eradicate poverty, bridging the Digital Divide and improving rural people's social and economic well-being, has a central goal of rolling out the service in at least ten African countries by 2015. Connect Africa is a not-for-profit company with registered offices in London and Johannesburg.

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