27 March 2019

Avanti Communications has signed various agreements with several companies in Africa for the distribution of services via its HYLAS 4 satellite that was launched last year.

In November, the operator announced that South African satellite integrator Logical Wireless will provide communication and connectivity services to enterprises and end-consumers. Under a Master Service Agreement (MSA), the company will use HYLAS 4 to complete its coverage of sub-Saharan Africa and provide “cost-effective and reliable” satellite internet services into regions that suffer from unreliable or nonexistent connectivity.

Logical Wireless MD Gavin Behr said: “The partnership with Avanti enables us to deploy satellite broadband services that can be installed anywhere and provide a complete communication and connectivity solution to allow individuals and companies to conduct business as if they were in a city.”

Pan-African telco Paratus Group also signed an MSA in November to provide high-speed satellite broadband across the continent using HYLAS 4. Kallie Carlsen, Paratus’ MD for South Africa, said: “With HYLAS 4 we are further extending our reach and ability to provide high throughput connectivity throughout Southern Africa.”

This latest agreement extends the strategic partnership between the companies – Maxwell Technology, which is part of the Paratus Group, has been using Avanti’s HYLAS 2 services since 2012.

Avanti added that each MSA will enable Logical Wireless and Paratus to deliver high capacity sites for carriers and telecom providers to directly access cloud and content platforms in Africa’s largest data centre, making services more efficient and cost-effective.

Meanwhile, following on from its partnerships with COMSAT and iWayAfrica announced last August (see Wireless Business, Aug-Sep 2018 issue), Avanti has also signed another Master Distributor Agreement with Afrique Telecom. The pan-African service provider said it will provide affordable high-speed satellite broadband to connect homes, small businesses and enterprises, especially in rural and remote locations where terrestrial networks are limited or unreliable.

Early last November, Afrique Telecom tested its first live site in Abidjan. Using HYLAS 4, it’s claimed the site can reach superfast broadband speeds of 100Mbps. Avanti said the new MDA will enable Afrique Telecom to deploy similar high-quality services throughout sub-Saharan Africa.