14 December 2022

Paratus Group has announced a multi-year agreement with OneWeb to build a gateway in Luanda, Angola, which will be operational in the second half of 2023. The gateway – the first of several planned for Africa - will provide low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite services to several countries in the region.

“With this agreement, we are taking another giant step in realising our plan to use Angola as a communications hub for the region,” said CTO of Paratus Group, Rolf Mendelsohn. “Being selected as the preferred partner to install the gateway in Angola for OneWeb reaffirms our superior capability in developing world-class telecommunications infrastructure in Africa.”

“When considering the size and persistence of the digital divide, and the connectivity barriers for businesses operating in rural or remote areas, the need for LEO satellite options are obvious,” said Joe Paciaroni, director of ground infrastructure at OneWeb. “On a global scale, mobile internet penetration is still only 50% and many of those who remain offline reside in Africa. By installing OneWeb teleports linked to hundreds of LEOs, we can bridge that divide effectively and affordably.”

The teleport will consist of 16 antennas and a network hosting facility, linking to OneWeb’s LEO infrastructure.