Mozambican national operator Empresa Nacional de Telecomunicações Moçambique has announced a multi-year partnership with Intelsat for the provision of satellite solutions that will help the company deliver cellular and broadband services to residents and businesses in remote areas of Mozambique.

Empresa Nacional de Telecomunicações Moçambique said the satellite solutions will in particular help deliver broadband connectivity to corporate networks, and provide cellular backhaul services to support residents in rural Mozambique.

The company will use C-band capacity on Intelsat 902, to provide dual band connectivity for its own transport network and use with local cellular operators.

The partners explains C-band spectrum provides a solution to the need for a stable form of connectivity which can cope with Mozambique's precarious weather conditions - the country being susceptible to heavy rainfall and flooding.

"Our customers expect and deserve fast, reliable and continuous broadband connectivity regardless of location or weather," said Zainadin Dalsuco, chief executive officer, Empresa Nacional de Telecomunicações Moçambique.

"By partnering with Intelsat, we can quickly scale our existing network to meet the increasing broadband demands in the remote areas of Mozambique and ensure that our network infrastructure is robust enough to retain and, as needed, quickly restore service to local cellular operators and their customers throughout the country."

Intelsat pointed to the role of internet connectivity in bringing about economic development in rural areas, and said its satellite solutions are capable to supporting the provision of reliable internet in these areas.

"Access to high-quality and consistent broadband connectivity is essential for socio-economic development and the continuous growth of businesses and local communities. Intelsat's C-band satellite services are incredibly resilient and a great complement to a network operator's existing infrastructure," said Rhys Morgan, interim regional sales manager, Africa, Intelsat.

"This partnership will allow Empresa Nacional de Telecoms Mozambique to provide a reliable, always-on broadband service that will enhance customer satisfaction, and with mobile penetration rates in the country at sixty nine percent, allow the company to extend its network into untapped areas of Mozambique," Morgan said.

Intelsat provides services to operators active in a number of African countries. Last year ITWeb Africa reported Intelsat signed a multi-year agreement with MSTelcom in Angola, for the provision of high quality, reliable and cost-efficient broadband service to consumers and corporations operating in the oil and gas and banking sectors within Angola.