How Paratus and LEO satellite solutions will help unlock Africa's potential
The Pan-African telco, Paratus Group, has announced it is providing LEO satellite solutions to clients in South Africa, Botswana, Mozambique, and Zambia.
Speaking at the Atlantic Convergence conference in Lisbon this week, Chief Technical Officer of the Paratus Group, Rolf Mendelsohn, said: "We have always known that reliable, fast and secure connectivity will be the key to unlocking the enormous potential that exists in Africa. With LEO satellite technology, we are broadening our network offerings even further to provide unlimited connectivity for our current markets, with plans to expand across the continent."
Through its partnership agreements with global low earth orbit (LEO) satellite operators, Paratus is positioning itself to offer an extensive LEO satellite network across Africa as regulatory and satellite coverage hurdles are overcome.
Paratus already owns and runs an extensive V-SAT network with Teleport facilities in Angola, Botswana, Namibia and South Africa. With the addition of LEO satellite technology, Paratus is offering an unmatched one-stop solution for enterprises and institutions that not only need high-speed capacity and connectivity in these countries – even in the most remote and offshore areas – but to anywhere in the world. This is particularly significant for the retail, healthcare, education, mining and oil and gas sectors.
"Paratus has already launched Starlink services in Botswana, Mozambique and Zambia. We are actively working on expanding our LEO offerings to more African countries, as regulatory environments and satellite coverage permit. Our service is unique because we carry stock, handle the installations and have technical teams in all regions that provide 24/7 support.
"And, through our extensive high-quality network across Africa, Paratus can provide tailored packages to any business needing robust, stable and reliable connections to anywhere in the world. We launched the fastest express route from Johannesburg to Europe recently; we have created an east-west African fibre route from Maputo to Swakopmund; we landed the Google subsea Equiano cable in Namibia; and have built 4 Tier III by design data centres in Africa.
"Through massive investment and by adding LEO satellite services to our suite of products, we are unquestionably Africa's quality network – the one that connects the continent and connects Africa to the world."
Paratus Group has established partnerships with global LEO satellite operators, positioning itself as a key African partner. Mendelsohn adds: "Paratus was born in Africa. We are rooted in Africa, and we understand what the market needs. This is why we have invested so heavily in our own infrastructure.
"With LEO satellite connectivity complementing our extensive African network, Paratus is now the go-to partner for any enterprise that needs reliable connectivity in the most remote places. High-quality connectivity – be that through fibre, wireless or satellite services – is championing Africa's future and championing anyone in the world that wants to connect with Africa."
Paratus
Paratus is committed to raising the bar for providing quality connectivity in Africa. With an eye on the future, the group is investing in infrastructure and establishing itself as a key player in delivering integrated network services across the continent. Among its many and diverse achievements, the group has invested in and launched the East-to-West Africa fiber corridor and express routes from Southern Africa to the rest of the world.
The group has operations in 15 African countries and employs approximately 800 people. The business extends further to provide a satellite connectivity-focused services in more than 30 African countries. This connects African businesses across the continent and delivers end-to-end service excellence. The group’s footprint extends beyond Africa to international points of presence (PoPs) in Europe, the UK and the USA.
Born and bred in Africa, Paratus is thinking big as it grows its footprint to deliver Africa’s quality network. The Group aims to deliver real value and services to communities across Africa, while making a positive contribution to transformation in terms of both the people and the environment.