Dalkom Somalia, a Somalia-based telecommunications services provider established in 2003, has signed a multi-year agreement with Intelsat SA for broadband enterprise and direct-to-home services in East and Central Africa.

According to the deal, Dalkom will incorporate Ku-band satellite services provided by Intelsat 17 to extend services currently delivered by its fibre network.

Intelsat 17 is part of Intelsat's video neighbourhood in the Indian Ocean.

A statement from Intelsat SA says the extended services include expanding broadband enterprise networks into South Sudan and Democratic Republic of Congo, as well as the Middle East.

Dalkom will also add direct-to-home services to its portfolio in Somalia.

Mohamed Jama, CEO of Dalkom, is quoted as saying, "We have a strong terrestrial fibre network, but our opportunities to expand into new regions and capitalise on new opportunities were limited. By adding Intelsat's satellite expertise to our network, we can expand our enterprise services into regions where terrestrial technology cannot provide services."

"Intelsat 17 will also allow us to capitalise on Intelsat's media distribution knowledge to introduce DTH services for customers," he said.

"Dalkom has offered satellite services in the past, but the versatility of the Intelsat 17 satellite convinced them that moving to Intelsat was the best option for meeting its expansion goals," said Brian Jakins, Intelsat's Vice President, Africa.

"The ability to deliver broadband enterprise and DTH services via the same platform provides easy access to new markets and customers without worrying about network reach and reliability. This allows Dalkom to focus on growing its business. Our satellite platform will also complement its fibre services by serving as an instantly available back-up to protect against any service interruptions.

This announcement comes soon after Intelsat confirmed the opening of a new sales office in Nairobi, Kenya, to be managed by Lawrence Mungai.

The company believes that East Africa will benefit extensively from the introduction of broadband connectivity solutions entering the market – specifically that which addresses complex communications challenges facing wireless infrastructure, banking and enterprise networks.