Two remote islands of Mauritius have been connected to voice and internet services, thanks to technology that is capable of connecting hard-to-reach base stations in low traffic density areas.

A supplier of pan-African telecommunications services, Gateway Communications, has helped Emtel connect the Rodrigues and Agalega islands, which have been plagued by frequent weak links and outages, often brought about by bad weather.

Emtel, a division of the Millicom International Cellular group, has used Gateway’s satellite cellular backhaul tech called CellDirect to connect these islands with what the companies say are reliable voice and data connections.

The Rodrigues Island lies 550km northeast of Mauritius with a population of about 35 000, while the Agalega Island are 1,122km north of Mauritius and have a population of less than 300 people.

"This project once again reiterates Gateway's ability to serve remote areas in Africa," said Mike van den Bergh, chief executive of Gateway Communications, in a press statement.