Communications and IT services provider Speedcast has been selected by mining company Katanga for a three-year contract to deliver satellite connectivity services to its headquarters and a major mine complex in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Katanga (MCK Sarl) is a Congolese mining contractor based in Lubumbashi.

According to a statement released to the media, Speedcast will serve MCK’s Lubumbashi headquarters and the Ruashi open-pit copper and cobalt mine under contract with MCK, delivering optimised wide-area networking (WAN) over high-throughput, very small aperture terminal (VSAT), C-band satellite service and content filtering.

This solution will enable internet access, cloud-based applications, IOT and crew welfare applications across their operations, the companies stated.

All services will be fully supported by Speedcast’s 24x7 global Customer Support Centres (CSC).

“We are thrilled that MCK has placed its trust in Speedcast to deliver critical, remote connectivity and network optimisation to its headquarters and contracted mining site,” said James Trevelyan, Senior Vice President of Enterprise and Emerging Markets at Speedcast. “We have the highest-powered C-band network in Sub-Saharan Africa, which means we can enable the customer’s digitalisation agenda while delivering the highest performance primary or back-up communications solution.”

Hubert Nkonkosha, IT Manager at MCK, added, “Our Ruashi project is one of our largest refined copper and cobalt production sites with more than 2,000 people and suppliers employed. It’s vital to our headquarters and operations to have seamless communications and network management as we prioritise efficiency and digital transformation, now and in the future, while still operating cost-consciously. Speedcast was a clear choice for our needs, and we look forward to leaning on their team for support and expert guidance, building a strong working partnership for years to come.”

Speedcast recently augmented its Tier 1 satellite network across the Sub-Saharan African region with the addition of a new High-Throughput Satellite (HTS), which the company says offers ultra-high signal availability - even into 1.8m terminals.

“The satellite’s look angle across Africa is around 60 degrees elevation, making it ideal for steep-sided open pit mines and resilient to equatorial weather patterns. It also incorporates the latest VSAT technology and a selection of bandwidth packages, from high-speed to gigabyte-only plans,” Speedcast added.