Telco Vodacom DRC announced the deployment of its services in remote rural areas across the country. The company will be assisted in this project by satellite-based telecom services operator Intelsat.

The cooperation deal between the two parties will see Vodacom use Intelsat's end-to-end managed CellBackhaul service in areas where fiber or microwave backhaul networks are not yet available or cannot be deployed. According to Didier Kabongo, CNO of Vodacom DRC, “expanding mobile service to the underserved and unserved population of the Democratic Republic of Congo is a key pillar of our Vision 2025 strategy.” The project focuses on connecting and improving the lives of 100 million customers in the context of accelerating demand for high-speed Internet connectivity in Africa. Vodacom DRC plans to bring together available transport networks and hybrid power solutions to improve and upgrade communication services in rural areas.

The agreement between Vodacom DRC and Intelsat is part of the actions undertaken since January by the satellite operator to strengthen its revenues and get out of the bankruptcy it found itself in on May 13, 2021. Last January, Intelsat ordered two software-defined satellites from the manufacturer Thales Alenia Space. The operator wants to return to profitability as the demand for connectivity increases on the continent. For Vodacom DRC, which is in competition with Airtel, Orange, and Africell in the country, this is an opportunity to increase both its customer base and revenues. The company leads the market with a market share estimated at 34.64% in Q2 2021.

Isaac K. Kassouwi