(Ecofin Agency) - Liquid is Eutelsat’s long-standing partner. Under a long-term contract that was renewed and extended in 2021, it operates the Ku-band resources of the EUTELSAT 7B satellite to provide VSAT services in sub-Saharan Africa.

Pan-African Internet service provider (ISP) Liquid Intelligent Technologies announced on Thursday, September 15, a new partnership agreement with French satellite operator Eutelsat Communications. The agreement allows the ISP to leverage the Ka-band capabilities of the Eutelsat Konnect satellite to provide broadband Internet services to businesses in Uganda, South Sudan, and the eastern regions of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

In the framework of the partnership, Liquid Intelligent Technologies will host the first Eutelsat Konnect ground station in sub-Saharan Africa. The station, located in Krugersdorp, South Africa, will enable Eutelsat to expand the regional coverage of its resources and drive new business opportunities by offering enhanced broadband services.

“With this agreement, we will expand our service portfolio to include Ka-band services for the first time. We have always been early innovators and investors towards initiatives and technology that will help us realize our vision of creating a digitally connected future that leaves no African behind,” explains  Liquid Satellite Services CEO, Scott Mumford.

Eutelsat launched its next-generation Konnect HTS satellite in November 2020. Since then, it has attracted the interest of many telecom service providers operating on the African continent such as Globacom, Intersat, Vodacom. Indeed, space technology is a real alternative to bring broadband to uncovered populations, especially those living in remote areas. 

Isaac K. Kassouwi