New satellites in space to meet global appetite for broadband
The global appetite for broadband, including from Africa, is driving more satellites into space in an attempt to feed the demand
New York-listed Intelsat, which provides connectivity services for MultiChoice, MTN and Vodacom among others, plans to send another three satellites into orbit in coming months — one of which will provide broadband services for corporate networks in Africa.Like its peers, Luxembourg-based Intelsat is replacing the older satellites in its fleet with modern "high-throughput" versions that provide better capacity at lower costs.Elon Musk’s SpaceX launched the Intelsat 35e satellite into space a year ago with its Falcon 9 rocket (albeit on the third liftoff attempt). But Intelsat will use the services of France’s Arianespace to send up its new Horizons-3e and Intelsat 38 units later in 2018, followed by Intelsat 39 next year.The company says Intelsat 38 will let broadcasters in the Asia Pacific and Europe regions expand their direct-to-home (DTH) services while also providing broadband connectivity for corporate network services in Africa.These communications satellites aren’t exactly ...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.