Vodacom will be able to provide connectivity to people who have been without access since independence as a result of the partnership.
Eutelsat Communications and Vodacom Tanzania have signed a service agreement for packaged services to bring connectivity to underserved regions of Tanzania, leveraging Eutelsat Konnect high-throughput satellite.
Following a successful Proof of Concept trial, Vodacom will commercialise services on the Eutelsat Konnect satellite under its own brand, building out its service offer to customers previously unreached by its existing infrastructure, notably in the B2B and hospitality verticals. Installation services will be undertaken by Konnect Africa on behalf of Vodacom.
In service since the end of 2020, Eutelsat Konnect is a new-generation High Throughput Satellite offering operational flexibility. Delivering significant resources for broadband services with quasi-complete coverage of Sub-Saharan Africa, it addresses direct-to-user consumer and enterprise broadband services.
Commenting on the agreement, Sitholizwe Mdlalose, Managing Director of Vodacom Tanzania PLC said: We are delighted to incorporate satellite to our suite of services, leveraging the state-of-the-art Eutelsat Konnect satellite to fulfil our mission to deliver connectivity to all regions of Tanzania. With Konnect, Vodacom will cover 100% of the country, connecting all regions, districts and villages no matter how remote they are. With this service, we will connect everyone, this includes areas which are not covered today, giving access to services up to 100Mbps.
Philippe Baudrier, Chief Executive Officer of Konnect Africa added: We are excited to partner with Vodacom, a leading pan-African telecom operator, to extend the reach of its services in Tanzania. This agreement illustrates the unparalleled resources of our powerful Eutelsat Konnect satellite to satisfy the strong demand for connectivity in underserved regions of the African continent and marks another success in the development of our distribution capabilities following recent additions in Nigeria, South-Africa and DRC.
