Partnership has connected nearly 5 million people in underserved locations across Sub-Saharan Africa

Intelsat and Africa Mobile Networks (AMN) were recently honored for their work bringing mobile connectivity to millions of people in remote areas across Sub-Saharan Africa.

Euroconsult awarded Intelsat and AMN the “Mobile Connectivity / Universal Access Award” as part of its Awards for Excellence in Satellite Communications during World Satellite Business Week, November 9 to 11. The award recognizes the deployment of mobile connectivity to unserved communities by supplier and client partnerships through cellular backhaul, broadband access and universal access programs.

“AMN and Intelsat share a commitment to accelerating the spread of mobile coverage by installing a cell site in every African village. Together, we’re working to ensure that communities, wherever they are located, have equal access to high-quality, sustainable and affordable broadband connectivity,” said AMN Chief Executive Officer Michael Darcy. “Thank you, Euroconsult, for recognizing our commitment and efforts.”

The Intelsat and AMN partnership launched in October 2018 to accelerate the deployment of mobile connectivity to remote and underserved communities across Africa that many people previously thought were impossible to connect.

By April 2020, 1,000 sites in Africa had been equipped with AMN’s affordable, solar-powered mobile connectivity solution – powered by two dozen Intelsat satellites positioned over the content, including  Intelsat Epic high-throughput satellites. That number has climbed today to nearly 1,500 sites, connecting almost five million people.

“Providing mobile connectivity to people and communities across the most rural parts of Africa is a considerable accomplishment on its own; however, the most impressive part of this award-winning effort is its scalability and sustainability – we’re quickly connecting people in remote areas using a business model that makes sense for everyone involved,” said Jean-Philippe Gillet, Senior Vice President of Global Sales and General Manager of Networks at Intelsat. “Intelsat is humbled to contribute to AMN’s award-winning work to connect the unconnected.”

AMN’s low-cost, easy-to-deploy, mobile connectivity solution is quick to set up and completely operational in less than six hours. The speed and ease of connectivity allowed for an average of about 10 base station installations a day across 10 African countries. At that pace, AMN is on track to connect around 12 million Africans by the Spring of 2021.

Geographic complexities and countless remote communities make Sub-Saharan Africa one of the most difficult and challenging regions of the world to connect. AMN’s innovative mobile solution, coupled with the scale of Intelsat’s integrated land-space network, are changing the dynamic.