Leading pan-African telecoms group Liquid Telecom is extending its award-winning VSAT service through a new partnership with Kymeta, enabling it to deliver enhanced satellite mobile connectivity across Africa.

As part of a master distribution agreement announced at AfricaCom 2018, Kymeta’s lightweight, high throughput satellite communication systems will be integrated with Liquid Telecom’s satellite connectivity.

This will provide high-speed bandwidth mobile internet access to private and public-sector organisations that would normally have difficulty accessing reliable, affordable internet, particularly in remote locations.

Quick and easy to deploy, this modern satellite connectivity has the potential to enable new service innovations and transform society in the most under-serviced and remote parts of Africa. Mobile medicine or healthcare vehicles, for example, will be able to deliver screening and remote diagnostics to isolated communities across the continent.

It can be used by aerospace, maritime and ground transport customers to create new services and connections across isolated areas. It can even support the growth of IoT capability across a range of vehicles to support a fully connected automotive future including self-driving cars.

“This new strategic partnership between Liquid Telecom and Kymeta marks a disruptive moment in the evolution of VSAT services for the African continent,” said Scott Mumford, Group Managing Executive, Satellite & VSAT, Liquid Telecom.

“By pairing the latest Liquid VSAT internet platform with Kymeta’s groundbreaking satellite terminals, the two companies are bringing unrivaled connection quality, speed and availability to people on the move and in places that have never been connected before.”

The Liquid Telecom and Kymeta master distribution agreement spans two key technologies:

• Liquid Telecom VSAT satellite broadband connectivity delivers cost-effective, business speed broadband connectivity over VSAT anywhere in Africa. Next-generation satellite modems, provided in partnership with Newtec, offer unrivalled communications throughput, flexibility and low total cost of ownership. Built for performance, Liquid Telecom is also the only operator that has built its satellite platforms directly connecting to its core terrestrial network.

• Kymeta electronically steered, flat panel satellite terminals address the need for lightweight, low-profile, and high-throughput communication systems that outperform any mechanical system fixed and on-the-move. This makes it easier and more reliable than ever to connect almost any vehicle, vessel, or fixed platform.

“This new satellite mobility partnership offers limitless opportunities for communication and collaboration in Africa,” said Neville Meijers, Chief Commercial Officer, Kymeta.

“This mass market broadband platform can be deployed quickly and easily without skilled personnel – delivering Gigabit connectivity instantly and anywhere. Applications of all types can benefit from this future-facing technology: from new digital IoT services in connected transport systems, to healthcare applications and education systems.”

About Kymeta

The world’s demand for ubiquitous mobile connectivity is irrefutable. A global, mobile network is the answer to connecting people and places that have never been connected before.

Kymeta is making seamless, always-connected mobile communications possible across satellite and cellular networks to deliver a single, global, mobile network. Backed by U.S. and international patents and licenses, the Kymeta KyWay™ satellite terminal makes high-throughput, mobile communications possible in cars, trains, buses, trucks, boats, and much more. If it moves, Kymeta keeps it connected.

About Liquid Telecom

Liquid Telecom is a leading communications solutions provider across 13 countries primarily in Eastern, Central and Southern Africa that serves mobile operators, carriers, enterprise, media and content companies and retail customers with high-speed, reliable connectivity, hosting and co-location and digital services.

It has built Africa’s largest independent fibre network, approaching 70,000km, and operates state-of-the-art data centres in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Nairobi, with a combined potential 19,000 square metres of rack space and 80 MW of power.

This is in addition to offering leading cloud-based services, such as Microsoft Office365, Microsoft Azure and innovative digital content provision including Netflix and Kwesé TV across our fibre footprint. Through this combined offering Liquid Telecom is enhancing customers experience on their digital journey.