France-based telecoms operator Orange has signed with satellite operator OneWeb to augment its fixed and cellular network connectivity in rural and remote areas of Europe, Latin America, and particularly in Africa. Orange said OneWeb’s low-earth orbit (LEO) satellites will “complement” its cellular backhaul infrastructure in “hard-to-reach regions such as Africa”. Orange will also use the satellite extension to support enterprise customers, notably.
The pair have announced a distribution agreement, they said, which will see Orange integrate OneWeb’s LEO technology into its connectivity bundle for “enterprise customers and telco operators”. A statement said the satellite extension from OneWeb, headquartered in London, will support “high broadband, resilient and low latency solutions” and “increase user satisfaction, and enable new applications and OTT (over-the-top) services”.
It continued: “Other benefits… include increased resiliency, and geographical reach for enterprise solutions and backhauling in remote locations across Europe, Latin America, Africa and beyond. With OneWeb’s technology Orange offers a range of multi-orbital solutions complementing our forty years of experience in satellite connectivity to benefit small, medium and large enterprises, telco operators, and internet service providers.”
Neil Masterson, chief executive at OneWeb, said: “This is an exciting partnership that will help improve and expand connectivity globally. Orange’s… position across several continents, coupled with OneWeb’s… network and LEO technology, will help bridge digital divides and ensure access to efficient, high-quality, and reliable broadband internet is available to customers in Europe, Latin America, Africa and other locations across the world.”
Jean-Louis Le Roux, executive vice president of international network infrastructure at Orange, said: “Satellite is a promising and complementary technology showcasing many recent innovations that will benefit enterprises all around the word and will accelerate the digital inclusion of populations within our subsidiaries in Africa and the Middle East. [This] will allow us to continue deploying high quality networks in all underserved parts of the world.”
Anne-Marie Thiollet, deputy executive vice president of products and marketing for Orange Business, commented: “Customers – ranging from multinationals, enterprises, [and] governments to NGOs – will have access to OneWeb’s… satellite network. This… will efficiently complement Orange’s portfolio to keep connecting our customers to their applications anytime, anywhere – with the right quality of service to meet their business requirements.”
