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ESA-Backed Enterprise Provider Leases Telstar 11N Capacity Over Africa

By Jeffrey Hill | September 8, 2011
      [Satellite TODAY 09-08-11] Belgium’s Sea & Space Exploration has leased Ku-band capacity on Telesat’s Telstar 11N satellite so that it can deliver advanced broadband services to its customers in remote African communities, the companies announced Sept. 7.
         Sea & Space will utilize T11N capacity over Central and West Africa to support an initiative called SatFinAfrica. The initiative is a pilot project backed by the European Space Agency (ESA) with a mission to expand the availability of reliable and secure financial services in emerging African countries.
         Sea & Space will distribute the capacity through its SatADSL operating company, allowing broadband connectivity to individuals, small businesses and remote corporate sites, as well as money transfer companies, microfinance institutions and ATMs.
         Telstar 11N is located at the 37.5 degrees West capacity slot. The satellite connects Europe and Africa to the Americas and provides single beam coverage of the Atlantic Ocean from the Arctic Circle to the equator.
         “African businesses in remote regions of the continent are achieving new levels of growth, expanding operations and increasing their need for reliable high-speed communications which can only be met by satellite. We expect our partnership with ESA to boost satellite broadband services that are central to supporting the region’s growing economy,” Sea & Space Managing Director Thierry Eltges said in a statement.