Photo: Via Satellite illustration/Shutterstock

Intelsat, which announced a collaboration with TIM Brasil this week, has signed another telco deal, this time in Africa. Orange Mali selected Intelsat to bring 3G and 4G connectivity to hard-to-reach areas in Mali, the eighth largest country in Africa. Mali has a population of just over 20 million people.

Intelsat announced the deal March. 3. The satellite operator said the agreement marks a first in Francophone West Africa, pointing to the fact that it believes this is the first successful deployment of 4G networks over satellite in the area. Intelsat said satellite is optimal solution here, given the size of the country and the logistics involved.

“From a feasibility and economic standpoint, satellite communications are ideal for deploying 3G and 4G coverage in a country like ours. Intelsat’s reputation as an innovative market leader providing seamless coverage in some of the most remote corners of the world, along with our excellent current working relationship with the company, makes them the ideal solution for our needs,” Moussa Yaro, technical director of Orange Mali, said in a statement.