Intelsat expands satellite cellular backhaul into West Africa

Satellite operator Intelsat has unveiled a new satellite cellular backhaul service platform, located at the open access data center (operated by WIOCC group) in Lagos, Nigeria.

The company said this marked a major milestone in its efforts to enhance Nigeria and Africa's connectivity infrastructure.

Intelsat's CellBackhaul Nigeria service will support mobile network operators (MNOs) and Internet service providers (ISPs) in Nigeria and across West Africa by helping them expand networks and mobile coverage in the region via Intelsat's satellite and terrestrial network.

Hans Geldenhuys, director for Africa at Intelsat, said the Managed CellBackhaul Network has the capabilities to combine the strengths of both geostationary (GEO) and low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellites into a fully managed solution, allowing customers the opportunity to provide bespoke network applications to the market.

He said this announcement is an Intelsat first for Nigeria and West Africa, but the company has similar CellBackhaul applications operational in Central and Southern Africa.

"Expanding our CellBackhaul services is a key objective for Intelsat. Since its launch, we have extended coverage to six regions across six continents, and we added two more regions in 2024 with Nigeria being one.  We are in strategic review to look at additional markets for future expansion," Geldenhuys told Connecting Africa.

Cellular backhaul usage in Africa

Cellular backhaul connects both fixed and mobile sites for MNOs to address coverage and capacity needs.

Fixed sites can include towers, buildings or monopoles, while mobile sites – such as "cells on wheels" – are used for temporary coverage or as backup during disasters.

This type of service can be deployed permanently in areas where fiber installation is too slow or expensive, temporarily until fiber arrives or is used in regions prone to fiber cuts.

"Intelsat's managed cellular backhaul operates on shared infrastructure, allowing multiple MNOs to connect their basestations or sites to their network core. This shared model significantly improves capex and opex management, which is especially critical given the current economic pressures faced by MNOs," Geldenhuys explained.

Geldenhuys could not confirm any of the mobile operators or ISPs that will use the Nigeria backhaul service but said the company is "actively engaged in comprehensive discussions with all major operators across the region."

"With the platform based in Nigeria, it offers a comprehensive West African footprint through satellite coverage. Intelsat will establish connectivity between Nigeria and the neighboring operators' points of presence to enable seamless service. Additionally, our field teams are ready to support installations both in Nigeria and in surrounding countries to ensure deployment," he said.

Intelsat's managed cellular backhaul operates on shared infrastructure, allowing multiple MNOs to connect their sites to their network core. (Source: jeswin on Freepik)

Intelsat CellBackhaul service supports 2G, 3G or 4G networks and the fully hosted teleport solution aims to enable faster time to market for cellular networks.

Geldenhuys said Intelsat had streamlined its pricing with per-site, pay-as-you-grow plans and coupled it with a services management portal that is built around the customers' key network metrics and provides clear visibility into network status and performance, supporting more efficient planning and cost management.

Closing the digital divide

Despite notable progress, GSMA data shows that sub-Saharan Africa remains a region with the widest usage and coverage gaps (59% and 15% respectively). Almost half of the 400 million people who lack mobile broadband coverage worldwide live in sub-Saharan Africa.

Intelsat said a major challenge in closing this gap, especially in rural areas, is that expanding mobile networks is often slowed by the high cost and slow pace of traditional infrastructure deployment methods and deterred by low returns on investment.

"Satellite technology is critical to closing the digital divide. To connect unconnected populations in rural and remote locations, satellite backhaul is often the most viable option for a rapid, reliable, cost-effective connectivity solution," added Rhys Morgan, Intelsat's regional VP for Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

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