A partnership between pan-African satellite and wireless internet provider Q-KON and Angolan Startel is set to bolster broadband services in the southern African country.
The Angolan network provider’s new service, Starnet, has been made possible by being granted access to StarLight, an end-to-end two-way IP access service for broadband and data communication.
Hendrik Bezuidenhout, managing executive of South African Q-KON, said the partnership signifies the ongoing shift in deals becoming increasingly “Africa for Africa” rather than “international to Africa”.
He said: “Satellite has always been the de facto option to provide ubiquitous services in Africa and particularly in rural areas – and this remains unchanged.
“What is changing is the market awareness that satellite is not only a high-end solution and that business and SOHO [single office / home office) services can be provided at competitive rates through services such as StarLight.”
The service will include first tier internet access, satellite uplink teleport and satellite communication bandwidth.
Carlos Brito, Managing Director at Startel, said: “This agreement falls in line with our strategy to enhance connectivity in Angola, an expanding ICT and telecommunications market.
“We are pleased to have established this agreement with Q-KON, a successful South African company that has the experience and expertise to add immediate value to our endeavours.”
