Liquid Telecom, an independent data, voice and IP provider which services cellular, wireless and fixed line providers, ISPs, financial institutions and businesses of all sizes in eastern, southern and central Africa, is building a satellite hub at a South African earth station in order to route African traffic in Africa.
By avoiding backhauling traffic via Europe, as many operators need to do, the company is able to reduce inoperativeness and increase connectivity speeds for users.
Due to the expansion of its pan-African satellite business, Liquid Telecom, which built the largest single fibre network in Africa covering over 17,000km from Uganda to Cape Town, will be able to provide high-speed, cost-effective broadband services to more remote areas.
Nic Rudnick, CEO of Liquid Telecom, said: “Our fibre and satellite networks complement each other and enable us to meet the ever-increasing demand for connectivity from across Africa. Teraco is the most connected point in southern Africa and our investment in the earth station and the expansion of our satellite capabilities reflects our commitment to building Africa’s digital future.’
African businesses are serviced by very small aperture terminal (VSAT) services, which aren’t fast or strong enough to handle the Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) or private VPN services they need. With this new investment and having sourced best-in-market VSAT equipment, Liquid Telecom is able to provide these businesses with high-speed broadband connectivity and related business tools, no matter where they are situated.
The hub will be based at an earth station provided by Teraco, a provider of resilient, vendor neutral data environments in South Africa.
Lex van Wyk, CEO of Teraco Data Environments, commented: “We welcome Liquid Telecom’s investment in our site. Liquid Telecom is known for being an innovative company and for recognising future trends and responding to them, which is why they remain well ahead of the competition.’
