DR CONGO: RENATELSAT OBTAINS SUPPORT FROM AUFS FOR THE REHABILITATION AND PROFITABILITY OF ITS SATELLITE NETWORK
The National Satellite Telecommunications Network (Renatelsat) of the Democratic Republic of Congo signed a cooperation agreement with Africa Union Financial Services Sarl (AUFS) on May 26, 2018. The partnership, which covers several points, has for overall objective, the improvement of the technical capacities and the financial health of the public company of a technical and commercial nature, created in 1991.
To achieve this goal, AUFS will undertake the rehabilitation of the Renatelsat satellite network under a BOT (build, operate and transfer) contract. Modern satellite equipment will thus be installed in the country's major cities. They will provide Renatelsat with the technical assets necessary for the planned rental of capacities on the Belarusian Belintersat-1 satellite which covers part of Africa. These capabilities will help improve the provision of Internet connectivity in the country.
According to Emery Okundji (right), the Congolese Minister of Posts, Telecommunications and New Information and Communication Technologies, whose comments are reported by the news site scooprdc.net, the partnership between Renatelsat and AUFS “marks an important step in the efforts of the government of the Republic to ensure better connectivity for all of our fellow citizens in the era of digital transformation (…) optical fiber has only two phases already implemented , Kinshasa-Moanda 610 km and Kinshasa-Kasumbalesa via Sakania 3,300 km. In a continent country, ways and means had to be found to overcome this lack of connectivity ”.
Beyond Internet connectivity, the capacities that Renatelsat will acquire through its rehabilitated network will also enable the company to intervene in the audiovisual sector. “Such a transmission network represents for our government, great challenges for national coverage for Digital Television. Added Minister Emery Okundji.
As part of its partnership with Renatelsat, AUFS will also provide the public company with the training of its staff in the latest satellite technologies and support in various projects in order to ensure long-term technical and financial autonomy.
