RascomStar-QAF, the pan-African satellite operator, has signed a contract with IPX Extenso, on 22nd March 2012, to deliver GSM mobile and fixed telephony access in remote and rural areas of Congo through RascomStar-QAF VSAT terminals.

RascomStar-QAF offers end-to-end solutions which include rural terminals (phone boxes or stand-alone BTS/MSC) connected to the operator's core network by satellite backhaul through a gateway installed in the capital. These innovative solutions, which have been developed in partnership with ViaSat and ip.access, allow operators to minimize investment costs but also recurring costs (satellite bandwidth, power supply, etc.).

As part of this project, IPX Extenso will deploy around 50 sites throughout the country and one gateway in Brazzaville. Delivery to Congo is scheduled to begin this summer, when a pilot phase will be deployed to trial the system. Thanks to its local telecom partners, IPX Extenso plans to continue the deployment into 2013 with other countries in the central African region as an active infrastructure leasing company for mobile and fixed-line operators.

Noting that operators have difficulties in reaching remote and rural areas at affordable costs, Mr Guy Badjoko, Founder and President of IPX Extenso is of the view that: "RascomStar-QAF's new products are the perfect solution for providing low cost connectivity between these huge "islands" on the African continent", and is confident that IPX Extenso can reach 10 if not more African countries with these products in the coming years.

Mr Faraj Elamari, the CEO of RascomStar-QAF commented: "our telephony services were developed to provide a multi-service solution which is also suited for universal access telephony services in rural and underserved areas. Deploying our managed services for African low ARPU communities with a partner like IPX Extenso is a new challenge that RascomStar-QAF is glad to meet".