Case Study: East African Telecom Company achieves extended rural voice and data coverage in Madagascar with Hughes Network Systems

East African Telecom Company Extends Wireless Voice and Data Connectivity to Rural Madagascar with Hughes Satellite Technology

East African Telecom Company, one of Madagascar’s largest carriers, faced the challenge of connecting millions of citizens in rural and hard‑to‑reach areas where terrestrial backhaul (fiber, cable or microwave) was prohibitively expensive. To bridge this digital divide the operator began working with Hughes Network Systems in 2005, deploying Hughes HN broadband satellite terminals and adding the Hughes HX System in 2007 to support rural expansion of its GSM 2G/EDGE network.

Hughes Network Systems provided satellite HN and HX platforms that backhauled CDMA and GSM 2G/EDGE links, integrated with the carrier’s existing equipment, and enabled rapid, cost‑effective deployment of voice and data services (including residential, payphone and mobile services) in remote communities. The solution—expanded under a 2014 contract extension—delivered low latency and jitter, higher network availability as both primary and backup backhaul, faster service rollout (installations in days), and a scalable way to grow the operator’s subscriber base while reducing the cost of reaching underserved areas.