Case Study: Large African Mobile Communications Company achieves uninterrupted rural cellular coverage in the Democratic Republic of Congo with Hughes Network Systems satellite backhaul solution

Large African Mobile Communications Company - Customer Case Study

Large African Mobile Communications Company sought to bring portable, solar-powered mobile service to remote, conflict-affected areas of the Democratic Republic of Congo—notably Numbi in South Kivu—where jagged mountains, muddy roads and the absence of terrestrial backhaul made traditional fiber or microwave links impossible. To overcome these logistical hurdles and connect isolated communities, the operator partnered with Hughes Network Systems to deploy satellite broadband backhaul for cellular coverage.

Hughes Network Systems implemented a Ku‑band satellite backhaul solution—including three gateway stations, roughly 800 remote VSATs, a comprehensive network management system, DVB‑S2/Adaptive Coding and TDMA support—delivering more than 45 Mbps of IP throughput and lights‑out, NOC‑managed gateways. The Hughes deployment enabled uninterrupted 2G/3G/4G backhaul, rapid network expansion at low cost, and scalable service growth (to tens of thousands of users), restoring voice connectivity and local access to emergency and economic services.