Intelsat`s Africa division has begun integrating some of its operations with those of PanAmSat, following a merger of the satellite companies that was finalised earlier this month.
Flavien Bachabi, Intelsat`s sales and marketing VP for Africa and the Middle East, met with his Johannesburg-based team yesterday to reassign accounts in a move to integrate the two companies` client bases.
Bachabi notes the amalgamation of the African operations of the two companies will take at least a year, as it is an integration of infrastructure, operations and cultures.
Intelsat and PanAmSat both have their African bases of operations in Johannesburg, and for now, both offices will remain open. There will be no job losses, he adds.
Bachabi says the global merger, valued at $6.4 billion, increases Intelsat`s satellites from 27 to 51, with 20 of them servicing Africa. The merger also increases Intelsat`s complementary terrestrial infrastructure worldwide, he says.
"Customers will now have a one-stop shop where they can access a basket of services from both companies, lowering infrastructure costs and maintaining relations at a single point of contact," he says.
Growth opportunities
The training of staff is a top priority, Bachabi says. Intelsat has been in discussions with the second national operator (SNO) regarding technical assistance and training it can offer to assist the SNO in setting up its network.
In SA, Intelsat has landing rights, and is authorised to work only with licensed entities such as Telkom, MultiChoice and Sentech, Bachabi says.
It is, however, expected that with the deregulation of the telecoms environment, there will be more opportunities for growth, especially if Internet service providers and value-added network service providers are allowed to self-provision, he explains.
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