Galaxy Backbone has  chosen  MTN Nigeria as preferred provider of reliable Internet service to its downstream customers.

Galaxy Backbone is a public enterprise of the Federal Government with the primary mandate of setting up and operating a unified Information and Communication Technology (ICT) infrastructure platform that addresses the connectivity and other technology needs of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of the Federal Government. The company also operates a nationwide network backbone to help facilitate the digital inclusion of underserved areas and rural communities towards the realization of the Millennium Development Goals (MDG).

Under the partnership arrangements with MTN, Galaxy Backbone Plc is taking up capacity from MTN to provide Internet service to its downstream customers. The deal with Galaxy is in recognition of MTN’s role in driving national development through ICT.

Wale Goodluck, Corporate Services Executive, MTN said “Nigerian businesses are gradually becoming one of the most rapidly developing and technologically advanced on the continent, and this explains the strong dependency on ICT infrastructure. Such dependency is supported by MTN Nigeria’s point-to-point fully managed network service across its fibre optic infrastructure.”

According to Martin Ahachi, Chief Technical Officer, Galaxy Backbone, “The partnership with MTN is in line with Galaxy’s business strategy of maintaining multiple sources of upstream IP service to enable us provide reliable and sustainable IP connectivity services. Being one of the leading providers of bulk IP and fibre optic transport in Nigeria, MTN is able to meet Galaxy’s stringent requirements for fail-over back-up source in the event of service outage on its fibre backbone cable”.

Commenting on the deal with Galaxy Backbone, Derek Appiah, MTN, said: “this is a confirmation of our Enterprise Solutions’ Division’s capability to provide resilient and scalable cutting edge ICT solutions to the Nigerian enterprise community. We are determined to nurture partnerships that emphasize our expertise in delivering quality, reliable and dependable communication solutions that businesses can rely on. It is another demonstration of the fact that MTN’s comprehensive ICT services can meet and exceed the needs of corporate Nigeria.”

It would be recalled that MTN recently entered into partnerships with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and First City Monument Bank Plc (FCMB) for the provision of Wide Area Network (WAN) solutions. Links to eight branches of the apex bank and 18 branches of FCMB Plc have since been fully commissioned, marking the successful completion of the first phase of the project well within schedule.