Lynk Signs Contracts with First Two Mobile Operators

Sept. 22, 2021

 Lynk Global, Inc. has signed its first commercial agreements with Aliv in the Bahamas, and Telecel Centrafrique in the Central African Republic. Lynk’s satellites will enable Aliv and Telecel subscribers to stay connected everywhere on the planet using a standard unmodified mobile phone. As Flagship partners, Aliv and Telecel have acquired first-to-market rights to implement Lynk’s service in their respective countries. Lynk’s global commercial service is scheduled to be launched next year, and more agreements are expected in the coming months.

“Lynk is proud to announce the first two mobile network operators as a part of our Flagship partnership program. This speaks to the visionary leadership of Aliv and Telecel Centrafrique, which recognize the powerful benefits of providing universal mobile broadband to their customers. We are honored to be selected by Aliv and Telecel as their satellite partners,” says Charles Miller, Lynk co-founder, and CEO.

Lynk's “rapid do-learn loop” satellite design process — to develop, build, and launch five test satellites on a repeatable six-month schedule — has enabled the four-year-old company to become the world leader in a technology that will literally reach out and affect the lives of billions of people. Lynk has already applied for its FCC operator’s license and is well-positioned to begin worldwide commercial cellular service from low Earth orbit next year. Lynk will ramp up production of its American-made satellites in 2022, eventually scaling to 200 satellites per month.

“Aliv is excited to be one of Lynk’s first Flagship operators,” says Stephen Curran, Aliv’s CTO. “Providing coverage, particularly in the Caribbean given our sometimes extreme weather events, we need to ensure we have emergency communications back-up, when the network experiences issues, and our sites are down. Lynk will provide that critical communication service on land and for our maritime users — with the phones they have in their pockets today. We are very excited with the testing we have been executing in the last period and look forward to rolling this out next year to our users.”

“We at Telecel Centrafique, are the Country’s leading provider of innovative consumer and enterprise mobile solutions and see Lynk as the next step in ensuring that our customers have the best possible non-stop experience,” says Malek Atrissi, Telecel Centrafique CEO. “We believe strongly in providing innovative and state-of-the-art solutions which support connecting those who remain unconnected in our nation; Lynk’s service is instrumental to solving that problem.

Miller continued “Lynk is solving a problem that nobody else in the world is solving. We call it ‘The 0G Problem’. Next time you hear somebody use the phrase ‘5G’, ask yourself ‘How does 5G solve the World’s 0G problem?’ The answer … it doesn’t.”

“By partnering with Lynk, Telecel aims to bridge the digital divide by extending its services to all the population, no matter where they are. This is in line with our vision to bring Connectivity to all Central Africans as telecommunication today has become a basic need- whether in Voice, Data, Fintech or any other VAS & Digital services. We urge others in our continent to see Lynk as an optimal solution to help support our mutual mission as operators – to bring us together with safe, good quality and continuous communication. We know that it enhances the lives of our citizens to have access to mobile services and give them constant and continuous access,” says Telecel Centrafique CEO Malek Atrissi,

Each year, more than 3 billion people, who own mobile phones, experience extended periods of disconnectivity. Another 1 billion people who can afford a mobile phone, don’t buy one because there is no connectivity — there is 0G — where they live and work. 

Connecting the unconnected, with only the existing mobile phone in their pocket, will jump-start economic growth in remote and rural communities. Economic research proves that mobile wireless connectivity accelerates economic growth in poor rural areas by bringing 21st Century connectivity to people where they live.

Another benefit is instantaneous backup emergency communications everywhere on Earth. Currently, cellular systems are rendered inoperable when they are needed the most such as natural disasters like hurricanes, earthquakes, and wildfires as well as the aftermath of security-related incidents. Lynk believes that “Nobody should die because the phone in their pocket is not connected.”