Global communications company Intelsat is providing satellite capacity to support the first ever internet access to Grand Santi, French Guiana.

The internet access, which is installed in a local school for use as a learning aide, will be carried over by satellite for connection to the US internet backbone. The project is the pilot site for a programme which will eventually provide an Internet and telephone network across the territory. The programme to provide connectivity and build infrastructure in French Guiana will continue through the year, with several other locations being gradually added to the network, says an official release.

The internet access solution to the area is provided through ‘Outremer Telecom‘ of Martinique, in conjunction with the ‘Communaute des Communes de l‘Ouest Guyanais‘ (CCOG), a grouping of counties in west French Guiana. The Intelsat 801 spacecraft at 328.5?E will provide the satellite capacity for this network.

According to Outremer Telecom regional network manager, Fr餩ric Hayot there are very few satellite operators who can accommodate such a remote situation where the end users are virtually unreachable and lack the infrastructure needed to communicate with the rest of the world.

Intelsat Global Sales & Marketing Ltd. president, John Stanton, says that the internet solution that is being provided to French Guiana demonstrates not only the efficiencies that satellites can offer for remote locations, but also makes it possible to connect all the regions of the world.

Zee Telefilms group broadcasting CEO Sandeep Goyal is moving like quicksilver, at least as far as hiring of senior skilled professionals is concerned. Last week, he brought ex-Sony and MAK TV senior TV professional Prashant Sanwal on board to head the Alpha bouquet.

And 17 June saw the announcement of the hiring of media professional Apurva Purohit as president (business) of Zee TV, the flagship channel of the Zee Network. She is slated to take charge on 15 July and will be based at the Zee TV Chintamani Plaza Andheri (East) office in Mumbai. Purohit will be reporting to Goyal and will also have the responsibility of further consolidating the channel‘s presence in international markets.

Purohit, a media director with FCB Ulka‘s media unit Lodestar, put in her papers today. At Lodestar, she oversaw clients like Whirlpool, Amul, Tata Indica amongst others and was responsible for the Mumbai, Calcutta and Bangalore, operations of the agency.

"She‘s a very bright professional with lots of ideas," says Lodestar executive director Shashi Sinha. "She is very, very good with numbers. And this a big break for her. "

A management graduate from IIM Bangalore, Purohit has been in the advertising and media business for 15 years. Starting with client servicing, she crossed over to media planning in the mid-90‘s.

"Apurva brings to our team a fine balance of media science, media interpretation and media innovation. She is a very fine-honed professional and we are sure she will contribute significantly to enhancing the franchise of Zee TV," Sandeep Goyal was quoted as saying in a media release.