10 February 2025

Amidst a global digital revolution, Africa’s connectivity levels lag behind the world. Will satellite prove instrumental in connecting the continent?

Ideas around connectivity are changing. Internet access is no longer considered a luxury, but an absolute necessity required for digital inclusion.

“I believe that connectivity is the right of every human being,” asserts Sulaiman Al Ali, CEO of Thuraya, the satellite mobility arm of Yahsat Space Services, Space42. “Having access to internet, education, technology, and information is a basic right.”

Africa is experiencing a digital transformation that is accelerating the continent’s development and improving human well-being.

“However, according to the ITU’s ‘Facts and Figures 2023’ report, only 37% of Africa’s population had internet access in 2023,” says Rhys Morgan, VP and General Manager EMEA, Media and Networks, Intelsat. “Despite the presence of 25 submarine cables and 1.2 million km of terrestrial fibre, Africa’s optical fibre footprint remains inadequate, especially in rural areas, as highlighted by recent outages that hindered reliable connectivity across the continent. A stable and resilient internet infrastructure is essential for economic growth and the functioning of modern societies.”

From expanding connectivity, either as standalone satcoms packages or as backhaul support for mobile networks, through to empowering education, healthcare, e-governance and disaster recovery, satellite connectivity solutions are fostering economic growth and improving quality of life.

“Satellite connectivity solutions have proven to make a significant difference for many landlocked countries in Africa, where the connectivity via fibre can be patchy due to geographically challenged terrains,” reports Simon Gatty-Saunt, VP, Sales, Enterprise & Cloud, Europe and Africa at SES.

“Satellite connectivity will play a crucial role if there is to be a digital revolution across Africa, as large geographical segments represented by rural areas – and even many underserved suburban areas and medium sized towns – are still reliant on pre-4G technology,” adds Ismail Patel, Senior Analyst - Enterprise Mobility, Cloud, EMEA, GlobalData Technology.

Meeting demand

High Throughput Satellites (HTS) were big news back in the 2010s, with wild promises of universal connectivity claimed by some providers.
“HTS, which can operate in both GEO and MEO providing up to multi-Gbps, have been designed to reliably improve signal quality and capacity, especially in areas with high demand for network services and data applications,” says Gatty-Saunt. “For example, we’ve been working with Kamoa Copper in the Democratic Republic of Congo for more than five years to support their mining operations’ digital shift with seamless connectivity in remote sites.”

“Since their launch a decade ago, high-throughput satellites (HTS) have delivered more data at lower cost per megabit than previous spacecraft, opening up a range of services and capabilities that were not possible before, and helping respond to some of Africa’s challenges,” notes Morgan. “Back then, many telecom companies were looking carefully at the cost of operating their networks, while expanding mobile networks was often impacted by the slow pace of traditional infrastructure deployment methods. With HTS offering 3-5 times the efficiency of earlier platforms, these companies have seen the cost of ownership go down and have been thus able to expand their networks into new areas where demand for bandwidth has not been met.”

However, “it’s always been a challenge for satellite operators to define where they want to install capacity, and to make sure that that capacity is adequate,” says Vaibhav Magow, Vice President International Division, Hughes Network Systems. “There are a lot of HTS over Africa already, but the demand is such that it fills up quickly.”

With the first of its kind launched in 2005, HTS offer much higher bandwidth than traditional geostationary (GEO) satellites, enabling more people and businesses to access internet services. They have proven instrumental in connecting remote areas, especially where terrestrial infrastructure is unavailable or impractical. HTS boast a significantly lower cost-per-bit than traditional geostationary satellites, making services more affordable for businesses, schools, and governments; and facilitating backhaul for mobile networks.

However, while HTS have made significant strides in expanding connectivity across Africa, they have not yet delivered universal connectivity. Despite lower operational costs, HTS-based internet services remain expensive for individual users and small businesses in low-income regions, and equipment costs and subscription fees can be prohibitive. Additionally, while HTS improve connectivity, they still depend on complementary infrastructure, such as local Wi-Fi networks or mobile towers, which are often absent in remote areas – where power supply issues also remain a challenge.

“HTS are simply higher throughput than the previous generation of geostationary satellites - the latencies are still the same, typically in the region of 600ms,” notes Rolf Mendelsohn, CTO at Paratus. “That means that the user experience is slow, the quality of experience is completely different compared with fibre optic or wireless networks, or low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites.”

LEO satellites, on the other hand, are poised to address many of the challenges faced by HTS in Africa, offering potential solutions to some of the key barriers to connectivity.

“LEO will address far more use cases, or different kinds of use cases,” notes Magow. “I think one of the biggest benefits that customers would see with LEO is the ease of VSAT installation. For certain attributes, LEO satellites can provide better use cases than GEO.”

“The rise of LEO satellites has created a potential solution to the problem of connectivity in underserved and unserved areas,” adds Patel. “The expectation of the industry is that the launch of further LEOs will drive down the per-MB price of satellite connectivity further, which will help ultra-rural communities with first-time broadband-grade connectivity, and businesses and non-urban dwellers with back-up connectivity.”

For one, LEO satellites operate much closer to Earth (500-2,000km altitude) compared to geostationary HTS (36,000km), resulting in lower latency (10-20ms compared to 600ms for HTS), enabling smoother real-time applications like video conferencing, online gaming, and telemedicine. Then there’s the improved coverage - LEO constellations can provide seamless coverage by forming a network of interconnected satellites, which makes them particularly suitable for reaching remote and underserved regions where HTS or terrestrial networks have limited reach. Easily scalable with the addition of new satellites into the constellation, and with mass production reducing costs over time, LEO satellites can provide reliable, affordable backhaul connectivity to rural mobile networks, enhancing the performance of 4G and 5G in remote areas.

“LEO is a real game changer. SpaceX has a massive constellation of satellites providing an inordinate amount of capacity to the African continent at high speeds and at low latencies,” confirms Mendelsohn. “The experience for a user anywhere on the continent - or anywhere in the world for that matter - is comparable to the experience which is provided on a wireless or a fibre optic network.”

“We’ve seen government applications from firefighting trucks requiring internet communications for firefighters, through to connecting first responders and supplying citizen services,” says Magow. “Installing a GEO antenna on these vehicles is extremely expensive and not particularly practical, but LEO antennas are much more cost effective and lightweight. For many of these customers who don’t require the service all the time – only for emergencies – the service cost is not a huge issue, but the equipment cost certainly is.”

LEO systems are not without their own limitations, though, and their success depends on overcoming significant technical, economic, and logistical hurdles – just like their geostationary counterparts. However, if LEO operators can lower the cost of terminals and offer flexible pricing models, they may succeed in reaching underserved populations.

Hurdles to adoption

Connecting all of Africa from orbit requires several key hurdles spanning technical, economic, regulatory, and social domains, to be addressed. This necessitates a coordinated approach that combines innovative technologies, strategic policies, and collaborative efforts between stakeholders.

Whether we look at the user equipment or subscription fees, satellite services remain expensive for many in Africa, and the low-income populations - often those who most need connectivity - cannot afford these services without subsidies.

“It remains somewhat unaffordable in a number of markets,” admits Mendelsohn. “If you look at these satellite packages, the minimum cost that they’re going in at is about $50 a month for broadband. That’s expensive for a lot of Africans, especially in comparison with mobile networks, which still provide good speeds, but for about US$5 per month.”

“I think we all agree that after COVID-19, everybody deserves to be connected,” notes Magow. “If you look at other parts of the world, even in Asia Pacific, telecommunication companies tend to cover 85-90% of the geographical area – they cannot reach 100%. As such, there’s always a need to deliver broadband via satellite that is affordable for the average African. We’ve made great strides in affordable connectivity in recent years, but it’s not yet enough.”

Magow recalls a previous project from India, wherein Hughes planned to connect rural regions via satellite. Although the company was able to deliver and install VSATs in the required regions, and at a low price point, the end users lacked the devices to connect to the internet.

However, “today, so many Africans have mobile phones capable of connecting to the internet through community WiFi projects that we see great uptake of these services. All over, rural populations are using VSAT connectivity, at an affordable price, for 20 minutes a day, for example. Satellite has really made a difference in bringing connectivity to remote and rural communities.”

While affordability remains a pressing concern, hope is on the horizon. With the new wave of LEO constellations, prices are falling; combined with flexible Pay-As-You-Go models tailored to African markets, this can make services more accessible. As Magow highlighted, community WiFi hubs can help share the costs, which can be further supported through subsidies for services, devices and equipment.

“On the ground, we need to see more collaborations between the private and the public segments,” concurs Al Ali. “If we can see more collaboration between the public and private segments, I think the obstacles will be eased.”

One example is Space42’s projects in Zimbabwe, where the company connected several public libraries via satellite. These libraries now have access to materials from remote locations, thanks to a collaboration with the government.

“In some countries, there are a huge amount of taxes or fees due for installing satellite connectivity, and the end user is the one who ends up paying. In Africa, where affordability is still a real challenge, the easier you make it for the public sector to provide an affordable service, the more connected people you will have,” adds Al Ali.

Some consider the regulatory environment in Africa’s satellite industry as another hurdle to overcome for the effective delivery of satcoms. Evolving rapidly, driven by technological advancements, increased demand for connectivity, and global trends in space governance, regulations are shaping the deployment, operation, and growth of satellite services across the continent.

The satellite industry in Africa is experiencing exciting growth and transformation, aligning with the vision of ‘Agenda 2063: the Africa We Want,’ reports Morgan: “many African governments are actively reviewing and updating their regulatory framework to foster innovation (and reflect advancements in space technology), and ensure security and align with international standards. These changes are paving the way for a more competitive and dynamic satellite market across the continent.”

However, Mendelsohn highlights that “the main hurdle that a number of the LEO operators are facing are regulatory. A number of countries have already accepted the LEO satellite systems and are open to these international players, while others are still working through the process.”

Today, African countries are revising their policies on spectrum allocation to accommodate the growing demand for satellite connectivity, especially for high-demand frequency bands like Ku, Ka, and C-bands. This improved spectrum management can reduce interference between satellite and terrestrial networks, and simplify licensing for satellite operators, encouraging investment.

However, “the biggest assistance that regulatory environments provide us is the ability to provide services at a better price point,” says Magow. “The focus needs to change from spectrum allocations to how they can help reduce the fees, to make it more affordable. Delivering satcoms services requires a lot of licences and takes a lot of time due to the level of bureaucracy in many countries. If the regulators were to focus on that, have more conversations with the people involved, that would improve things.”

To 2025 – and beyond

Africa’s dynamic satellite market continues to evolve, grow and expand – and the horizon looks promising.

“I think in 2025, we’ll see faster speeds achieved via satellite. In certain areas, we’re seeing the maturity of the market coming through, and services are becoming more affordable. Telcos are moving into rural regions, and we want to help enable that,” says Magow. “The number one priority that we have when it comes to internet connectivity is to serve more communities and with better speeds.”

“One major trend that we see on the African continent is what I call the internet moving south,” adds Mendelsohn. “In the past, we relied on connectivity from Europe and the Americas. Today, we’ve got more content in several major tier one data centre locations in Africa, so there is less data being served out of Europe, saving costs. And now we have LEO satellites to augment these services. It’s a very exciting time for Africa.”

Looking to the near future, Al Ali expects significant market consolidation: “this is the result of the pressure coming from increasing ground segment requirements as well as on-orbit competition. I think 2025-2026 will be a tipping point for the whole satellite industry - a lot of projects are due for delivery in 2026, everything from new constellations through to NTNs. This will be huge.”

“I would most like to see more of the countries pass regulations that allow LEO systems to operate – only around one third have to date. Whereas, if you look at South America, almost all countries have granted licensing for LEO systems,” shares Mendelsohn. “To get ahead, we need to be more flexible in terms of regulations to allow these constellations to operate, even if it’s on a trial basis – despite local competition concerns. All those things can be navigated, but there needs to be a willingness to allow them to operate.”