The digital divide in Africa is measured by a variety of factors including demographic groups and urban/rural geolocations as well as between the poor and the wealthy. According to most estimates, only about 30% of sub-Saharan Africa has internet at all, significantly less than the global average.
Much of this disparity is due to the lack of critical infrastructure that is either not available already or too expensive to build from the ground up in many regions due to terrain, cost or regulatory hurdles. The promise of satellite communication (SATCOM) is likely to change all of that.
SATCOM is a way to provide internet access to remote and underserved regions where there is limited access or simply no access at all. SATCOM requires significantly less terrestrial infrastructure as extensive groundwork is not necessary and low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites can be deployed relatively quickly.
Additionally, SATCOM can scale up or down based on demand. So, for example, if a population increases in a region or decreases, SATCOM is flexible enough to manage the demand.
According to market research firm Grand View Research, the SATCOM market for the Middle East and Africa is expected to reach a projected revenue of $13.3 billion by 2030, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8%, up from $8.4 billion in 2024.
Infrastructure challenges
SATCOM can overcome traditional internet infrastructure — fiber optics and cellular networks — that is problematic in areas like Africa due to the vast and varied terrains, making it impossible to lay fiber optic cables as well as being expensive, which is a problem unto itself for many countries.
Another challenge to laying traditional internet infrastructure is the inconsistent regulatory environments in the region that can hinder or delay cellular projects.
Why it matters
Connecting these remote areas to the internet through SATCOM opens more opportunities, specifically:
- Access to healthcare providers via telemedicine
- Access to new educational platforms to expand their reach
- New business ventures
- Job opportunities to isolated regions
Additionally, these remote areas will gain access to more information otherwise unavailable. A farmer could find out about weather forecasts or market prices. Small businesses can reach a broader audience. Urban migration is reduced due to creating viable livelihoods in rural areas.
Eutelsat is working with several companies in Africa to provide broadband access to underserved or rural areas where access is currently limited. Source: Eutelsat
Latest developments
A step toward closing the digital divide in Africa took place in January of 2025 when the African Development Bank (AfDB) granted a $160 million loan to Axian Telecom to expand 4G and 5G technologies to nine African countries.
This is likely to help the continent gain more internet access for the population. But to get the entire continent connected, it will likely come from companies like Starlink that is looking at covering up to 40 African countries by the end of 2025. This high-speed connectivity will enable even the most remote countries like Chad to gain internet access.
However, the expansion of SATCOM is causing regulatory issues as local telecom operators are fearing being left out. In response, some countries are blocking or even seizing unauthorized Starlink equipment to help the local telecoms maintain some control.
But other companies are entering the field as well including OneWeb that has plans to cover the African continent; Avanti Communications, that is seeking to deliver high-speed internet to remote and rural areas in Africa via satellite; and Liquid Telecom is partnering with satellite providers to offer a combination of fiber, satellite and wireless to the continent.
Eutelsat Group in November of 2024 signed an agreement with Q-KON to expand LEO satellite services across sub-Saharan Africa to accelerate internet connectivity to rural and underserved communities, particularly in Southern Africa. Under the agreement, Eutelsat’s OneWeb network will deliver capacity to Q-KON for broadband services in the region.
Eutelsat, also in March of 2025, signed an agreement with Orange Africa to boost SATCOM in Africa and the Middle East. Under this deal, Orange will use Eutelsat’s Konnect satellite for broadband internet access to:
- Jordan
- Côte d'Ivoire
- Senegal
- Democratic Republic of Congo
Eventually the deal will extend to all countries in the region.
A hybrid model
One potential solution to provide SATCOM connectivity while working with local regional telecoms in Africa is being developed by Constellation Technologies & Operations (CTO). The company is developing a constellation of very LEO (VLEO) satellites to enable telecom operators to provide high-speed, low-latency internet access from space.
This system enables operators to use 5G millimeter wave (mmWave) spectrum beyond terrestrial infrastructure limits and into rural, remote and underserved areas without massive infrastructure costs, the company said.
“Space technology must become an essential complement to terrestrial technologies,” said Charles Delfieux, CEO and found of CTO said. “Internet access should not be a geographic privilege. By connecting the most remote populations, we foster their economic and social inclusion. However, today, African operators do not have access to a neutral space infrastructure that they can operate as they do their terrestrial networks. Terrestrial-space convergence is possible, but it requires an open, shared model designed specifically for them.”
