Bayobab, a subsidiary of MTN Group, and Eutelsat have entered into a partnership agreement to provide Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite capacity via Eutelsat’s OneWeb constellation.
The new venture is likely to be a game changer as it is targeting connectivity efficiencies across Africa, with a focus on enterprise solutions and cellular backhaul, aimed at improving network performance.
Bayobab, one of Africa’s leading digital and infrastructure service providers, will utilize the OneWeb constellation to offer fixed connectivity services. The proposed network is anticipated to improve coverage, particularly in rural African areas. The rollout of satellite solutions is scheduled for completion by December 2024, with services already operational in four undisclosed African countries as test sites.
The Eutelsat LEO units offers a maximum throughput speed of 195Mbps on their download and 32Mbps on their upload links. This doesn’t compare favourably with high-speed fibre, however it should be seen in context of the majority of African connectivity still stuck on 3G and only a 40% odd using 4G mobile tech connectivity at this stage.
GSMA figures from 2022 highlight sub-Saharan Africa’s massive internet usage gap. Their figures indicate that around 680 million people have at least one form of mobile Internet coverage but do not access it due to affordability, a lack of digital skills or gender biases. The GSMA’s most recent Mobile Gender Gap report revealed 200 million women, in sub-Saharan Africa don’t use mobile Internet at all.
The Agreement will reportedly cover Bayobabs total network area over seven Sub Saharan countries where they have installed fibre networks and will also include 20 subsea route that covers an additional 47 countries
Cyril Dujardin, Co-President of the Eutelsat Group Connectivity Business Unit, and Frederic Schepens, CEO of Bayobab, are the leadership team driving the project for bridging the digital divide in Africa. The deployment and integration of LEO satellite technology will hopefully provide communities across the African continent with enhanced and affordable connectivity solutions.