Tremendous Growth Through Increasing Connectivity in Vulnerable Communities

Connectivity serves a greater social cause and paves the way towards prosperity.  According to the latest research by Meltwater, currently, over 5 billion people have access to the internet worldwide, which is around 64% of the global population. The UAE, for instance, initiated the nationwide campaign for Internet access for all with WiFi UAE to provide high-speed access in over 400 public hotspots. However, the “unconnected” 2.85 billion are based predominantly in Southern & Eastern Asia and Africa, regions heavily dependent on humanitarian support.

Zooming in on the African continent, approximately 45% of its population lives more than 10 km away from any fibre-optic network infrastructure. This is where satellite communications can offer a reliable connectivity experience and complement existing terrestrial and sub-marine networks. Presently, satellite services are indispensable in rural and remote areas, where 30% of households rely on them. Moreover, 20% of households across Africa depend on satellite services for telephone and internet access.

According to the African Space Industry Annual Report 2019, satcom generates $6.5 billion in Africa annually. Besides bridging the connectivity gap, satellite communications deliver opportunities for digitalisation – and, therefore, increasing levels of economic and social development.

How Satcoms Create Opportunities for People

E-learning opportunities, e-medicine, and food security in Africa are crucial areas to expand satcomms.

Satellite connectivity powers education for remote settlements. From being able to access digital libraries to connecting with professional educators over video calls, students now have access to basic education over satcom solutions. Memusi Hope Foundation serves as a great example. In partnership with Moringa School & IEC Telecom Group, KENIC Limited, Huawei Technologies, and Santos Okotta, the foundation delivered Entaisere é Kenya, an education programme to equip young girls with software development skills and possible employment. This initiative was carried out for the Maasai community in the Kajiado Central Constituency in Kenya, known for low literacy rates, with less than 20% of girls enrolled in school and even fewer proceeding to high school. 21 students graduated in November 2022 with a chance to change their life.

In the healthcare sector, satellite-based connectivity solutions can enable governments, NGOs, and private healthcare institutions to extend their medical programmes to remote communities. This is a fantastic prospect in Sub-Saharan Africa, which constitutes 13% of the world’s population yet consists of merely 2% of its doctors. This skewed ratio can start to be balanced out with digital services – whether it is equipping field teams with telemedicine kits, creating access for consultations in real-time, or setting up health hubs and remote clinics in underserved areas.

Satcom can be used by governments for crop monitoring and predictive analysis, helping to boost agricultural yields in regions experiencing prolonged drought and significant geopolitical challenges. Compounded by the possibility that Sub-Saharan Africa’s population can double by 2050 and already 85% of the current population cannot afford a nutrient-rich diet, food insecurity is a matter of critical concern. According to the World Food Programme (WFP), there has been a 60% rise in acute food insecurity in East Africa and a nearly 40% rise in West Africa – meaning that a lack of food is putting lives in immediate danger.

Mobile missions for humanitarian operations and government programmes are the norm in Africa, necessitating a multi-channel approach for connectivity services. As such, hybrid systems working over several networks are gaining popularity. They enable seamless switching from GSM to satellite communications in areas where coverage is limited or unavailable, serving as the backbone for the operational efficiency of mobile missions serving remote areas. Network management solutions blend a few networks under one umbrella, automatically routing traffic over the most cost-effective link, as such not only ensuring continuous connectivity but also saving costs.

Business continuity is a key priority for the satcom sector. Besides communications, it is also about the ability to run digital processes no matter where operations take place. MSS terminals that are commonly used for mobile missions operate on L-band (up to 700 Kbps) and will not be able to support applications designed for GSM networks. Satcom providers offer solutions by creating optimized applications, geared to low bandwidth environments. From videoconferencing for e-learning and public service delivery to remote CCTV surveillance and telemedicine, according to IEC Telecom, satcom expert, all such services can be delivered under 90 Kbps.

The Future of Connectivity in Africa

With increasing LEO technology adoption, the market dynamics of Africa will change significantly. At $7.3 billion value, the satellite ecosystem in Africa is geared towards increasing its own satcom capacity. It is expected that Africa will have launched at least 110 satellites by 2024. As of 2022, 13 African countries have manufactured 48 satellites.

Valued at $19.49 billion, the African space economy employs a workforce of 19,000+ with the government sector leading tremendous growth opportunities in the industry. Projected to grow by 16.16% by 2026, the rate at which the African space economy is flourishing is beyond even Africa’s GDP growth. Moreover, the industry is well aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and thriving in an environment that hosts well over 400 technology hubs, quite a few of which have gained international recognition.

Satcom providers like IEC Telecom have been steadily expanding their presence in Africa. Distribution networks have been actively growing across the continent, building fruitful relationships with regional service providers.  Today, network engineers, IT specialists, and diverse support teams operate under one roof to fuel innovation and digital transformation in Africa and across the globe.

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