Eswatini has commissioned the Gebeni satellite gateway to boost internet connectivity across the kingdom through a Starlink initiative.
Powered by low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite technology, the facility is designed to enhance communication speeds and efficiency.
The gateway will connect more schools, health centres and entrepreneurs to reliable connectivity, boosting e-learning, telemedicine and online businesses, said Prince Sicalo Dlamini.
The facility serves the Gebeni rural community, located within the Manzini district in central Eswatini.
Prince Dlamini continued: "Eswatini is a proudly rural nation. Our people live across wide valleys and mountains where it is simply not practical or affordable to build mobile towers everywhere or lay fibre cables to every village.
"As a landlocked country, we also depend on fibre links that pass through neighbouring nations. We have no direct access to undersea cables, which leaves us vulnerable when those links are cut or congested."
"Today is a historic day, we are not just launching a building - we are opening the door to a connected, prosperous future for every young person in every corner of the kingdom"
While local internet service providers have made strides, Eswatini’s mountainous terrain and geographical landscape pose challenges in reaching remote regions.
Although 4G coverage reaches nearly 95% of the 1.3 million population, internet usage remains lower, at around 58%, due to these infrastructure barriers.
As a landlocked country, the nation currently depends on fibre links passing through neighbouring countries. It has no direct access to undersea cables, leaving the country vulnerable when those links are cut or congested.
The kingdom’s move toward LEO technology follows a broader regional trend in SA and neighbouring markets to bridge the digital divide where terrestrial infrastructure is not viable.
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