Building on its milestone of connecting one million people in Sub-Saharan Africa through satellite broadband, Eutelsat is now scaling its efforts to expand access to community WiFi in Tanzania, through a partnership with global non-profit organisation, unconnected.org.
According to the company, the collaboration will introduce the Konnect community WiFi service to local partners, including ISPs, NGOs, system integrators, and government stakeholders. This will be done through a commercial model designed to accelerate return on investment, expand digital access in underserved and hard to reach places, and support long-term delivery.
The initiative will also act as a blueprint for expansion into additional African countries, as the two organisations collaborate to extend digital access across the continent.
Powered by Eutelsat’s Konnect satellite, the community WiFi service aims to provide high-speed connectivity to locations beyond the reach of terrestrial networks, enabling schools, healthcare centres and small businesses to access essential online resources.
Philippe Baudrier, Eutelsat’s vice president for Africa, said that satellite broadband is already producing results as a viable alternative where traditional infrastructure deployment is difficult or economically unfeasible.
“Through Eutelsat Konnect, we’re already seeing the tangible impact that satellite broadband can have in communities across Africa, from schools and clinics to local entrepreneurs.
“Partnering with unconnected.org allows us to extend this reach even further, supporting the development of sustainable, community-based connectivity that delivers real social and economic value.”
Mea Thompson, CCO of unconnected.org, added that the agreement extends connectivity into areas that have historically been difficult for telcos to serve in a sustainable way.
“By lowering the cost of backhaul, it enables viable business models that allow local ISPs and community partners to achieve a return on investment while connecting the unconnected. This is exactly the kind of solution needed to scale digital access in a way that is both impactful and commercially sustainable.”
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