Orange and Eutelsat Launch Broadband Satellite for Africa

Orange and Eutelsat are gearing up to launch a satellite broadband service in Africa, aiming to enhance internet access across the continent.

Orange and Eutelsat Join Forces to Digitally Empower Africa and the Middle East

From MWC25 in Barcelona, Orange Africa and Middle East along with Eutelsat have unveiled a partnership to bring satellite internet connectivity to remote areas in Africa and the Middle East. This initiative is presented as a strategy to bridge the digital divide and enhance inclusion in these regions. Since 2023, MWC has highlighted low Earth orbit (LEO) constellations as a groundbreaking technological and industrial innovation in satellite telecommunications.

Promising First Steps

The service will utilize Eutelsat’s Konnect geostationary orbit (GEO) satellite. The initial target countries are Jordan, Ivory Coast, Senegal, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. According to Orange:

• The service will offer data speeds up to 100 Mb/s,
• It will adhere to national regulations.

Firm Support for Satellite Technology

Michael Trabbia, CEO of Orange Wholesale, expressed his support for satellite technology during a briefing, stating: “I am a strong proponent of satellite where it makes sense”. He added: “In Africa, it can make a lot of sense.”

Despite significant investments to expand its network, Trabbia emphasized that significant portions of the territory remain uncovered. Therefore, using satellites for mobile backhaul in remote African regions without fiber coverage and in the maritime sector presents an opportunity.

A Complementary Tool, Not a Magic Solution

However, Trabbia clarified that satellite-based services are not a cure-all. He noted the potential for congestion in areas with high user concentration and cautioned: “I don’t want people to see this as a magical solution and think we no longer need a terrestrial network, because that’s not the reality.”

He also discussed the complexity of spectrum sharing by European countries, given the “many countries, many operators, each managing a spectrum”. He argued that a similar attempt with telecommunications spectrum would be a nightmare due to interference and numerous restrictions, suggesting the need for alternatives in Europe.

Towards a Future Integrating 5G

Orange is a member of the European Union’s IRIS2 project to build a satellite constellation, aimed at launching services by 2030. Trabbia stated: “We must first design, then build, launch, and operate. IRIS2 is exciting because it will incorporate 5G from the start.”