Although submarine fibre optic links are on the increase, several international operators are now waging a war in space in order to establish their satellites as the new relays for the African internet..
At the end of November, Nasdaq-listed US satellite telecommunications giant Viasat began the process of becoming a Mozambican internet provider. The company is likely to overshadow some of the satellite internet operators already present in the country such as Globalstar, whose Mozambican subsidiary is now tied to Mulweli Rebelo, a FRELIMO heir (AI, 08/02/19). However, Viasat is not simply setting foot in Mozambique: the company is also launching an offensive across the whole continent.
Star wars above Africa
Viasat had already secured a Nigerian telecommunications licence in May before unveiling in November in Accra its first infrastructure on the continent, which acts as a relay antenna for its constellation of satellites in low-earth orbit. The company, which is primarily aiming to provide internet access to isolated facilities (offshore platforms, mines, etc), is not the only one to offer the services of its satellite fleet. Starlink, which has received $885.5m in aid from the US Federal Communications Commission since the end of 2020, is also hoping to break into the African market. But this subsidiary of SpaceX – the company of eccentric South African-born American billionaire Elon Musk – intends to target private individuals and businesses more generally, touting the speed and reduced lag times of its service (AI, 06/10/21).
Another major player, the Indian telecom heavyweight Bharti Enterprises, is also eyeing the African market. Its subsidiary OneWeb, which was bought in 2019 in partnership with the British government, has already put into orbit nearly half of the 648 satellites that will eventually make up its constellation. Bharti Enterprises already has a very strong foothold on the continent through its internet and telephone operator Bharti Airtel, one of the leading consumer operators in Africa.
