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Satellite technology can unlock South Africa’s development and economic potential

30th March 2020

By: Natasha Odendaal

Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor

     

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As South Africa experiences a renewed wave of slow Internet connectivity, satellite broadband technology presents a more stable connectivity link that is not influenced by factors such as breakage or other terrestrial impacts, said MzansiSat COO Victor Stephanopoli.

Connectivity disruptions occurred from breaks in the West Africa Cable System (WACS) and South Atlantic 3/West Africa Submarine Cable (SAT3/WASC) early in January and was fixed over a month later.

The WACS cable has since experienced another break, with an estimated repair date of April 4, according to the South African national research and education network.

“The underwater sea cable breakages have left countless South African consumers frustrated with access to little or no Internet connectivity,” he said, noting that to stimulate the economic growth potential of South Africa, it was imperative to address the need for connectivity in the farthest-reaching regions of the country and enable reliable broadband connectivity for everyone.

While some service providers experienced minimal disruptions, it was reported that some providers were experiencing significant downtime as a result of the breakages of both subsea cable systems, and satellite technology could have provided “an ideal backup solution” to remain connected.

“As satellites are orbiting in the atmosphere, there is a notable difference in where satellite connectivity can reach as opposed to that of physical cable. If you can see the sky, you can be connected,” he said.

Such technology is in place in other nations and often acts as a back-up for when conventional Internet broadband connections are interrupted.

“It is this sort of technology that if it were already in place, would have been an ideal backup solution to mitigate the frustrations of South Africans when the cable breakages occurred.”

Further to this, broadening Internet access can translate into creating millions of work opportunities in the future.

“With urban areas as a predominant focus of telecommunications providers, we often forget that to drive growth of the economy, we have to enable connectivity in rural areas,” said Stephanopoli.

He cited the World Bank’s ‘The Broadband for All’ working group’s report that indicates that African countries will need to bring about 1.1-billion more people online, with the working-age population in Africa expected to increase by some 450-million people between 2015 and 2035.

“If current trends continue, less than a quarter will find stable jobs,” he continued.

Given the immense financial layout required to deploy fibre to the far-flung remote and rural regions, which far outweighs the number of customers in the area, MzansiSat believed the use of satellite broadband technology was compelling.

“Although the speeds the physical cable enables are highly attractive, it is the dispersal of connectivity that gives satellite broadband technology an advantage over its counterpart, enabling a wider and more far-reaching availability of broadband connectivity.”

“The technology is there to enable the efficient connectivity of the African continent with the rest of the world. The more stakeholders appreciate the potential that this technology holds, the closer we will get to seeing roll-out becoming a reality,” he added.

MzansiSat is currently working with various investors and stakeholders to make the widespread connection of South Africa a reality, with Stephanopoli saying that the company is aiming to launch its satellite in the near future.

“Our mission is to provide affordable stable satellite broadband to the Southern African market, and we know that by using satellite broadband technology, more South Africans can have easier access to the outside world, increasing their potential and thus growing the South African economy,” he concluded.

Edited by Creamer Media Reporter

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