Tizeti and Eutelsat
Collaborate to Bridge Nigeria’s Digital Divide
Capetown, South Africa, With Community Satellite
Broadband
November 09, 2022
Eutelsat Communications has
inked a deal with Tizeti, West Africa’s pioneer
solar-based internet service provider and a leading
provider of community connectivity solutions to
jointly improve broadband penetration in Nigeria,
especially in underserved locations. The two
companies announced during the sidelines of the
AfricaCom 2022 trade fair that they will deploy
Eutelsat’s KA-band satellite connectivity, Konnect,
to reach remote communities throughout Nigeria and
provide fast, and affordable internet services.
Despite 44.5 percent broadband
penetration, covered largely by Mobile Network
Operators, reliable internet connectivity is still
limited to a few states. The partnership between
Tizeti and Eutelsat will provide a complementary
solution that leverages satellite broadband
infrastructure and Tizeti’s community Wi-FI
management platform to deliver a fast and affordable
public wi-fi hotspot service, especially in remote
areas that are difficult to reach by terrestrial
broadband infrastructure.
Philippe Baudrier, Eutelsat's
General Manager - Connectivity for Africa said
"Eutelsat's ambition is to connect one million
unserved people across sub-Saharan Africa to
high-speed internet over the next 5 years and this
partnership with Tizeti will help bridge Nigeria's
digital divide and unlock the wealth of social and
economic opportunities that the internet brings".
Speaking on the partnership,
Tizeti’s Chief Executive Officer of Tizeti, Kendall
Ananyi, said that satellite broadband will
complement Tizeti’s existing initiatives and lay a
foundation for a robust and thriving digital
ecosystem across Nigeria. “Our partnership with
Eutelsat extends our mission of bringing affordable
and reliable internet to more Nigerians and provides
us with the opportunity to accelerate the expansion
of broadband internet via satellite, to bridge the
digital gap and improve digital transformation for
more Nigerians”, Ananyi said.
Konnect's Community Wi-Fi
(Konnect Wi-Fi) initiative has already seen
considerable success across Africa with hundreds of
sites providing internet access to tens of thousands
of people every week.
For many countries in Africa,
there is still a huge digital divide. This boundary
between connected and unconnected translates into
clear consequences for employment, education, family
and social life, and access to information.
Partnerships such as this play a significant role in
addressing the digital infrastructure deficits in
emerging economies, leveraging innovative technology
and capabilities, to improve development outcomes
for millions of people.
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