Eutelsat and Q-KON sign new multi-year agreement to expand LEO services across Sub-Saharan Africa

14 November 2024

Eutelsat Group announces a new multi-year agreement with Q-KON, a leading satellite solutions and services provider, to expand Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite services across Sub-Saharan Africa. The agreement will further accelerate the delivery of high-speed, low-latency connectivity to specialized and underserved businesses and communities, particularly in Southern Africa.

The expanded agreement with Q-KON builds on the successful 2023 incorporation of Eutelsat’s OneWeb LEO satellite connectivity into Q-KON’s Twoobii Smart Satellite Services and the launch of digital banking services in February 2024. Under the terms of the agreement, Eutelsat’s OneWeb network will deliver significant capacity to Q-KON, enabling the growth and expansion of Twoobii-LEO, delivering enhanced broadband services to meet the growing demand for reliable and fast internet in the region.

The new partnership will strengthen the delivery of critical services such as cloud-based applications, remote healthcare, e-learning, fintech applications and enterprise connectivity across Sub-Saharan Africa, benefiting both urban and rural populations. By combining Eutelsat’s advanced satellite infrastructure with Q-KON’s local expertise and engineering, the agreement aims to bring high-quality internet access with competitive business case metrics to areas where terrestrial networks have yet to reach.

Cyril Dujardin, President of the Connectivity Business Unit for Eutelsat Group commented: "We are delighted to step up our relationship with Q-KON and we are honoured in the confidence Q-KON has placed in us following our initial successful cooperation. We are excited to continue to work with Q-KON as it leverages cutting-edge satellite network solutions to meet the challenging demands for low-cost, high availability, and trusted services in Africa."

“We value our continued partnership with Eutelsat and are excited to take this next step in expanding and scaling-up our LEO satellite services across Southern Africa,” said Dr Dawie de Wet, Group CEO of Q-KON. "This agreement opens up more product flexibility and service differentiation for faster, more reliable connectivity that will empower businesses and support digital transformation across Sub-Saharan Africa.”