New telecommunications satellite for Africa launched

11 August 2010

The Regional African Satellite Communication Organisation has just successfully launched a satellite, via Ariane, with the aim of developing the telecommunications network on the continent.

Financed by more than forty African telephone companies and the Libya Africa Investîmes fund, this project will enable African villages to connect to the Internet.

Twenty eight African countries have already committed themselves to renting its services, says Arianespace.

The telephone companies will thus be able to offer high-speed Internet and high-definition television, but also telephone service in remote areas.

This launch comes at a time when the ministers of telecommunications of the eight member countries of the West African Monetary and Economic Union (UEMOA) announced at the end of July that a shared telecommunications network is to be established, in particular with a view to reducing charges.

The States will be interconnected on the Internet by optical fibre and a telephone chip common to all the States will be put into circulation.

Category: ICT