Africa’s largest mobile operator, MTN, is exploring partnerships with low-Earth-orbit (LEO) satellite providers to deliver internet access to rural and remote areas, Group CEO Ralph Mupita announced on Monday.
Satellite internet is gaining traction across Africa as an alternative connectivity solution, with providers like Starlink, operated by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, leading the way.
LEO satellites offer high-speed internet, even in regions where traditional telecommunications infrastructure, such as fibre and mobile broadband, is challenging and costly to deploy.
“To keep customers and businesses connected at all times, we’re going to have to embrace satellite as an additional technology form,” Mupita said in a media call.
According to a report by Reuters, Mupita stated that South Africa-based MTN is conducting proof-of-concept trials with several LEO satellite operators to explore potential partnerships.
“We are exploring several, and actually some of them we’re happy to be resellers through our enterprise business to some of our customers in specific countries,” Mupita said.
MTN isn’t the only player exploring partnerships with LEO satellite providers. Smaller rival Cell C is pursuing similar agreements.
Meanwhile, South Africa’s largest operator, Vodacom, majority-owned by Britain’s Vodafone, announced a partnership with Amazon’s Project Kuiper LEO satellite initiative last year.
“We’re very aware of the challenges of having to compete as a fixed and wireless operator with LEO satellites over time, so we’re arranging ourselves to be able to sure proof our businesses in our key markets,” Mupita said.
Starlink is active in several African countries but has encountered regulatory hurdles in some, including South Africa, where it has also faced pushback from state-owned telecom companies.
South Africa’s regulator, ICASA, is currently developing a regulatory and licensing framework for satellite internet providers to establish clear guidelines for operators.
“LEO operators should be treated the same as terrestrial operators such as ourselves, subjected to the same regulatory requirements whether it’s around data privacy, data transport, localization and access to spectrum,” Mupita said.
