At least 3 600 schools in the war-torn Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) will in the next 12 months be connected to high speed internet, Eutelsat Communications (ETL), which is spearheading the project through its subsidiary Konnect Africa, announced this week.
Each school will subscribe to a “Home Unlimited or plus” package, giving it access to a high speed internet service. At a later stage, it is planned to roll the project out to several tens of thousands more schools, thereby responding to the requirement for digital inclusion which is part of government policy.
“This project highlights the major benefits of satellite internet in bridging the digital divide, as well as the efficiency of the solutions deployed by the Konnect Africa teams,” Konnect Africa CEO Jean-Claude Tshipama said.
“The entry into service of EUTELSAT KONNECT in the coming months will be a milestone in our ability to better address the strong demand for connectivity from our customers, ranging from individuals to businesses and government agencies.” Tshipama added.
Konnect Africa has been operating for over a year in the DRC, bringing broadband connectivity to unserved or poorly served areas, by delivering affordable and flexible solutions and available everywhere.
Currently operating with limited capacity, Konnect Africa will see its in-orbit resources increase ten-fold with the entry into service of the EUTELSAT KONNECT satellite in the autumn of 2020. With a total capacity of 75 Gbps, EUTELSAT KONNECT will be able to provide speeds of up to 100 Mbps with total or partial coverage of 40 African countries.
Founded in 1977, Paris-based Eutelsat Communications is one of the world’s leading satellite operators, and owns a global fleet of satellites and associated ground infrastructure. Over 7 000 television channels operated by leading media groups are broadcast by Eutelsat to one billion viewers equipped for DTH reception or connected to terrestrial networks.
