Eutelsat Group recently announced the successful deployment of satellite services to connect a million people in sub-Saharan Africa to reliable, high-speed internet as part of its Partner2Connect Digital Coalition Pledge.

Eutelsat achieved this milestone two years ahead of schedule by deploying Eutelsat Konnect Wi-Fi hotspots powered by the Eutelsat Konnect GEO satellite.

A global African success story

Partner2Connect (P2C) is a global initiative by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) aimed at promoting universal connectivity and driving digital transformation.

By forming partnerships and securing commitments under the P2C banner, the ITU is able to mobilise new resources and facilitate reliable connectivity.

To date, US$54-billion has been pledged, allowing P2C to concentrate on some of the world’s least connected and most challenging regions, including remote or isolated developing countries.

The level of support that P2C has attracted will enable meaningful economic and social progress by connecting individuals, schools, healthcare providers and enterprises to experiences, information, resources and services.

The power of partnership

Eutelsat is no stranger to forming partnerships for success in Africa. For example, the Eutelsat OneWeb partnership with Q-KON has enabled the development and delivery of the Super Smart Twoobii-LEO satellite service to Africa. This partnership model has been designed to drive innovation on a global scale and empower Q-KON to develop and deliver customer-centric solutions specifically developed for African business use cases.

1 + 1 = 3

By accessing the local market insights of partners like Q-KON, Eutelsat can successfully deliver connectivity solutions to the African marketplace as part of its overall focus on maintaining a global technology advantage. At the same time, the model allows services engineered to meet the needs of African end users to be delivered within the context of a continent-wide ecosystem of regional service providers and field engineering companies.

While this partnership model might constrain short-term net revenue for a global operator such as Eutelsat, this must be set against the potential for an enduring, collaborative and profitable structure, underpinned by sustainable market engagement.

Adding value

Importantly, this model differs from the typical distributor/reseller model that all too often only increases costs to the end user without adding specific value or addressing specific user needs.

The partnership between Eutelsat OneWeb and Q-KON unlocks value and reduces costs through the creation of a platform for the Super Smart Twoobii-LEO satellite service to resolve specific Africa-centric requirements.

Expanding the African footprint

To advance its mission and reach the goal of providing low-cost, high-availability, trusted satellite internet connectivity, Eutelsat has partnered with various African entities.

These include satellite operators such as Egypt’s Nilesat and the Nigerian Communications Satellite. In addition, partnerships with private-sector enterprises such as Bayobab and Q-KON have proven able to enhance internet connectivity across fintech, healthcare and community applications.

Conclusion

Traditional African wisdom asserts that “if you want to travel fast, travel alone; if want to travel far, travel together”. The success of Eutelsat’s African partnerships has proven this to be true, and is yet another example of the power of collaborative business models to provide sustainable value in and for the African enterprise, mining, industrial, retail and financial markets (among others).

For more info about Super Smart Twoobii-LEO satellite services, click here.

The author is Dr Dawie de Wet (Pr Eng; MSc Eng) , group CEO of Q-KON and its African supported satellite broadband service, Twoobii. With over 30 years’ experience in designing, engineering, developing and implementing wireless, microwave and satellite communication systems in Africa, De Wet continues to focus on developing telecommunications solutions that meet the user requirements of emerging markets through the deployment of world-class technology.
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