Journal of African Business Issue 5

NEWS
LOW-EARTH ORBIT SATELLITES HOLD POTENTIAL FOR RURAL CONNECTIVITY
World Mobile is expanding its network across
the African continent following a series of
successful pilot tests using low-earth orbit
(LEO) satellites in the US and UK. Positive
results have been found in ongoing tests of
Starlink, one of the many LEO satellites.
The company, which was founded in 2018,
aims to provide affordable connectivity to
rural and remote areas worldwide.
The African continent currently sees less
than a quarter the population having access
to reliable Internet. Using innovative satellite
and relay technology with stratospheric balloons, the first efforts of World Mobile are
looking to provide connectivity in hard-to-reach areas within Tanzania, Kenya and Nigeria.
World Mobile’s pilot tested the use of Starlink’s satellite network as a backhaul option for
providing internet to World Mobile’s AirNodes (the network’s Internet access points). The
connection delivered impressive broadband speeds, latency and stable connectivity with
download speeds of up to 400Mbps.
World Mobile’s dynamic network adapts its connectivity infrastructure to the needs of
each region, allowing it to deliver efficient and affordable connectivity where other mobile
operators cannot reach.
The pilot tests conducted by World Mobile and its partners demonstrated that remote
connectivity with the LEO satellite, which serves as a constellation network connecting World
Mobile’s AirNodes, can provide robust Wi-Fi services. In Zanzibar, World Mobile is targeting
areas where there is minimal or no connectivity. It is underway in deploying its hybridmesh
network to deliver affordable mobile connectivity in the region through a network
of AirNodes and aerostats with a coverage radius of up to 70km. In addition to rolling out in
Tanzania and Kenya, World Mobile is in advanced talks about expanding its network to other
African countries, such as Mozambique and Nigeria. The company’s unique offering provides
low-cost connectivity in areas that traditional operators cannot reach, while also enabling
entrepreneurs to own or operate a portion of the network and benefit from its adoption.
Orange Botswana became the first Orange affiliate in Africa to
launch 5G commercially and the country’s first Orange Digital
Center made it the company’s 12th such training centre in
Africa and the Middle East
The Digital Centers are designed to train young people in
digital technology and enhance their employability. Previous
countries to host a Digital Center are Tunisia, Senegal,
Ethiopia, Mali, Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Egypt, Jordan,
Madagascar, Morocco and Liberia.
Spread over 390 square metres, it brings together several
strategic programmes of the Orange group, namely, a coding
school, a solidarity FabLab (one of the Orange Foundation’s
digital manufacturing workshops) and an Orange Fab start-up
accelerator, supported by Orange Ventures Middle East and
Africa, the investment fund of Orange Group.
All the programmes are provided free-of charge and are
ORANGE BOTSWANA BLOSSOMED IN 2022 WITH TWO BIG LAUNCHES
open to everyone. They range from digital training for young
people, 90% of which are practical, guidance for project
bearers, start-up acceleration and investment in these.
Working as a network, the Orange Digital Centers allow
experiences and expertise to be shared between countries
and offer a simple and inclusive approach to improve
enabled in the country by the 5G technology. The 5G launch
is aligned with the government’s ambition to leverage Fourth
Industrial Revolution (4IR) innovation towards transforming
Botswana into a knowledge-based economy.
5G, with its ultra-high speed and low latency, will support
new disruptive services such as e-health, connected vehicles,
young people’s employability, encourage innovative connected cities, real-time gaming, smart homes and learning
entrepreneurship and promote the local digital ecosystem. through VR and augmented reality. It offers a new world of
In addition, Orange Botswana, in partnership with
possibilities to companies, innovators and society at large.
Orange Botswana has partnered with MRI Botswana to
create a “Connected Ambulance” project that will allow
doctors to guide paramedics through life-saving procedures
on their way to hospitals. This telemedicine intervention will
change lives and would not have been possible without 5G.
After this first commercial launch of its 5G services
in Botswana, Orange Middle East and Africa intends to
maintain its efforts in getting the latest and most advanced
technologies in all its MEA countries, adding value to local
economies and bridging the digital gap.
Orange is present in a total of 18 countries in Africa
universities, will train students for free and roll out Orange
Digital Center Clubs, extensions of the Orange Digital Center
and the Middle East and has 142-million customers as of
30 September 2022.
within some universities in the regions. This will complement
the education system to give as many people as possible
access to new technologies and support them in using these
technologies to their full extent.
The 5G network became available in greater Gaborone and
Francistown, covering 30% of the population in November
2022. Other cities will follow in early 2023.
New healthcare, education and security services will be
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