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The multi-year agreement leverages EUTELSAT KONNECT's high-throughput satellite capacity to extend internet services to underserved regions across Côte d'Ivoire, complementing existing terrestrial networks.
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AU-Startups · Ember
MTN Côte d'Ivoire, the largest telecommunications provider in the country and a subsidiary of MTN Group, will leverage the EUTELSAT KONNECT satellite, positioned at 7° East, to extend high-speed internet coverage beyond areas currently served by fibre and mobile networks. The satellite service is designed to complement existing terrestrial infrastructure, helping to close connectivity gaps and deliver consistent access to digital services across the country.
The initiative addresses a significant connectivity disparity within Côte d'Ivoire, where internet penetration rates in urban areas stood at 52.7% compared to just 24.6% in rural zones as of late 2025. The agreement aligns with broader national efforts, such as the Ivorian Ministry of Digital Transition and Digitalization's National Rural Connectivity Program (PNCR), which aims to connect 575 rural localities to high-speed internet by the end of 2025. Such programs seek to reduce the digital divide, foster social and financial inclusion, and position Côte d'Ivoire as a regional digital hub.
Eutelsat's KONNECT satellite, launched in January 2020, is a geostationary high-throughput satellite designed to provide broadband internet and communications coverage to Europe and Sub-Saharan Africa. It offers 75 Gbit/s of capacity across 65 spotbeams, providing near-complete coverage of Sub-Saharan Africa. This capacity allows for direct-to-user consumer and enterprise broadband services, as well as support for community networks connected to Wi-Fi hotspots and mobile phone backhauling.
This partnership builds on previous collaborations between Eutelsat and MTN Group. In August 2024, Eutelsat inked a multi-year partnership with Bayobab, MTN Group's digital infrastructure arm, for capacity on Eutelsat's OneWeb low Earth orbit (LEO) constellation. Other operators in Côte d'Ivoire have also engaged Eutelsat for satellite broadband services, with Orange Côte d'Ivoire launching its "Orange Sat" service in January 2026, also utilizing the KONNECT platform to connect underserved areas.
For founders, investors, regulators, and builders operating in African markets, this agreement underscores the increasing reliance on hybrid connectivity solutions to achieve widespread digital inclusion. Terrestrial fibre and mobile networks, while expanding, often face geographical and logistical challenges in reaching remote and rural populations. Satellite technology offers a viable and complementary pathway to extend high-speed internet access to these hard-to-reach areas.
The deployment of community Wi-Fi hotspots, a key component of this partnership, represents a scalable model for delivering affordable internet services in areas where individual household subscriptions may be cost-prohibitive. This approach can stimulate local digital economies, facilitate access to online education and healthcare, and support the growth of small and medium-sized enterprises. The commitment from MTN Côte d'Ivoire to invest nearly 200 billion CFA francs by 2028 to strengthen network infrastructure, including satellite solutions, signals a long-term strategic shift towards diversified connectivity portfolios across the continent.
Operators and investors should note the growing trend of integrating geostationary (GEO) and low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite capacities to create resilient and comprehensive broadband ecosystems. The previous agreement with Bayobab for OneWeb's LEO constellation, alongside this new GEO-based KONNECT partnership, illustrates a multi-pronged strategy to optimize for both high-bandwidth, low-latency applications (LEO) and broad, consistent coverage (GEO). This dual-satellite approach is becoming a critical consideration for ensuring robust and ubiquitous connectivity across diverse African topographies and population densities.
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