By Evelyn Lewis, CEO, SBTS Group and Aisha Saaka, Data & AI Manager at Accenture

With ongoing debates surrounding the liberalization of broadband satellite internet providers in Africa, it’s crucial to highlight the significant impact on the continent’s economic advancement and youth employment.

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Countries in Africa that proclaim youth employment and economic development as priorities, yet fail to facilitate the rapid entry of companies like Starlink, Project Kuiper by Amazon, 03b Networks, and other alternatives, may be contributing to the problem. Such inaction could suggest that these commitments are merely rhetorical without the backing of practical measures for tangible progress.

Africa’s Unexploited Economic Potential

The global Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) industry is projected to exceed $750 billion annually over the next decade, requiring millions of jobs. While several nations lack the working-age population to satisfy this growing demand, Africa, with its expanding youthful demographic, is ideally positioned to power global economic expansion. However, this vast potential will remain dormant unless Africa adopts the necessary technologies, tools, and supporting policies to harness these possibilities.

Allowing current satellite internet providers to operate freely across Africa should be straightforward within already existing regulatory climates, with minimal cost hindrances. It incurs no costs for governments to allow competition; rather, it represents the sole route to affordable connectivity for the populace. Access to inexpensive internet is vital for educational purposes and acquiring the experience needed to compete globally. The advent of Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity, and other streams with the tremendous need for an educated workforce is now upon us. Businesses also need affordable internet to stay in business, expand, or better yet, usher in new entrepreneurs. The sales of these services also open up new business opportunities, including for entrepreneurs seeking to break away from the closed loop maintained by traditional telecoms.

Present mobile data pricing models with limits, alongside the sluggish development of infrastructure by traditional telecoms, fail to fill the gaps, especially in underserved communities not considered viable for infrastructure investment.

The Consequences of Restraining Innovation

By obstructing or delaying satellite internet providers, African governments are not merely defending large, established telecom firms—they are actively impeding their own economic progression. It is the small businesses, unemployed youth, and marginalized communities that bear the brunt of restricted access to affordable, reliable internet.

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Countries in Africa that proclaim youth employment and economic development as priorities, yet fail to facilitate the rapid entry of companies like Starlink, Project Kuiper by Amazon, 03b Networks, and other alternatives, may be contributing to the problem.

Research by the World Bank suggests that a 10% increase in broadband penetration in developing countries can correlate to a 1.38% increase in GDP growth. In Africa, where over 40% of the population remains unconnected, the economic potential of expanding affordable internet access is monumental. The introduction of satellite internet technologies such as Starlink, Project Kuiper, 03b Networks, and others presents an unprecedented opportunity to bridge the connectivity gap.

Moreover, satellite internet can significantly impact sectors like agriculture, where remote internet access enables the use of precision farming technologies that can increase productivity and reduce costs. In healthcare, where telehealth services are becoming increasingly vital, especially in rural areas, satellite internet can facilitate remote consultations, diagnostics, and even certain medical procedures or heavy data-driven records which requires broadband connection. Unlike fiber-optic connections, which are challenging to deploy in remote or rural areas, satellite internet offers a feasible solution to provide consistent and affordable broadband services in record time in the most difficult terrains.

Advocating for Competition and Innovation

Africa must embrace competition and innovation to make life more affordable for its people and open opportunities for everyone. It is time to cease protecting long-dominant market giants and start supporting small enterprises and unemployed youths who need viable alternatives to prosper. For instance, the rapid adoption of Starlink in Kenya due to its affordability has significantly impacted traditional telecom providers like Safaricom, prompting them to seek regulatory intervention instead of innovating their existing fiber services. This scenario illustrates the necessity of both satellite and fiber-optic internet services as complementary technologies. While fiber provides robust infrastructure in urban centers, satellite internet is crucial for ensuring that rural and remote areas are not left behind, especially when fiber-optic cables face disruptions from numerous factors, increasingly causing countries to go offline due to cable service interruptions.

In recent years, and particularly within the last six months, Africa has faced significant challenges due to frequent disruptions of fiber-optic cables both on land and at sea. Submarine cables like the Africa Coast to Europe (ACE) and the West Africa Cable System (WACS) are vital for the continent’s connectivity to the global network. However, incidents such as accidental damage by fishing trawlers and seismic activities have caused widespread internet outages, exposing the vulnerability of relying on a few major undersea cables. This underscores the need for alternatives like satellite internet services, which can ensure connectivity even in hard-to-reach areas.

Allowing current satellite internet providers to operate freely across Africa should be straightforward within already existing regulatory climates, with minimal cost hindrances

Research suggests that expanding broadband access can directly contribute to job creation and economic growth, with estimates indicating that every 10% increase in broadband penetration can result in a 1.5% increase in employment rates. As more Africans gain access to reliable internet, the digital economy is poised to thrive, driving advancements in education, healthcare, e-commerce, and beyond.

Conclusion: The Path Forward

If African nations are earnest about tackling youth unemployment and promoting economic growth, they must eliminate obstacles for satellite internet providers. Doing so will equip citizens with the tools needed to engage in the global economy, build successful careers, and propel the continent’s development.

Satellite services, in and of themselves, are not immune from outages, but they serve to complement the growing need for diverse solutions in solving our connectivity challenges much quicker than relying on the status quo. Africa’s economic future depends on its ability to connect its population to the global digital economy now, not in some distant future. The future is now! Accepting satellite internet providers is a vital step in that journey. It is not merely about offering a service; it’s about providing millions of Africans with a chance for a brighter future.

About the Authors

Evelyn Lewis is the CEO and owner of several tech-related companies with over 30 years of experience in the tech sector as a Techpreneur and Tech-evangelist. Evelyn is a key proponent of BPO as a solution to some of Africa’s youth unemployment challenges. His companies, SBTS Group, TrainingSol, and Kallmania, advocate for more bandwidth and lower costs through innovation and competition. He has also served as the ISOC (Internet Society) Chairperson of Sierra Leone and on the Presidential ICT Taskforce to steer policy towards technology-driven growth.

Aisha Saaka is a digital transformation professional with over two decades of experience working with emerging technologies and Africa’s youth on the continent and in the diaspora. She has been instrumental in addressing the digital divide across the continent, advocating for the integration of robust broadband infrastructure to support telehealth and other critical services. Aisha is also a leader of the Young African Professionals, positioning herself as a thought leader in leveraging technology for social and economic progress across Africa.