Eyes on the skies: how lasers and latency will shape Africa’s satellite-based digital future
10 December 2025
Ivo Ivanov,
CEO, DE-CIX
Across Africa, demand for reliable connectivity is firmly on the rise. Digital tools underpin everything from mobile banking to agricultural forecasting, from virtual classrooms to telemedicine in rural clinics.
It’s the global leader in mobile money, accounting for 65% of the world’s $1.1 trillion worth of transactions, with services like M-Pesa thriving in areas like Kenya and Tanzania. Tools like Digital Green are providing farmers in Ethiopia with climate and soil data for improved crop planning. And platforms such as Hello Doctor and mPharma are revolutionizing telehealth in countries like Nigeria and beyond.
Find out more Eutelsat and du extend MENA broadcast services partnership
08 December 2025
Eutelsat and Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company (du) have announced the renewal of their longstanding partnership to provide high-quality broadcasting services throughout the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).
du, a leading telecom and digital services provider, operates one of the most advanced teleports in the Middle East, supporting a broad spectrum of communication and media solutions for broadcasters, enterprises, and government agencies.
This multi-year renewal reaffirms du’s role as a key strategic partner for Eutelsat in the region, facilitating the distribution of a wide array of premium TV channels via the 7/8° West satellite position — MENA’s dominant broadcast orbital slot. Covering 95% of satellite households in the region and boasting the largest exclusive reach, the 7/8° West position remains the preferred choice for viewers due to its extensive content offerings.
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Senegal launches satellite program to bridge digital divide
08 December 2025
Senegal is set to expand its internet coverage through a new initiative announced by Minister of Communication, Telecommunications, and Digital Affairs Alioune Sall.
The government plans to install satellite antennas in multiple remote regions across the country with the ambitious aim of connecting one million Senegalese citizens to the internet by the end of 2026. This program specifically targets areas that remain underserved by traditional networks, such as fibre optics and 4G, where access remains limited or non-existent due to geographic and demographic challenges. In these isolated or sparsely populated zones, deploying satellite technology will enable households, schools, health centres, and administrative offices to gain stable and reliable connectivity.
Find out more AI in space: why tomorrow’s networks will need an interconnected orbit
05 December 2025
Ivo Ivanov, CEO of DE-CIX
AI’s growth is pushing the boundaries of what our digital infrastructure can support. In many places, the power required to train and run models is already outpacing the speed at which new energy capacity can be deployed, and the physical limits of terrestrial grids are beginning to shape the debate about what comes next.
At the Saudi Investment Forum last month, Elon Musk outlined a future in which large-scale AI compute is placed in orbit, powered by continuous solar exposure and cooled in the vacuum of space. In his view, the economics could shift within five years, creating future scenarios where solar powered AI satellites – or even compute clusters in deep space – will outperform Earth-based facilities for certain types of workloads. And Musk isn’t alone. Jeff Bezos has spoken about the lunar environment as a potential foundation for energy intensive operations, and Google CEO, Sundar Pichai, recently announced that Google will test machine learning hardware in orbit through its Project Suncatcher initiative.
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