Senegal to Bridge Digital Divide with Nationwide Satellite Internet by 2025
Senegal is poised to revolutionize its digital landscape, with President Bassirou Diomaye Faye announcing the ambitious goal of providing nationwide satellite internet coverage by the end of 2025. This significant initiative aims to tackle the persistent digital divide, ensuring that all citizens, regardless of their location, have access to reliable and high-quality internet connectivity. This move highlights Senegal’s commitment to digital inclusion and its potential to boost economic development across the country, a crucial step in the African context.
Addressing the Urban-Rural Digital Gap
The impetus for this transformative project is the stark disparity in internet access between urban and rural areas. Currently, only a mere 3% of rural households in Senegal have home internet access, a stark contrast to the 43.8% penetration rate in Dakar, the capital city. This discrepancy, revealed in a July survey conducted by the national telecom regulator ARTP and the statistics agency ANSD, highlights the urgent need for expanded internet infrastructure in underserved regions. The president’s announcement, made on September 22 at the Unstoppable Africa event, a part of the Global Africa Business Initiative in New York, confirms that the necessary agreements with a satellite operator are in place. According to the president, the rollout will prioritize perfect redundancy, aiming for higher-quality connectivity across the entire nation, with administrative procedures already finalized.
This undertaking builds upon Senegal’s existing fiber optic infrastructure, which spans approximately 6,000 kilometers. However, vast “white zones” – areas lacking internet service – remain. The satellite internet project directly addresses these gaps, promising to bring connectivity to remote communities and foster greater participation in the digital economy.
In conclusion, Senegal’s move to deploy nationwide satellite internet by the end of 2025 is a significant step towards closing the digital divide and fostering a more inclusive and connected society. This bold initiative has the potential to transform lives, drive economic growth, and position Senegal as a leader in digital innovation within Africa.
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