Strive Masiyiwa seals LEO deal with Eutelsat and U...

Strive Masiyiwa seals LEO deal with Eutelsat and Umoja cable system …. as Starlink is finally licensed in Zim

Audrey Galawu

Assistant Editor

Zimbabweans are set for more efficient and affordable network connectivity after Low Earth Orbit satellite rivals Starlink and Eutelsat both enter the market while a major cable system will link Harare along to a super data highway.

Strive Masiyiwa’s revealed two major deals this week just ahead of the news that Zimbabwe has licensed Starlink to distribute its services through an exclusive deal with IMC Communications which is reportedly owned by Wicknell Chivhayo.

Liquid Intelligent Technologies announced a distribution partner agreement with Eutelsat Group that will see enterprise-grade Low Earth Orbit satellite services being made available in Africa while Google unveiled plans for Umoja, a high-capacity terrestrial and subsea cable system passing through Uganda, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and South Africa, including the Google Cloud region, then link to Australia through the Indian Ocean.

“Africa’s major cities including Nairobi, Kampala, Kigali, Lubumbashi, Lusaka, and Harare will no longer be hard-to-reach endpoints remote from the coastal landing sites that connect Africa to the world. They are now stations on a data superhighway that can carry thousands of times more traffic than currently reaches here. I am proud that this project helps us deliver a digitally connected future that leaves no African behind, regardless of how far they are from the technology centers of the world, said chairman and founder of Liquid Intelligent Technologies, Strive Masiyiwa.

No specific timeframe for Umoja's completion has been given but submarine cable projects typically take about three years, suggesting a possible completion around 2026.

“Access to the latest technology, supported by reliable and resilient digital infrastructure, is critical to growing economic opportunity. This is a meaningful moment for Kenya’s digital transformation journey and the benefits of today’s announcement will cascade across the region,” said US ambassador to Kenya, Meg Whitman in a statement.

Experts say that Africa’s internet economy has the potential to grow to $180bn by 2025, equivalent to 5.2% of the continent’s GDP.

Introduction of LEO technology with Eutelsat will extend better internet access service to the other countries and areas beyond the named capitals.

“Liquid has always been committed to technological innovation in Africa. Our collaboration with Eutelsat signifies a milestone in bringing cutting-edge LEO services to our customers across multiple countries in Africa, empowering them with high-speed solutions and unlocking new possibilities for connectivity.”” said Ahmed El Beheiry, CEO of Liquid Intelligent Technologies in a statement released after the signing of the agreement on this past week.

By linking up with Liquid which is in 25 African countries, Eutelsat is making a big jump on rival Starlink which is now in eight African countries.

Starlink this week announced that it is planning to expand its footprint to 24 countries by the end of the year with Zimbabwe being one of the targeted 16 countries targeted to be reached in Q3, 2024.

Except for Nigeria where it has an agreement with Africa Mobile Networks, Starlink uses an individual retailer deal distribution system, unlike Eutelsat’s B2B approach. Starlink is mostly aimed at individual users while Eutelsat targets business operations.

“We are thrilled to work with Liquid to introduce new connectivity services throughout Africa. Liquid has a proven track record and a longstanding commitment to connect African businesses. Working together and leveraging Eutelsat Group’s innovative LEO services, we can unlock new opportunities for enterprises and communities. We look forward to the positive impacts we can have to help Liquid’s customers flourish, especially in the mining industry in Central Africa” said Philippe Baudrier, VP Connectivity, Africa.

Zimbabwe has expensive and poor data connectivity and this has driven people to roam on Starlink kits from neighbouring countries Zambia and Mozambique which have licensed operations.

Neville Mutsvangwa, son to Gender Minister Monica Mutsvangwa and War Vets leader Chris Mutsvangwa-is currently languishing in remand prison over charges of illegally dealing in forex and distributing Starlink packs.

Starlink has also faced regulatory challenges in other African countries including Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo, Guinea, Botswana, South Africa, Cameroon, and Sudan.

Eutelsat Group is the world's first satellite operator with an integrated GEO-LEO infrastructure.

The companies say strategic integration of the OneWeb LEO satellite network allows Liquid Dataport to deliver low-latency satellite services, introduce a network interconnect that enables services integration across the LEO satellite access and Liquid Dataport core network infrastructure, as well as enable faster orbital periods and higher bandwidth.

This will mean users get to experience better performance for applications like cloud computing, video conferencing, and real time applications, amongst others.

As Eutelsat’s OneWeb's network coverage continues to mature, Liquid Dataport is planning a systematic expansion of services, aligning with the evolving demand for low-latency primary and backup services in remote regions of the continent and benefiting a range of businesses across all industries. This strategic move anticipates the expected surge in new LEO satellite constellations over the next three years, providing agile and cost-effective solutions for entering and expanding markets.