Facebook to serve free internet via satellite to Africans
Social networking site Facebook has announced a partnership with
French satellite operator Eutelsat Communications to provide free
high-speed internet to get more Africans online by next year.
Scheduled to be launched in 2016, the AMOS-6 satellite is configured
with high gain spot beams covering large parts of west, east and
southern Africa.
Under a multi-year agreement with global satellite communication
company Spacecom, Facebook and Eutelsat will utilise the entire
broadband payload on the AMOS-6 satellite and will build a dedicated
system comprising satellite capacity, gateways and terminals, Eutelsat
said in a statement on Monday.
In providing reach to large parts of Sub-Saharan Africa, Eutelsat and
Facebook will each be equipped to pursue their ambition to accelerate
data connectivity for the many users deprived of the economic and social
benefits of the Internet.
“We are going to keep working to connect the entire world even if
that means looking beyond our planet,” Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg
said in a blog post. The project is part of Facebook’s ambitious
Internet.org project.
Using state-of-the-art satellite technology, Eutelsat and Facebook
will each deploy internet services designed to relieve pent-up demand
for connectivity from the many users in Africa beyond range of fixed and
mobile terrestrial networks.
“Satellite networks are well suited to economically connecting people
in low to medium density population areas and the high throughput
satellite architecture of AMOS-6 is expected to contribute to additional
gains in cost efficiency,” the statement read.
The capacity will enable Eutelsat to step up its broadband activity
in Sub-Saharan Africa that was initiated using Ku-band satellites to
serve professional users.
Two years ago, Facebook announced Internet.org, an effort to
accelerate the rate of connectivity by addressing the physical, economic
and social barriers that are keeping people from getting online.
For Facebook, this satellite system represents one of many technology
investments to enable cost-effective broadband access to unconnected
populations.
It plans to work with local partners across Africa to utilise
satellite and terrestrial capacity to deliver services to rural areas.
“Facebook’s mission is to connect the world and we believe that
satellites will play an important role in addressing the significant
barriers that exist in connecting the people of Africa,” Chris Daniels,
vice president of Internet.org, said in the statement.
“We are looking forward to partnering with Eutelsat on this project
and investigating new ways to use satellites to connect people in the
most remote areas of the world more efficiently,” he added.
According to Michel de Rosen, Eutelsat chairman and CEO, “Eutelsat’s
strong track record in operating ‘High Throughput Satellite’ systems
will ensure that we can deliver accessible and robust Internet solutions
that get more users online and part of the Information Society.”
