Page 38 - EngineerIT AugustSeptember Issue 2026

SATELLITE TECHNOLOGY

Why Africa’s connectivity gap is

getting bigger, and how we can fix it

By Justin Render

Kyle Whitehill, Group Chief Executive Officer of Avanti Communications,
believes the communications industry should be more honest about servicing
unconnected people.

oads opened trade routes, railways accelerated industrialisation and Whitehill understands the
electricity changed how economies produced and grew. Connectivity commercial pressure behind this.
Rnow plays a similar role, because access to education, healthcare, Before joining Avanti eight years
banking, work and information often depends on it. ago, he spent 17 years with a major
mobile service provider, working in
Throughout Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), the satellite business India and several African markets.
is briskly expanding its reach to service more interconnected populations.
Behind the telecoms providers, ISPs, defense initiatives and online platforms “This is not a new dilemma,” he
powered by satellite technology, companies like Avanti Communications says. “Regulators want ubiquitous
manage the GEO satellite services that provide capacity precisely where and network coverage irrespective of
when it’s needed. return, and the operators want a
financial case that makes some
Kyle Whitehill, Avanti’s Group Chief Executive Officer, believes the sense to themselves and their
telecommunications industry should be more honest about the speed at which shareholders.
progress is being made.
“South Africa has formidable
“Everybody talks about connecting the unconnected,” says mobile operators who continue to
Whitehill. “But the unconnected population is getting invest heavily in fibre and 5G. Much
bigger faster than the connected population. We can’t of that investment has improved
continue to let this happen.” service in Johannesburg, Cape
Town, Durban and Gqeberha. But
It’s true that mobile coverage has expanded rural and remote communities
significantly over the past two decades. Fibre has have seen far less of it.
improved service in major cities and business
centres, and new satellite systems are adding “There hasn’t been a significant
capacity and flexibility. However, population growth increase in non-urban population
is the wild card that may be unaccounted for. investment,” emphasises Whitehill.
As more people enter schools, workplaces
and communities where reliable In essence, the further a network
connectivity is already expected, extends and the fewer people it
the question is, will it be enough? serves, the harder it becomes to
recover the cost of towers, fibre
For Africa’s young population, routes, power, maintenance and
education, employment, backhaul.
banking, entrepreneurship and
public services are becoming “There are structural barriers that
more dependent on digital government and industry need to
access. If network rollout overcome,” Whitehill says, “and, at
doesn’t keep up, the number of best, uncertain financial return that
people left waiting will expand comes from going into very poorly
Kyle Whitehill alongside connection totals. dense communities.”

38 | EngineerIT August/September 2026