PODCAST | Major trends in global internet access in 2022

Global satellite internet access trends are the focus in this edition of the Business Day Spotlight. 

Our host Mudiwa Gavaza is joined by Sulaiman Al Ali, Yahsat’s chief commercial officer, at the recently held AfricaCom telecoms conference in Cape Town. 

Yahsat is a satellite services provider active in more than 150 countries across Africa, Europe, the Middle East, South America, Asia and Australasia. The company, through its mobile and data solutions businesses — Thuraya and YahClick — has been active in Africa for about two decades, targeting consumers, small businesses and large corporates.

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While a lot of investment is going into technologies such as fibre, it’s mainly in the large cities and metros. In far-flung areas, satellite is the cheapest and most reliable form of access. Much of this comes down to the unavailability of mobile and fibre internet access in these places.

Operators have long struggled to justify the cost of building expensive infrastructure in sparsely populated and low-income regions, leaving few options — such as satellite — on the table. 

Al Ali shares insight into Yahsat’s activities in the SA market, as well as trends being seen in the sector. The company has a new satellite, which he says will bring faster and cheaper internet access to customers. 

Al Ali also weighs in on the ongoing debate around the height of satellites in the sky versus the quality of service offered. Low orbiting satellites such as the ones being promoted by Elon Musk Starlink, for example, have been gaining traction globally for their ability to deliver higher bandwidth to users. 

Topics of discussion include: Yahsat’s strategy and activities in Africa; the future of integrated satellite solutions; the use of satellite communications for internet of things (IoT) or connected devices such as cars and sensors; and updates on Thuraya 4 NGS, the group’s latest satellite.