South Africa plans to launch its own Internet satellite

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• South Africa plans to launch its own Internet satellite

The Presidency has published a report prepared by the Commission of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) and highlights the technology that South Africa will use as part of the "Fourth Industrial Revolution". Connectivity is a major theme of the report and a current issue affecting South Africans. Making the internet more accessible to people from previously disadvantaged communities is a top priority. To remedy this, it was recommended to launch a geostationary government telecommunications satellite. The government believes this will solve the connectivity problem, or lack thereof, in these areas. The satellite service would be provided primarily to the entire Southern African Development Community (SADC) region, including other countries such as Botswana, Lesotho, Zimbabwe and Eswatini.

What would a satellite mean?

Internet connectivity has long been a problem for South Africans and something inaccessible to many people living in poverty. Basically, the satellite could close the gap. People living in disadvantaged communities would have free access to information and resources. It would also mean free access to 4IR apps, smart learning, smart health and smart financial services. The government believes this would make currently inaccessible knowledge more democratized and accessible to all. This expected domino effect is that this portal helps to improve the skills and expand the capabilities of the population.