Seacom launches satellite service
Telecoms provider Seacom has launched a low-earth orbit (LEO) satellite service, similar to that which Elon Musk’s Starlink has popularised in recent years.
The service, which is being offered in partnership with Eutelsat OneWeb, is available to its enterprise clients and serves as part of a broader group effort to diversify beyond its traditional undersea cable operations.
Seacom said on Monday the offering comes after a two-year consultation with industry partners. The company was part of the purchase order of the first shipment of LEO satellite equipment to SA.
The company ran through a series of necessary installations and test trials before the launch.
In recent years LEO satellites have grown in popularity as a way to plug connectivity gaps, particularly in less developed and rural areas, as well as adding another layer of connectivity to a telecom operator’s portfolio.
While LEO satellites operate at an altitude of 2,000km or less, geostationary satellites function at altitudes of more than 35,000km and medium-orbit satellites at 2,000km-8,000km.
Seacom, one of Africa’s largest undersea cable providers, which counts Sanlam and Remgro among its shareholders, sells internet data capacity on its networks to business, internet service providers and mobile operators on a wholesale basis.
Founded in 2009, it connects SA’s internet traffic to Europe via its eastern African undersea cable and holds about 25% of the wholesale fibre market locally, competing with companies such as Telkom, Vodacom and Liquid Intelligent Technologies.
This latest offering adds another layer and connectivity option for the group, which battles to repair the inevitable undersea cable breaks that occur periodically. Recent breaks on the west coast of Africa affected internet traffic in and out of SA, and disruptions in the Red Sea have been complex to address for Seacom, given geopolitical tensions in the region.
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Seacom says it clients can integrate LEO satellite connectivity into their network infrastructure and business continuity strategies.
“Data that’s routed through the satellite is beamed to teleport facilities placed in geographically strategic locations, from which it is routed to various network centres and endpoints. LEO is especially optimal for enterprises with low latency and intensive workload requirements, including those in sectors such as financial services, retail, mining, and education,” the company said.
Seacom group CEO Alpheus Mangale said the launch was a turning point for pan-African telecommunications and the result of significant investments in the sector and increased adoption.
“The end goal is to make the LEO service an essential value offering for organisations of all shapes and sizes. Connectivity is on track to become a wholesale service made up of different technologies that work together to meet clients’ needs and deliver the uptime and performance that’s expected from market leaders,” he said.
In 2021, SpaceX, a space exploration company owned by SA-born Musk, began offering satellite-based internet services in the US and other parts of the world to connect those without access to fast 3G and 4G mobile connectivity or wired options through telephone or fibre lines. Starlink uses satellites to connect devices on the ground.
With SA being slow to bring in Starlink technology, a number of telecom providers are working to secure deals that will, it is hoped, put them ahead of the competition, particularly in outlying and remote areas where connectivity continues to be a big headache.
In 2023, communications & digital technologies minister Mondli Gungubele said Starlink had not applied for a licence to operate in SA. With or without Starlink, telecom operators are doing what they can to offer services that incorporate low altitude satellites and plug potential holes in their coverage.
In September, Vodacom parent company Vodafone and Project Kuiper, Amazon’s LEO communications initiative, announced a strategic partnership through which Vodafone and Vodacom plan to use Project Kuiper’s network to extend the reach of their 4G and 5G services to more of their customers in Europe and Africa.
MTN has also disclosed it is in discussions with satellite providers such as Starlink as part of a plan to increase its network coverage.