Niger is embracing satellite broadband, notably Elon Musk’s Starlink, to tackle its vast digital divide, where less than a third of the country has internet access. The move aims to connect remote rural areas plagued by poor infrastructure and conflict.
The country’s electronic communications regulator, ARCEP, attributes the patchy coverage to a lack of investment and the destruction of relay antennae by armed groups. In November, Niger’s military rulers granted Starlink a five-year contract to provide high-speed internet access across the Sahel state.
“Essential services that drive economic development — banks, hospitals, schools, the energy and farming sectors — all rely on the internet and data,” said economist Ibrahim Adamou Louche. Communications Minister Sidi Ahmed Raliou predicted the move would provide internet access to “about 80 to 100 percent” of Niger.
However, the cost of Starlink equipment poses a significant barrier in a country where nearly 50 percent of the population lives on less than a dollar a day. This has led to the emergence of illicit operations, with equipment smuggled in from neighboring Nigeria and pay-per-use access points popping up in rural communities.
In remote areas, particularly, satellite broadband has been met with enthusiasm. “We’re back in civilisation,” said Alfa Hama, a villager in Gorou, where phone and internet relay antennae were destroyed eight years ago. “The wifi is right here.”
The service has also found use in the Tenere desert, catering to travelers and migrants, and in illegal gold mining areas. Local Touareg chief Youssaf Houssa noted how communities are pooling resources to access the internet, enabling online business and communication.
Niger’s traditional telecommunications operators, however, view the arrival of Starlink with less enthusiasm, arguing that satellite solutions are complementary but cannot replace their existing services in terms of cost and performance.