A digital leap: Senegal turns to satellite tech to reach its most remote communities 🇸🇳📡

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As part of a national push to deliver universal internet access, Senegal has unveiled a major satellite connectivity program targeting the country’s most remote communities. On December 4, 2025, Minister of Communication, Telecommunications and Digital Affairs Alioune Sall announced that the initiative plans to connect one million people by the end of 2026.

Connecting isolated regions 🌍

The project focuses on areas where traditional telecom infrastructure has struggled to take root—remote villages, sparsely populated regions, and hard-to-reach zones where connectivity is often unreliable or simply nonexistent.

Satellite antennas will provide stable internet access not only to households but also to essential public institutions including schools, health posts, and administrative services.

“This deployment will begin before the end of 2026. Through new technologies, the State of Senegal must stay close to its citizens,” said Alioune Sall.

A cornerstone of the New Deal Technologique 📡

The initiative is part of the New Deal Technologique, Senegal’s national roadmap for modernizing public services, reducing regional inequalities, and expanding digital access.

For policymakers, satellite connectivity is a strategic accelerator—a way to bring digital services to regions where telecom operators face major challenges deploying heavy infrastructure.

A transformation beyond internet access 🌐

Satellite internet could dramatically reshape daily life in underserved areas, unlocking opportunities for:

• online education
• telemedicine
• e-commerce
• remote-work-driven jobs
• deeper integration of digital public services

According to DataReportal, 11.3 million Senegalese were online at the start of 2025, representing a 60.6% penetration rate. With this new program, the country hopes to take a significant step forward in digital inclusion.

👉🏾 Do you think satellite connectivity can truly transform life in remote areas?