• Plans aim to boost digital inclusion, regional connectivity, and innovation

• Strategy supports Angola’s goal to become a regional digital hub
  

Angola plans to step up investment in its telecommunications sector, President João Lourenço said on Tuesday during the Africa Infrastructure Financing Summit in Luanda. The plan includes the planned launch of a new Earth-observation satellite and a major expansion of the national fiber-optic network.

Lourenço said the investments are part of a national strategy for modernization and digital inclusion, aimed at ensuring equitable access to digital technologies and harnessing innovation to drive development.

The new satellite will complement Angosat-2, launched in October 2022. Domestically, the government plans to expand the national fiber-optic backbone, after previously announcing plans to build an additional 2,000 kilometers of cable and repair about 883 kilometers of existing lines, with target capacities between 200 Gbps and 1 Tbps.

Current Reach and Regional Ambitions

Angosat-2 currently serves 16 of 18 provinces via more than 150 VSAT terminals connecting remote areas. Angola’s terrestrial network is also linked with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Zambia through 1,150-kilometer connections, providing up to 40 Gbps of capacity to the DRC.

These efforts are central to Angola’s goal of becoming a regional digital-infrastructure hub. The 2023–2027 ICT White Paper prioritizes infrastructure expansion, digital sovereignty, and skills development. The creation of a national space agency, new international partnerships, and the “Conecta Angola” program underscore the government’s continued investment in this sector.

The new infrastructure is expected to enhance monitoring of natural resources, strengthen disaster-risk management through early-warning imagery, expand Internet coverage in underserved areas, and support the growth of a local digital economy.

Key challenges ahead include ensuring transparent implementation, opening the sector to private investment, and developing local expertise to make full use of the new systems.

Samira Njoya