• SES and AMN successfully upgraded over 200 telecom sites across Côte d'Ivoire, delivering 2G and 3 G mobile data services.
• Expansion reaches 500,00o people in rural areas where internet penetration stands at 24.6% compared to 52.7% in urban zones.
• The move aligns with the National Rural Connectivity Program.

On November 11, space solutions provider SES and Africa Mobile Networks (AMN) announced the upgrade of more than 200 telecom sites across Côte d'Ivoire to deliver reliable 2G and 3 G mobile data services. The upgrade will extend affordable connectivity to over 500,000 people in rural and previously underserved areas.

To meet growing demand for data services in Côte d'Ivoire, SES has expanded satellite capacity for AMN, enabling faster, more reliable connectivity for mobile operators and their customers. As data usage continues to rise, SES will further scale its capacity to support AMN's ongoing network growth and service enhancements nationwide.

"As a long-standing partner of AMN, we fully believe in the transformative impact of their work - vital in bringing reliable connectivity to underserved and unserved communities across Africa," said Jean-Philippe Gillet, president of Fixed and Maritime Vertical at SES. "

The expansion responds to significant connectivity gaps. According to Datareportal, internet penetration in Côte d'Ivoire stood at 39.6% of the total population at the start of 2025, leaving 60.4% offline. Internet penetration reaches 52.7% in urban areas but drops to just 24.6% in rural zones, according to ITU DataHub.

The AMN-SES expansion aligns with Côte d'Ivoire's National Rural Connectivity Program (PNCR). The government aims to connect 575 rural localities to high-speed internet by the end of 2025. The partnership between SES and AMN demonstrates how satellite-enabled connectivity combined with innovative, low-cost infrastructure can rapidly bridge rural connectivity gaps, delivering measurable social and economic benefits to previously unconnected communities.

Hikmatu Bilali