(Ecofin Agency) - In Africa, Russia has previously partnered with Angola to launch a telecommunications satellite. The satellite entered orbit in October 2022, and commercial services started in late January 2023.

Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso are looking to develop a joint communication satellite with the Russian space agency ROSCOSMOS. The goal is to improve telecommunication services and more. Ministers from the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) discussed the project during a meeting on yesterday in Bamako.

Alousséni Sanou, Mali’s Minister of Economy and Finance, stated that the new satellite will be used for “multi-service communication (Internet, phone) in hard-to-reach areas with underdeveloped infrastructure, high-speed Internet access using VSAT technology, and secure, encrypted communications.” The satellite will also be used for broadcasting.

According to DataReportal, AES countries had 66.97 million mobile phone subscribers at the beginning of 2024, with a total population of 80.9 million. The same source reported 17.2 million Internet users across the three countries at the start of the year.

If the project is successful, it could enhance the coverage and use of telecommunication services in all three nations. For example, Angola launched its AngoSat-2 telecom satellite in January 2023. One year later, the number of Internet users rose from 11.78 million to 14.63 million, while mobile phone subscribers increased from 20.1 million to 29.2 million.