Telecom
Intelsat Invests US$2bn into Unified Global 5G Network
Africa-focused satellite operator Intelsat is currently building a unified global 5G network the company says will support virtually any access technology, and enable the next generation of global mobility, IOT and 5G services.
The company believes while the continent relies heavily on 3G and 4G for connectivity, the role of 5G in the future African connectivity landscape is not in doubt, given the increased urgency for enhanced connectivity services for households and businesses.
Intelsat asserts that its hybrid, multi-orbit, software-defined 5G network will enable simple, seamless and secure coverage.
Hans Geldenhuys, Director, Africa Sales – Intelsat, explains: “Intelsat’s open architecture design which integrates multiple orbits supports virtually any access technology, while the multi-layer approach ensures no single point of failure in the system by creating redundancy – the assurance of continuous high level of service.
The construct of our network – cloud-based, fully virtualised, and software-defined – enables ground and space systems to interact seamlessly, no matter the orbit or band. Software-defined satellites provide ‘follow me’ capacity that dynamically allocates based on prevailing and predicted demand.
“The network enables frictionless connectivity with global roaming and easy integration with the growing 5G networks of the world, including common hardware platforms.”
To this end the company has confirmed that ten satellites, including two software-defined, are already in production and will complement its existing fleet of 52 satellites.
“… and we are also progressing in the design phase of all aspects of this network with our solutions partners,” Geldenhuys adds.
The company is mobilising this infrastructure to entrench its service and value proposition in the market – and more so because its leadership believes that 5G is inevitable and there is no doubt about its role in the future African connectivity landscape.
Geldenhuys continues, “5G is a catalyst for innovation and will give an opportunity to industry and service providers, communities, and individuals to advance their digital agendas towards economic growth, job creation and socio-economic development. However, it is likely that the mobile technology that will dominate in Africa for the foreseeable future will be 4G.”
Intelsat adds that according to the GSMA, 5G in Africa will only account for 3% for all connections in 2025, while 4G will continue to grow to 27%.
To make 5G successful, it will be essential for all stakeholders to put in place the necessary building blocks to maximise the opportunity that the technology can bring, the company says.
Satellite support for 5G
Intelsat is also confident of its strength in satellite infrastructure services and underlines the value of this technology in supporting 5G development on the continent – particularly in terms of extending connectivity to rural areas.
The company says for 5G networks, satellites will play an even more important role as operators will rely on their ubiquity and resiliency to ensure end-users have access to a broad range of applications, including in remote and rural areas – and even in airplanes or on ships.
Geldenhuys adds, “Satellites gives the opportunity to offer vastly enhanced and faster broadband connectivity with additional backhaul, creating redundancies, and providing remote and rural areas with greater connectivity.
Satellite will complement terrestrial networks in underserved areas for homes and businesses, or to enterprise sites as a backup. As you move to more rural and remote areas, only satellite communication has the potential to provide reliable coverage and sufficient data density.
“As the number, uses, and requirements of connectivity continue to evolve, so does the importance of extending the promise of 5G networks beyond the urban and densely networked communities.”
The company says that with the majority of the population on the continent living in rural areas where voice traffic still runs over 2G networks and devices on 2G mode, it will be difficult to skip 4G and migrate to 5G without, first, taking steps to migrate 2G/3G voice to VoLTE (Voice over LTE) over 4G networks.
In the short- to medium-term, governments and the mobile industry will, therefore, need to focus on efforts to increase 4G adoption among mobile users. This will involve strategies to make 4G devices more affordable and provide relevant digital content to drive demand for enhanced connectivity services, Intelsat states.
Geldenhuys adds, “5G will be a primary use case and provide significant opportunities to enterprises of all sizes, given the challenges around access, cost and reliability of existing connectivity services.
However, the cost of 5G devices will play a crucial role in 5G adoption rates for consumers in Africa, where smartphone affordability is a significant barrier to mobile access and ownership.
“We have long advocated for the integration of standards across the telecommunications ecosystem, which are now making it even easier to integrate satellites into new and innovative connectivity solutions.
“As mentioned, at Intelsat, we’re building an advanced network – aligned with these standards – that can support multiple access technologies, and ultimately make it easier for companies, governments, and communities around the world to connect and power their digital future.
“Our unparalleled unifying network will set the standard in 5G connectivity and uninterrupted global broadband service with unrivalled coverage, economics, and performance.”
The issue of spectrum
Intelsat suggests that for 5G to be fully realised, terrestrial telecommunications systems will not be enough.
“We will need to move to an integrated 5G ‘network of networks’ where satellites play an increasing role, alongside terrestrial networks and Intelsat has, for instance, been working on 3GPP standards.
When looking at spectrum bands, a balanced way of thinking is needed to cater for wider geographic areas and ultra-high-speed capacity with low latencies. Mid-band spectrum (i.e., C band) is still required by satellite services as a robust transmission for Africa and there is a real need to protect these services and enable regulatory certainty for their future,” Geldenhuys adds.
The company believes that regulators and policymakers have an important role to ensure that the mobile industry and 5G are major catalysts in speeding up the digitalisation of the continent. But it must be done in a balanced way which does not impact other services such as FSS. So, adding more spectrum is not the answer to the coverage challenges.
“In order to bridge the digital divide, regulators need to cater for a balanced approach. One that takes care of all technologies and allows them to grow to meet the 21st century connection challenge for Africa,” says Geldenhuys.
The company suggests that more needs to be done to raise end user awareness of the breadth of 5G use cases and areas of application. To accelerate the adoption, end-users must see the value of the technology.
In celebration of International Women’s Day (IWD) 2026, Techeconomy, a leading business news platform in Nigeria, has unveiled its “100 Women Shaping the Future: Techeconomy Power List 2026,” recognizing exceptional women driving innovation, leadership, and impact across technology and the broader digital economy.
Techeconomy
The annual recognition spotlights women who are transforming industries through entrepreneurship, policy leadership, digital innovation, financial inclusion, media, education, and emerging technologies.
The initiative is part of Techeconomy’s commitment to promoting gender inclusion and highlighting female leadership shaping Africa’s technology ecosystem.
The Techeconomy IWD Power List features a diverse group of women, from corporate executives and startup founders to policymakers, ecosystem builders, and social innovators, whose work continues to influence the future of technology, business, and digital transformation in Nigeria and across Africa.
Speaking on the initiative, Joan Aimuengheuwa, the Managing Editor at Techeconomy, noted that the recognition goes beyond celebrating titles, focusing instead on impact, resilience, and the ability to shape the future through innovation and leadership.
According to her, “the women on the list represent different sectors including fintech, banking, healthcare, agriculture, education, communications, and the creative economy, demonstrating the growing role of women in advancing technology-driven development.
The unveiling aligns with the global celebration of International Women’s Day, which highlights the achievements of women and calls for accelerated progress toward gender equality. Across the world, the technology sector continues to push for greater female representation and leadership as part of efforts to build more inclusive digital economies.
Also speaking, Oluwatosin Aloba, the Brand Manager at Techeconomy, said: “Techeconomy IWD 2026 Power List is specially designed to inspire the next generation of female innovators and leaders by showcasing role models who are breaking barriers and redefining possibilities in the technology landscape.
“Techeconomy encouraged industry stakeholders, institutions, and the broader public to celebrate the achievements of these women while continuing to support policies, programs, and investments that expand opportunities for women in technology”, she added.
The full list of the “100 Women Shaping the Future: Techeconomy Power List 2026” is available on the Techeconomy website or visit: https://techeconomy.ng/techeconomy-iwd-2026-power-list-celebrates-100-women-shaping-the-future-of-tech/.
National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), via its Office for Nigerian Digital Innovation (ONDI), has partnered with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to launch applications for the fifth cohort of the iHatch Startup Incubation Programme, targeting 37 innovation hubs—one per state and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
NITDA
The initiative selects hubs as state-level managers to run incubation programmes, addressing uneven support outside Lagos and Abuja. “Nigeria’s startup ecosystem has grown rapidly, but access remains uneven,” said ONDI National Coordinator Victoria Fabunmi. “iHatch builds stronger hubs, standardises quality, and boosts investment readiness across all regions.”
Amid Africa’s $3.42 billion startup funding in 2025, Nigeria’s innovation clusters in major cities, sidelining rural founders. Selected hubs will incubate five startups each for at least one year, providing structured guidance for growth and funding. Hubs gain operational support, resources, and performance rewards—prioritizing ecosystem leadership over cash grants.
Eligibility and Timeline
Eligible hubs must:
Operate for at least one year with local engagement.
Possess infrastructure for incubation activities.
Applications close March 16 at ondi.nitda.gov.ng/#/ihatch.
Fabunmi emphasized: “By equipping hubs with tools, curriculum, and oversight, iHatch ensures consistent outcomes for founders everywhere,” tackling geographic gaps to scale local innovation.
French media group Canal+ has announced a €100 million turnaround plan to revive growth at MultiChoice, Africa’s largest pay-TV operator, after the DStv owner lost hundreds of thousands of subscribers and suffered a decline in revenue in 2025.
MultiChoice
The move follows Canal+’s full takeover of the South Africa-based broadcaster, which has been squeezed by weaker household purchasing power across Africa and intensifying competition from global streaming platforms.
According to Canal+’s latest financial disclosures, MultiChoice ended 2025 with 14.4 million subscribers, down from 14.9 million a year earlier, while revenue fell 6 per cent to €2.4 billion.
Adjusted earnings before interest and tax dropped 14 per cent to €159 million, prompting Canal+ to describe 2025 as “another challenging year” marked by falling subscriber numbers and an unsustainably high cost base.
The group cited currency depreciation in key markets such as Nigeria and persistent electricity shortages as major headwinds making it harder for households to maintain pay-TV subscriptions.
Canal+ also pointed to problems at Showmax, MultiChoice’s streaming service, describing one of its key contracts as an “expensive failure” and confirming that the arrangement is being shut down as part of a wider refocus on the core pay-TV business.
Under the new “boost plan,” which will roll out from 2026, Canal+ aims to restart subscriber growth and improve profitability across MultiChoice’s footprint by investing in content, pricing, distribution and sales.
On content, the French group says it plans to assemble the “best content on the African continent” by blending premium international programmes with more locally produced films, series and sports tailored to African audiences.
It will also simplify subscription packages and adjust pricing structures to make DStv and related offerings easier for customers to understand and afford.
To expand reach, Canal+ intends to subsidise hardware such as decoders and satellite dishes, lowering entry costs for new users.
In addition, the company will recruit more than 1,000 sales staff across African markets as it shifts MultiChoice towards a more aggressive, “sales-focused” model designed to win back and attract subscribers.
Alongside this investment push, Canal+ is embarking on significant cost-cutting measures, including a voluntary severance plan for some MultiChoice support staff and a restructuring of Irdeto, its technology and cybersecurity subsidiary.
Canal+ now expects to generate over €250 million in synergies by 2026, up from an earlier €150 million estimate, driven by the shutdown of loss-making Showmax contracts, operational restructuring at MultiChoice and rationalisation of company-owned properties.
The cost of delivering these savings is projected at between €70 million and €100 million. Despite the planned reforms, the group still anticipates a slight further decline in MultiChoice’s subscriber base in 2026, though the pace of losses is expected to slow, with adjusted earnings before interest and tax forecast to rise modestly to about €170 million as cost savings begin to offset weaker revenue and higher expenses.
Canal+ gained effective control of MultiChoice on 20 September 2025 after acquiring a majority stake, later buying out remaining shareholders and delisting the company from the Johannesburg Stock Exchange in December 2025.
The French media group has said it intends to complete a secondary listing on the JSE before June 2026 to reinforce its presence in Africa’s fast-growing media and entertainment market.
The €100 million boost plan underlines the mounting pressure on traditional pay-TV operators across the continent as currency weakness, rising living costs and rapid expansion of streaming services force a strategic rethink of legacy television business models.
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