MTN Group sees low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite operators as part of the solution to Africa’s digital divide rather than a threat to mobile network operators, though governments must ensure a level regulatory playing field as new entrants expand across the continent, a senior executive said.
“LEO is part of the solution,” Ebenezer Asante, MTN Group’s Senior Vice President for Southern and East Africa, Ghana and Sudan, said in an interview at the Africa CEO Forum in Kigali.
Africa still faces a 57% digital divide, with seven in 10 people remaining offline despite significant improvements in network coverage, Asante said. While operators have invested heavily in terrestrial infrastructure, the continent still faces a digital infrastructure financing gap of about $100 billion.
MTN invests about $2 billion annually in network infrastructure, but bridging the remaining gap will require partnerships among telecom operators, governments and satellite providers, he said.
Asante said satellite technology should complement terrestrial networks, particularly in providing backhaul connectivity and extending services to underserved areas. However, he warned that regulators must avoid creating rules that favor satellite providers over traditional telecom operators.
“We need the terrestrial, and we need the LEOs as well,” he said. “The regulation in that regard has to be carefully thought through so that it is not lopsided.”
He called for harmonized regulation, fiscal parity and similar licensing requirements for satellite and terrestrial operators, arguing that unequal treatment could discourage continued investment in mobile infrastructure.
MTN has already begun partnering with satellite companies, including trials of direct-to-cell technology in Zambia and South Africa, Asante said, adding that the company sees emerging technologies as opportunities rather than threats.
“What we are asking for is regulation that is in tune and in line with the evolution of technology,” he said.
The executive also said the continent’s biggest connectivity challenge has shifted from network coverage to affordability, arguing that reducing the cost of smartphones would have a greater impact on digital inclusion than expanding network reach alone.
According to Asante, population coverage exceeds 95% in every market under his supervision, yet most Africans remain offline because entry-level smartphones have become increasingly expensive following global chip shortages and import tariffs.
