Page 98 - SAMENA Trends - June-July 2025

SATELLITE UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

Starlink and Paratus Bring Satellite Internet to Remote Schools in Africa

Pan-African telecom group Paratus, an official reseller of Starlink,
has launched a satellite-based internet solution aimed at improv-
ing connectivity in remote schools across Africa. The service is
now active in seven countries: Botswana, Eswatini, Kenya, Malawi,
Mozambique, Rwanda, and Zambia. The offering includes a full
Starlink kit, professional installation, local support, and 2 terabytes
of priority monthly data. A buffer feature ensures continued access
to educational content even after the data limit is exceeded. This
solution is reserved for government-recognized schools, with a fo-
cus on rural areas excluded from traditional digital infrastructure.
“Paratus EduLINK is not just about connectivity; it is about creating
equal access to education,” said Barney Harmse, Executive Chair-
man of Paratus Group. The initiative allows students and teachers
to access online learning resources, attend remote classes, and
take digital exams, helping to enable hybrid teaching models. In
isolated regions where young people often lack basic digital skills
needed in the job market, this solution could be a game-changer.
According to GSMA, only 27% of the population in sub-Saharan Af-
rica used mobile internet in 2023, despite widespread coverage.
Starlink’s satellite technology aims to bypass the need for ground
infrastructure, offering an alternative path to digital access. In Na-
mibia, a similar project by Paratus called Eduvision has already
improved school performance for more than 12,000 students. The
future success of this model will depend on its financial sustain- nology alone is not enough. Long-term impact requires targeted
ability, teacher training, and how well it integrates into national teacher training, strong partnerships with ministries of education,
education policies. Other similar initiatives are emerging, such as and reliable funding models. If governments can fully integrate
Avanti’s “iMlango” program, which has connected 99,190 girls in these tools into national strategies and strengthen digital literacy,
rural Kenyan schools to digital learning tools via satellite. While connectivity could become a powerful driver of education transfor-
projects like these offer hope for narrowing education gaps, tech- mation in Africa.

Starlink-Powered ‘T-Satellite’ Service is Now Live on T-Mobile

T-Mobile’s satellite service is now available to people across the to $15 per month. It also comes included for customers on the
US — and not just T-Mobile customers. T-Mobile CEO Mike Sievert carrier’s $100 per month Experience Beyond or older Go5G plans.
announced that the Starlink-powered service is officially out of The device will automatically connect to T-Satellite if you’re in
beta, though it only supports text messaging and location-sharing an area with no cellular coverage. As long as there isn’t a heavy
for now. The new satellite coverage option is called “T-Satellite,” amount of cloud coverage or trees blocking your view of the sky,
and it’s currently available as a standalone subscription. It’s being you should be able to send and receive text messages, including
offered at $10 per month for a “limited time,” before increasing to 911, as well as share a link that temporarily tracks your location.
T-Mobile’s support page says the ability to send pictures is available
on “most” Android phones, and the company plans on adding
support for more devices soon. T-Mobile is also aiming to enable
voice messages and will eventually allow devices to connect to
“satellite-optimized” apps, which it previously said could include
AllTrails, Accuweather, and WhatsApp. The more than 650 Starlink
satellites used by T-Mobile cover the continental US, Hawaii, parts
of southern Alaska, and Puerto Rico. The carrier says it’s working
on offering satellite connectivity while abroad and in international
waters as well. Apple currently offers the ability to send texts and
emergency messages from the iPhone 14 and later for free, but
it plans to eventually charge for it (there still aren’t any details on
price). Google also added a satellite SOS feature to the Pixel 9
that’s free to use for two years after activation.

98 JUNE-JULY 2025