Eutelsat and unconnected.org to bring community Wi-Fi to Tanzania

Details: John Tanner; Category: Humanitarian Comms; 12 February 2026; 9862 views

Eutelsat said on Wedneday it is partnering with global non-profit organization unconnected.org to deploy satellite-powered community Wi-Fi in underserved aras in Tanzania, with plans to expand the project across Africa.

Under the project, unconnected.org will introduce Eutelsat’s KONNECT community Wi-Fi service to local partners in Tanzania, including ISPs, NGOs, system integrators and government stakeholders.

Mea Thompson, CCO of unconnected.org, said the community Wi-Fi service will be implemented via a commercial model designed to accelerate return on investment, expand digital access in underserved and hard to reach places, and support long term delivery.

“By lowering the cost of backhaul, [Eutelsat KONNECT] enables viable business models that allow local ISPs and community partners to achieve a return on investment while connecting the unconnected,” she said in a statement. “This is exactly the kind of solution needed to scale digital access in a way that is both impactful and commercially sustainable.”

The initiative is also intended to lay the groundwork for expansion into additional African countries, said Philippe Baudrier, Eutelsat’s VP for Africa.

“Through Eutelsat KONNECT, we are already seeing the tangible impact that satellite broadband can have in communities across Africa – from schools and clinics to local entrepreneurs,” he said. “Partnering with unconnected.org allows us to extend this reach even further, supporting the development of sustainable, community-based connectivity that delivers real social and economic value.”

Eutelsat announced in February 2025 that its KONNECT satellite played a key role in helping it fulfil its commitment under its Partner2Connect Digital Coalition programme to connect 1 million underserved people in sub-Saharan Africa to high-speed satellite internet two years ahead of schedule.