Hard on the heels of yesterday’s news about satellite-related development initiatives, a satellite launch has been announced that could offer improved rural connectivity – this time in Ghana.
Ghanaian ISP AfricaOnline, a subsidiary of Gondwana International Networks (GIN), has announced the launch of its new JOLA service, a high-speed broadband satellite service powered by Avanti’s HYLAS4 satellite that offers 100 per cent coverage of Ghana through multiple spot beams and, according to Foster Plender, Managing Director for AfricaOnline, speeds to Ghanaian subscribers of “up to 35Mbps download”.
While this system is described as perfect for remote areas, Plender also highlighted the use case for high-speed satellite as a business continuity service in urban areas.
With many more sectors of the population becoming connected, a number of development-related opportunities could be offered, including better connectivity for rural judiciary courts, agriculture services, eLearning initiatives, remote hospitality lodges and micro-finance institutions, as well as CCTV and machine-to-machine (M2M) applications for construction and national manufacturing plants.
GIN through its subsidiary, iWayAfrica, has partnered with Avanti since 2014 for the rollout of high-speed satellite services in Southern & Eastern Africa. In August 2018, the group was granted Master Distributor status for its new service on the latest satellite, HYLAS4 with a focus on West and Central Africa.
