Konnect Africa, a subsidiary of Eutelsat Communications, Schoolap and Flash Services announced on 23 March 2020 a Memorandum of Understanding to connect several thousand schools across the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to the Internet as part of the Schoolap project. It aims to provide schools with high speed internet connectivity, giving them access to a digital platform of officially recognized educational content and high quality teaching materials.
The first stage of the project aims to connect 3,600 private schools over the next 12 months, leveraging Konnect Africa’s satellite capacity and technical expertise, notably in terms of installation.
Each school will subscribe to a “Home Unlimited or plus” package, giving it access to a high speed internet service. At a later stage, it is planned to roll the project out to several tens of thousands more schools, thereby responding to the requirement for digital inclusion which is part of government policy.
Konnect Africa has been operating for over a year in the DRC, bringing broadband connectivity to unserved or poorly served areas, by delivering a solution that is affordable, flexible and available everywhere. Currently operating with limited capacity, Konnect Africa will see its in-orbit resources increase tenfold with the entry into service of the EUTELSAT KONNECT satellite in the autumn of 2020. With a total capacity of 75 Gbps, EUTELSAT KONNECT will be able to provide speeds of up to 100 Mbps with total or partial coverage of 40 African countries.
Konnect Africa CEO Jean-Claude Tshipama said: “This project highlights the major benefits of satellite internet in bridging the digital divide, as well as the efficiency of the solutions deployed by the Konnect Africa teams. The entry into service of EUTELSAT KONNECT in the coming months will be a milestone in our ability to better address the strong demand for connectivity from our customers, ranging from individuals to businesses and government agencies.”
