Eutelsat Group has obtained a 15-year licence to run its OneWeb low-Earth orbit (LEO) connectivity services in Angola,becoming the country’s first licensed LEO operator.
The announcement follows the recent opening of a new ground station in Luanda, solidifying Eutelsat’s local infrastructure footprint.
Eutelsat thanked the Angolan government and stakeholders, including Minister of Telecommunications Mário Oliveira and regulatory authority INACOM, for supporting the initiative.
“With strong demand, meaningful government support, and a dedicated regional team, we are working together to deliver reliable, high-speed connectivity that empowers communities and fuels economic growth,” the group said in a statement.
Eutelsat brings technical advancement to Angola
The LEO network will serve key sectors such as mining, agriculture, logistics, and healthcare, while also expanding low-latency internet access to remote and underserved areas.
Eutelsat aims to contribute to Angola’s broader digital transformation goals by helping bridge the digital divide.
Low-latency connectivity for businesses, government agencies, and neighbourhood projects can help close the digital gap and open up new doors in the area.
It noted that it looks forward to increasing connectivity where it is most needed and supporting Angola’s digital goal.
France invests €717 million in Eutelsat
It was recently reported that France is investing € 717 million in Eutelsat as part of an overall capital increase of €1.35 billion, increasing its ownership from 13 per cent to over 30 per cent and taking the lead as the largest shareholder.
Eutelsat’s 2023 merger with OneWeb, a British company, gives it a competitive edge. The two companies will create a network of about 630 low Earth orbit satellites that will operate at 1,200 kilometres above sea level.
Although OneWeb is still smaller than a tenth of Starlink’s approximately 7,000 satellites, Eutelsat asserts that OneWeb provides consumers in Europe with comparable coverage and latency capabilities.
In order to establish itself as a viable rival to Starlink’s hegemony, the combined company runs both conventional geostationary satellites and this contemporary LEO network.
The French military recently inked a strategic 10-year, €1 billion agreement with OneWeb. This investment supports Europe’s larger Iris initiative, which plans to deploy 290 satellites by 2030.
Timing is critical as European satellite operators attempt to compete in the quickly expanding satellite internet industry while dealing with increasing debt pressures.
France argues that this is crucial for European “digital sovereignty” and strategic autonomy in space communications, ensuring that Europe doesn’t rely solely on American technology for vital connectivity.