With digital transformation rapidly progressing on the continent, African countries are turning to space technology to accelerate the penetration of telecom services. Angola, which recently launched its second satellite, is already reaping the rewards of that choice. 

In seven Angolan cities, hospitals, government offices, schools, and universities now have access to free Internet connectivity and the tools necessary for socio-economic growth, thanks to AngoSat-2, the country’s second satellite.

According to the National Space Program Management Office (GGPEN), the cities that benefit from the new satellite are Uíge, Cuando Cubango, Huíla, Luanda, Cabinda, Moxico, and Lunda-Sul.

The satellite launched on October 12, 2022, was commissioned in line with the national space strategy. Its goal is to help bridge the digital divide and exclusion in the country, in remote and underserved communities notably.

The AngoSat-2 satellite services are expected to cover the entire country, the African continent, and a large part of Southern Europe in the C-band. The satellite will also provide almost complete coverage of Southern Europe and Southern Africa in the Ku-band. It is expected to provide Angola with the means to reduce the digital divide, allowing Angolans equal access to information technology and communication (ICT) tools and opportunities.

AngoSat-2 was built by the Russian company Reshetnev Information Satellite Systems Company (ISS-Reshetnev) and put into orbit from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The spacecraft comes as compensation for the $327.6 million AngoSat-1 satellite that was lost in space shortly after its launch in 2017.

Samira Njoya