African regional operator MTN Group is teaming up with the likes of SpaceX (Starlink), AST SpaceMobile, OneWeb and Lynk Global to develop satellite-based internet connectivity across rural parts of the continent.
In developing its Low Earth Orbit (LEO) exploration, Techpoint Africa notes that MTN Group has already initiated pilot trials with AST SpaceMobile (Nigeria, South Sudan), Lynk Global (Ghana, South Africa) and Starlink (Rwanda and Nigeria) to test standard and direct-to-device satellite services. It is understood that MTN’s contracts with satellite service providers ‘are based on a shared revenue model, even though each agreement is negotiated separately’.