Rendition of the Konnect satellites. Photo: Thales Alenia Space

Konnect Africa, a subsidiary of Eutelsat Communications, Schoolap and Flash Services has committed to providing high speed internet to several thousand schools across the Democratic Republic of Congo as part of a Schoolap project.

The subsidiary currently operates with limited capacity, but projects it will deliver 100 Mbps to 40 African countries once Eutelsat KONNECT enters into service in the fall. Arianespace launched KONNECT from French Guiana on Jan. 16. 

Konnect Africa plans to help with installation in the first stage of the project with the goal of connecting 3,600 private schools over the next 12 months. Later stages of the project plan to roll out connectivity to tens of thousands of schools. The Memorandum of Understanding was announced on March 23. 

“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” Konnect Africa CEO Jean-Claude Tshipama said.