ABUJA, Nigeria – The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited (NIGCOMSAT), Jane Egerton-Idehen, has called for a fundamental shift in Africa’s approach to expanding digital connectivity, stressing that closing the continent’s connectivity gap requires more than technological innovation.
Speaking at the Ministerial Roundtable during the 7th African Telecommunications Union (ATU) Conference of Plenipotentiaries (PP-26) in Abuja, Egerton-Idehen, who also serves as Vice Chair of the Global Satellite Operators Association (GSOA), said Africa’s connectivity challenges are rooted primarily in policy, investment and implementation rather than a lack of technology.
Addressing the theme of why many regions across Africa continue to experience significant network coverage gaps, she argued that outdated economic models and regulatory frameworks have slowed efforts to achieve universal connectivity.
According to her, the continent must rethink its strategy through three critical pillars—economics, integration and regulation.
On economics, Egerton-Idehen noted that the remaining unconnected communities are fundamentally different from existing commercial markets. She explained that deploying traditional terrestrial infrastructure in sparsely populated areas is often financially unviable, making it necessary for governments and industry players to adopt innovative business models that also consider key economic sectors such as agriculture, mining, healthcare, transportation and critical national infrastructure.
She also emphasised the importance of network integration, stating that the future of connectivity lies not in choosing between satellite and terrestrial technologies, but in combining both. She said integrating satellite backhaul, direct satellite broadband, Direct-to-Device (D2D) services and hybrid network models would enable Africa to provide affordable, resilient and inclusive broadband services to underserved communities where fibre and conventional mobile networks are difficult or uneconomical to deploy.
On regulation, the NIGCOMSAT boss urged African governments to modernise their policy frameworks by adopting technology-neutral regulations, simplifying licensing processes and encouraging greater collaboration between satellite and terrestrial network operators. Such reforms, she said, would accelerate digital inclusion and unlock universal connectivity across the continent.
Egerton-Idehen maintained that Africa already possesses the technological capabilities needed to bridge the digital divide. However, she stressed that success will depend on creating policies that reflect the realities of underserved markets, encourage technology integration and support innovation-friendly regulation.
As Africa continues to pursue its digital transformation agenda, she reaffirmed NIGCOMSAT’s commitment to leveraging satellite technology and strategic partnerships to expand broadband access, strengthen communication resilience and ensure that no community is left behind.
The discussions at the ATU Conference reinforce the growing consensus among policymakers and industry leaders that achieving universal digital access across Africa will require coordinated investments, forward-looking regulations and closer collaboration between governments, telecommunications operators and satellite service providers.
