By Farhad Khan, Chief
Commercial Officer Yahsat.
According a recent report by the Tanzania
Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA), approximately two fifths
of Tanzanians now have access to the internet with majority of those people
living in urban areas.
One significant outcome of this growth in Internet
penetration and usage has been the creation of more socio-economic
opportunities. However, for people living outside of large urban areas, the
opportunity to connect to the internet and take advantage of all the prospects
it offers remains limited.
Helping to connect the unconnected is satellite
broadband which is a far more viable internet alternative for these communities
in comparison to a fixed-line solution.
Since satellite broadband is not
subject to the same physical and infrastructure limitations of cable-based
systems, it can significantly improve connectivity in rural areas for
individuals and businesses.
In Tanzania and across Africa the deployment of satellite
technology is changing people’s lives. Many people in across the continent that
were unserved and under-served in rural areas are now enjoying the benefits of
connectivity.
In South Africa, approximately
10 per cent of pensioners were either unaware of the value of their pensions or
unable to access them. Hence, the Government Employees Pension Fund (GEPF)
launched an outreach project aimed at engaging with pensioners.
An always-on broadband
connectivity facilitated real-time access to pension data, no matter how remote
the location of the pensioner. Today 1.2 million people have the opportunity to manage
their finances online, something that would have been unthinkable just a few
years ago.
Much
closer to home, Tanzania’s next-door neighbor Kenya provides an example of how
satellite connectivity can transform a country’s healthcare industry.
In Kiambu
County, satellite connectivity has contributed to quicker and more effective
patient care through the sharing of knowledge and resources via satellite
broadband.
Through
the availability of internet connectivity and the implementation of new
software, the local healthcare facilities are now able to share critical
information, which helps them better manage patient inquiries, and handle cases
in the clinics.
Since
medical records are now available to connected healthcare facilities within the
county, anyone can go to the nearest facility and receive the consultation and
medicine they need within a matter of minutes.
This is saving patients time
that would have otherwise been spent traveling.
Other sectors in Kenya, such as education, are
experiencing the benefits as well. Today, a student is able to access vast
amounts of e-learning tools with a simple click of a button.
Information that
is essential to learn, grow and pursue their ambitions is now more readily
available.
These
are just some of the first-hand
benefits that satellite connectivity is bringing to communities and individuals
across Africa, and here in Tanzania with the continued rollout of connectivity
across the country.
Satellite broadband has the capacity to jumpstart the
process of giving Tanzanian communities access to more services, and changing
for the better the way children are educated or healthcare is provided.
Governments,
technology partners and businesses should work together to support the rapid deployment of high-speed satellite connectivity across Tanzania, especially in
rural areas, and place previously remote communities at the heart of the next
generation of the country’s connectivity deployment.
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