Seacom Launches Satellite Service Following Subsea Cable Disruption

Seacom, a company that provides internet and cable services, has expanded its offerings in South Africa. Instead of just using undersea cables, it’s now using satellites that orbit close to Earth. This new service is ready for business customers to use. It helps them connect to the internet using satellites instead of traditional methods like cables or cell towers.

This change happened after Seacom had a big problem with its cables in the Red Sea. This made it hard for people in Africa to connect to Europe and for customers in East and South Africa to get online. Seacom says this satellite service is a big change in how people in the area can get connected. They spent two years talking to other companies before launching this new service.

With satellite internet, data travels through special stations on the ground before reaching its destination. Unlike regular internet, which relies on local stations, satellite internet can keep working even if local stations fail, like during a power outage.

The CEO of Seacom, Alpheus Mangale, says they want this new service to be important for all kinds of businesses, big and small. They think it’s great for industries like banking, retail, mining, and education, where speed and reliability are crucial.

Another big player in satellite internet is Elon Musk’s company, Starlink. While it’s available in many African countries, it’s not officially allowed in South Africa yet. However, it still works there through a roaming service. Recently, Starlink cut off some South African customers because of legal issues.

Now, Starlink has said it won’t provide its service in places where it’s not allowed. This includes South Africa, Ghana, Botswana, and Zimbabwe. This news might make more people in South Africa switch to Seacom’s satellite service instead.