{"id":3058,"date":"2025-11-28T09:30:42","date_gmt":"2025-11-28T09:30:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/afrikastar.com\/?p=3058"},"modified":"2025-11-28T09:34:27","modified_gmt":"2025-11-28T09:34:27","slug":"africa-cannot-progress-in-the-dark","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/afrikastar.com\/en\/africa-cannot-progress-in-the-dark\/","title":{"rendered":"Africa Cannot Progress in the Dark"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"3058\" class=\"elementor elementor-3058\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4c322e2 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"4c322e2\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a6ab506 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"a6ab506\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">--------------------------------------------------------------------------------<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ece0592 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"ece0592\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-c00277e elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"c00277e\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Africa Cannot Progress in the Dark<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-9556406 elementor-widget__width-initial elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"9556406\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p data-start=\"479\" data-end=\"712\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-3062 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/afrikastar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/WhatsApp-Image-2025-11-28-at-12.20.02_d7fe0809-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"353\" height=\"353\" srcset=\"https:\/\/afrikastar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/WhatsApp-Image-2025-11-28-at-12.20.02_d7fe0809-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/afrikastar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/WhatsApp-Image-2025-11-28-at-12.20.02_d7fe0809-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/afrikastar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/WhatsApp-Image-2025-11-28-at-12.20.02_d7fe0809-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/afrikastar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/WhatsApp-Image-2025-11-28-at-12.20.02_d7fe0809-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/afrikastar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/WhatsApp-Image-2025-11-28-at-12.20.02_d7fe0809-12x12.jpg 12w, https:\/\/afrikastar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/WhatsApp-Image-2025-11-28-at-12.20.02_d7fe0809-600x600.jpg 600w, https:\/\/afrikastar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/WhatsApp-Image-2025-11-28-at-12.20.02_d7fe0809-100x100.jpg 100w, https:\/\/afrikastar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/WhatsApp-Image-2025-11-28-at-12.20.02_d7fe0809.jpg 1080w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 353px) 100vw, 353px\" \/><em data-start=\"479\" data-end=\"712\">\u201cEach African government that wants its people to progress should stop shutting down the internet and work towards ending broadband blackout zones with satellite broadband solutions LEO or GEO.\u201d \u2014 Casimir Berthier, CEO of Afrikanet<\/em><\/p><p data-start=\"714\" data-end=\"900\"><br \/>Africa is full of talent, ambition, and young innovators. But progress is blocked every time the internet goes dark. Shutdowns hurt education, business, communication, and opportunity.<\/p><p data-start=\"902\" data-end=\"1022\"><br \/>Casimir Berthier is clear: governments must stop disconnecting citizens and invest in solutions that connect everyone.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-c94317c elementor-widget__width-initial elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"c94317c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h4>Internet Shutdowns Are Rising<\/h4>\n<ul data-start=\"1064\" data-end=\"1388\">\n<li data-start=\"1064\" data-end=\"1151\">\n<p data-start=\"1066\" data-end=\"1151\">Since 2016, Africa has recorded over <strong data-start=\"1103\" data-end=\"1129\">190 internet shutdowns<\/strong> across 41 countries<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"1152\" data-end=\"1388\">\n<p data-start=\"1154\" data-end=\"1388\">Shutdowns have doubled since 2016, rising from 14 incidents in 2016 to 28 in 2024<br data-start=\"1235\" data-end=\"1238\">Source: <a class=\"decorated-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ids.ac.uk\/press-releases\/internet-shutdowns-in-africa-double-since-2016\/?utm_source=chatgpt.com\" target=\"_new\" rel=\"noopener\" data-start=\"1246\" data-end=\"1386\">IDS \u2013 Internet shutdowns in Africa double since 2016<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p data-start=\"1390\" data-end=\"1495\">Every shutdown disrupts lives: students cannot learn, freelancers cannot earn, businesses cannot trade.<\/p>\n<hr data-start=\"1497\" data-end=\"1500\">\n<h4>The Cost of Silence<\/h4>\n<ul data-start=\"1527\" data-end=\"1845\">\n<li data-start=\"1527\" data-end=\"1610\">\n<p data-start=\"1529\" data-end=\"1610\">In 2024, Sub-Saharan Africa lost <strong data-start=\"1562\" data-end=\"1582\">USD 1.56 billion<\/strong> due to internet shutdowns<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"1611\" data-end=\"1845\">\n<p data-start=\"1613\" data-end=\"1845\">Over <strong data-start=\"1618\" data-end=\"1639\">111 million users<\/strong> affected for <strong data-start=\"1653\" data-end=\"1669\">32,938 hours<\/strong><br data-start=\"1669\" data-end=\"1672\">Source: <a class=\"decorated-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wearetech.africa\/en\/fils-uk\/news\/tech\/africa-faces-1-5-billion-blow-from-internet-shutdowns-in-2024?utm_source=chatgpt.com\" target=\"_new\" rel=\"noopener\" data-start=\"1680\" data-end=\"1843\">WeAreTech \u2013 Africa faces 1.5 billion dollar blow<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p data-start=\"1847\" data-end=\"2016\">Ethiopia alone lost <strong data-start=\"1867\" data-end=\"1887\">USD 1.59 billion<\/strong> in 2023 due to a blackout<br data-start=\"1913\" data-end=\"1916\">Source: <a class=\"decorated-link\" href=\"https:\/\/allafrica.com\/stories\/202408090106.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com\" target=\"_new\" rel=\"noopener\" data-start=\"1924\" data-end=\"2014\">AllAfrica \u2013 Economic impact of blackout<\/a><\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2018\" data-end=\"2072\">Every blackout is a setback for growth and equality.<\/p>\n<hr data-start=\"2074\" data-end=\"2077\">\n<h4>LEO Satellite Solutions: Bringing Africa Online<\/h4>\n<p data-start=\"2133\" data-end=\"2257\">LEO (Low Earth Orbit) satellites orbit between 500\u20132,000 km above Earth, closer than traditional GEO satellites, allowing:<\/p>\n<ul data-start=\"2259\" data-end=\"2755\">\n<li data-start=\"2259\" data-end=\"2370\">\n<p data-start=\"2261\" data-end=\"2370\"><strong data-start=\"2261\" data-end=\"2278\">Lower latency<\/strong>: 20\u201340 milliseconds, fast enough for video calls, online classes, remote work, and gaming<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"2371\" data-end=\"2477\">\n<p data-start=\"2373\" data-end=\"2477\"><strong data-start=\"2373\" data-end=\"2399\">High-speed connections<\/strong>: 100\u2013250 Mbps for download, supporting businesses and educational platforms<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"2478\" data-end=\"2755\">\n<p data-start=\"2480\" data-end=\"2755\"><strong data-start=\"2480\" data-end=\"2494\">Resilience<\/strong>: Unlike terrestrial fiber or mobile networks, satellites cannot be easily shut down or cut<br data-start=\"2585\" data-end=\"2588\">Source: <a class=\"decorated-link\" href=\"https:\/\/netintel.co\/2025\/07\/23\/leo-satellite-space-based-internet-networking-the-next-evolution-in-global-connectivity\/?utm_source=chatgpt.com\" target=\"_new\" rel=\"noopener\" data-start=\"2596\" data-end=\"2753\">NetIntel \u2013 LEO satellite evolution<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p data-start=\"2757\" data-end=\"3020\">Satellite broadband is the fastest way to eliminate blackout zones and provide <strong data-start=\"2836\" data-end=\"2862\">universal connectivity<\/strong>.<br data-start=\"2863\" data-end=\"2866\">Source: <a class=\"decorated-link\" href=\"https:\/\/independent.ng\/how-satellites-can-bolster-africas-telecommunications-future\/?utm_source=chatgpt.com\" target=\"_new\" rel=\"noopener\" data-start=\"2874\" data-end=\"3018\">Independent \u2013 Satellites support Africa\u2019s telecom future<\/a><\/p>\n<hr data-start=\"3022\" data-end=\"3025\">\n<h4>Afrikastar Products and Services<\/h4>\n<p data-start=\"3066\" data-end=\"3156\">Afrikastar offers <strong data-start=\"3084\" data-end=\"3131\">comprehensive satellite broadband solutions<\/strong> for Africa, including:<\/p>\n<ul data-start=\"3158\" data-end=\"3496\">\n<li data-start=\"3158\" data-end=\"3222\">\n<p data-start=\"3160\" data-end=\"3222\"><strong data-start=\"3160\" data-end=\"3194\">LEO and GEO satellite internet<\/strong> for urban and rural areas<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"3223\" data-end=\"3293\">\n<p data-start=\"3225\" data-end=\"3293\"><strong data-start=\"3225\" data-end=\"3260\">Dedicated corporate connections<\/strong> for businesses and governments<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"3294\" data-end=\"3357\">\n<p data-start=\"3296\" data-end=\"3357\"><strong data-start=\"3296\" data-end=\"3326\">Education-focused packages<\/strong> for schools and universities<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"3358\" data-end=\"3425\">\n<p data-start=\"3360\" data-end=\"3425\"><strong data-start=\"3360\" data-end=\"3397\">Healthcare connectivity solutions<\/strong> for hospitals and clinics<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"3426\" data-end=\"3496\">\n<p data-start=\"3428\" data-end=\"3496\"><strong data-start=\"3428\" data-end=\"3447\">Custom packages<\/strong> for remote communities and underserved regions<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p data-start=\"3498\" data-end=\"3659\">These services are designed to <strong data-start=\"3529\" data-end=\"3576\">ensure reliable, high-speed internet access<\/strong> for all, bridging the digital divide and enabling progress across the continent.<\/p>\n<hr data-start=\"3661\" data-end=\"3664\">\n<h4>Afrikastar\u2019s Call to Action<\/h4>\n<p data-start=\"3700\" data-end=\"3844\">Casimir Berthier\u2019s message is clear: governments must <strong data-start=\"3754\" data-end=\"3841\">stop shutting down the internet and ensure every African has access to connectivity<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"3846\" data-end=\"4002\">No internet blackout is justified. Every disconnected village is a lost opportunity. Every shutdown costs billions. Africa must invest in broadband \u2014 now.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8211; Africa Cannot Progress in the Dark \u201cEach African government that wants its people to progress should stop shutting down the internet and work towards ending broadband blackout zones with satellite broadband solutions LEO or GEO.\u201d \u2014 Casimir Berthier, CEO of Afrikanet Africa is full of talent, ambition, and young innovators. But progress is blocked [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3059,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[50],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3058","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tech"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/afrikastar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/WhatsApp-Image-2025-11-28-at-12.13.30_4aac32e0.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"rttpg_featured_image_url":{"full":["https:\/\/afrikastar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/WhatsApp-Image-2025-11-28-at-12.13.30_4aac32e0.jpg",1080,1080,false],"landscape":["https:\/\/afrikastar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/WhatsApp-Image-2025-11-28-at-12.13.30_4aac32e0.jpg",1080,1080,false],"portraits":["https:\/\/afrikastar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/WhatsApp-Image-2025-11-28-at-12.13.30_4aac32e0.jpg",1080,1080,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/afrikastar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/WhatsApp-Image-2025-11-28-at-12.13.30_4aac32e0-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/afrikastar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/WhatsApp-Image-2025-11-28-at-12.13.30_4aac32e0-300x300.jpg",300,300,true],"large":["https:\/\/afrikastar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/WhatsApp-Image-2025-11-28-at-12.13.30_4aac32e0-1024x1024.jpg",800,800,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/afrikastar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/WhatsApp-Image-2025-11-28-at-12.13.30_4aac32e0.jpg",1080,1080,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/afrikastar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/WhatsApp-Image-2025-11-28-at-12.13.30_4aac32e0.jpg",1080,1080,false],"trp-custom-language-flag":["https:\/\/afrikastar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/WhatsApp-Image-2025-11-28-at-12.13.30_4aac32e0-12x12.jpg",12,12,true],"woocommerce_thumbnail":["https:\/\/afrikastar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/WhatsApp-Image-2025-11-28-at-12.13.30_4aac32e0-300x300.jpg",300,300,true],"woocommerce_single":["https:\/\/afrikastar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/WhatsApp-Image-2025-11-28-at-12.13.30_4aac32e0-600x600.jpg",600,600,true],"woocommerce_gallery_thumbnail":["https:\/\/afrikastar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/WhatsApp-Image-2025-11-28-at-12.13.30_4aac32e0-100x100.jpg",100,100,true]},"rttpg_author":{"display_name":"afrikaStarAdmin","author_link":"https:\/\/afrikastar.com\/en\/author\/afrikastaradmin\/"},"rttpg_comment":0,"rttpg_category":"<a href=\"https:\/\/afrikastar.com\/en\/category\/tech\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Tech<\/a>","rttpg_excerpt":"&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8211; Africa Cannot Progress in the Dark \u201cEach African government that wants its people to progress should stop shutting down the internet and work towards ending broadband blackout zones with satellite broadband solutions LEO or GEO.\u201d \u2014 Casimir Berthier, CEO of Afrikanet Africa is full of talent, ambition, and young innovators. But progress is blocked&hellip;","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/afrikastar.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3058","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/afrikastar.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/afrikastar.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/afrikastar.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/afrikastar.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3058"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/afrikastar.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3058\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/afrikastar.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3059"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/afrikastar.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3058"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/afrikastar.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3058"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/afrikastar.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3058"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}