Libya: Internet service provider Rawafed signs a new agreement with Eutelsat to strengthen its services

December 15th 2023

Eutelsat, Liberia, Satellite

According to DataReportal statistics, more than half of the Libyan population does not have access to the Internet. Rawafed relies on space technology to improve the quality and coverage of its services in a context marked by strong demand for high-speed connectivity. 

Eutelsat OneWeb, the operating unit of Eutelsat Group, announced on Wednesday December 13 that it had signed a new exclusive distribution agreement with Libyan Internet Service Provider (ISP) Rawafed Libya for Telecommunications & Technology (RLTT). The ISP will use Eutelsat Oneweb’s Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite constellation to enhance its connectivity services in Libya starting in early 2024.

“ These services will provide high-speed, low-latency connectivity for a range of applications, including commercial connectivity with the oil and gas industries and services financial sectors, government sectors, cellular backhaul for telecommunications operators and remote connectivity for humanitarian organizations ,” explains Eutelsat OneWeb.

This new contract strengthens the existing partnership between Eutelsat Group and Rawafed since 2013. The operator already provides connectivity services relying on Eutelsat Communications’ fleet of geostationary (GEO) satellites . The expansion of the partnership comes around three months after Eutelsat merged with Britain’s OneWeb to create the world’s “first multi-orbit satellite operator”. , offering both geostationary and low earth orbit (GEO/LEO) solutions.

The hybrid GEO/LEO association should not only improve the quality, but also the coverage of high-speed connectivity in Libya. Space technology offers greater reach, making it possible to reach even populations living in rural, remote areas and difficult to access for the terrestrial network of telecom operators. It will also allow Rawafed to increase its market share.

As a reminder, Libya had 3.14 million Internet users at the start of 2023 for a penetration rate of 45.9%, according to statistics from the DataReportal data platform. The number of mobile telephone subscribers was 12.05 million.

Source: Agence Ecofin Back