Axian Telecom is turning to satellite (D2D) technology to strengthen its position in the African market.
March 6th 2026
With a presence in Senegal, Togo, Comoros, Madagascar, and Tanzania, Axian Telecom claims to be the sixth largest mobile operator in Africa. The company operates on a continent where major groups such as MTN, Airtel Africa, Vodacom, and Orange are also active.
The pan-African telecommunications group Axian Telecom, operating under the Yas brand, plans to use satellites to directly deliver mobile broadband services across the continent. The company has partnered with AST SpaceMobile for this initiative, which primarily targets populations in remote and rural areas, amidst a persistent digital divide and increasing competition.
Announced on Wednesday, March 3, 2026, the partnership is based on the “direct-to-device” (D2D) model. It relies on AST SpaceMobile’s BlueBird satellites, placed in low Earth orbit (LEO), designed to directly provide high-speed 4G LTE and 5G connectivity to conventional smartphones, without additional hardware or application installation.
According to Axian Telecom, this satellite network will be integrated into Yas’s core network infrastructure in its various markets to ensure seamless connectivity for voice, video, data, and internet services. The two companies also plan to develop joint commercial offerings for consumers, businesses, the Internet of Things (IoT), as well as the maritime, aviation, and emergency services sectors.
“Our ambition has always been to build a network that works for everyone in Africa, not just those who live in cities. Connectivity is the foundation on which everything else is built, and too many people and businesses in our markets are still deprived of it ,” said Hassan Jaber, CEO of Axian Telecom.
African operators are increasingly using satellites.
Many African telecom operators are increasingly turning to satellite technology, seen as a solution to bridge the digital divide on the continent. For example, the British company Vodafone, present in eight African markets through Vodacom, strengthened its partnership with Amazon this week around the “LEO” constellation, which is currently being deployed. Groups such as MTN, Airtel Africa, and Orange are also exploring these solutions.
The use of satellites reflects operators’ desire to reach areas that were previously poorly served or not served at all. According to the GSMA, approximately 9% of the African population still lacked mobile internet coverage in 2025. This segment represents significant potential for new subscribers for operators, in a context of increased competition.
Axian Telecom provides mobile services under the Yas brand in Tanzania, Madagascar, Comoros, Togo, and Senegal. As of the end of September 2025, the company had 43.1 million mobile phone subscribers and 13.5 million internet subscriptions. It currently ranks sixth among mobile operators in Africa. The continent has major operators such as MTN, Airtel Africa, Vodacom, Orange, Moov Africa (Maroc Telecom), and Ethio Telecom.
In Senegal, Yas held 23.54% of the national mobile subscription market, second only to Orange, which accounted for more than half of all subscriptions at the end of December 2025. In the mobile internet segment, the operator also held second place with a 20.82% market share, compared to Orange’s 65.22%, out of a total of approximately 23.38 million subscriptions. Despite this, authorities estimate that internet penetration does not exceed 40%, with more than 1,000 localities still lacking access.
In Tanzania, Yas held a 27.64% market share of mobile internet at the end of December 2025, behind Vodacom (32.91%) but ahead of Airtel (21.04%). According to the telecommunications regulator, the country had 57.69 million mobile internet subscriptions for a population of 68.56 million. However, the GSMA estimated in 2023 that approximately 40 million Tanzanians still lacked access to mobile internet.
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