At the heart of SIADE 2026, experts from NASA, Orange CI, and ANSUT have outlined an ambitious roadmap. Their objective: to make satellites the primary tool for connecting the 800 million Africans still excluded from the digital revolution.

Will 2030 mark the end of the digital divide in Africa? For the panelists gathered this Monday, April 13, 2026, at the Félix Houphouët-Boigny Stadium, the answer lies in the stars. At the opening of the International Exhibition of Artificial Intelligence, Defense and Space (SIADE) , Ferdinand Tra (Orange Côte d'Ivoire) delivered a stark assessment: satellite technology is no longer an option, it is a vital necessity.

Towards hybrid and inclusive connectivity

Despite the rise of 5G in major cities like Abidjan, vast "white zones" remain. For the incumbent operator, digital exclusion in rural areas has become unacceptable by 2026.

1. The strategy: No longer pitting infrastructures against each other.
2. The solution: A complementary network combining fiber optics, 4G and satellite . Since last January, satellite services for the general public have already been deployed to guarantee access to essential services (e-governance, mobile money) across the entire territory.

The concept of "Digital Drilling"

Faced with the sometimes prohibitive cost of individual equipment, ANSUT (National Agency for Universal Telecommunications Service) is proposing a pragmatic approach. Patrick Somé unveiled the concept of "digital drilling" :

Similar to community water points, the state finances collective satellite access points in isolated villages.

This pooling of resources has already made it possible to open up 211 localities by 2025 , transforming broadband internet, once a luxury product, into a universal basic service.

The new challenges of sovereignty

However, African ambition faces two major obstacles, which were discussed during the panel:

1. The Frequency War

The radio spectrum is saturated. Enzo Bekamel (University of Montpellier) has warned about the dominance of giant constellations (SpaceX, Amazon).

For Africa, the issue is now diplomatic: it is necessary to assert itself with the ITU (International Telecommunication Union) to preserve frequencies and guarantee a place for the continent's future space projects.

2. A matter of strategic survival

Dr. Ousmane Diallo, an astrophysicist at NASA , emphasized the urgent need for autonomous technological mastery. According to him, sovereignty cannot be delegated.

1. Surveillance: Maintaining control over the observation of the territory.
2. Agriculture: Anticipating climate crises through space imagery.
3. Health: Deploying telemedicine where doctors are lacking.

Conclusion: A fundamental right

In conclusion to this panel, a consensus emerged: connectivity must be elevated to the status of a fundamental right , on par with education or healthcare. While global powers look to the moon, Africa is focusing on a more earthly, but equally crucial, challenge: using its skies to unlock the potential of its land.