• Telecom Namibia signed a pilot commercial agreement with Angola’s national space agency GGPEN to test services provided by the Angosat-2 satellite.
• The trial will assess the satellite’s ability to deliver internet and data services in remote areas where terrestrial infrastructure remains limited or costly.
• Angosat-2, operational since 2023, covers the entire African continent and helped connect an additional 300,000 users in Angola by October 2024.

Namibia is exploring a new approach to improve digital connectivity in underserved regions by leveraging satellite infrastructure developed by neighboring Angola. State-owned telecommunications operator Telecom Namibia signed a pilot commercial agreement last week with the Gabinete de Gestão do Programa Espacial Nacional (GGPEN), Angola’s agency responsible for the national space program, to test services delivered through the Angosat-2 satellite.

Officials signed the agreement during the 2026 edition of the Angola International Information and Communication Technologies Forum (ANGOTIC). Namibia’s Minister of Information and Communication Technology, Emma Theofelus, and Angola’s Minister of Telecommunications, Information Technologies and Social Communication, Mário Oliveira, attended the ceremony.

The partnership seeks to evaluate Angosat-2’s ability to provide internet and data transmission services in areas where terrestrial communications infrastructure remains limited or economically challenging to deploy.

The pilot phase will assess the satellite’s technical performance and determine the commercial viability of the solution.

“Through this pilot commercial agreement, we are not merely testing a technology; we are actively shaping the future of connectivity in our region. […] This initiative reflects our commitment to expanding connectivity and ensuring that even the most remote communities can access reliable and scalable digital services,” said Fimanekeni Petrus, Chairman of Telecom Namibia.

The initiative follows discussions held in Luanda in June 2025, ahead of a proof-of-concept phase designed to evaluate the satellite’s capabilities.

The new agreement formalizes the transition to real-world testing. The parties will assess technical performance, service capabilities, and commercial viability before considering a broader deployment.

Angosat Expands Across Southern Africa

Angola authorized the commercialization of Angosat-2 services for member states of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) through a presidential decree issued in August 2023. In 2024, South African state-owned signal distributor Sentech began technical trials with GGPEN to evaluate the satellite’s potential for television content distribution.

Angola launched Angosat-2 in 2022 and brought the satellite into service in early 2023. The high-throughput telecommunications satellite operates in the C, Ku, and Ka frequency bands. It provides coverage across the entire African continent and parts of Europe. The satellite delivers broadband internet, telephony, and television services, including in regions that lack terrestrial communications infrastructure.

Angosat-2 has already played a significant role in expanding connectivity within Angola. The satellite helped connect an additional 300,000 users across the country by October 2024.

Source: Agence Ecofin