Less than one-third of Niger land get internet, so di West African kontri dey plan use satellite broadband to connect di rural areas wey no get internet.
Di wahala for internet coverage na because say dem no invest well and armed groups don destroy plenty relay antennae for di kontri, na wetin ARCEP, di regulator for electronic communication, tok.
For November, Niger military leaders sign five-year contract with Elon Musk company, Starlink, to give high-speed internet for di Sahel region. Niger na one of di 15 African kontries wey don allow Starlink satellites to operate for dia land.
Di cost of internet na big mata.
“Essential services like bank, hospital, school, energy and farming all need internet and data to work well,” na wetin economist Ibrahim Adamou Louche tok. Di Minister for Communication, Sidi Ahmed Raliou, believe say di move go fit give internet to about 80 to 100 percent of Niger, wey na 1,267 square kilometres of mostly desert land.
Di deal go bring plenty money for di US company. But for kontri wey World Bank tok say almost 50 percent of di people dey earn less than one dollar per day, di equipment wey dem need to use di satellite internet dey cost between 260,000 and 400,000 CFA francs ($414 to $637).
Di rush to get internet don also bring illegal business.
Plenty of di equipment dey come from Nigeria, but some people dey smuggle am enter Niger illegally. People wey no fit buy di equipment dey pay di US company for one-time internet access for short time.
“For market day, people dey gather around di wifi router,” na wetin Moussa Djibrilla, one secondary school teacher for Mangaize, tok. Vendor Ali Sat tok say di interest for satellite broadband dey come mostly from di rural areas.
For di capital, Niamey, di equipment no dey sell well and only few houses don connect. But for di rural areas, di story different. Technician Moumouni Harouna tok say di biggest demand for di satellite internet dey come from people wey dey bush because dem no dey lose connection.
“We no need waka six kilometres or climb hill again to find signal,” Alfa Hama tok. Hama dey live for Gorou, one village near Mali border, where di local phone and internet antennae don spoil for eight years. “Di wifi dey here now.”
Communal internet dey help some people. For some parts of di Tenere desert, high-speed internet dey available for travellers and migrants wey dey pass di area, but na for people wey fit pay.
For Tabelot, wey dey further south, illegal gold mining, market and bus station dey offer connection points for people wey fit pay. Local Touareg chief, Youssaf Houssa, tok say sometimes whole neighbourhood go join money to buy one satellite equipment. “People fit connect better now because of WhatsApp groups and dem fit do business online,” e tok.
