Satellite backhaul for Africa: Why it’s important and how ST Engineering is leading the way

At the recently concluded AfricaCom 2022, TechAfrica News had the opportunity to speak to Semir Hassanaly, Head of Cellular Backhaul & Trunking at ST Engineering IDirect . The conversation followed the latest solutions and advancements showcased by ST Engineering in various sectors such as aerospace, broadband as well as defense and public security sectors.

With its inception in 1967, ST Engineering has had an experience of more than 5 decades in understanding and enabling various verticals in the Aero, Maritime, Broadband, Enterprise, Government, and Defense sectors.  They have grown to become one of the big powerhouses in global technology, defense, and engineering.

At AfricaCom, ST Engineering has been showcasing its various solutions including, Square Flow which enables the cost-effective distribution of content. Along with that, there is IoT equipment that helps capture information from remote sensors along with an array of traditional satellite equipment. Further conversation with Mr. Hassanaly gave us an important insight into understanding its recent advancements in cellular backhaul which has been essential in helping connect rural and semi-rural Africa in terms of general connectivity.

So ultimately, what we will achieve is very high flexibility, very high scalability, full interoperability with the terrestrial world but also interoperability on the terminal side. All this with a very low cost of ownership.

Semir Hassanaly, Head of Cellular Backhaul & Trunking, ST Engineering IDirect

Mr. Hassanaly reiterated the importance of low-cost solutions in Africa to help connect people with technologies that help better their lives.