MTN’s Ebenezer Asante on LEO Satellites, Inclusion, and Building a Borderless African Digital Economy

Africa’s Connectivity Challenge Is Bigger Than Satellites  

Asante rejected the notion that LEO satellites should be viewed as a threat to terrestrial operators. Instead, he argued they represent one important piece of a much larger puzzle. Africa continues to face a significant digital divide, with millions still offline despite decades of investment in mobile infrastructure.

While operators like MTN continue investing billions of dollars annually, he stressed that closing the remaining infrastructure financing gap will require shared ownership models, public-private collaboration, and partnerships across the industry. Satellites, he explained, should complement existing terrestrial networks rather than replace them.

The Usage Gap Is Africa’s Biggest Problem 

Perhaps the strongest message throughout the discussion was that connectivity coverage is no longer Africa’s primary obstacle. Most markets now reach well over 95% of their populations, yet the majority of Africans remain offline. For Asante, the issue is straightforward: affordability.

Entry-level smartphones that once sold for around US$40 have nearly doubled in price, placing internet access beyond the reach of millions. His solution begins with governments eliminating tariffs on entry-level smartphones, followed by reducing costs across the device supply chain and dramatically expanding device financing models that spread the cost over time rather than requiring large upfront payments.

“No one has to sweat and look for money bigger than their daily wage to be able to buy a device.” He argued that making devices affordable is the fastest path toward increasing internet adoption across Africa.

Partnership Requires Regulatory Fairness

While MTN welcomes emerging technologies, Asante was equally clear that innovation should not come at the expense of regulatory fairness. Terrestrial operators continue carrying significant licensing obligations, spectrum costs, taxation, and infrastructure investment responsibilities that new satellite entrants often do not face.

Rather than resisting new players, MTN is advocating for harmonized regulation, fiscal parity, and balanced competition that preserves incentives for long-term infrastructure investment while allowing new technologies to flourish. Equal problems, he argued, require equal regulatory treatment.

“The way to go with all disruptive technologies, satellite is not an exception, is to find a way of partnering. MTN is in partnership with all of them. We need to do what we need to do with the investment that we put in, but at the same time we should also take advantage of some of these emerging technologies. MTN does not really see the emerging technologies as threats. All we are asking for is regulation that is in tune and in line with the evolution of technology.”
– Ebenezer Asante, Senior Vice President, Southern and East Africa, Ghana and Sudan Regions, MTN Group 

MTN Is Betting on Partnership, Not Protectionism 

Asked whether MTN sees satellite providers as competitors, Asante revealed the company is already actively partnering with multiple satellite operators. From direct-to-cell trials in Zambia to initiatives in South Africa and other markets, MTN is positioning itself to embrace emerging technologies while continuing to strengthen terrestrial infrastructure.

For MTN, the objective is not choosing between satellite and terrestrial networks but combining both to deliver better connectivity outcomes across Africa.

Africa Must Scale Beyond Borders

Looking beyond connectivity, Asante identified Africa’s fragmentation as one of the continent’s greatest barriers to digital transformation. Too many national regulations, disconnected digital markets, and inconsistent policy frameworks continue limiting the ability of businesses to scale across borders.

His vision is one where digital infrastructure, payment systems, regulation, and technology markets become increasingly integrated, allowing African businesses to serve the continent as one connected market rather than dozens of isolated ones.

“The digital borders must fall…Because the digital borders falling will be in the best nation-state interest, and it will be in the best interest of the continent and in the interest of the citizens of the continent. We need to be able to help businesses to grow beyond the borders, we need to be able to let SMEs connect digitally and be on an African payment platform to be able to receive payment and also extend the services.”

– Ebenezer Asante, Senior Vice President: Southern & East Africa, Ghana and Sudan regions (SEAGHAS), MTN Group

One Passport for Africa’s Digital Economy

Closing the conversation, Asante pointed to a single policy change that could significantly accelerate Africa’s digital transformation: passporting digital licences across borders. Rather than requiring operators to navigate dozens of separate regulatory systems, he envisions a framework where one recognised licence enables digital services across multiple African markets.

He cited ongoing cooperation between Ghana, Rwanda, and Kenya on digital financial services as a promising blueprint that could eventually be expanded continent-wide, reinforcing his broader message that Africa’s future depends not simply on new technologies, but on regulatory alignment and regional integration.