Today’s telecom news includes announcements on SES, Ooredoo, Africa Mobile Networks, among others.
SES Activates Satellite Broadband on Air Astana A321LR Aircraft, Targets Fleet Expansion in 2027
SES and Air Astana achieved an operational satellite connectivity milestone on October 29, when the first upgraded Airbus A321LR aircraft entered service with high-speed onboard internet. The aircraft operated its inaugural connected flight between Almaty and Tashkent. Installation is being performed by Air Astana’s engineering team, with additional aircraft scheduled for upgrades throughout 2027. Air Astana operates approximately 15 A321LR aircraft, creating a defined fleet opportunity for the satellite connectivity program. The project extends SES’s aviation communications infrastructure into additional Central Asian routes. The companies have not disclosed satellite capacity allocations, equipment expenditure, contracted bandwidth or the final fleetwide completion date.
Ooredoo Advances 720 Tbps Fibre in Gulf Submarine Cable as Repeaters Complete Manufacturing
Ooredoo disclosed additional construction progress on its Fibre in Gulf submarine cable system in its October 28 financial update. The proposed regional network will provide up to 720 Tbps of capacity across 24 fiber pairs, connecting Qatar, Oman, the UAE, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Iraq. Ooredoo reported that all undersea repeaters had been manufactured and that survey permits had been obtained in Oman, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Iraq. Infrastructure development is progressing in Qatar, the UAE and Iraq. The project will support international data traffic between Asia, the Gulf and Europe. Commercial activation dates, installed cable length and final construction expenditure were not disclosed.
Africa Mobile Networks Activates 2,000th Nigerian Base Station, Extending Coverage to 4.7 Million People
Africa Mobile Networks announced on October 27 that it had activated its 2,000th mobile base station in Nigeria. The infrastructure supports 2G, 3G and 4G services and has brought connectivity within reach of more than 4.7 million previously underserved people. AMN’s infrastructure represents approximately 10 percent of the active tower footprint of Nigeria’s largest mobile operator. Testing at a dual-band site in Yebu recorded 4G download speeds exceeding 81 Mbps. The company is also integrating Starlink satellite backhaul at remote locations. AMN expects to exceed 2,100 Nigerian sites by year-end 2026 and deploy more than 60 additional sites monthly during 2027. Its wider African network exceeds 5,350 sites.
