With rapid population growth and technological change, there is increasing global demand for more reliable digital connectivity to support governments, businesses and citizens worldwide.

Speaking during the opening day of the Africa Forward Summit 2026 at the University of Nairobi, Chief Executive Officer of Eutelsat Group Jean-François Fallacher said the global communications landscape is being reshaped by rapid technological change that demands secure, resilient and affordable network access.

Eutelsat is a global leader in satellite communications, delivering secure, high-performance multi-orbit connectivity and broadcasting solutions. It supports communication across continents through space-based infrastructure that enables media distribution, internet access and secure network services in both developed and remote regions.

Jean-François argues that connectivity brings people together by expanding access to knowledge, enabling business, and supporting development.

“This conviction drives me, and it is the same conviction that drives Eutelsat,” Jean-François. The CEO said governments around the world now seek secure and sustainable communication systems to ensure seamless and affordable access to digital services, while enterprises require stable and resilient networks.

“Governments are requiring secure connections, enterprises depend on reliable and resilient networks, and citizens expect affordable and seamless access to the world,” he said.

The CEO notes that these demands are rising at a time when the global environment is under increasing strain from climate disruptions, geopolitical tensions and rapid technological shifts, including the rise of artificial intelligence.

“We have the pressure that is growing with climate disruptions, geopolitical tensions and really rapid technological change that are reshaping the environment in that we operate. At Eutelsat, we believe in offering that choice,” Jean-François said.

Jean-François explained that in the digital era, despite the rapid evolution of Artificial Intelligence, hundreds of millions of people in Africa still lack access to digital and reliable connectivity.

He stressed that this situation is not sustainable, as connectivity is a basic human and economic need.

Jean-François warned that these overlapping pressures are fundamentally reshaping how connectivity infrastructure must be designed and delivered.

“We have the pressure that is growing with climate disruptions, geopolitical tensions and really rapid technological change that are reshaping the environment in which we operate.”

He pointed out that in response to these challenges, Eutelsat is positioning itself to provide greater choice and flexibility in global communications through satellite-based solutions that complement terrestrial networks.

“At Eutelsat, we believe in offering that choice. We are also delivering connectivity. Delivering connectivity with our geo-satellites, but also with a constellation, a low-orbit constellation of 650 satellites called OneWeb, which is live and operational as we speak.

“For many years, we have been delivering media access to people in the world with geostationary satellites that we are operating. Here in Kenya, when you watch DSTV, actually, this is a satellite of Eutelsat that you are using,” he said.

Industry analysts say demand for better connectivity models, combining satellite, fibre and mobile networks, is in high demand as countries and companies seek to strengthen digital resilience in an increasingly uncertain global environment.

The CEO said that Eutelsat provides connectivity across Africa in areas where traditional telecom networks are absent as well as over oceans and in the air for boats and planes. This combination of geostationary and low-Earth orbit satellites delivers low-latency broadband, which is particularly relevant for Africa, where terrestrial and mobile infrastructure has yet to reach many regions.

“This combination of geo-satellites and leo-satellites providing low-latency broadband access is really, I believe, particularly relevant for Africa, where basically terrestrial infrastructure and mobile infrastructure are not yet reaching.”

• A Tell Media / KNA report / By Ian Chepkuto