Satellite Internet in Gambia

The smallest country on mainland Africa, Gambia is situated in West Africa. The Gambia River runs the entire length of the country which is a thin strip of low level plateau that is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean. The country boasts a great deal of natural beauty from mangrove swamps and savannah to unspoilt beaches, which attract tourism.

In addition to tourism, the Gambian economy is based mostly on subsistence agriculture. 70% of the labour force is involved in agriculture but the other main industry and export for Gambia is peanuts. The industrial base in Gambia is not significant but involves production of items such as soap, soft drinks and clothing. Other sectors include livestock, fishing and forestry.

Telecommunications across Gambia vary. Fixed line penetration is low and a monopoly on this market has challenged growth in this sector. Mobile penetration, on the other hand, is above the African average. The need for improvement in fixed line infrastructure has resulted in slow growth of fixed line Internet but has fuelled the mobile boom. Deployment of 3G networks has boosted Internet usage and the majority of Gambians access the Internet on their smartphones or mobile devices.

Financial Services on Mobile

Of particular interest is the mobile money market in Gambia which has seen an explosion in popularity. Previously, over 80% of Gambians had no access whatsoever to financial services and conventional banking such as ATMs and branches. Mobile money services have been introduced by GSM operators in Gambia and they have been a game changer for financial inclusion. Mobile money allows Gambians to access a wide range of financial services, enabling them to use their phones to send and receive money pay bills, buy electricity credit and much more.

In order to take these precious financial services and extend them out to people beyond the centres of population, it is important that Mobile Network Operators consider options to increase their reach. Financial services play an integral part in the development of any economy, and ultimately help the users to organise their financial affairs, to save and to become more financially stable. VSAT technology can be used to extend these mobile networks in an extremely rapid and cost-effective way. VSATs are scalable and easily deployable and, using backhaul, enable network operators to move into as yet untapped areas where they can increase their subscriber base and attract more mobile money service users. BusinessCom Network’s experience in this field is second to none and out local installers can facilitate swift network expansion, with step-by-step guidance and management from our 24×7 technical team.

BusinessCom is also dedicated to providing solutions for rural connectivity that can assist establishments such as school and hospitals with Internet access, to enable them to deliver educational and healthcare tools, and to streamline services and become more effective in day-to-day operations. BusinessCom’s experience in delivering these invaluable solutions across Africa means that you are in good, knowledgeable hands. We can develop the solution that perfectly meets your connectivity needs.