Senegal’s Minister of Communication, Telecommunications and Digital Economy, Alioune Sall, has launched a program to install satellite antennas in remote areas, aiming to connect 1 million citizens to the Internet by the end of 2026.
Sall unveiled the initiative on the sidelines of a National Assembly plenary session reviewing his department’s draft budget for the 2026 fiscal year.
“This deployment of satellite antennas will begin before the end of the year, and through new technologies, the state of Senegal must be as close as possible to the people,” Sall said.
The minister explained that the program targets regions underserved by traditional networks such as fiber optics and 4G. It will employ a technological mix to cover all areas of the country, including the most remote localities.
“The state of Senegal has set itself the objective of connecting 1 million Senegalese people free of charge, with priority given to border areas, health posts, isolated administrative buildings as well as schools requiring special support,” he added.
Sall also announced plans to introduce a digital version of the citizen criminal record, as part of broader efforts to modernize public services.
Bridging Senegal’s Digital Divide
The satellite antenna initiative is part of Senegal’s accelerating digital transformation and its push to expand information and communication technology (ICT) access nationwide.
In recent years, the country has made significant progress connecting underserved communities through innovative projects and partnerships. In September 2025, the Senegalese Telecommunications and Postal Regulatory Authority (ARTP) director general, Dahirou Thiam, met with International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin to strengthen regulatory cooperation.
Earlier milestones include the launch of Senegal’s first satellite, GAINDESAT, in October 2023, and the implementation of roaming arrangements among mobile operators in August 2023, enabling subscribers to use competitor networks for calls, texts, and Internet access.
In January 2025, PAIX Data Centres announced the construction of a new data center in Dakar, with the first phase expected to be operational in 2026. The satellite antenna rollout also follows a financing agreement signed with the UK’s development finance institution, British International Investment (BII), in May 2024 to support Senegal’s telecommunications infrastructure.
According to DataReportal figures from October 2025, Senegal had 22.3 million mobile subscribers, a penetration rate of 122%, while Internet users stood at 11.5 million, representing a 60.6% penetration rate.