South African (SA) telecommunications firm Telkom is in commercial negotiations with low-earth orbit (LEO) satellite providers to extend connectivity to rural areas and support emergency services, group Chief Executive Officer Serame Taukobong said this Tuesday.
Competition among telecom operators in SA is intensifying as they race to provide coverage beyond traditional and fibre markets.
He said the partnerships complement Telkom’s fibre network in areas with poor infrastructure and no fibre footprint, particularly in rural regions and for emergency services.
Vodacom Group, one of Telkom’s main competitors alongside MTN Group, announced an agreement last week with Elon Musk’s Starlink to deliver high-speed, low-latency broadband internet for businesses across Africa.
Earlier, Telkom reported a 16.4% rise in headline earnings per share to 305.6 cents for the six months ended September 30, from 191.5 cents a year earlier.
The firm’s group revenue climbed 3.4% to R22.1 billion ($1.28 billion), boosted by mobile data revenue growth of 10.3% and fibre-related data revenue growth of 12.3%.
Data revenue increased by 7.9%, contributing a 59.1% share to total revenue. The group also delivered 12 consecutive quarters of leading service revenue, driven by its data-led strategy.
Telkom did not declare interim dividends.
–Reuters–
