Thanks, Elon, we've got Wi-Fi

BROADBAND: NIGERIA SWITCHED ON - BUT IT COMES AT HEFTY PRICE BETWEEN R7 000 AND R11 000

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Less than a third of Niger's vast territory has internet access, so the west African country is betting on satellite broadband to bridge the digital divide in remote rural areas.

The patchy coverage is mostly down to a lack of investment and the destruction of relay antennae by the numerous armed groups active in the country, according to electronic communications regulator Arcep.

In November, Niger's military rulers granted a five-year contract with US billionaire Elon Musk's company Starlink to provide high-speed internet access across the Sahel state.

It is one of around 15 African countries to have authorised the use of Starlink's thousands of satellites on their territory.