Satellite Internet in Yemen

Satellite Internet Access Service

The Yemen sits at the southern end of the Arabian peninsula in Western Asia and shares borders with Saudi Arabia, the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, the Arabian Sea and Oman. Its territory also includes over 200 islands. In 2016, the Yemeni population stood at over 27.5 million. The economy of the Yemen is based upon petroleum production but the main employer is agriculture with most Yemenis working in the agricultural sector. Crops produced include grain, vegetables, fruit, pulses, coffee and cotton.

Country in Crisis

The country is currently in the grip of civil unrest and this has hindered the development of its communications infrastructure. The unrest has cause damage to existing communications infrastructure and this has affected the work that was carried out before the conflict. In addition, there is currently no regulator in place to oversee the telecommunications market.

Access to broadband across the Yemen is very expensive, and ordinary Yemenis cannot afford to purchase both the equipment and the service itself. Use of smartphones is not widespread due to the fact that they are also very expensive and therefore not realistic for the majority of the population. There is some access to mobile data but the market is needs much improvement and though there is some access to mobile broadband it is both restricted and cost-prohibitive.

There are considerable challenges in terms of the provision of healthcare and education in Yemen. Healthcare is especially a problem in rural areas. The same goes for education as the government attempts to bring illiteracy levels down to less than 10% by 2025.

Satellite technology can have an immeasurably positive effect in the Yemen for those seeking connectivity and for critical services like healthcare and education. Satellite enables the delivery of cost-effective broadband to users regardless of their location which means that no infrastructure is needed apart from a satellite terminal or VSAT and a clear line-of-sight to the satellite itself. This simple set-up means that there is little investment required – no copper or cable rollout and no construction of cellular towers. Installation of VSAT networks can cater for a range of applications and are especially suitable for rural areas that are otherwise very hard to reach.

A VSAT network can transform healthcare in rural Yemen. Broadband means that health centres can gain access to telemedicine and also e-health services so that people can see a doctor without having to travel to an urban centre. Rural schools can use e-learning to boost their curriculum and can hold classes with teachers that are many miles away but can give a good standard of education, helping to catalyse improvement of literacy. Entire communities can also benefit from access to a reliable and affordable broadband connection, opening the door to the Internet where they can find information and resources to help with agricultural techniques or to encourage entrepreneurship.

BusinessCom networks has extensive experience in the Yemen and across the Middle East region in the design, installation and daily operation of VSAT networks to help take broadband to urban and rural areas. We can help you at every step whether you are a government organisation, business or individual. Satellite broadband can make the world of difference. Let us help you to connect.