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EPA:ORA 7 June 2025 - 2 September 2025

How Guinea Is Quietly Getting Online: The Untold Story of Internet Access and Satellite Expansion

How Guinea Is Quietly Getting Online: The Untold Story of Internet Access and Satellite Expansion

As of early 2023, Guinea had 13.46 million active cellular connections, covering about 96% of the population. Orange Guinée held 75% of the mobile market in 2024, while MTN Guinea exited in December, with Telecel set to acquire its 2.8 million users. Fewer than 900 fixed broadband subscribers were recorded in 2022. Starlink was not officially available as of mid-2025, with the regulator warning against unauthorized use.
Global Tech Shake-Up: Space Force’s Secret Spaceplane, Telecom Megahack, and Chip Industry Bombshells (Aug 22–23, 2025)

Global Tech Shake-Up: Space Force’s Secret Spaceplane, Telecom Megahack, and Chip Industry Bombshells (Aug 22–23, 2025)

The U.S. government will take a 10% equity stake in Intel, converting chip subsidies into ownership, President Trump announced. Nvidia halted H20 chip production for China after Beijing raised security concerns, while Baidu’s Kunlunxin secured $139 million in AI chip orders from China Mobile. A ransomware attack on Orange exposed data of 850,000 customers. DaVita reported a breach affecting 2.7 million U.S. patients.
OpenAI’s Explosive August 2025: GPT-5 Launch, $500B Frenzy & AI Controversies Rock Tech World

OpenAI’s Explosive August 2025: GPT-5 Launch, $500B Frenzy & AI Controversies Rock Tech World

OpenAI launched GPT-5 on August 7, 2025, introducing a unified architecture with multimodal abilities and a new “safe-completions” training method. The model reached nearly 700 million weekly active ChatGPT users and over 5 million business subscribers. OpenAI also released open-weight GPT-OSS models under Apache 2.0 and secured a federal deal to provide ChatGPT Enterprise to the U.S. executive branch for one year.
21 August 2025
Moldova’s Internet Revolution: From Lightning-Fast Fiber to Starlink’s Rural Lifeline in 2025

Moldova’s Internet Revolution: From Lightning-Fast Fiber to Starlink’s Rural Lifeline in 2025

Moldova ranks third globally for gigabit fiber coverage, with 90% of the population able to access gigabit-speed plans. As of early 2025, 80% of Moldovans are online, and average fixed broadband costs $9.19 per month. Moldtelecom and StarNet serve up to 90% of fixed broadband users. 5G coverage, launched in 2024, reaches about a quarter of the population, mainly in central Chişinău.
Liberia’s Internet Revolution: How 4G, Fiber and Starlink Are Connecting Every Corner of the Country

Liberia’s Internet Revolution: How 4G, Fiber and Starlink Are Connecting Every Corner of the Country

Liberia had 1.84 million internet users in early 2025, or 32.4% of the population, up from 19% in 2019. Over 5.11 million mobile connections were active, with 87.2% on 3G/4G networks. The Liberia Telecommunications Authority licensed SpaceX Starlink for nationwide satellite internet starting November 2024. The government targets 90% internet access by 2030, requiring $432 million in investment.
15 August 2025
The Truth About Internet Access in Slovakia: How Fast, How Cheap, and Is Satellite the Future?

The Truth About Internet Access in Slovakia: How Fast, How Cheap, and Is Satellite the Future?

By 2022, about 66.8% of Slovak households had FTTP fiber coverage, with gigabit targets set for 2030. DSL and cable remain in use, reaching 53% and 17.9% of households respectively. 4G covers over 95% of the population, while 5G reached 70% on O2 and over 50% on Orange by end-2023. Starlink launched in 2022, offering nationwide satellite internet at €60 per month.
Inside the Struggle for Internet Access in Western Sahara: From Political Blackouts to Satellite Lifelines

Inside the Struggle for Internet Access in Western Sahara: From Political Blackouts to Satellite Lifelines

Western Sahara had about 398,000 internet users in January 2024, covering 67.1% of the population, up 19% from 2023. Median fixed broadband speed reached 19.9 Mbps, a 30% annual increase. Most users are urban; rural and nomadic areas remain largely offline. Connectivity relies on Moroccan operators, with Starlink and OneWeb set for future expansion pending regulatory approval.
Inside Madagascar’s Internet Revolution: From Mobile Networks to Starlink Skies

Inside Madagascar’s Internet Revolution: From Mobile Networks to Starlink Skies

Madagascar’s 2Africa submarine cable became operational in late 2023, joining EASSy, LION/LION2, and METISS. Fixed broadband penetration remains at just 0.11 per 100 people in 2023, with most relying on mobile networks. Starlink launched in mid-2024, capturing about 10% of the market by late 2024. As of early 2025, only 20.4% of the population—about 6.6 million—were online.
Senegal’s Internet Revolution: How Fiber, 5G, and Policy Are Connecting a Nation

Senegal’s Internet Revolution: How Fiber, 5G, and Policy Are Connecting a Nation

Senegal had 11.3 million internet users in January 2025, covering 60.6% of the population, while mobile connections reached 22.7 million, or 121% penetration. Orange Sonatel launched 5G in Dakar on June 8, 2024, following Free’s 5G license in 2023. Fixed broadband subscriptions rose to 747,000 by end-2024, with fiber making up 57%. The 2Africa subsea cable landed in Dakar in late 2023.
Internet Access in France: From Fiber to Satellite and Everything In Between

Internet Access in France: From Fiber to Satellite and Everything In Between

By end-2024, fiber reached 91% of premises in metropolitan France, passing over 40.6 million locations, with 75% of internet subscriptions now on fiber. About 5.8 million DSL lines remain as copper is phased out, with full retirement set for 2030. Over 45,000 5G sites are active, and Starlink has 60,000 French subscribers. The Cohésion Numérique program offers subsidies for satellite or wireless broadband in underserved areas.
21 June 2025
Beyond Cell Coverage: The Ultimate 2025 Guide to Satellite Texting Services

Beyond Cell Coverage: The Ultimate 2025 Guide to Satellite Texting Services

Apple’s iPhone 14 and 15 support emergency and basic satellite texting via Globalstar, with two years free after activation. Competing devices like Garmin inReach, ZOLEO, and SPOT use Iridium or Globalstar networks, with hardware prices from $99 to $850 and monthly plans starting near $12. Starlink plans direct-to-phone texting in 2025. Regulations restrict use in India and China.
State of Internet Access in Jordan: From Fiber Optics to Starlink

State of Internet Access in Jordan: From Fiber Optics to Starlink

Jordan recorded 8 million mobile broadband subscriptions and 812,000 fixed broadband lines by Q4 2024, with fiber making up 73% of fixed connections. Starlink and Eutelsat satellite services launched in April 2025. Internet penetration reached 91% by early 2024. Zain led mobile market share at 40%, while Orange held 80–90% of fixed broadband.
14 June 2025
The Digital Desert: Inside Equatorial Guinea’s Struggle for Internet Access

The Digital Desert: Inside Equatorial Guinea’s Struggle for Internet Access

Internet penetration in Equatorial Guinea rose from 2% in 2010 to about 60% by 2023, but fixed broadband subscriptions remain low. Mobile data cost $49.70 per GB in 2021, dropping to $20–$25 after a 2022 price cut. The government banned unauthorized satellite communications in August 2024, weeks after an internet blackout on Annobón island. The World Bank urged telecom reforms and investment in digital skills.
12 June 2025
Internet Access in Cuba: From Control to Constellations

Internet Access in Cuba: From Control to Constellations

Cuba’s first internet link launched in 1996 via a 64 Kbps Sprint connection. The ALBA-1 fiber-optic cable, installed with Venezuela’s help, became public in 2013. Mobile 3G internet began in December 2018; by late 2019, 7.1 million Cubans had some online access. In April 2025, Cuban customs seized about 20 illegal Starlink dishes as ETECSA retains its monopoly.
8 June 2025
Côte d’Ivoire’s Internet Revolution: Fiber Optics, 5G Dreams, and Satellite Solutions

Côte d’Ivoire’s Internet Revolution: Fiber Optics, 5G Dreams, and Satellite Solutions

Côte d’Ivoire had 11.2 million internet users in early 2024, about 38.4% of the population, with urban usage at 50% and rural at 22%. Over 5,200 km of fiber has been laid, aiming for 7,000 km by September 2025. MTN launched 5G sites in late 2023, with commercial rollout set for January 2024. Starlink remains unapproved, while Orange leads mobile and fixed broadband market share.
8 June 2025
No Signal: The Shocking Digital Divide in the DRC and the Race to Connect Millions

No Signal: The Shocking Digital Divide in the DRC and the Race to Connect Millions

About 27% of people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo used the internet in early 2024, leaving around 75 million offline. As of 2025, only 9,361 km of fiber had been installed, far below the 50,000 km target. In March 2024, the government secured $500 million from the World Bank and French Development Agency to expand access for 30 million more people. Orange DRC and Vodacom DRC plan to build up to 2,000 solar-powered towers by 2030.
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