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Improving Access to Quality Education Through Satellite Connectivity

Education is a fundamental human right that shapes minds and lives, builds communities, and stimulates long-term economic growth. In today’s rapidly changing world, access to quality education is more crucial than ever. But for many people, especially in Africa, access to basic education is a luxury.

Across sub-Saharan Africa alone, 98 million children between the ages of 6 and 18 are currently out of school. At Avanti, we are working hard to change this reality by improving access to education through satellite connectivity, so that remote and marginalised communities are empowered to reach their full potential.

Overcoming Barriers to Education

Satellite technology can play a key role in bridging the digital divide within the education sector. In rural communities, with limited or no access to traditional internet infrastructure, satellite connectivity can break down geographical and infrastructural barriers, enhance remote learning experiences and improve educational outcomes.

Connectivity can also enable access to digital educational resources and e-learning platforms, and provide the bandwidth needed to support high-quality video and audio, facilitating real-time communication between teachers and students.

The Difference We Make

We work closely with governments, development partners, local communities, and education services providers to design and implement projects that help to improve learning outcomes and increase retention rates in schools. This is helping more students get into further education and ensuring they are equipped for a future of professional and personal success. We also provide teachers with ICT training in order that they can successfully and confidently embed digital technology in their lessons and use the skills gained for online continuous professional development.

As part of our digital education solution, we provide high-speed satellite technology, ICT devices and educational content. Our offer includes a solar power solution for schools that are in locations with unreliable, limited or no access to the grid. We also support the Ministry of Education with the distribution of existing or planned devices and content.

Public-private partnerships can play a crucial role in  improving educational outcomes at scale – particularly in marginalised and remote communities. At Avanti, we have seen first-hand the positive impact this type of collection action can have.

Providing Satellite-based Edtech Projects across Schools – iMlango

Launched in 2014, iMlango was a project, funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, that aimed to deliver improved educational outcomes in numeracy and literacy to marginalised schools across Kenya – through the effective optimisation of ICT-in-Education infrastructure.

By 2021, when the partnership ended, we had successfully reached 245 primary and secondary schools, hundreds of Kenyan communities and improved the learning outcomes of around 180,000 marginalised children – 90,000 of which are marginalised schoolgirls.

To date, we have connected more than 1,000 villages and schools across Africa, providing services in Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, Tanzania, Senegal, Ghana, Angola, Côte d’ivoire, Cameroon and South Sudan. We plan to connect a further 10,000 sites over the next 5 years across Africa, impacting millions of lives and enabling communities to enjoy a connected life.

Project iMlango

Addressing the Gender Imbalances In Education – GPE Partnership

Educating girls saves lives and builds stronger families, communities and economies. By providing connectivity, and greater access to learning, Avanti is helping to address the gender imbalances in education.

An educated girl is more likely to secure a job, support her family and invest in her community. Giving girls an education can empower them to make informed decisions and take control of their own lives – breaking the cycle of gender inequality.

Our partnership with the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) on The Girls’ Education Awareness Programme, uses connectivity to help break down barriers to girls’ education. Through social marketing, we drive awareness and behaviour change around social norms keeping girls from school, strengthening efforts to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 4.

SDG 4 aims to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all, by providing children and young people with quality and easily accessible education, plus other learning opportunities.