Satellite firms foresee boom in tech-hungry Africa

Africa's satellite business is set to boom as governments deregulate telecom markets and technology-hungry companies seek alternatives to patchy phone lines, industry experts said on Monday. Executives in the satellite industry say that space-based technology is perfect for Africa, where underinvestment in phone lines and a big rural population mean that almost half the continent's 800 million people have never made a phone call. Internet access is a paltry 1.4 percent in the world's poorest continent, but demand is growing fast.