Satellite receivers are installed in a village in Burundi, Oct. 31, 2022. (PHOTO: XINHUA)

By WANG Xiaoxia

Access to information is not the privilege of a minority, but a fundamental human right that is of equal importance to personal safety, clean drinking water and affordable healthcare. Satellite television can provide this access to people in rural areas, said Zambian President Edgar Lungu at a launch ceremony of a China-aided satellite TV project.

Access to Satellite TV for 10,000 African Villages is a China-Africa cooperation project that aims to reduce the digital divide in African rural areas by giving villages access to digital television. As of December 2022, the project had been completed in 21 African countries, covering 9,512 villages and benefiting more than 190,000 households.

Chinese digital TV operator StarTimes installed satellite receivers to relay signals, and provide an affordable service. In Zambia, it now costs just 30 kwachas (1.60 USD) per month to watch TV programs, 75 percent less than previously.

Apart from entertainment, TV is also a tool for people to understand the changing world and develop their hometowns with more advanced technology. In Burundi, a farmer named Hatungimana watched a modern farming program on satellite television and immediately learned how to build a pigsty and raise piglets. 

Satellite TV has also helped improve local educational conditions. Students can receive the latest information from around the world, and become more interested in learning.

The project has not only connected African villages with the world, but also trained local specialists who can master the technology's operation, installation and after-sales services. The project has trained more than 20,000 local technicians in Africa and increased their income, while laying a solid foundation for the development of related industries.