The African Development Bank (AfDB) has approved a US$50 million loan for a satellite system that will facilitate direct links among all African countries, state-owned New Vision daily said Friday.

The loan comes from the AfDB's private sector window for the Regional African Satellite Communications Organisation Members' (RASCOM) telecommunications project.

The project would provide international telephone calls and Internet connections at a low cost and create direct links among all African countries, Eliman Cham, RASCOM's vice-president for engineering and technology, has said in a statement.

The new satellite system will also enable exchange of television and radio programmes among African countries.

"Farmers will have better access to market information, weather forecasts and new technologies. This will increase production, boost livelihoods and contribute to combating rural poverty," said the statement.

"People in rural areas, particularly women and children, will have access to new sources of information and education and this will break the barriers of social and geographical isolation experienced in many rural areas," it read.

It will permit low-cost pan-African connectivity for telecom operators, the statement said.