By Hillary Asemota
The Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited (NIGCOMSAT) has given kudos to President Muhammadu Buhari for providing resources needed for the sustainability and growth of Nigeria’s space programme even as it commended the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Ibrahim Pantami, for relentlessly charting the overarching goal of Nigeria’s digital age.
The Managing Director of NIGCOMSAT, Dr. Abimbola Alale, in a chat with our Reporter at the side line of the formalization of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed with a sister agency: the Nigerian Communications Communication (NCC) at the instance of Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, reiterated NIGCOMSAT as a limited liability company under the supervision and drive of the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy.
According to her, the company operates and manage NigComSat -1R. NIGCOMSAT-1R, which is a geostationary communications satellite launched into orbital slot of 42.5 East degree ten years ago.
She said: “So far, over 70% of the transponders on NigComSat-1R have been utilized across different sectors of the Nigerian economy, adding…ranging from satellite broadband to drive activities of the banking sector, health sector, education sector, agriculture sector, oil and gas sector, maritime sector, Direct-to-Home (DtH) services, backhauling services, communication on the move, navigational services etc.”
On the gains of the synergy with NCC, she revealed that it is with the intention to fast-track the clearance and use of C-Band frequency for the deployment of 5G network in the country’s telecommunications space.
C-band spectrum, according to the NIGCOMSAT boss, is suitable and appropriate for immediate deployment of 5G services taking into consideration availability of the device’s ecosystem with 60-70% of global commercial 5G network deployment currently on the C-band spectrum.
Alale, said: “Beyond the commonplace ceremony that accompanied the event, the company acknowledged that the MoU is a development that will open up vistas of growth in the telecommunications industry, adding that concomitantly, it also holds the potential to stimulate the country’s economy even as it signposts the capacity of NIGCOMSAT LTD to contribute to the Nigerian developing a digital ecosystem.
“NIGCOMSAT also gained another milestone when it entered into partnership with Thales Alenia Space and ASCENA (Agency for Aerial Safety and Navigation in Africa to demonstrate the viability of NigComSat-1R L-Band payload, the cooperation has since proven its effectiveness to aid aviation safety in Senegal and Togo.
“There was a Satellite-Based Augmentation System (SBAS) broadcast signal over Africa and the Indian Ocean in September, 2020. The test bed signal-in space was successfully broadcast through NigComSat-1R SBAS payload globally over Africa, Indian Ocean, West Australian coast and Europe. A 9m antenna earth station in Abuja ground station was used with equipment provided by Thales Alenia Space.
“It is also worthy of note to mention here the wholesome services rendered to some television stations in the country and outside the country. The Telco Press operating in Burkina Faso and Cote d’ Ivoire are major customers on NigComSat-1R including some private television who sought anonymity. The Nigerian Television Authority has been operating on NigComSat-1R too.
“NigComSat-1R has also been used to support some of the activities of the digitization agenda of the ministry under the supervision of the Ministry.”
She added that the company has trained over 600 youths across the country on V-SAT installation, ostensibly geared towards closing the digital skills gap, which is a subset of the National Broadband Plan (2020-2025) and the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (2020-2030), of the Federal Government.
NIGCOMSAT, she explained has also contributed immensely to broadband penetration target in line with the government expectations in the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS), 2010-2030 and in other aspects of the economic development of the country, it added.
On drain of resources from the country, she said there is need to encourage MDAs and the private sector to patronize NIGCOMSAT’s products and services against portfolio investments from outside the country who deplete the hard earned foreign reserved.