5G First Mile Deployment in Nigeria will be on Satellite before Fibre – ALTON Chairman

…Tasks NigComSat on creating more awareness

…Says NigComSat will play a huge role in 5G Deployment in Nigeria

 

The Chairman, Association of Licensed Telecom Operators of Nigeria, ALTON, Engr Gbenga Adebayo has hintd that 5G in Nigeria will be firstly deployed in satellite before fibre.

Adebayo who made the disclosure one-day stakeholders forum organized by Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited, NIGCOMSAT in Lagos noted that the organisation would play a huge role in the deployment of 5G in the country.

Delivering his goodwill message, he said there is possibility that telecom operators will first deploy the Fifth Generation, 5G network on satellite, next year, when the Nigerian Communications Commissions, NCC, may have finished auctioning the new network regime.

He however urged NigComSat to do more awareness about its operations in the country and other parts of Africa.

Adebayo, who recalled that the de-orbiting of the satellite from space in 2008 was not properly managed, said, “because nobody later came out to inform us that the satellite has been replaced. So, I think, the management of NigComSat should do more to educate the public.”

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“Satellite operations are key to telecommunications growth in the country, so NIGCOMSAT should be guided  to succeed by every stakeholder.

“For instance, we are talking about 5G, the first mile deployment of the network should be by satellite, the second should be by Fibre so that it will cover the entire country extensively.”

He berated government parastatals and agencies owing NIGCOMSAT, while they pay third party foreign satellites with less reach, describing them as unfair to the growth of satellite communications in the country.

He advised management of NIGCOMSAT to disconnect such agencies without thinking of political correctness.

Releasing the company’s road map at the forum, themed:”NIGCOMSAT,  The Present and The Future”, the Managing Director of NIGCOMSAT, Dr Ambimbola Alale disclosed that the company would launch two satellites, NIGCOMSAT-2 and NIGCOMSAT-3, between 2023 and 2025.

Alale said:  “The agency will acquire two more satellites NIGCOMSAT-2 and NIGCOMSAT-3 between now and 2025 with the NigComSat-2 which is a High Throughput Satellite, due for launch in 2023 while NigComSat-3 will be launched in 2025.”

According to her, the launch will not only inspire confidence in the agency’s customers and channel partners but also place NIGCOMSAT Ltd in the front line of communication satellite operators with fleet of satellites in the orbit.

Explaining why the company is attempting such audacious projects, Alale said: “Satellite communications is a technology with rapid changing. In view of this, NIGCOMAT has continued to build capacity that match global trends and requirement”.

Alale also said  that NIGCOMSAT, in its bid to achieve its ambition as the leading satellite communications Solutions provider in Nigeria and Africa, obtained approval early 2020 to form two subsidiary companies (SUBCOs) the Satellite Infrastructure Company SIC to provide satellite upstreams Services such as Transponder leasing, and In-Orbit-(IOT) services, Carrier Spectrum Management (CSM) services & the Satellite Broadcasting and Broadband Company (SBBC) to provide satellite downstream services such as broadband internet services, Broadcasting (DTH) services among others.

“The SUBCOs were formed to carryout commercial businesses on behalf of NIGCOMSAT with strategic partners and expand its business operations and in the information & communications technology space, NIGCOMSAT realizes the need to strategically position its subsidiaries for potential opportunities and risks, put in place operational structures to facilitate its business aspirations”.