Nigerian satellite builder Nigecomsat expects its satellite to run out of capacity in August, with all the capacity dedicated to Nigeria`s national usage.
Speaking at Satcom 2008 in Sandton this week, Nigecomsat CEO Achmed Rufai said Nigerian initiatives had expressed interest in booking all of Nigecomsat`s capacity, as the country`s demand for satellite capacity was huge.
Rufai said NigecomSat-1 began commercial services in July last year. The capacity was made available to all African stakeholders, and the Nigerian government moved fast to solidify its interest in taking capacity. "We would have loved to see telcos taking this capacity," he noted.
Rufai said Africa still had a big need for satellite capacity, and encouraged other African countries also to build satellites.
Africa needed at least 100 transponders, he said, noting that Nigeria would look into building a second and third satellite.
Rufai acknowledged that there were those in the ICT industry who said satellite would lose its relevance as new undersea cables were built.
"Yes, there are other initiatives to provide capacity in Africa, like undersea cables. But Africa still has huge demand for capacity, especially when you move away from the seashore," said Rufai.
Second take
Jones Kilimbe, CEO of the Regional African Satellite Communications Organisation (Rascom), noted that C^ote d'Ivoire`s Rascom satellite would be able to fill the gap left by Nigeria`s satellite running out of capacity.
Rascom was in negotiations with the government of Rwanda about buying capacity in C-band, with negotiations at an advanced stage, he said.
The C^ote d'Ivoire government has also expressed interest in purchasing capacity in the 9MHz band for the country. "We have contacted 38 [African] countries," he said.
Kilimbe said the R750 million Rascom satellite would begin commercial operations in two months. The satellite was launched in December last year, and pushed into orbit on 29 January, he said. Orbit testing was completed on 6-7 March.
He noted that Rascom was working with the Indian government and the African Union to roll out an e-network programme that would reach remote, rural communities.
The network would provide e-government, e-health and e-education solutions, he said. The project had already booked satellite capacity.
Algeria and Angola were also rumoured to be launching satellites, Kilimbe said.
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