By Emmanuel Elebeke
BUJA—The Nigerian Communication Satellite Limited  says is set to surpass the 30 percent broadband penetration target by December 2018 if public and private sector operators in the country key into its ongoing Ka-VSAT deployment.

Abimbola Alale

The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of NIGCOMSAT limited, Abimbola  Alale gave the assurance yesterday during their one-day training of some selected retailers for Ka-VSAT installation across the country.

Alale, who was represented at the occasion by the Executive Director, Engineering Services, Raji Kolawole said the event was important to the company in its effort towards bringing the benefits.

She said the agency is poised to offer unparallel satellite service and capture the communications satellite market available in Africa and beyond if public and private sector operators in the country key into its ongoing Ka-VSAT deployment agenda, adding that the with the recent agreement with BelinterSat, operators of Nelintersat-1, of  Belarus for back up satellite, prospective customers have nothing to fear.

She said: ‘‘Despite the 30 percent target, I can assure you that by the time we start rolling out, we will surpass that 30 percent target. That is why we want investors, private sector to come in including government agenciesto come through NigCoimSat to provide the Ka-VSAT service to Nigerian in the rural areas.

‘‘Our target is to go into the rural areas and serve the underserved and unserved people and by the time you serve these rural people, the 30 per cent target we are looking at can be surpassed because if we take the 20 percent of the rural areas and add it to the percentage the terrestrial operators are offering, that will go along way to surpass that target.”

‘‘The government came up with Local Content initiative because that is the only hope.  We know that the only way to empower our youth is through ICT, whether terrestrial or satellite network.  The satellite communication network, NigComSat 1R is ready  is ready to provide services to served and unserved areas within Nigeria.

‘‘If you look at the population of Nigeria, over 180 million people, over 70 percent live in the rural areas and should have access to network, which NIGCOMSAT is ready to drive along with other private sector and broadband services and internet connectivity across the country.’’

Ka-Band is a network of its own, which is a part of the satellite which offers  a VSATS network cost effective solutions that reduces total cost of ownership and cheaper bandwidth pricing for  subscribers in compares to Ku and C-band networks.

Its services offer high speed connectivity and data download at great and affordable prices.

The NIGCOMSAT CEO also said ‘‘This training is envisaged to further  deepen and strengthen the federal Government broadband penetration plan as the  installers will be adequately  trained to handle all the issues relating to configuration, deployment and management of the services.

The signal in the Ka-band can be used  by operators to provide  cheaper network services being offered by the Internet Service Providers, ISPs or VSAT, particularly in the rural areas.

As a confirmation of  public confidence in NIGCOMSAT, she said  the company was  working on an agreement with IINTERSAT for service provision.

The training is meant to equip  Ka-Band resellers/installers with the best and emerging trends in the satellite communications industry.

Trainees were also expected to have on the field experience of likely problems occasioned with the services of a communications satellite and how  it can be tackled.