NigComSat 1R To Bridge Gap In Digital Broadcasting

 Prospects of Direct-To-Home (DTH) local platform and the need to join digital broadcasting will be a major fallout of Nigeria’s replacement satellite NigComSat 1R when it is launched in December. It is also expected to enhance the migration of broadcast media to High Definition (HD) digital platform will be addressed by the satellite.

These and other related issues are to be explained when Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited (NIGCOMSAT) hosts a three day stakeholders’ conference in Lagos later this month. Tagged ‘prelaunch marketing sensitisation for NigComSat 1R’ the  conference would be the second in the series of several roadshows targeted at addressing salient issues around the soon to be launched satellite.
Team leader for the conference, Barrister Bala Mohammed said the events are slated to run from November 21 to 23 at the Lagos Sheraton and Towers,Ikeja. adding‘we want to host a grade A conference to address all the issues involved with the satellite”. Bala who spoke on behalf of Executive Director (marketing) Abimbola Alale said this conference is a prelaunch marketing sensitization one where experts from within and outside will speak on various subjects relating to satellite communications in general and NigComSat 1R in particular.
Managing Director of NIGCOMSAT limited, Engr. T. Ahmed-Rufai is expected to flag off the discourse with a keynote paper “Communications Satellite: A key player in digital broadcasting”. His paper will dovetail into that of Anthony Orjinta whose paper dwells on DTH opportunities at NIGCOMSAT.
Chief Regulator of the broadcast industry, and Director General, National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) Engr. Yomi Bolarinwa will speak on “Future Trends in broadcasting technology”.
Veteran in the broadcast media and former Director of Engineering of Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) Engr. Edward Amana will moderate this session.
The conference which is expected to be declared opened by the Communications Technology Minister, Mrs. Omobola Johnson, will also address broadband internet penetration especially now that the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) has given a matching order to its member countries to make broadband connectivity mandatory by 2015. Indeed, the ITU rose from its World Telecom 2011 in Geneva,Switzerland last week with a mandate that all countries should achieve 40 per cent broadband connectivity  in homes by 2015. “This is possible if we have the will and interest to truly develop Nigeria and move away from the outskirts of globalisation towards attaining vision 20:2020.” Bala explained adding that “our conference will address all that.”
 

…As Reps Committee Commends Management
 
The Management and Staff of the Nigerian Communications Satellite (NIGCOMSAT) Limited received a strong commendation from the committee of the House of Representative on Communication Technology on the propose launch of NigComSat 1R schedule for December 19, 2011 in China.
 
The commendation came shortly after the Managing Director, Chief Executive of NIGCOMSAT Ltd Engr. T. Ahmed-Rufai presented the performance of the year 2011 fiscal year at the National Assembly complex recently.
 
Leading the commendation, a member of the committee Hon. Akinlade Abiodun from Ogun state gave a vivid account of when the satellite was de-orbited  and  how the National Assembly mandated his committee (Science and Technology) to travel to China for on the spot assessment and subsequent signing of the replacement contract which did not attract any cost to Nigerian government.
 
‘When the satellite was de-orbited the House graciously allowed the committee on Science and Technology to accompany the agency to China to go and sign the replacement agreement, thank God again in few weeks time now, Nigeria will be back in the orbit’ he added ‘so the MD has to be commended for having faith’ said Akinlade.
 
Also contributing, Hon Chris Azubogu from Anambra, while expressing optimism, tasked NIGCOMSAT to collaborate with agencies especially Radio and Television to reach the remote parts of the country.
 
‘The agency you are managing holds a very important position for Nigeria ; we are driving towards agric economy. We planned to reach the remotest part of Nigeria with communication. I want you to look at the best way to collaborate with radio and television stations, especially radio’ Hon. Azubogu emphasised. He further said ‘anything you need legislatively, come we are waiting for you; we will assist you to achieve your goals’ the member concluded.
 
Meanwhile the committee has directed the Ministry of Communication Technology to address all issues relating to the satellite launch immediately for a hitch free launch in December. ‘All issues relating to the launch should be addressed immediately’ said the committee chairman, Dr. Ibrahim Shehu  Gusau. The committee chairman commended the company and called for immediate preparation for the backups of the satellite.
 
Earlier, the Managing Directed of NIGCOMSAT Ltd informed the committee that most of the projects have been near completion or almost completed and that NigComSat 1R would be launch on December 19, 2011.
 
He said by the time the satellite is launched, it will be a major backbone for the entire ICT requirements for both government and non-governmental institutions.
According to him, most of the bandwidths requirement particularly the ICT industry which is currently estimated at $500 million per annum justifies the govt investment in the COMSAT, to provide a domestic alternative, conserve foreign exchange and to enhance our National GDP.
 Engr. Rufai stated that the satellite was launched at the time the development of telecom services was fledging in Nigeria and there was the dire need for satellite augmentation system to support the transmission backbone of the industry because of the digital infrastructure, terrestrial infrastructure in terms of fibre, micro wave and the wireless.
 
He lamented that ‘we operated for 18 months. The satellite was launched May 13 2007 and unfortunately it was de orbited on November 10, 2008’ he said.

‘But l am happy to inform the committee that the contractors  and the insurance companies took the responsibility of re launching the satellite at no cost to Nigeria and December 19, 2011 barely 50 days from now, NigComSat 1R will be re launched into orbit’. 
 
He pleaded with the committee for the need for backups to ensure service continuity and business sustainability.