Nigeria wants 2 comms and DTH satellites
September 20, 2021
By Chris Forrester
Nigeria wants two additional satellites for its communications fleet.
Dr Abimbola Alela, the MD/CEO of NigComSat, told delegates at the 2021 stakeholder forum last week in Lagos that the new craft (NigComSat 2 and 3) were essential to further expand Nigeria’s position as a global satellite operator.
“This will not only inspire confidence in our customers and channel partners but also place NigComSat in the front line of communication satellite operators with a fleet of satellites in orbit,” she added.
The process has only recently commenced with Request for Proposals (RfP) sent out and that the project will be a public/private partnership.
For example, NigComSat-2 satellite will be a High Throughput satellite (HTS) with a total capacity of 300 Gb/s. It will also include triband functionality including C-band for Telemetry, Tracking and Command (TT&C) systems to provide the most vital telecommunication link between a satellite and ground stations as well as Ka-band and Ku-band transponders. The orbital slot for the NigComSat-2 will either be 9.5 degrees West or 16 degrees West, based on the orbital fillings with International Telecommunications Union (ITU).
The overall plan calls for the satellites to be used for direct-to-home (DTH) broadcasting services, telemedicine, Tele-education, broadband services and Internet of Things (IoT) services.