NIGCOMSAT has pledged to use satellite technology to bridge the digital divide in Nigeria. The state-owned company signed a partnership agreement with Infratel Africa recently to provide connectivity in 100 rural areas of the country.
Nigerian Communications Satellite Ltd (NIGCOMSAT), Nigeria’s national satellite operator, announced, the signing of a partnership agreement with telecom infrastructure company Hotspot. The two parties intend to deploy satellite technology and innovative connectivity solutions to connect rural and remote areas that traditionally lack access to the internet.
The project will leverage the Ka-band platform of NIGCOMSAT’s NigComSat-1R satellite. It will commence immediately and will see its first phase deployed in selected rural areas over the next six months. The initiative will be supported by the Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF).
The partnership comes about a week after NIGCOMSAT signed a similar agreement with telecoms infrastructure provider Infratel Africa to improve connectivity service coverage in 100 rural areas. This is part of the company’s commitment to “ connecting the unconnected and ensuring that no community is left behind in the digital age .”
As a reminder, Nigeria had 219.3 million mobile phone subscribers and 163.8 million internet subscribers as of March 31, according to official statistics. The actual figures are expected to be lower given that some Nigerians have multiple SIM cards that are each counted as a subscriber. Moreover, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) had revealed in 2022 that nearly 35 million Nigerians did not have access to telecom services.
“ By combining NIGCOMSAT’s extensive satellite infrastructure and Hotspot’s expertise in rural connectivity, this partnership will enable communities to bridge the digital divide and unlock new opportunities for socio-economic development ,” said Aisha Bantam, Deputy Director General, Corporate Affairs, NIGCOMSAT.