A strategic boost to the Federal Government’s plan to deepen digital culture came on Monday (10/2/2020) when Viasat, a commercial satellite operator, visited the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to give an update on its readiness to deploy satellite broadband services in Nigeria.
The Viasat team was received by Engr. Augustine. Nwalunne, Ph.D., Director, Spectrum Administration at NCC, on behalf of Prof. Umar Danbatta, the Executive Vice Chairman of the Commission. According to Nwaulune, the Monday meeting with the Viasat team was a sequel to an earlier meeting with the EVC on March 4, 2019, when Viasat came to discuss its plans to get regulatory supports for entry into the commercial satellite communications market in Nigeria.
At the meeting, Viasat sought the Commission’s encouragement and approval to reserve and use the 28 GHz KA frequency band in the country to provide cost-effective Internet connectivity and high throughput satellite connectivity through its incorporated Nigerian subsidiary, Viasat Nigeria.
The company also informed the Commission of its plan to conduct a Proof of Concept (PoC) test in Abuja in 2020. Thereafter, Viasat plans to roll out in a community, and subsequently extend the services across a state and then proceed to extend its broadband satellite services nationwide by 2022.
The Viasat’s GTH satellite services is targeting homes, governments, schools as well as micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), among others.
The company expressed confidence that its services will be really beneficial to unserved and underserved areas of Nigeria.
Viasat said it has, over the years, invested over $2.2 billion globally on geostationary satellite services, with a footprint in the Nigerian space towards bridging the extant digital divide in the country.
Originally a satellite operator but now a satellite operator and satellite services provider, Viasat declared readiness to effectively provide cost-effective Internet connectivity via satellite and to provide high throughput satellite connectivity services in Nigeria.
