The Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited (NIGCOMSAT) said on Thursday that it plans to deploy 5G using its soon-to-be-launched satellite, NIGCOMSAT 2.
The government agency said this at a stakeholders’ engagement forum, with the theme ‘NIGCOMSAT: The Roadmap for enhanced service delivery’.
It is already building and commissioning the satellite in collaboration with its Chinese partner, Great China Wall.
Abimbola Alale, managing director and CEO of NIGCOMSAT, said the forum’s goal was to get feedback from stakeholders and seek collaboration.
“As players within the industry, we are bound by common goals and interests. We must therefore view the stakeholders’ meeting as critical to the industry’s growth,” Alale said.
Read also: NCC, NigComSat sign MoU on 5G spectrum to propel Nigeria’s digital economy
The plan is likely to see collaboration between fibre operators and satellites. MTN Nigeria Communications is the first telecommunications company that has launched 5G in the country. However, stakeholders acknowledged that coverage might be a challenge, given that there are areas and regions in Nigeria where fibre cannot go; hence it will require infrastructure like a satellite to complement it.
There are three ways to deploy a telecom network including microwave, fibre, and satellite. High-speed internet like 5G relies mostly on fibre infrastructure, which may not be able to get to every part of the country. Satellite is seen as a viable option to reach underserved areas.
Generally, reports from institutions like McKinsey show that satellite technology has made significant strides in recent years, fuelling the prospect of faster communications and higher bandwidth per user than cable, copper, and pre-5G fixed wireless, not to mention more traditional, geosynchronous large systems.
Adebayo Gbenga, president of the Association of Licensed Telecommunication Operators in Nigeria, said the challenge with fibre infrastructure is high incidents of vandalism. There were over 40,000 fibre cuts in 2021 alone. Some of the common causes of the cuts include construction activities like roads, railway and houses, vandalism, and fire incidents.
While Gbenga believes that satellite holds the potential to deepen the spread of 5G, which he said hasn’t moved at the expected pace, there is the cost of satellite deployment, which in many respects may be prohibitive for operators.
Orjinta Anthony Emeka, deputy general manager, satellite control and operation at NIGCOMSAT, said the cost may no longer be a barrier, given recent developments in the satellite industry, which has seen some convergence with other telecom infrastructure. Hence, the world is currently at a place where the cost of satellite deployment is at par with fibre infrastructure.
Adeola Ogundele, technical director at Crystalfix Nigeria Limited, said it has become necessary for the government to increase investment in satellite internet technology so as to accelerate digital inclusion across the country.
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