Satellite
By Constance Imasuen
Abuja, May 22, 2018 (NAN) The Nigerian Communication Satellite Ltd. (NIGCOMSAT) and the China Great Wall Industries Cooperation (CGWIC), have restated their commitment to ensure effective satellite services to Nigerians.
Mr Samson Osagie, the Executive Director, Marketing and Business Development of NIGCOMSAT, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Tuesday in Abuja.
“CGWIC, the manufacturers of NIGCOMSAT IR, which is the country’s satellite in the geo stationary orbit and the organisation restated their commitment to support one another.
“Particularly, CGWIC promised to continue to support NIGCOMSAT as it is the first international satellite launched by them, so they have a duty to ensure that it is not only profitable but fully functional.
“And the services are efficient; the two countries assured themselves to continue to collaborate in all areas, including equipment maintenance and training of NIGCOMSAT staff, “ he said.
According to him, CGWIC also agreed to support NIGCOMSAT marketing services, especially the Direct To Home (DTH) platform.
He said that NIGCOMSAT’s partnership with CGWIC was important in strengthening the confidence of customers and resellers in providing seamless services to Nigeria, which he described as largest market in Africa.
Osagie said that the satellite communication industry was a competitive and complex one, where no single satellite operator could have all the capacity required to deliver services.
“So the purpose of entering into partnership with Turksat, a Turkish communications satellite company is to create an opportunity for joint marketing of their PA Satellite Resources.
“Which is about the cheapest among our payloads, so it is expected that Turksat will come to Nigeria and create a hub, an Africa gateway in NIGCOMSAT through which they will deliver their services through us.
“And whether you like it or not, Nigeria remains the biggest in Africa for most things including satellite services,’’ he said.
Osagie said that NIGCOMSAT, with a lone satellite had also reached an agreement with Belintersat, a Belarus Satellite Company, to manage a gateway in Nigeria as a backup service.
“In other words, Nigeria and Belarus are partners in the mutual back up arrangement between the two countries.
“So our customers need to be aware that there is no threat to the services they currently enjoy and pay for.
“If anything at all, we are strengthening the capacity of the company to provide them seamless services and improve on areas where we had issues before now,” he said. (NAN)
COA/JTJ/GY
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Edited by Julius Toba Jegede/Grace Yussuf