access to Internet is still a major issue.
We believe we will be able to have a dramatic impact on the broadband landscape. In 12 months time, the [information and communication technology]
landscape will change. Satellite will
play a critical role. Once the satellite
capability is added, businesses will
have access to much faster broadband
services. We will be able to more than
double the speeds available to customers, which is an important parameter
for digital services.
Nigcomsat-1
is a satellite
by Africa
for African people.
Via Satellite: How do you see the direct-
to-home markets developing?
Rufai: [The direct-to-home mar-ket] in Africa is a niche market. The
question is affordability, especially when you look at the middle and
lower classes. We have a channel on
the Ka-band which is specifically
designed for television. We are obviously looking to take advantage of the
need in Africa for a wider variety of
television services.
Via Satellite: When do you expect nig-
comsat-1 to be profitable?
Rufai: The satellite has a lifespan of
15 years and we hope to be profitable
within four to five years. We are going
into end-to-end services. We are also
looking at the future structure of the
company. It is going to be a public-private partnership.
Also, at some point in the future, we
are looking forward to be listed on the
New York Stock Exchange. We are looking for investors to buy into the company.
We hope to be on there soon, but firstly
we want to be on our own local exchange
within the next year. Two years after that,
we hope we could be on an international
exchange. One of the key challenges will
be targeting investment.
Via Satellite: How concerned are you
about the potential loss of some C-band
spectrum to telecoms players? How would
this impact nigcomsat?
Rufai: It is an issue that not only
affects Nigcomsat, but it affects the
whole of Africa. As you know, C-band
is highly used for communications in
Africa. Given that WiMax [Internet]
services may or may not take-off, we
think most African administrations
support C-band remaining with satellite players. It could disrupt existing
services, which have been properly
coordinated.
I believe very strongly that satellite players will be able to keep hold
of C-band spectrum. Each regional
administration has already discussed
C-band spectrum. It is already been
confirmed that it is difficult to combine satellite and telecoms services.
It is very difficult to avoid interference. Our position is that you need
to look for alternative bandwidth
for the [terrestrial] players. That
is the most reasonable thing to do.
The same services can be deployed
in other bands that are available. In
Africa, we don’t see any reason why
the [terrestrial] players would need
C-band spectrum.
Via Satellite: Where do you expect nig-
comsat to be a year from now?
Rufai: I hope to be giving you the
lowdown on new satellite services in
the region. We should also be in a position to tell you about our next mission. This should also be the signal
for the [information and communications technology] landscape in Africa
to change.
CalenDaR
sePTemBeR
3-6 World Satellite
Business Week
Paris, France
(Conference Information:
+ 33 (0) 1 49 23 75 30; Web:
www.satellite-business.com)
6-11 IBC 2007
Amste rdam, Ne the rlands
(Conference Information:
+ 44 (0) 20 7611 7500; Web:
www.ibc.org)
18-20 APSCC 2007
Bangkok, Thailand
(Conference Information:
+82 2 508 4883; Web:
www.apscc.or.kr)
19-21 China Satellite
Conference 2007
Be ijing, China
(Conference Information:
+86 10 5160 7180; Web:
www.china-satellite.org)
24-27 VSAT 2007
London, England
(Conference Information:
+ 44 (0) 17 2783 2288; Web:
www.comsys.co.uk)
OCTOBeR
10-11 SATCON
Ne w York, NY
(Conference Information:
203/371-6322; Web:
www.satconexpo.com)
22-25 ITC/USA 2007
Las Ve gas, Ne vada
(Conference Information:
www.telemetry.org)
nOVemBeR
6-8 Offshore
Communications 2007
Houston, Te xas
(Conference Information:
772/221-7720 ; Web:
www.offshorecoms.com)
11-14 EMEX 2007
Re no, Ne vada
(Conference Information:
703/538-1795 ; Web:
www.emex.org)
