Adebayo made the announcement at a one-day stakeholders forum hosted by Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited (NIGCOMSAT) in Lagos, noting that the company would play a vital role in the country’s 5G deployment.
In his goodwill message, he stated that the Nigerian Communications Commissions (NCC) may finish auctioning the new network regime next year and that telecom operators may first deploy the Fifth Generation, 5G network on satellite. He did, however, urge NigComSat to raise awareness about its operations in Nigeria and other parts of Africa.
Adebayo noted that the satellite’s de-orbiting from space in 2008 was not adequately managed since “nobody afterwards came out to advise ALTON that NigComSat had replaced the satellite.” As a result, he believes NigComSat’s management should do more to educate the public.”
“Satellite operations are critical to the country’s telecommunications growth; thus NIGCOMSAT should be directed to success by all stakeholders.” For example, suppose we are discussing 5G. In that case, the first-mile rollout of the network should be by satellite, and the second-mile deployment should be by fibre so that it covers the entire country extensively,” Adebayo stated.
He chastised government parastatals and agencies that owe NIGCOMSAT while paying third-party foreign satellites with limited reach, calling them unjustly to the country’s satellite communications progress. He asked NIGCOMSAT management to disconnect such agencies without regard for political correctness.
Dr Ambimbola Alale, Managing Director of NIGCOMSAT, revealed the company’s road map at the forum, themed “NIGCOMSAT, The Present and The Future,” stating that the company would launch two satellites, NIGCOMSAT-2 and NIGCOMSAT-3, between 2023 and 2025.
“Satellite communications is a rapidly changing technology,” Alale noted, explaining why the company is pursuing such bold ventures. As a result, NIGCOMAT has continued to develop capacity in line with global trends and requirements.”
