BY Stephen Kenechi
Viasat, a US-based commercial satellite operator, has sought the approval of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to deploy satellite broadband services in Nigeria.
On Monday, Augustine Nwalunne, NCC’s spectrum administration director, met with a team of delegates from the California-headquartered company on behalf of Umar Danbatta, the commission’s executive vice-chairman.
The meeting is a sequel to Viasat’s visit to discuss its plans to acquire regulatory support towards entering into Nigeria’s commercial satellite communications market.
The company sought NCC’s approval to reserve and use the 28 GHz KA frequency band and provide “cost-effective internet and high throughput satellite connectivity” in the country.
This feat, Viasat said, it looks to achieve through Viasat Nigeria, its incorporated Nigerian subsidiary, while also conducting a proof of concept (PoC) test in Abuja.
According to the company, it plans to roll out its services in one Nigerian community, extend this across one state, and then proceed to extend the broadband satellite nationwide by 2022.
Satellite broadband is typically provided through low-earth-orbit (LEO) or geostationary satellites, with the latter providing much faster data rates.
While expressing confidence in the prospects of its entry into the Nigerian market, Viasat said its GTH satellite services would target homes, governments, schools as well as micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
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