South African Company Launches $30m Satellite Project in Nigeria
Daily Trust (Abuja)
October 30, 2003
Posted to the web October 30, 2003
A new pan-African satellite network operator which will offer satellite-based voice and internet communications direct to end-users will become operational in Nigeria in December this year.
The IP Direct project, with an initial 28.5-million-US-dollar foreign direct investment, is backed by the European satellite operator, SES Astra and South Africa's Industrial Development Corporation both as technical partner and core investors.
IP Direct chief executive Robert Tibbs told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) at a media launch in Johannesburg, South Africa that the company has already opened offices for the multi-million-dollar project in Nigeria.
It is also currently building an earth station in Lagos to handle transmissions, he said.
The service will also be launched in Ghana later in the year to provide broad-band network connectivity and internet solutions direct to end-users from the international backbone.
The satellite network operator plans to raise more funds to operate in 10 other African countries within two years.
IP Direct Nigerian offices in collaboration with local partner United Telesis will soon begin selling satellite dishes to small and medium businesses as well as home users keen to access the internet, send email, transmit data and even make voice calls via satellite operated by SES Astra.
Using a high-powered satellite beam, Tibbs said IP Direct will offer reliable, cost-effective broad-band connectivity for data, internet access and voice-over IP services suitable for business, government and residential customers in the Nigerian market.
What should make the service a success is that the level of telecoms services in Nigeria at present is basic communications, Tibb said.
He cited the phenomenal growth of the cellular network operators MTN and Econet in the country as an example.
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