NigComSat signs new deal to boost rural connectivity in Nigeria

The Chief Executive Officer of the Satellite company, Mrs Jane Egerton-Idehen, disclosed this over the weekend while highlighting her activities for the past week.

According to her, under the partnership, NIGCOMSAT and Hotspot Network would leverage their strengths to deploy connectivity solutions to areas lacking internet access.

She said NigComSat would provide satellite coverage for transmission for Hotspot Network sites where required as the company commences its expansion.

While noting that internet access has remained a challenge for many Nigerians, particularly in rural areas, she said the partnership would deliver reliable and affordable internet services in underserved communities nationwide.

Citing a 2023 report by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Idehen said only about 40% of the population has access to broadband internet.

“The current administration has set ambitious targets to boost Nigeria’s broadband penetration rate to 70% by the end of 2025 as part of the National Broadband Plan. They aim to provide coverage for at least 80% of the population, especially the underserved and unserved areas, by the end of 2027.

“Our collaboration with Hotspot Network Limited supports this goal by providing satellite coverage for their rural network expansion, reducing the gap of unconnected Nigerians in rural areas from 61% to less than 20% by 2027,” she said.

Hotspot’s CEO, Morenikeji Aniye, expressed enthusiasm for the partnership, stating,

“We are thrilled to work alongside NIGCOMSAT in this endeavour. At Hotspot, connecting the millions of unconnected persons remains a cardinal objective of our mission. By combining our expertise and resources, we will be able to deploy innovative solutions that bring reliable and affordable internet access to rural communities, empowering them to participate fully in the digital economy and access essential services.”

Idehen said the government is also implementing several other initiatives aimed at boosting connectivity across the country. According to her, one such is Project 774, an initiative by the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, in coordination with agencies like Galaxy BackBone, Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF), the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA).

She added that since the commencement of Project 774, NigComSat has also been engaging with ICT commissioners in the various states of the federation and working with them to address the connectivity needs of their state.

NIGCOMSAT Ltd is a government-owned communication satellite service provider with coverage over African countries and parts of Europe and Asia,

The rural connectivity project being implemented by NigComSat is also in partnership with the Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF), targeting numerous rural communities across Nigeria with services delivered via the NigComSat-1R Ka-Band platform.

The joint initiative between NigComSat and Hotspot is expected to commence immediately, with plans to roll out the first phase of the project in select rural areas within the next six months.