Broadband Project: 90% Of Nigerians To Enjoy Affordable Internet — NASRDA

The National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) announced that 90% of Nigerians will have access to affordable Internet after the Federal Executive Council's (FEC) approval of its satellite internet broadband project.

Dr. Felix Ale, Head of Media and Corporate Communications disclosed this on Tuesday in Abuja

Under the regulatory direction of the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC), the Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved the Satellite Internet Broadband project of NASRDA on November 30.

The project would have a 15-year concession period, be expected to generate N28 billion in income, create 10,000 employment, increase internet usage, and combat insecurity.

Ale stated that Gilat Satellite Network and Gleo Technology, two of the world's foremost manufacturers of satellite communication equipment, will collaborate on the project's execution.

Ale said that the project will support satellite technology and equipment research and development in order to provide affordable satellite broadband connectivity in rural areas of the nation.

“The project is basically on the design, finance, building, operation, and transfer of a fast, affordable, reliable, and high-speed fixed broadband internet based on advanced satellite technology, through Public Private Partnership.

“The project is designed as part of the solution towards meeting Nigeria’s aspiration of providing up to 90 per cent of Nigerians with fast, affordable, reliable, uninterrupted, and high-speed fixed broadband internet at a price not more than N390 per Gigabyte by 2025.

“The project will increase the fixed broadband penetration for Nigeria from its current abysmal level of 0.2 per cent to a minimum of thirty percent 30 per cent.

“This is added to the discounted service price being offered by the project in solving the problem of the high cost of infrastructure needed for the provision of broadband by eliminating the capex investment typically needed by customers,” Ale said.

The approval of the project, he continued, was in accordance with Presidential Executive Order No. 5 of 2018, which promoted Nigerian content in contracts, science, engineering, and technology, as well as the execution of the National Broadband Plan 2020–2025.

Ale noted that the deployment of at least 7,000 Very-Small-Aperture-Terminal (VSAT) devices across Nigeria would be part of the implementation process.

He claims that the initiative was required by the Gilat Satellite Network's desire to commercialise some of the NASRDA research findings on the impact of the atmosphere on radio wave propagation across Nigeria.

Ale added: “The results of the research have assisted Gilat Satellite Network to develop the new generation of communication equipment which addressed the challenges of rain attenuation on radio signals which is a major challenge to microwave satellite communication, especially at frequencies above Gigahertz.

“The main framework of the proposed partnership is to provide broadband services and cellular backhaul across rural Nigeria.

“This is in view of using the proceeds in funding research and development on the challenge of rain attenuation on radio signals while perfecting the attenuation models and standardising the development of communication equipment.”

Ale said that the transfer of technology to Nigeria via NASRDA in the domain of communication equipment developed and produced by Gilat Satellite Network was another essential deliverable of the project.

He continued by saying that the creation of local manufacturing facilities for communication equipment with an assembly line and a research centre for communication equipment would be advantageous for the country.

Ale said: “This will help in job creation, close technology gaps, increase revenue generation to the nation, and enhance Nigeria’s global recognition in the field of communication equipment manufacturing for improved security across Nigeria.”