As part of its efforts to replace its current communications satellite, NIGCOMSAT-1R, the Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited (NIGCOMSAT) has started the replacement process and is actively looking for partners and international investors.
Jane Nkechi Egerton-Idehen, the Managing Director of NIGCOMSAT, announced this replacement move.
Newsng gathered that the operating life of NIGCOMSAT-1R is scheduled to end in 2026, having started in 2011.
The Nigerian Federal Ministry of Science and Technology and the China Great Wall Industry Corporation (CGWIC) signed the initial contract on March 24, 2009, for the in-orbit delivery of the NIGCOMSAT-1R satellite.
It was successfully launched on December 19, 2011, as a replacement for the unsuccessful NIGCOMSAT-1, which was launched on May 13, 2007.
Former Communications Minister Barrister Adebayo Shittu had earlier pushed for the satellite’s replacement and suggested getting a $550 million loan from China-Exim Bank to buy two backup satellites.
In 2021, Dr Abimbola Alale, the previous Director of NIGCOMSAT, disclosed that the organisation planned to purchase two additional satellites between 2021 and 2025.
The NIGCOMSAT management is preparing for the satellite’s lifecycle completion by taking preventative steps to guarantee that there won’t be a service disruption.
NIGCOMSAT was highlighted in the “Member in the Spotlight” section of the Global Satellite Operators Association newsletter, which also announced that NIGCOMSAT-2 and NIGCOMSAT-3 represent a major achievement in satellite communications.
“This endeavour not only represents a leap forward for NIGCOMSAT but also holds the promise of transforming connectivity on a regional and global scale,” the newsletter stated.
NIGCOMSAT has also partnered with Dimension Data and is concentrating on upgrades. For the first year of this deal, NIGCOMSAT will offer Dimension Data Internet services via its NigComSat-1R network platform.
We earlier reported that SpaceX has introduced Starlink Mini, a more compact model of their satellite internet service that can fit into a backpack.
