MZANSISAT: Affordable Broadband Via Satellite Tech Awaits South Africa Go-ahead for Lift-off
In today’s digital era, if yous are non online, you’re locked out of society. Sadly, this is the electrical flow province of affairs many South Africans confront as the cost of broadband access for them far exceeds that of most of their peers living inwards other parts of the world. Tapping into innovative, locally developed satellite technology, however, has presented a lite at the destination of the tunnel amongst an chance for South Africa – too the African continent as a whole – to reap the benefits of inclusive, affordable too reliable cyberspace access.
This is according to MzansiSat Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Bart Cilliers, who notes that satellites are the solely reliable too time-efficient short-term solution to expanding broadband access on a national level.
A recent written report past times Point Topic – a resources for worldwide broadband, IPTV too VoIP marketplace seat news – revealed that ADSL too fibre prices inwards South Africa are the 16th most expensive inwards the world. The query scorecard used inwards the written report compared the entry-level, media, too average residential broadband tariffs inwards fourscore countries.
With this inwards mind, MzansiSat Chief Operations Officer (COO), Victor Stephanopoli asks, “What is your constitutional correct of gratis spoken language worth, if yous bring no decent way of making your vocalism heard?”
MzansiSat’s concept of a satellite for Africans, which volition bring the might to deliver inexpensive too ubiquitous broadband capabilities, was late announced at the ITU Telecom World conference which was hosted past times the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) inwards Durban from the 10th to the 13th of September. Cilliers highlights that the ITU platform has given the squad behind the proposal the chance to assemble valuable insights on the African telecoms industry’s regulatory environment.
The proposed project design volition too endure presented to manufacture leaders, conclusion makers too legislators at the upcoming Aerospace, Maritime too Defence (AMD) Conference, from the 18th to the 23rd of September, too the Africa Aerospace too Defence (AAD) Expo, from the 19th to the 23rd of September.
Cilliers says, “We bring been working on this concept since 2013 amongst the principal goal of connecting South Africa to the terra firma through novel infrastructure anchored past times the kickoff South African owned too operated telecoms satellite.”
Hoping to have populace sector buy-in to launch their kickoff satellite – MzansiSat-1 – into infinite too debut their offering to the African marketplace seat inwards 2022, MzansiSat is, inwards Cilliers’ words, create to go. “The biggest challenge nosotros confront is securing the legislative too political approving nosotros demand to launch the satellite. Once this box is ticked, superfast, super-cheap satellite cyberspace offering competition-shattering pricing too armed forces degree encryption tin endure a reality, ensuring greater access to engineering scientific discipline too the opportunities that come upwards along amongst it.”
“While the infrastructure required to supply the service has the potential to lay the terra firma of a novel African economy, consumers volition non endure required to pay for this infrastructure – members of the populace volition but endure paying for their ain connector service,” he explains.
MzansiSat Chief Technology Officer (CTO), Bernard Greyling, adds that the infrastructure surrounding the MzansiSat concept volition non solely improve the value of the country’s telecoms manufacture too back upwards the national broadband evolution framework but volition too deed as a foundational breakthrough inwards terms of providing a novel way of sharing applications too services amongst the African public. This is over too higher upwards the almost immediate value to the populace – empowering them amongst a great, affordable connector – no snags, no strings,” Greyling explains.
Already gaining international recognition, MzansiSat was shortlisted for the prestigious ITU Telecom World Global SME Award 2018.
Cilliers concludes, “While the province has experienced turbulence amongst regards to its economical stability in recent years, South Africa keeps growing too and hence volition our demand to communicate amongst the global community. With this project design at our fingertips, at that spot is no meliorate fourth dimension than the introduce to launch South Africa into a realm of inclusive connectivity.”
“Invaluable opportunities for greater awareness too debate, such as those presented past times the ITU Telecom World conference, which promotes our shared goal of creating a strong telecoms structure, volition solely add together to the motivation to gyre out the MzansiSat concept. I’d similar to personally give thank yous those who brought the conference to South Africa: Houlin Zhao, ITU Secretary-General too Malcolm Johnson, ITU Deputy Secretary-General. Special thank yous should too endure extended to Rahul Jha, Officer at the UN Agency, who organised too made the ITU Telecom World conference a reality, too supported MzansiSat throughout.”
The manufacture torso has expressed its usual admiration amongst ITU Deputy Secretary-General, Malcolm Johnson tweeting, “Very interesting catch to @MzansiSat booth – fascinating innovative approach to connect South Africans equally, everywhere. #ITUWorld”.
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What exercise yous recall nearly this novel satellite TV fellowship called MzansiSat?
