PRESENTATION FOR THE 2014 WORLD ENGINEERING CONFERENCE ON SUSTAINABLE INFRASTRUCTURE (WECSI) ORGANIZED BY WORLD FEDERATION OF ENGINEERING ORGANIZATIONS (WFEO) IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE NIGERIAN SOCIETY OF ENGINEERS (NSE) AT INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE CENTER, ABUJA 2-7 NOVEMBER, 2014

1. BRIDGING THE DIGITAL HIATUS VIA
COMMUNICATIONS SATELLITE
BY
LAWAL L.S, CHATWIN C.R & AHMED-RUFAI T.
FOR
THE 2014 WORLD ENGINEERING CONFERENCE ON SUSTAINABLE INFRASTRUCTURE
(WECSI)
ORGANIZED BY WORLD FEDERATION OF ENGINEERING ORGANIZATIONS (WFEO) IN
ASSOCIATION WITH THE NIGERIAN SOCIETY OF ENGINEERS (NSE).
INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE CENTER, ABUJA
2-7 NOVEMBER, 2014

2. OVERVIEW
— INTRODUCTION
AND
EVOLUTION
OF
COMMUNICATIONS
SATELLITE
— PREVAILING
PROBLEMS
OF
ICT
INFRASTRUCTURE
IN
MOST
AFRICAN
COUNTRIES.
— GROWING
NEEDS
FOR
EFFECTIVE
ICT
INFRASTRUCTURE
— COMMUNICATIONS
SATELLITE,
BROADBAND,
BROADCASTING
AND
NAVIGATION
— EXPLOITATION
OF
COMMUNICATION
SATELLITES
TO
BRIDGE
THE
DIGITAL
HIATUS
— CONCLUSIONS

3. INTRODUCTION
&
EVOLUTION
OF
COMSATs
— The
world’s
first
Geosynchronous
Communications
satellite
was
launched
by
NASA
as
Syncom-­‐2
in
1963.
— Followed
by
Syncom-­‐3
in
1964
as
the
world’s
first
Geostationary
Communications
satellite.
— The
Syncom
Satellite
Program
sought
to
add
value
to
the
United
States
first
satellite
in
Space
called
Explorer
1
launched
February
1,
1958.
Explorer
1
was
USA’s
answer
to
first
man-­‐made
Russian
Satellite
called
SPUTNIK
launched
on
4th
October,
1957.
— The
success
of
Syncom
Satellite
Program
was
followed
with
series
of
development
of
technologies
i.e
Applications
Technology
Satellite
(ATS);
Communications
Technology
satellite
(CTS)
in
cooperation
with
Canada.

4. INTRODUCTION
&
EVOLUTION
OF
COMSATs
— Tremendous
changes
in
Communication
satellite
technologies
have
evolved
and
blossomed
with
remarkable
developments
in
the
last
decades:
— Transition
from
Analogue
to
digital
satellite
transmissions
— Better
and
Optimized
coding
and
Error
Corrections
— Optimized
Low
Noise
Devices
— Increase
in
Transmitted
Satellite
Power
Levels
— Increased
number
of
channels,
throughput
of
transponders,
— Use
of
higher
frequency
spectrum
i.e
Ku,
Ka
etc

5. INTRODUCTION
&
EVOLUTION
OF
COMSATs
— Fractionalized
or
bit-­‐sized
piece
purchase
of
transponders
to
give
end-­‐users
the
required
bandwidth
for
their
services.
— Tremendous
Reduction
in
Customer
Premises
Dishes
and
Equipment
(CPE)....addressing
the
cost
of
communications
satellite
service
delivery
sustainably.
— Introduction
of
digital
video
broadcasting
(DVB)
systems
was
a
milestone
paradigm
shift
for
the
important
role
communication
satellites
are
playing
today
in
Broadcasting,
Telecommunications,
Mobile
communications,
convergence
with
voice,
video
&
data
as
well
as
terrestrial
telecommunications
technologies.
— Competitive
cost
of
launch
and
launch
vehicle
innovations

6. INTRODUCTION
— ICT
is
a
development
enabler.
The
ICT
readiness
and
development
process
of
any
nation
is
a
function
of
level
of
networked
telecommunications
infrastructure
and
a
determinant
for
the
3As
for
universal
access
goals
and
digital
inclusion.
The
3As
are:
AVAILABILITY,
AFFORDABILITY
&
ACCESSIBILITY
— These
are
the
enablers
for
an
Information-­‐based
Society
with
Knowledge-­‐based
Economy
(KBE)
— Convergence
in
communications
networks
through
integrated
connectivities
(Satellite,
fiber
optics,
radios
etc)
are
required
to
optimize
broadband
accessibility,
availability
and
affordability
especially
in
Africa
which
still
remains
the
least
wired
continent
in
the
world.

7. PREVAILING
PROBLEMS
OF
ICT
INFRASTRUCTURE
IN
MOST
AFRICAN
COUNTRIES.

8. PREVAILING
PROBLEMS
OF
ICT
INFRASTRUCTURE
IN
MOST
— Others
are:
AFRICAN
COUNTRIES.
— Unreliability
of
Public
Supply
mains
and
the
logistics
behind
providing
alternative
power
with
backup.
— Right
of
Way
hindrance
and
issues
— Multiple
Taxation
at
National,
state
and
local
government
council
levels
to
deploy
ICT
infrastructure.
— Lack
of
appropriate
corridor
and
channels
for
the
deployment
of
ICT
infrastructure.
— Inadequate
urban
and
regional
planning
even
in
21st
century
cities
in
Africa.
— Difficult
geographic
terrain
(i.e
Swampy
areas).
— Theft
and
damage
to
ICT
infrastructure
i.e
optic
fibre
infrastructure
during
road
construction,
flood
etc.

9. PREVAILING
PROBLEMS
OF
ICT
INFRASTRUCTURE
IN
MOST
AFRICAN
COUNTRIES.
— Anti-­‐competitiveness
among
ICT
and
mobile
operators
as
well
as
non-­‐co-­‐operation
and
non-­‐implementation
of
ICT
infrastructural
sharing
policy
and
thus
discriminatory
access
to
available
inland
fibre
and
metro-­‐rings.
— Affordability
of
services
— Reliability
and
Robustness
of
deployed
networks
— Maintenance
Culture
— Optimization
of
radio
spectrum
resource
management
considering
its
relevance
in
Africa
if
we
must
play
catch-­‐up
within
short
and
medium
time
frame.
— Reluctance
to
adopt
new
emerging
technologies
with
high
data
rate
to
support
and
aid
broadband
penetration
and
experience.
N.B: The problems above is not just African…for instance; Nortel
recounts the vulnerability of terrestrial–only technology in Mexico
where 97 miles fiber-optic cables serving rural communities with
much needed voice services by a telecommunications provider were
exhumed within days and used as new and creative jewelry in the
form of colorful flowers in local markets (Show Stoppers, 1997).

10. GROWING
NEEDS
FOR
EFFECTIVE
ICT
INFRASTRUCTURE
— African
leaders
and
stakeholders
have
recognized
the
many
challenges
that
confront
their
countries
especially
inherent
infrastructural
challenges
and
justifiably
they
have
chosen
ICT
as
one
of
their
priority
development
program
and
project
considering
its
multiplier
effect
on
other
development
and
economic
sectors.
— ICT
are
central
to
the
creation
of
global
knowledge-­‐based
economy
and
plays
an
important
role
in
accelerating
growth,
promoting
sustainable
development
and
eradicating
poverty
in
emerging
countries.
— Wireless
Systems
(Communication
Satellites
and
variants
of
terrestrial
wireless
technologies
i.e
CDMA,
GSM,
HSPA,LTE,
WiFi,
WiMaX
etc)
has
facilitated
effective
integration
of
areas
with
little
or
no
terrestrial
ICT
infrastructure
network
into
the
global
economy
and
even
the
remotest
part
of
African
village.

11. MEETING
GROWING
NEEDS
FOR
EFFECTIVE
ICT
INFRASTRUCTURE:
NIGERIAN
CASESTUDY
— Favorable
laws
and
deregulation
to
enhance
private
sector
participation.
— Supervision
mechanisms
to
ensure
compliance
with
Government
ICT
frameworks.
— Consultation
with
stakeholders
for
ambitious
all-­‐inclusive
ICT
infrastructure
development
— Government
intervention
through
Universal
Service
Provisioning
Fund
(USPF)
to
facilitate
connectivity
in
underserved
and
unserved
areas.
— Recent
development
of
the
Nigerian
National
Broadband
plan
2013-­‐2018
by
the
Federal
Ministry
of
Communications
Technology
to
address
inherent
pocket
of
challenges
and
facilitate
broadband
penetration
with
the
needed
QoS
and
QoE.

12. GROWING
NEEDS
FOR
EFFECTIVE
ICT
INFRASTRUCTURE:
NIGERIAN
CASESTUDY
— In
furtherance
to
growing
needs
of
Communication
Satellite
ICT
requirements
and
satellite-­‐based
digital
broadcast
television
to
help
bridge
the
digital
hiatus
and
satisfy
the
universal
Internet
access
goals
that
African
governments
are
committed
to;
the
Federal
Government
of
Nigeria
took
the
bull
by
the
horns
and
responded
with
a
communication
satellite
launch
designed
to
meet
West
African
Sub-­‐Saharan
needs
and
even
beyond
the
continent.

13. COMMUNICATION
SATELLITES,
BROADBAND
AND
BROADCASTING
— Nigerian
Communication
satellite
is
a
quad-­‐band
high
powered
communications;
whose
geostationary
orbit
is
positioned
at
42.5oE
with
a
launch
mass
of
5,100
kg,
and
a
service
life
of
more
than
15
years,
while
the
design
life
is
22.5
years.
The
satellite
has
a
reliability
value
of
99.7%
with
more
than
a
75%
reliability
value
at
the
end
of
its
service
life.
— The
satellite
provides
Ku-­‐band,
C-­‐band,
Ka-­‐band
for
telecommunications
and
broadcast
services
and
Navigation
payload
capability
with
design
inputs
related
to
the
weather
and
climatic
conditions
of
African
environment.
— Nigeria
is
in
the
history
books
as
the
first
country
in
Africa
and
Europe
to
deploy
a
Ka-­‐band
based
Communication
Satellite
covering
the
African
continent
and
Europe.

14. 14
NIGCOMSAT-­‐1R
FOOTPRINTS
AND
COVERAGE
.
ECOWAS C-BAND
COVERAGE
ECOWAS I KU-BAND
COVERAGE
ECOWAS II KU-BAND
COVERAGE
ASIA KU-BAND
COVERAGE
KA-BAND
COVERAGE
OVER NIGERIA
KA-BAND
COVERAGE
OVER SOUTH AFRICA
KA-BAND
COVERAGE
OVER EUROPE
GLOBAL
NAVIGATIONAL
COVERAGE
IN L-BAND

15. COMMUNICATION
SATELLITES
AND
NAVIGATION
OVERLAY
SERVICES
(NOS).
— The
Navigation
payload
is
Africa’s
contribution
to
Global
Navigation
Satellite
System
(GNSS)
providing
a
regional
Space-­‐Based
Augmentation
System
(SBAS).
The
Nigerian
Satellite
Augmentation
System
(NSAS)
is
a
first
for
Africa
with
a
global
coverage
including
oceans.

16. EXPLOITATION
OF
COMMUNICATION
SATELLITES
TO
BRIDGE
THE
DIGITAL
HIATUS

17. EXPLOITATION
OF
COMMUNICATION
SATELLITES
TO
BRIDGE
THE
DIGITAL
HIATUS

18. EXPLOITATION
OF
COMMUNICATION
SATELLITES
TO
BRIDGE
THE
DIGITAL
HIATUS

19. NICHE
AND
STRATEGIC
NEEDS
FOR
GLOBAL
SPACE-­‐BASED
ICT
INFRASTRUCTURE
— Poorly
wired
landlocked
countries
with
inadequate
terrestrial
ICT
infrastructure
require
space-­‐based
ICT
infrastructure
(Communication
Satellite).
— Developed
countries
with
adequate
terrestrial
ICT
infrastructure
still
require
a
space-­‐based
system
for
strategic
needs,
broadcasting
and
disaster
preparedness,
as
established
ICT
infrastructure
can
be
rendered
inoperable.
— Countries
with
high
risks
of
natural
disasters
require
advanced
planning
in
pre
and
post
disaster
relief
operations
for
instant
delivery
of
emergency
communications
infrastructure.
— Effective
communication
as
a
Coordinated
First-­‐Response
(CFR)
during
a
crisis
situation
is
a
key
factor
for
success
in
crisis
&
emergency
management.

20. NICHE
AND
STRATEGIC
NEEDS
FOR
GLOBAL
SPACE-­‐BASED
ICT
INFRASTRUCTURE

21. COMPACT
SATCOM
CRISIS
MANAGERv1.0

22. CONCLUSION
q
The
success
of
Nigeria’s
information
technology
policy
and
other
emerging
nations
with
inadequate
terrestrial
inland
ICT
infrastructure
depends
greatly
on
satellite
communications
and
it’s
supporting
technologies
to
meet
short
and
medium
term
plans.
q
Satellite
Communications
have
a
competitive
advantage
as
they
complement
the
present
sparsely
distributed
terrestrial
links
(fiber
optic)
and
radio
link
extensions
contributing
to
accelerated
economic
growth,
secure
communications
for
security
agencies,
socio-­‐economic
development,
good
governance
encouraged
through
transparent
processes,
promotion
of
financial
and
digital
inclusion
including
universal
access
goals
through
the
ubiquity
of
COMSATs,
a
launchpad
for
participation
in
the
global
knowledge-­‐
based
economy
thus
accelerating
sustainable
growth
and
development.

23. CONCLUSION
—
The
NIGCOMSAT-­‐1R
as
the
first
indigenously
operated
and
managed
communication
satellite
is
fast-­‐tracking
development
and
is
playing
a
critical
role
in
delivering
ICT
readiness
and
Communications.
It
remains
a
signpost
for
e-­‐readiness
and
a
foundation
for
the
transformation
to
a
knowledge-­‐based
economy.
— NigComSat-­‐1R
Communication
Satellite
represents
the
“low
hanging
fruit”
ready
to
drive
and
improve
broadband
penetration
in
Nigeria,
Africa
and
beyond.
— Communication
Satellites
are
strategic
continental
ICT
infrastructure
with
far
reaching
impacts
in
enhancing
telecommunications,
broadcasting,
the
Internet
and
multimedia
services
in
Africa
including:
transforming
countries
from
just
being
a
consumer
of
bandwidth
to
a
provider.
—

24. CONCLUSION