Satellite manufacturers urged to prioritise affordability

Satellite original equipment manufacturers need to prioritise affordability in Africa to drive adoption and growth, the Managing Director of Nigerian Communications Satellite, Jane Egerton-Idehen, has said.

The NIGCOMSAT boss noted in a statement obtained on Monday that high costs and limited accessibility characterised the current state of satellite services in Africa.

“I believe interoperability and the high cost of customer acquisitions are two challenges that need to be addressed. This is what Africa truly needs, especially when it comes to adopting satellite services and competitive pricing for end consumers.”

Egerton-Idehen stated that satellite OEMs needed to develop customer-centric solutions that cater to the unique needs of the African market.

According to the NIGCOMSAT boss, the African market offers significant growth potential for satellite OEMs, but companies need to adapt their business models to meet local needs.

“Imagine being able to use a single device to access satellite services regardless of the technology or vendor,” She enthused. “That is the kind of innovation Africa needs to bridge the digital divide.”

She underscored the need to understand local market realities and nuances in driving digital transformation in Africa.

Egerton-Idehen recounted her experience in 2014 while working for Ericsson in Ghana, where they attempted to collaborate with a major streaming service company to offer mobile TV/streaming services to the mass market.

“We approached a major subscription-based streaming service company to collaborate with the largest mobile operator in Ghana, but they passed on the opportunity because they insisted on debit/credit card payments,” she said.

She noted that the company’s failure to adapt to local payment modes, such as mobile money, resulted in a missed opportunity to break into the West African market a decade earlier.