" ITREALMS: Linkserve, NigComSat in strategic deal

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Wednesday, April 09, 2008

Linkserve, NigComSat in strategic deal

Revolutionary Internet Service Provider (ISP), Linkserve Limited, has announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Nigeria Communication Satellite (NigComSat) Limited in collaboration with a digital communications equipment manufacturer, ViaSat.

Founder and Chairman, Linkserve, Chief Chima Onyekwere, informed that the essence of the strategic affiliation is on mass deployment of cost-effective broadband services into the nation’s market.

He also said that it’s in line with the policy of the federal government to give confidence to the public and private sector partnership (PPP), especially in development of Information and Communication Technology (ICT).

He pointed out that it’s the first time such a deal is being sealed for the benefit of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of the government at the local, state and federal levels.

Describing the deal as a unique opportunity for these public sector organs to directly acquire cost-effective broadband Internet facilities, he emphasised that the strategic partnership would be for an initial period of five years.

During this period, he said, affordable and reliable broadband services will be made readily available to un-served and under-served areas, schools and educational institutions, corporate enterprises and government MDAs.

He further said that the collaboration revolving pioneering organisations would engender creative value, stressing that their roles always involves great challenges and obstacles, even as he expressed confidence that the companies in they would translate the challenges into opportunities that would redefine the market for the benefit of the populace in the country.

Linkserve, he disclosed, is investing a state-of-the-art surf beam hub to economically optimise available bandwidth for the benefit of end-users that would result into competitively priced terminals and Customer Premise Equipment (CPEs) as well as cheaper bandwidth.

Equally speaking, chief executive, Linkserve, Mr. Victor Emordi said that ViaSat will in addition to delivering well-priced terminals and CPEs, provide technical support, training and capacity building required for high quality of service and development of local expertise.

Managing Director, NigComSat, Mr. Ahmed Rufai, in his comment stated that Nigcomsat did not intend taking over the role of ICT service providers in the country, but plans to complement and enhance their capability for better quality services.

According to him, concerning this agreement with Linkserve and ViaSat, it becomes necessary to correct the misinformation, which has become common in the nation’s media and as per the intention of the NIGCOMSAT.

“There has never been a time we intended to replace the small medium or large scale ICT service providers, but we are only going to enhance and compliment their capacities and capability for services delivery, make these available in the rural and the un-served urban centres and also make it affordable,” Rufai said.

Highlighting that the collaboration is important so as to bring strength together with the availability of the transmission backbone and the know-how within both organisations.

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