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NigComSat-1R is a replacement satellite to NigComSat-1, which was lost in orbit on November 10, 2008. The new device is a super-hybrid geostationary satellite for communications and would also serve in telemedicine, e-learning and aircraft. NigComSat-1R has a life span of 15 years with payloads of 7 antennae and 28 transponders, to address redundancy, and it operates under four different bands: C, Ku, KA and the L bands.

Its primary role is to add value and improve the fast-growing ICT landscape in Nigeria, especially in the area of broadband internet connectivity and foster the growth of broadcasting industry as it will allow broadcasting concentrate on the provision of quality content in order to realize maximum revenue.

 

It is worthy to note that the new satellite would add value and improve the fast-growing ICT landscape in Nigeria, especially in the area of broadband internet connectivity. NigComSat-1R would domesticate broadband services by curtailing capital flight of about USD 500 million yearly thereby providing local jobs and human empowerment

Nigerian Communications Satellite Ltd (NIGCOMSAT) is a company and agency under the Federal Ministry of Communications Technology (FMCT) whose mission is to be the leading satellite operator and service provider in Africa. We are a young, vibrant and innovative company, charged with the management and operation of Nigerian Communications Satellite....

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The geosynchronous communication satellite NigComSat-1R, which was launched on 19th of December 2011 in Xichang, China as an improved replacement of NigComSat-1, built to provide domestic broadband, bandwidth leasing, broadcasting, navigation and other value added services for homes and businesses in rural and urban areas and provide international satellite services across West, Central, South East Africa, Europe and Asia; and how positioning its satellite-based augmentation system (SBAS) can improve the performance of global navigation satellite systems (GNSS), serving as an augmentation, or overlay to improve the accuracy and reliability of GNSS positioning information, and providing a crucial integrity message regarding the continuity and availability of the signal across the sub-Saharan African region. This will create the biggest revenue stream for Nigerian communications satellite ltd among others.

Nigerian Satellite Augmentation System (NSAS) is a System meant to close the gap and meet the need of an augmentation system in the African continent. It is a Navigation Overlay Service (NOS) similar to European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS), a regional SBAS that is used to improve the performance of global navigation satellite systems (GNSS), such as GPS and Galileo, deployed to provide safety of life navigation services to aviation, maritime and land-based users over most of Europe, among others.

Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) is the infrastructure that allows users with a compatible device to determine their position, velocity and time by processing signals from satellites. GNSS signals are provided by a variety of satellite positioning systems, including global and regional constellations and Satellite-Based Augmentation Systems:

Global constellations: GPS (USA), GLONASS (Russian Federation), Galileo (EU), BeiDou (PRC). Regional constellations: QZSS (Japan), IRNSS (India), and BeiDou regional component (PRC). Satellite-Based Augmentation Systems (SBAS): WAAS (USA), EGNOS (EU), MSAS (Japan), GAGAN (India), SDCM (Russian Federation) and SNAS (PRC) or NigComSat-1R (Nigeria). The global GNSS downstream market revenues from both devices and services are forecast to grow from $166 billion in 2019 to $360 billion in 2029 with a CAGR of 8%. This growth is mainly due to revenues from mass market and mid-end devices and from augmentation services.

The lower-end receiver segment will see growth skyrocket by 16% per year between 2019 and 2029, while revenues from augmentation services are set to grow steadily from $25 billion to nearly $72 billion over the 10-year period. Although shipments of high-end receivers (>$1106) account for less than 1% of total shipments, they contribute more than 10% of global receiver revenues ($13 billion in 2019). Services relying on GNSS technology to create added-value for users represent the biggest revenue stream for the GNSS market, which we can help Nigerian Communications Satellite Ltd capitalize on. In 2029, revenue from added-value services will account for $183 billion, or more than half of total global GNSS revenue. Engaging market stakeholders in the development of innovative and effective GNSS applications, value-added services and user technology is a core function of the GSA. The GSA’s Market Development Department extensively monitors the GNSS downstream market, mining and distilling intelligence and making market forecasts to support European businesses and the global GNSS marketplace, this again, we can help Nigerian Communications Satellite Ltd tap into.

The Road and Consumer Solutions segments dominate by far all other market segments in terms of cumulative revenue, with a combined total of 93.3% for the 2019-2029 forecasting period. In the Road sector, most revenues are generated by in-vehicle systems (IVS), advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) and fleet management, whereas Consumer Solutions revenues mainly come from the data revenues of smartphones and tablets using location-based services (we can position Nigerian Communications Satellite Ltd to use the location-based services to help the Dangote Group vehicle fleet management solution tracking and monitoring for added revenue). More than 50% of the remaining revenue will be generated by Agriculture and Geomatics. The main revenue-generating applications in Agriculture are precision agriculture and variable rate technologies (VRT) and automatic steering, while the primary source of revenue in Geomatics is cadastral and construction surveying.

As mentioned above, serving as an augmentation, or overlay, to a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) message, the NigComSat-1R Navigation Overlay Service can improve the accuracy and reliability of GNSS positioning information, and provides a crucial integrity message regarding the continuity and availability of the signal across the sub-Saharan African region. Because of this accuracy and reliability, Nigerian Communications Satellite Ltd can greatly improve its revenue stream by providing essential range of applications across numerous market segments, as can be seen below:

Agriculture - Affordable solution for precision agriculture, enabling farmers to optimise yields, increase labour productivity and reduce driver fatigue toward cultivation of such basic-value crops, high yield agricultural practice, variable rate technologies (VRT) for site-specific crop management, where everything on the farm is connected and a farmer can manage it from his/her smartphone, tourism promotion, environmental protection, scientific research among others. Essentially providing advantages to both farmers (higher profit margins) and society (increased food supply and more environmentally friendly agriculture and agro-allied value-chain industries);

Aviation – GNSS penetration in the global aviation market, which is defined as the proportion of all aircraft that are fully GNSS equipped is expected to reach 75 % by 2020. Currently, GPS is the sector’s constellation of choice, which reflects the dominance of North American avionics systems. However, the introduction of Galileo, together with EGNOS, is providing a catalyst for growth for EU GNSS device manufacturers. GNSS underpins the expansion of Performance Based Navigation (PBN), particularly in Europe where dual frequency Multi constellation (DFMC) applications are becoming increasingly important. In addition, rotorcraft operations are rapidly expanding their use of SBAS. Currently, general aviation operators using onboard EGNOS-enabled avionics is fast been replaced with a widely deployed procedure of a vertical guidance (LPV).  LPV-200, which delivers accurate information on an aircraft’s approach to a runway with the use of GNSS real-time positioning, an aircraft can make a final approach without the need for visual contact with the ground until it is 200 feet above the runway. The free-to-use LPV-200 represents a key milestone in the development that NigComSat-1R can help augment;

Location-Based Services (LBS) - Improving the accuracy of GNSS signals, mostly by reducing the negative impact of ionosphere on the calculated position. This results in it benefiting consumer applications that make use of more accurate location information, especially in remote areas where network-based methods are less effective. Over 90 % of context-aware smartphone applications now rely on GNSS, with Galileo smartphones now entering the market. A growing number of premium smartphones now integrate MC GNSS chipsets, thus further increasing accuracy and availability and reducing time to fix. LBS in mHealth (mobile health) are driving the diversification and sophistication of ‘wearables’ and smartphone apps for healthcare. The availability of GNSS raw measurements on smartphones opens new possibilities for application developers. As mentioned above, Nigerian Communications Satellite Ltd can use location-based services to help the Dangote Group vehicle fleet management solution tracking and monitoring for added revenue for example, and much more;

Mapping and Surveying - Land surveying and mapping includes cadastral, construction and mine surveying and infrastructure monitoring. Providing sub-metre-level accuracy with minimal investment, cost-effective, entry-level solution for the mapping and surveying sector. It will satisfy the need of mapping applications requiring enhanced GNSS positioning by providing added value as a result, civil engineering survey, geographic information system (GIS), local government areas, forestry authorities, mining sector, utilities and other users can benefit from performance in mapping;

Maritime - Maritime surveying applications include a wide range of activities, such as seabed mapping and exploration and offshore and hydrographic surveying, all of which are important for maritime and waterway navigation. The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Resolution A.915(22) divides maritime GNSS applications into two groups: navigation and positioning applications. GNSS is the primary means of obtaining Position, Navigation and Timing (PNT) information at sea. Supporting navigation and positioning applications, both at sea and on inland waterways (where applicable), complementing differential GNSS (DGNSS) infrastructure where accuracy requirements for coastal navigation and horizontal alert limit for navigation areas outside ports are needed, etc.;

Road - Connected and Automated Vehicles (CAV), enabled by the uptake of connectivity solutions, represent the evolution of vehicles towards becoming integrated platforms capable of supporting smart mobility services and a range of safety application. Improving the accuracy of GNSS signals and providing information on the reliability of the positioning information on national road user and to be used across various initiatives to track dangerous goods, kidnappers, terrorists and social crises hot-spots because increasingly, human lives will continue to depend on the accuracy and integrity of GNSS signals; and to support the safety of localisation of vehicles within the ECOWAS eCall initiative. Furthermore, big data applications, robots and autonomous vehicles are applications that can leverage 1R’s differentiators.

Railways - Globally, signalling and train control applications represent 10 % of the market (2017), and are expected to reach 15 % by 2020. Similarly, non-safety critical applications currently hold 12 % of the market and are expected to reach almost 20 % by 2020. Improving the accuracy of the positioning solution and providing integrity information that permits the determination of train locations without the need for dense trackside infrastructure, including monitoring of expected level of performance for rail applications by using GNSS with NigComSat-1R augmentation – specifically for safety relevant applications and non-safety relevant applications, such as transit signal priorities;

Disaster and Weather Management – Monitoring of weather and harsh environments, thus contributing to increased safety and social benefits: public safety, disaster preparedness and security of strategic national infrastructure, utility management, like oil and gas pipe vandalism, rail bolts and joints theft, etc.; and also leveraging in Automatic Identification System search and rescue transponder (AIS SART) beacons, where increased positioning accuracy and reliability can have a real impact on search and rescue operations to support NEMA and FERMA for example;

Timing and Synchronisation - Timing and Synchronisation (T&S) capabilities offered by satellite navigation systems are core to such critical infrastructures as telecom networks operation, energy distribution, financial transactions and TV broadcast. Also, computer and telecommunication networks around Africa need extremely accurate clock references. 1R can broadcast the reliable time standard with the unprecedented accuracy that these networks demand;

Broadband – Although already been provided, an enhanced provision of broadband Internet access to both public and private segment of the economy using any of the Ka, Ku and C-Band platforms, Wi-Fi hotspots/access promo to restaurants, hotels, businesses, parks etc., on the Ka-Platform; including tapping into) broadband access for the Banking Sector and Data Access Service (EDAS) that provide Free to Air satellite TV streaming to users in real-time. And aggressive campaign on your RFID-Staff Attendance and Access Control System (SAACS) for both public and privates sectors, including support to the oil and gas bi-frequency algorithms for oil exploration and dedicated broadband easy promo-solution;

Drones – Following the consumer platforms and automotive solutions, drones are fast becoming a significant GNSS market segment, exceeding mature segments such as maritime, aviation and agriculture in terms of shipments. In fact, in the last 3 years the shipments of drones have tripled and the growth will continue in the next decade for all drone categories (such as ‘open’, ‘specific’ and ‘certified’ based on the risks that their operations present. Specific operational constraints apply to each category), generating more than 2bln EUR revenues in 2029, both from device sales and services. In terms of hardware supply, Asian manufacturers have become increasingly competitive in the mature markets of high-end receivers and professional applications, which has in turn driven down the average price of professional receivers. This pressure has forced manufactures to maintain competitiveness by delivering higher performance through less complex and more cost-effective solutions. Further advances are being made by the Joint Authorities for Rulemaking on Unmanned Systems and EUROCAE, which are developing accordingly rules on how to identify the level of risk posed by various drone operations and standards to ensure drones can be operated safely including how the use of multi-frequency GNSS can support such operations. NigComSat-1R enabled usability features such as In-app tracking, geofencing, or ‘return home’ functionality can make drone operations in Nigeria safer, scalable and apt for security reasons;

Global Macro Trend Opportunities – The world we live in is undergoing profound changes. The digital revolution is reshaping our everyday life, along with the business models and processes. This change brings in new opportunities, in the form of new collaborative and artificial intelligence (AI) based services, but also new challenges such as ensuring the security of the digital “infrastructure” we heavily depend on. On a different scale, climate change and global warming have already produced impacts that need to be managed today to prevent further degradation. Finally, the economy and society are changing. Trends such as the ageing population in developed countries (the West) bring new challenges from a policy standpoint, but business opportunities for both the West and for Africa; arise linked to new requirements. As these “macrotrends” lead to the development of new information-intensive services, they also impact the adoption of GNSS solutions when these services require positioning and timing data on a global scale. The following macrotrends pose significant opportunities for NigComSat-1R: big data (data warehousing), digitalization and artificial intelligence (AI), cyber security, the sharing economy, climate change & circular economy and the silver economy of the west or demographic shift of Africa.

Nigcomsat-1R, the both observatory and communication satellite in orbit, which has four (4) active transponders known as frequencies with EIRP of 46dBW for receiving the signal in Central, Eastern Africa and West-African region through wide band dish antenna. With, furthermore, Ku Band features, with 14 active transponders at EIRP of 58dBW with three (3) different beam coverage, Ku Band ECOWAS 1 Beam coverage dedicated for West Africa, Ku Band ECOWAS 2 Beam coverage dedicated for West Africa and part of Southern African region while Kashi Beam coverage covers part of Asia. While the Nigcomsat-1R Ka Band beam coverage is dedicated for European and South Africa with 8 active transponders or frequencies. This Ka Band can be used for the following;

·         Broadcasting Services

·         Telephone Services

·         Protect Data Distribution

·         Internet Services

·         Address Military warfare simulations

·         Reconnaissance and back hauling airspace intelligence gathering surveillance.

Yet government agencies spend millions of dollars every year on the purchase of satellite services (imageries, internet data, etc.,) from other satellites across the world. Partnership and collaboration with the Canadian ITTIQ – SPACE ComNav, will position Nigerian Communications Satellite Ltd to leverage on its capacity to generate more revenue, gives it a competitive advantage both locally and in the global stage and position it to acquire two or more additional satellites before the end of life of NigComSat-1R in 2026 (6 years from now). With the right marketing incentive, the private section will shift its focus toward the Nigerian Communications Satellite Ltd.

 

It is worthy to note that international cooperation is critical for satellite technologies. The compatibility of space systems makes it possible to use European and non-European GNSS beyond Europe’s borders, to benefit users and businesses all around the globe. The real power of GNSS comes not from a single system, but from systems working together to achieve a common goal. As a key contributor to this ‘system of systems’, Galileo allows users to benefit from greater coverage, higher accuracy and more confidence in their position fixes. Although the Galileo and EGNOS programmes are managed by the European Commission on behalf of the EU Member States, cooperation with non-EU partners is essential for their success. As the number of global and regional satellite navigation systems expands, there is an increasing need for all systems to remain fully compatible and interoperable. International cooperation is crucial to make this happen. The GSA plays an essential role in facilitating this international cooperation by:

·         promoting international industrial cooperation;

·         funding numerous research and development (R&D) initiatives, including outside the EU, in partnerships between EU and non-EU actors;

·         monitoring and analysing the international GNSS market with periodic GNSS Market Report);

·         supporting global scientific, academic and research activities;

·         developing technical solutions and contributing to setting international standards;

·         raising awareness of European GNSS through events, conferences and workshops across the globe;

·         collaborating with other international agencies (e.g. Nigerian Communications Satellite Ltd) and entities to promote interconnectivity with other space systems;

·         supporting non-EU partner countries (e.g. Nigerian Communications Satellite Ltd) in developing a favourable ecosystem for GNSS market uptake.

Beyond the Southern Neighbourhood, the EU cooperates with African countries wishing to foster the development of SBAS. For example, the EU is supporting the development of an autonomous SBAS system by the Agency for Aerial Navigation Safety in Africa and Madagascar (ASECNA), based on an international agreement in force since November 2018. ASECNA provides air traffic services for 18 African states in an airspace that is 50% larger than that of the EU. In other regions in Africa, the GSA supports the European Commission in exploring options for SBAS service provision. Along these same lines, the GSA-funded MAGNIFIC project has worked to support awareness and capacity building in Africa on EGNSS applications and services. Specifically, the project helps EU GNSS companies better anticipate African needs and, together with African partners, adapt solutions to address these needs. This project has successfully demonstrated, among others:

·         The benefits of EGNOS in airport ground surveillance at African airports;

·         The benefits of innovative EGNSS bi-frequency algorithms for oil exploration.

·         The benefits for civil aviation of LPV procedures, two of which have been designed for African airports.

Nigerian Communications Satellite Ltd can in this direction, collaborate and partner with EU and the USA toward GSA-funded solutions to address African support awareness and capacity building needs.

THE TECHNOLOGY TRACK

Optical Communications: Optical Telecommunications supporting the needs of space missions.  Among other areas, includes technologies relating to acquisition, tracking and pointing of the optical communications beam: Small lightweight two-axis gimbals; detectors and arrays; photo-detectors and imagers; isolation platforms; laser transmitters; low-cost ground-based telescope assembly; and atmospheric compensation techniques.

RF Communications: Innovative long-range telecommunications technologies that maximize power efficiency, transmitted power density and data rate, while minimizing size, mass and power.  Among other areas, includes technologies such as:  ultra-small, light-weight, low-cost, low-power, modular deep-space transceivers, transponders and components; modulators; high-efficiency, low mass solid-state power amplifiers (SSPAs); utilization of nanomaterials and/or other novel materials and techniques for power efficiency; amplifiers for RF front-ends; MEMS based integrated RF subsystems.

Communications Operations Software: Among others, includes automation technologies that facilitate scheduling of resources (user interfaces and algorithms for the integration of diagnostic and situational awareness tools; planning, scheduling, and resource optimization tools).

Networking Technology: Includes technologies to increase network efficiency, reduce operating costs, and increase security and resiliency.

Antenna: Technologies that support the development of antenna systems, including the following areas: phased array antennas; ground-based uplink antenna array designs; large aperture deployable antennas; novel materials for next generation antennas; smart, reconfigurable antennas; and antenna concepts for harsh environments.

Positions, Networking, and Timing (PNT): Technologies for determination of spacecraft position and velocity.  Among other areas, includes technologies related to: onboard near-earth and deep-space navigation systems; technologies supporting improved TDRSS-based navigation; enabling systems to transmit and receive accurate spread spectrum signals.

Software Defined Radio (SDR): Technologies related to reconfigurable transceiver systems and associated components.

Infrastructure: This category includes not only technologies related to space communications and navigation, but also extends to other aerospace related disciplines and needs.  The domains included range from operational aspects to fundamental, strategic R&D addressing deficiencies in the infrastructure to enhance performance, improve efficiency and reduce cost.

Spectrum: Tech related to power efficient usage of allotted communication bandwidth.  Used primarily by deep space missions where power, not bandwidth is the limiting factor for the the system.

It is further important to note that, Research and Development (R&D) in GNSS services is a building block for many European policy objectives. Investing in R&D is essential to achieve European merited growth and leadership in a worldwide arena where other regions have very aggressive strategies to support their GNSS services and downstream development. More specifically, R&D directly fosters EGNSS market uptake and infrastructure investment recoveries; and so, would be for Nigerian Communications Satellite Ltd. Business models continue to evolve, with OEMs moving towards the ownership of GNSS data, while aftermarket companies are increasingly specialising in data collection, analysis and added-value data products. While Europe is closing the gap to the United States, accounting for 27% of total industry revenues (compared to 25% in 2015). Regionally, three Asian countries, namely China, Japan and South Korea altogether represent the largest revenue generation area, as they sum up to 35% of the global industry revenues. Nigeria, the largest economy in Africa with Nigerian Communications Satellite Ltd strategically positioned to create sustainable growth to contribute its quarter to the GNSS enabled solutions, now is the time capitalize on the Horizon 2020 programme, established for period 2014-2020, among many other topics, supports the development of new applications of GNSS (EGNOS and Galileo). The past four calls have already provided innovators more than €121 mln of funding and the 5th call, open from October 2019 to March 2020, will make an additional €21 mln available to support EGNSS-enabled solutions in different markets, with more expected beyond 2020. These EGNSS-enabled solutions respond to several policy objectives, including:

• Sustainable development (health, food, energy, transport, resource efficiency, etc.);

• Integrating digitisation in all industrial technologies and societal challenges;

• Strengthening international Research and Innovations (R&I) cooperation;

• Societal resilience;

• Market-creating innovation, among others.

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