07 Dec 2022

SADC member states have been advised to make necessary and deliberate interventions for the region to move with the rest of the world.

Botswana Communications Regulatory Authority, Chief Executive, Mr Martin Mokgware made the call during the ongoing SADC Satellite Communication workshop in Maun on Tuesday.

The workshop brought together satellite experts to share knowledge and skills on how best they could expand telecommunication services to the most remote areas.

He revealed that the importance of satellite could not be overemphasised, as it provided constant communication with the earth. Mr Mokgware said satellites linked communication networks, television, internet and the Geographic Positioning System, to mention but a few.

He said according to the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs, a total of 8 261 satellites orbit the earth and more were being added. He said he believed that workshop resolutions would propel the region to the desired levels of ICT connectivity.

Senior programme officer ICT, representing SADC Secretariat, Dr George Ah-Thew thanked Botswana for accepting to host the capacity building workshop.

He said the secretariat was looking forward to progress reports, active participation, contributions and sharing of experiences that would culminate in finalising the procedures for each SADC member state to get a new and implementable national satellite assigned in the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Broadcasting Satellite Service (BSS) plan.

Reflecting on how far they had come in relation to satellite communications, Dr Ah-Thew commended Angola’s efforts for being the first member state to launch a geostationary communications satellite, saying that experience could now be leveraged to launch the SADC sub regional satellite system they had been working on.

He explained that the SADC Secretariat had organised several capacity workshops, in collaboration with International Telecommunications Satellite Organisation (ITSO), including policy capacity building workshop for policy makers and regulators in South Africa in 2015.

Dr Ah-Thew said at that workshop he had the opportunity to present a list of satellite slots for SADC member states in the ITU, BBS and Fixed Satellite Service (FSS) plans.

“It was an oxymoron experience as some member states were not aware they had such national satellite orbital and radio frequency spectrum resources at the ITU and it was felt this was a key area SADC needed to strengthen capacity quickly to protect and to utilise these space resources,” he added.

Other capacity workshops convened by the secretariat include the ITU Radio Regulation and Rules Procedure on Satellite networks, which was held in South Africa and the workshop on ITU Satellite Application and Validation of the Framework for the SADC held in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe.

Dr Ah-Thew thanked ITU for assisting SADC with the application of Res599 to realise the true meaning of equitable access to the satellite orbit and RF spectrum as stipulated in Article 44 of the ITU Constitution. He also hailed SADC member states for having reached very high completion rates of satellite coordination out of a total of 56 global Res 559 submissions. “I encourage you to redouble your efforts until World Radiocommunication Conference, which is only 12 months away”.  ENDS