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Gowon And Friends Throw $10 Million Into Satellite Mobile Venture
Dec 29, 2008 (Vanguard/All Africa Global Media via COMTEX) --
THE hope of a cheaper satellite mobile services that would compete with the likes of Thuraya and Intelsat is not lost on Nigeria and Africa, afterall. This is as former Nigerian Head of State, Gen Yakubu Gowon and a few of his friends including Alhaji M.D Yusuf, have thrown in a whopping ten million dollars into satellite mobile phone services.
The satellite gateway located in Kaduna, Nigeria comes under the brand name GlobalTouch and has world renowned satellite services providers, Globalstar as partners .
The venture expected to commence full scale services in April 2009, would knock down the tariff of satellite phone subscription and prices of acquiring equipment which have for long, been on the roof top and out of the reach of the ordinary folks.
It is also expected to solve the problems associated with running businesses in the rural and remotest areas where there are no network coverage as it would interface with other networks to enable seamless inter-connectivity for voice, data and access tracking activities, among other services.
On the company's board are former Head of State, Gen.Yrakubu Gowon who is the chairman; former Inspector general of Police, Alhaji M.D Yusuf; former president of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), Chief Ebenezer Oke and former Executive Director, NITEL, Mr. Isaiah Mohammed who is the Managing Director. There are also Manasseh Zorto, Mr. Jan Habu among others on the board while Global Star has two representatives,Tony Navarra and Martyn Neilson.
Global Touch West Africa got the Nigerian Communications Commission NCC's license to offer Global Mobile Personal Communications (GMPCs) netwvork services in Nigeria via satellite in 2004 and the chairman, Gowon told reporters during a tour of the gateway facilities in Kaduna, that the scope of satellite telecommunications service his company plans to provide, goes beyond Nigerian borders as licenced service providers in other West African and neigbhouring countries can also use the Nigerian gateway to offer satellite communications services in their respective countries in partnership with GlobalTouch. The satellite covers 120 countries and as at the end of third quarter 2008, over 530,000 subscribers had signed on to the single satellite that provides affordable telecommunications services especially for rescue and tracking services, public payphones in uncovered parts of the world and rural areas.
According to the Managing Director Mr Isaiah Mohammed: GlobalTouch is not competing GSM operators but would would complement the services.
Mohammed explained that Global Touch will offer mobile and fixed satellite data/voice services simple and duplex data modems and flexible services packages.
For him, "we will provide, cost effective communications for organisations and people, no matter how remote the location is, and with the technical assistance Global Star, Global Touch coverage rounding portions of Western Africa as well as parts of the Coastal Atlantic and GWF of Guinea Marine regions."
Global Star is the world's most widely used handheld satellite phone network, providing network, providing high-quality use low cost voice and data solution from virtually anywhere in over 120 countries around the globe.
It was founded in 1991 by a consortium of 13 companies. As the leading satellite service provider in the world, Global Star has emerged as the leader for high-value cost-eifective satellite voice and data services provided, overtak- ing its only rival, Thuraya.
The company is based in San Jose, California, U.S. and provides business and recreational communications to organisations industries and individuals located in remote areas throughout the world-via 24 gateways and 48 Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite across 120 countries as well as from territorial water and several mid-ocean regions.
Signals from Globalstar phone or modem are received by the company's constellation of 48 Low Earth Orbiting (LEO) satellites and relayed to area beyond the reach of cellular networks.
This in addition to normal voice communications, internet and private data network connectivity, position-location, short messaging services (SMS), call forwarding as well as other value-added services.
Globaltouch's GMPCS services are said to have strategic advantages over other telecom services providers with features including that.
- it has universal coverage far beyond GSM coverage;
- involves one-off capital expenditure outlay in reaching the whole of Nigeria and its West Africa sub-zone. This is unlike other telecoms operators that rely on countries construction of base stations in covering their whole nation. Thus, our services are cheaper; and,
- the GMPCS, apart from its ability to operate virtually everywhere, it has exceptional clarity of voice due to the nature of technology deployed to facilitate better voice quality cellular networks and greater system capacity.
Comprehensive and vast usage data solutions for corporate users, asset tracking, data monitoring, no matter the location via Satellite, unlike other GSM services providers who rely solely on base stations.
Global Touch - more reliable services delivery, superior technology, no drop voice/data calls Consumers will get value for their money, ensuring consumer satisfaction.
On asset tracking technology, Mohammed boasted:
- of unique services is Globaltouch's asset tracking technological services;
- Global Touch assets tracking service permit customers to us e satellite modems and integrated back office management solutions to track-mobile assets, such as - aircraft, vehicles trailers, cargo containers and maritime assets;
- it can also provide personal tracking and solutions for commercial and individual users, amongst other tracking devices.
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