Linkserve in strategic deal with NigComSat

Nigerian ISP Linkserve, in collaboration with a U.S.-based ViaSAT, has signed a strategic partnership deal with Nigerian Communication Satellite (NigComSat) to deliver communications tools to boost broadband offerings in the country.

The memorandum of understanding (MoU), signed last week at the nation's capital, Abuja, is for an initial period of five years.

The partners did not disclose financial details of the million-dollar-plus deal.

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Nigerian ISP Linkserve, in collaboration with a U.S.-based ViaSAT, has signed a strategic partnership deal with Nigerian Communication Satellite (NigComSat) to deliver communications tools to boost broadband offerings in the country.

The memorandum of understanding (MoU), signed last week at the nation's capital, Abuja, is for an initial period of five years.

The partners did not disclose financial details of the million-dollar-plus deal.

Linkserve aims to deploy cost-effective broadband services to Nigerians, according to company Chairman Chief Chima Apugo Onyekwere.

"This partnership is in line with the policy of the federal government to encourage public, private sector partnership (PPP) in the development of Information and Communication Technology (ICT)," Onyekwere said at a signing ceremony Wednesday in Abuja.

He stressed that it is the first time a public sector ICT organization of NigComSat's magnitude is partnering with a private sector company at the local government, state and federal government levels.

The strategic partnership is for an initial period of five years, during which time affordable and reliable broadband services will be made readily available in under-served areas, schools, corporations and government departments, Onyekwere said.

The partnership should result in competitively priced terminals and Customer Premise Equipment (CPE), and cheaper bandwidth, he said, noting that Linkserve is investing in a state-of-the-art SurfBeam satellite hub designed to optimize bandwidth.

In addition, ViaSat will provide technical support, training and facilities necessary for high quality of service and development of local expertise, said Linkserve Managing Director Victor Emodi.

NigComSat Managing Director Ahmed Rufai said that the communications satellite organization does not intend to take over the role of small and medium-size Information Communication Technology (ICT) providers in the country.

The deal with Linkserve and Via SAT shows NigComSat's readiness to partner with local organizations to shore up ICT for Nigerians, Rufai said in a press statement.

"It becomes necessary to correct the misinformation which has become common in the media and in the industry as per the intention of the NigComSat," Rufai said. "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 complement their capacities and capability for services delivery, make these available in the rural and the un-served urban centres and also make it affordable," he said.

While Linkserve prides itself as a pioneering ISP in Nigeria, NigComSat operates and manages Nigcomsat-1, sub-Saharan Africa's first geostationary communications satellite, launched in May 2007.

The IDG News Service is a Network World affiliate.