Yemisi Izuora
United Arab Emirate, UAE-based global satellite operator, Yahsat, has reinforced its mission to bridge the gaps in the provision of ICT services across unserved and underserved regions with the announcement of a new collaboration with its Service Partners Hyperia and Zeta-Web in Nigeria.
Building on their past efforts to deliver reliable and cost-effective broadband services across Nigeria, YahClick and its service partners Hyperia and Zeta-Web will work shoulder to shoulder to support the Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF) in connecting more than 300 schools in rural Nigeria.
Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF) is the branch of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) tasked with fueling the expansion of telecom services in rural Nigeria. Working alongside Hyperia and Zeta-Web, Yahsat will extend YahClick broadband services to schools in rural Nigeria that have until now suffered from unreliable connectivity. The partnership will provide USPF with a dependable satellite-based broadband service that utilizes the Ka-band frequency. More affordable than the Ku and C band frequencies, YahClick’s service will help these schools to overcome barriers to quality education by maintaining consistent and reliable connectivity.
“Through this partnership with Hyperia and Zeta-Web, we look forward to ushering in a nationwide revival of educational tools and resources that will help set thousands of children up for a brighter future,” says Farhad Khan, Chief Commercial Officer at Yahsat. “We are glad to work alongside like-minded partners who share our values and commitment to helping build a future generation that is fully equipped to strengthen the country’s economy,” he added.
“Over the last decade, Hyperia has played an integral role in building a strong ICT infrastructure in Nigeria, and our alliance with Yahsat puts us on the right track to achieving our mission. This latest collaboration is a welcome development that will bring more digital opportunities to Nigeria, and ultimately lead to the growth of the nation,” commented Gabriel Bouzerdan, Managing Director of Hyperia
“The large majority of schools in Nigeria’s outlying areas have had no or poor connection to broadband previously. We are proud that together with Yahsat we are able to bring a proper Internet access to these schools, enable richer learning experience amongst school children and overall make a positive impact on the education sector.” commented Gabriel Bouzerdan, Managing Director of Hyperia
The news of this collaboration follows on Yahsat’s recent announcement of an agreement to establish a joint venture with Hughes Network Systems (HUGHES) to accelerate Yahsat’s commercial Ka-band services across Africa. Combining Hughes’ expertise as a global leader in broadband satellite networks and services with Yahsat’s knowledge as the leader in satellite broadband solutions in the region, the new joint venture will allow the companies to unlock the mass-market potential of satellite broadband solutions across the region.
Yahsat launched its flagship service, YahClick, in Africa in 2012. It was the first operator to introduce HTS Ka-Band satellite broadband technology to the continent through Yahsat’s Al Yah 2 satellite. Following the successful launch earlier this year, and the recent commercial readiness of the company’s third satellite Al yah 3, YahClick’s footprint has extended to 19 additional markets in Africa. This collaboration is part of Yahsat’s commitment to deliver affordable, reliable and high-speed Internet connectivity to overlooked parts of the world.