Countries get deadline on satellites

CA director general Mercy Wanjau with Principal Secretary, State Department for Broadcasting and Telecommunications Esther Koimet during a workshop in Nairobi yesterday. [Wilberforce Okwiri, Standard]

African countries have until May 22 to submit their choice and number of satellites they wish to launch into space.

This follows the availability of slots in the orbit that the countries are supposed to use.

The notice is in line with an agreement reached during the 2019 World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-19) held in Egypt, whose Agenda Item 1.4 implementation’s workshop kicked off in Nairobi yesterday.

“I am happy that this meeting is coming at a time when most of African countries are experiencing a revolution in the ICT sector,” said Broadcasting and Telecommunications Principal Secretary Esther Koimett. 

“In Kenya, we recognise ICT as the driver towards the digital transformation of our economy and the attainment of the Big 4 Agenda of universal healthcare, affordable housing, food security and manufacturing. The new notices, which detail the countries’ preferences, are to be filed with the International Telecommunication Union.

Application of the special procedure will allow countries to choose new channels to replace their current assignments in the Broadcasting Satellite Service plan, with 31 states expected to benefit.