Egypt’s National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (NTRA) is in the process of finalizing commercial licensing agreements for the recently-launched Tiba-1 communications satellite with the company responsible for its management, reports Daily News Egypt.

Mustafa Abdel-Wahed, Acting Executive President of the Authority, said that the authority is currently in talks with the company responsible for the management and commercialization of the state-owned satellite. According to a decision by the Prime Minister, a commercial entity has been designated to manage and operate the satellite on behalf of the Egyptian government.

The designated company will manage the satellite’s telecommunications frequencies, internet services, payload capacity, licensing prices as well as drive growth for end-user services.

NTRA played an advisory role in launching the satellite in cooperation with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in securing the orbital slot, and coordinating with Thales Alenia Space and Airbus Defence and Space in determining the technical features, Abdel-Wahed said.

TIBA-1 communications satellite was successfully blasted off into space on  26 November 2019, on-board Ariane 5 dual-payload rocket alongside Inmarsat GX5.

Designed to remain in service in orbit for more than 15 years, will provide broadband communications services to Egypt via its dual mission Ka-band payload, while also providing secure military communication for the Egyptian military and government agencies.

Officials in Cairo say the TIBA-1 is a major milestone that will see internet and telecom services cover the entire country. The satellite is key to augmenting the country’s terrestrial infrastructure and internet networks, giving millions of people in remote and rural areas internet beamed down from space.