SADC Satellite Experts Committee Update

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The Southern African Development Community (SADC) Satellite Experts team met earlier this week to follow up on the findings from the last meeting of the Satellite Experts Committee, including, that Angola will become the ITU administration to represent the SADC Member States.

Among the points discussed were:

  1. Summary of support for Angola to be the Administration of the SADC Satellite Beam Satellite Network;
  2. Setting up a PMO to support the Project;
  3. Development of a SADC regional beam in GIMS;
  4. Development of Typical Satellite Files – BSS Plan;
  5. Performing Satellite Analysis;
  6. Conducting a study on the specifications for receiving and transmitting user terminal specifications;
  7. Cost recovery fees for archiving the SADC Shared Satellite Network;
  8. National satellite structures;
  9. Draft TOR for the Task Team to formulate the budgetary mechanism to support the implementation of the SADC Shared Satellite Program Framework;
  10. Survey on the use of satellite bandwidth and forecast for the next 15 years Zimbabwe;
  11. Future responsibilities of the committee and
  12. Roadmap and path to follow in the near future.

Angola was represented at the meeting by members of the National Space Program Management Office (GGPEN) and the Angolan Communications Institute (INACOM), bodies assigned to the Ministry of Telecommunications, Information Technologies and Social Communication (MINTTICS).

The satellite experts team of the Southern African Development Community are currently gathered in a workshop “SADC Space Resources – ITU BSS and FSS Plan Bands” that will last till 2 February 2021. The workshop’s main objective is to continue the discussions for the implementation of the SADC shared satellite.

One of the highlights in this event is the panel “Case studies of national satellite framework: Angola and South Africa”, in which the two countries will present their experiences in the space technology sector.

In addition to discussions on matters related to the organization, panels on the operationalization of the framework, the structure for the program and the formulation of the budget, a mechanism to support the implementation of the structure, as well as support for activities related to the SADC shared satellite, show the commitment of members of the Southern African Community’s Committee of Satellite Experts to make the project a reality.

At the event, all States that are members of the SADC Satellite Experts Committee will be present, namely Angola, Botswana, Kingdom of Eswatini, Malawi, Namibia, South Africa, Zimbabwe, the SADC Secretariat and satellite experts from sixteen SADC member countries.