Angola’s government has announced it is currently looking to launch the first Angolan telecommunications satellite, or Angosat, by as early as 2014. The announcement was made surprisingly by Russia’s ambassador to Angola, Serguey Nenachev, who added that Moscow was ready to assist Angola in making the satellite a reality.
The ambassador announced the news after a meeting with Angola’s Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs Manuel Augusto.
The Russian ambassador added that “the preparatory work for the installation of satellite was completed, and its assembly should begin this year.”
The two sides’ agreement for the construction of the Angolan satellite was inked in June 2009, but has yet to see much movement in recent years.
The goal of the new satellite is to deliver improved infrastructure for the local telecom market, which has reported increases in penetration across the country and in rural areas in particular.
Operators in the country believe the new satellite would boost services and speeds, as well as reduce the number of dropped calls for their respective users.
Mohammad Awad
