Spacewatchafrica April 2020 Edition
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IEDs: Insurgents misusing smart mobile satellite phones VVVolVolVolVol o6 o6 66l l. .No. NoNo. No78 N N 55 oo5.. 3 April 2018 2020 AFRICA Nigeria Space Vacation Industry faces revenue loss as COVID-19 forces shutdown C O N T E N T S Vol. 8 No. 3 COVID-19 pandemic and the space industry Editor in-chief Aliyu Bello Eutelsat's Konnect Africa to connect schools in the DRC with high speed internet Executive Manager Tonia Gerrald IEDs: Insurgents misusing smart mobile satellite phones SA to the editor in-Chief Ngozi Okey Head, Application Services M. Yakubu Future missions under COVID 19 threats Editorial/ICT Services John Daniel ST Engineering iDirect named “company to watch” at the Usman Bello Mobility Innovation Awards 2020 Alozie Nwankwo Supporting the growth of broadcasting in Nigeria Juliet Nnamdi Disruption times as satellite industry faces COVID-19 threats Client Relations Sunday Tache Rural areas of Britain promised better internet Lookman Bello Knowledge for space, space for knowledge Safiya Thani Marketing Offy Pat UAE migrates to e-learning as 22,000 teachers qualified Tunde Nathaniel to tutor online Wasiu Olatunde Egypt advances space program with 10-year plan Media Relations Favour Madu Intelsat selects SpaceX to launch Intelsat 40e satellite Khadijat Yakubu COVID-19: Industry faces revenue Zacheous Felicia loss as space vacation shutdown Finance Folarin Tunde Satellite distress alerting Space Watch Magazine is a publication of Communication Science, Inc. All correspondence should be addressed to editor, space Watch Magazine. Abuja office: Plot 2009, Awka Street, UTC Building, GF 11, Area 10, Garki, Abuja, Nigeria Tel: 234 80336471114, 07084706167, email: [email protected] LEGAL CONSULTANTS Idowu Oriola & Co. Garki, Abuja DISTRIBUTION CONTACTS Ade Adejo ABIJAN INTERNATIONAL Suleija, Abuja AYO DISTRIBUTION AGENCY Emir Road, Ilorin Olumayowa Ojo NEWSROUND INTERNATIONAL Area 10, Garki, Abuja Magazine Circulation Nigeria Limited 90, Obafemi Awolowo Way, Ikeja Magazine Subscription Nigeria Limited Ikeja, Lagos. DELALI OTCHI Ridge Church, Tudu Branch, Accra, Ghana. AL AHRAM NEWPAPERS LIMITED Al Galaa Street -11511 Cairo-Egypt Ayo Olu MAGAZINE DISTRIBUTION AGENCY Jos, Plateau State. 1 Editorial COVID-19 pandemic and the space industry COVID-19, the disease caused by the adopting social distancing to keep the have been suspended. This exceptional novel coronavirus, has infected more than sales coming while ensuring public measure was designed to protect the 800,000 people worldwide to date, with safety. Many of them have now rolled health of employees and the local more than 7,000 confirmed deaths and o u t c o n t a c t l e s s d e l i v e r y population, while also maintaining the the numbers are rising considerably. The schemes.“Offering contactless delivery security needed to prepare for scheduled economic impacts of COVID-19 are launches. These launch preparations will already significant, affecting global stock The effect on the space community is resume as soon as allowed by health market, airlines and the space industry in much deeper and broader than it is conditions, according to CNES, the particular, and many organizations are been recently estimated, from French Space Agency. directing their employees to work from canceled or postponed conferences to home. delays in the collection of science data. Recently, Telesat announced it has After the devastating impact of COVID-19 For instance, the Space Foundation enacted its work from home policy in its became evident in the Hubei province, announced March 13 that it's offices globally effective March 16, 2020 th C h i n a i m p o s e d u n p r e c e d e n t e d postponing the 36 Space Symposium, in an effort to keep office workers safe and measures, building hospitals in ten days, which was supposed to be held in facilitate social distancing amidst the instituting a “lockdown” for almost 60 Colorado Springs, Colorado, from increase of COVID-19. Telesat provides million people and significant restrictions March 30 through April 2. The Space critical satellite communications for hundreds of millions of others, and Symposium is one of the space infrastructure to its customers and as using broad-based surveillance to ensure community's signature annual events, such, has comprehensive business compliance in an attempt to combat the bringing together thousands of people continuity plans to ensure continued spread. These measures have been from around the globe, including some operations of its satellites, network and successful in rapidly reducing very heavy hitters. This year's list of teleport infrastructure.“The continued transmission of the virus, even as the scheduled speakers included safety and well-being of our employees is economy has been restarting. Bridenstine, U.S. Secretary of our top priority,” stated Dan Goldberg, Commerce Wilbur Ross and Space CEO of Telesat. “We have invested in the So far, large-scale quarantines, travel Force Commander Gen. John right tools and business continuity restrictions, and social-distancing Raymond. planning and, as a result, can maintain the measures drive a sharp fall in consumer critical infrastructure and services that our and business spending until the end of The American Astronomical Society customers rely while our work from home Q2, producing a recession. Although the (AAS) announced on March 13 that policy is in effect. outbreak comes under control in most proceeding with its normal summer According to NSR, the COVID-19 impact parts of the world by late in Q2, the self- meeting this year,, which is scheduled will be felt for another 2-3 quarters based reinforcing dynamics of a recession kick to take place in Wisconsin from May 31 on demand erosion in key network in and prolong the slump until the end of to June 4, "is simply not possible." The segments of commercial aero, cruise and Q3. Consumers stay home, businesses AAS hopes to hold the conference Oil and Gas industry. lose revenue and lay off workers, and virtually, but it's unclear at the moment Despite the onslaught, the International unemployment levels rise sharply. if that will happen. Telecommunications Union, ITU said Business investment contracts, and The list goes on. In South Africa, the telecommunication networks is still vital to corporate bankruptcies soar, putting SANSA public tours, learner visits and our health and safety, and to keep our significant pressure on the banking and the space talk public lecture series has economy and society working, as COVID- financial system. been cancelled with immediate effect 19 crisis rages across the world. until further notice. These measures ITU launched a new platform to assist Industry has witnessed an alarming 35%- was taken out of concern for the health national policy-makers, regulators and 50% decline in stock prices of SES, and safety of the general public, industry stakeholders to ensure that Intelsat, Eutelsat and ViaSat in just over a learners, tourists and the staff and networks are kept resilient and month, according to NSR. Demand students at SANSA, according to the telecommunication services are available suffers as consumers cut spending. In the South African Space Agency. to all to the maximum extent possible by most affected sectors, the number of sharing best practices and initiatives put corporate layoffs and bankruptcies rises In Nigeria as well, the National Space in place during the COVID-19 crisis. throughout 2020, feeding a self- Rteearch and Development Agency, As the United Nations specialized agency reinforcing downward spiral. NASRDA has come under lockdown as for information and communication Specifically, the COVID-19 has adversely a n n o u n c e d b y t h e N i g e r i a n technologies, ITU has long advocated for affected commercial airlines, cruise government recently forcing the universal, reliable and affordable companies, and Oil and Gas sectors. agency to advise its scientists, connectivity, and we will continue to push Though, backhaul, consumer broadband, engineers and other staff to work from on all these fronts until everyone is business aviation and linear video should home as the agency is under lock and connected. The ITU explains that certainly prove critical in the times of key. To this efffect, public conferences, information and communication quarantine and increased bandwidth lectures and related evets have been technology can help defeat COVID-19 consumption and provide cushion to suspended forthwith. The launch and make us safer, stronger and more stock prices. campaigns under way at the Guiana connected. Companies around the world are Space Center (CSG) in French Guiana 5 APPOINTMENTS technology companies through business Spacecom Appoints transformations that leveraged existing SES names Sandeep Dan Zajicek New CEO technologies and produced a culture of Jalan as new Chief innovation. Most recently, he served as Spacecom operator of the AMOS general manager of Zen Technologies USA, Financial Officer satellite fleet, announces that Mr. Dan where he developed global opportunities in the US and in the Middle East. Zajicek has been appointed by the SES announced the Board of Directors has board of director's as the company's As president and CEO of Quantum 3D, he appointed Sandeep Jalan as Chief new Chief Executive Officer. His helped relaunch the company's advanced Financial Officer (CFO) of SES. He will appointment officially begins on 1 April technologies to bring virtual, augmented assume the position from 6 May 2020. 2020. and mixed reality training and simulation to Sandeep has 30 years of experience in Mr. Itzik Shnaiberg, who has served as military and defense companies. financial and operational leadership roles Acting CEO since 1 January 2020, will In his more than 20 years of working in the across Asia and Europe. He is most return to his Deputy CEO position at global landscape, Shah co-founded recently the CFO of Aperam, a global leader that time.