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Africom shows rural telephony link via
satellite link.
AFRICOM on Wednesday demonstrated its new Afrisat capabilities
to senior civil servants and representatives of the communications
industry and private sector companies by making a telephone
call via its data network from Chief Hwata in Muzarabani to
Harare.
Muzarabani is a rural area with extremely limited access to
telecommunications infrastructure.
Guests at a luncheon hosted by the Department of
Science and Technology Development wa.tched as the department's
permanent secretary; Dr Vincent Hungwe, chatted with Chief
Hwata about the
availability of seed in Muzarabani and the usefulness of a telecommunications
link such as the one
they were speaking on.
As the telephone was connected to a speaker,guests
were also able to hear the chief speaking to Dr Hungwe. Chief
Hwata said that, because Muzarabani was so remote, telecommunications
services there were desperately needed.
Africom chief operating officer, Paul Chiobvu,
explained that the phone call was made possible by a combination
of satellite signals, broadband wireless technology and fibre
optic cables.
He said that, while traditionally the infrastructure
for voice telephone services, data telecommunications and television
broadcasting had been provided separately, there had been a
convergence of technologies, so that traditionally separate
entities could now use a single platform for voice, data and
video communications.
Chiobvu said that, although Africom was only licensed
for and only provided data telecommunications services, its
infrastructure was capable of carrying voice and video communications
as well as data, enabling it to demonstrate dramatically "with
a voice conversation, its data communications capacity.
"We have put together infrastructure to sustain data services. There is
the potential to develop other services. The same infrastructure can I even be
used for video," he said.
The recent launching of Afrisat, Africom's VSat system, which utilises similar
technology to that used for satellite television, has enabied it to provide
data telecommunications links anywhere in the country; without having to
worry about geographical obstacles, such as mountains and hills.
Welcoming guests to the luncheon, Dr Hungwe stressed the importance of information
for all economic development today and the importance of information communication
technology through
Which information could be passed on to individuals and businesses, including
farmers.
During question time, an expert in the com-' munications
field commented that the beauty of
V-Sat was that it could reach anywhere, regardless of valleys and mountains.
She said she could
see Afr~P111 reaching rural areas through V-Sat and utilising its brooaband
wireless technology to
link villages and homesteads within those areas. The sky is the limit," she
said.
Another guest suggested that legislation and the operations of regulatory authorities
needed
to be revised to recognise the, coming together of voice, data and other communications
media in a single technology. This had been done in other countries and would
allow the people of Zimbabwe to enjoy the full benefits of convergence.
Africom, Powertel Communications and Transmedia in April announced
they had formed a joint company; Afritell, capable of bringing
telephone services to Rural Areas.
The Standard - 1 August 2004
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