Though VSAT availability is higher than ever before, another major challenge confronting professional design and implementation is the local skills gap. Lack of skills required in the developing world to design, install and maintain satellite communication systems adequately – inadequate quality human capital – affects speedy, proactive and effective response to failures and issues. In some African countries, it can often be difficult to find competent people to implement and manage VSAT deployment. Expertise is unevenly spread on the continent and even within countries. For example, in Nigeria, most installers are based in Lagos. Improving skills availability requires proactive and well thought through strategies. This is why VSAT training is a welcome initiative.

Beyond the technical VSAT expertise, the skills challenge extends to human capacity deficiencies in project management and entrepreneurship. It’s amazing but Africa’s certificate focus is not helping. It is one thing to pass an exam; it is another to solve a real business problem. For example, while there is serious interest and investment in cyber café business, poor management and weak grounding in entrepreneurship fundamentals, not the absence of technical skills, are the major reasons for the associated high failure rate. These same challenges have rendered many VSAT solutions ineffective in Africa. This is what you get when you neglect management skills, creativity and focus only on technical expertise.

Other challenges in the provision of VSAT service include: High start-up costs (hubs and basic elements must be in place before the services can be provided), cost of satellite airtime, Lack of adequate coverage in some parts of Africa, rigid subscription plans; and imposition of severe regulatory restrictions by governments and regulatory bodies that lack of understanding by of what VSATs can offer. Since VSAT is so critical to telecom in Africa, it’s amazing that very few African countries have specific policies or strategies for tapping the benefits of VSAT technologies.

VSAT planning must also consider information security challenges especially those relating to protection of infrastructure as well as availability. Service quality limitations such as the high signal delays in data transmission (latency) can result in availability problems. Latency is unavoidable in Internet connections but can especially be an issue with satellite networks that are not well designed and managed.

Jide Awe

Jide Awe is the Publisher of Jidaw.com

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