Less than a week after ASX-listed Sky and Space Global demonstrated that its miniature satellite-based telco network could make and receive calls from any landline or mobile number in the world, the company has inked a deal to provide coverage and connectivity to Ghanaian telecoms service provider, Universal Cyberlinks.
The agreement carries significant potential upside for the Ghanaian economy as Universal Cyberlinks provides data and machine-to-machine services to a multitude of clients, including a number of significant, Government funded agriculture and public service projects.
The first project will focus on building an agriculture value chain for Ghana’s large cocoa production industry, which is the second biggest in the world.
“The project will enable the Ministry of Agriculture and Cocobod in Ghana to monitor the cocoa production and supply across the country, covering more than 5,000 buying centres and checkpoints for tracking the movement and quality of the cocoa produce,” Sky and Space said.
In a market update this week Sky and Space said the deal was a first for the company in Africa, signalling further confirmation of its ability to provide more economical and efficient communication services to remote areas of the planet.
The company said, “This agreement further demonstrates Sky And Space’s nanosatellite technological capabilities and the commercial opportunities the Sky and Space technology offers for partners operating in Africa, Southeast Asia and Latin America.”
Agriculture in Ghana will also benefit from Universal Cyberlink’s involvement in building a digital registry for Ghanaian agricultural association, “The African Green Revolution Agriculture Consortium”.
Sky and Space Global satellite connectivity will now be used to manage the registrations of its 143,000 existing and new members.
The agreement announced this week makes provision for Universal to pay an advance fee as a security deposit covering advance services under the agreement. It also includes provision for Universal to pay Sky and Space advance fixed payments for end user devices and then ongoing amounts depending on usage.
Sky and Space Global’s managing director and CEO, Meir Moalem, said: “The agreement with UCL is our first contract in Ghana and further validates the market demand for the services SAS can provide. We believe we can help boost key economic factors in the region and create a healthy digital ecosystem based on a better communications infrastructure, which our technology can help create.”
Universal Cyberlinks CEO, Kofi Anane-Adjei, added: “We are excited to commence the testing and implementation of the SAS solution based on the latest nanosatellite technology and to bring additional value to our customers. Universal Cyberlinks has always been the first to adopt new technologies and harness their advantage for the benefits of our customers in Ghana and beyond.”
By Matt Birney
