Satellite transmission remains the most apt mode of digital communication in Uganda and much of Africa where spotty infrastructure and geographical isolation still pose a formidable challenge to the deployment of fibre optic cables, according to an official from Afsat Communications ltd.

Afsat is Africa's largest provider of Very Small Aperture Terminal, (VSAT) based internet services. At a June 19th media presentation in Kampala on the potential of satellite technology in bringing internet access, Afsat's General Manager Job Ndege said VSATs were still the best and cost efficient means of bringing the Ugandan masses access to internet.

Currently Afsat is marketing its services in Uganda under the brand name iWay Africa and connects its clients to: "fast, reliable, efficient and cost effective broadband intenrt" and "Tailor designed and highly available intra-corporate connectivity solutions."

The company is present in 28 sub-Saharan African countries and has installed about 5200 VSATs on both the broadband and intra-corporate platforms. Lately there has been a lively debate among the ICT industry analysts, policy makers and academics on the relevance of VSATs in the wake of efforts, now in advanced stages, to connect East and Southern Africa to the word's fibre optic network.

Satellites are also blamed for the current sky-high cost of internet access in the region and there's a general expectation that the technology will be ditched once the cable arrives.

Mr Ndege said VSATs operated by most ISPs in Africa are expensive and slow because "older/legacy technologies that give less spectral efficiency," while others use spectrum (channels) resources wastefully. "There could also be contractual issues especially in earlier times when most Earth Stations were run by Government parastatals and contracting was not as transparent as it is today."

He asserted that iWay's VSATs solve many of these problems via use of newer technology that maximises spectral efficiency. Also, unlike in the bygone days of monopolistic VSAT operators, now there's a great deal of competition in the market ensuring competitive and fair pricing of the services, he said.