12 October 2020: Spacecom (Tel Aviv Stock Exchange: SCC), operator of the AMOS satellites fleet and Ignite Power, a Pan-African developer of vital infrastructure projects, are pleased to announce the signing of a Strategic Cooperation Agreement. Under the new agreement, the companies will collaborate to install e-Health connectivity solutions in remote clinics, which will provide local medical teams with immediate access to physicians around the world, as well as data analysis over the cloud. Using designed-for-solar medical devices and systems and satellite connectivity, all will be powered by cost-effective off-grid solar systems. With the support of global medical experts, doctors and paramedics in these rural areas will have the opportunity to expand their reach and knowledge to new treatments and procedures.
For billions of people in developing countries, access to the Internet and advanced digital services is still a distant dream. It is precisely the populations, who need it the most, that live without enjoying the tremendous benefits enabled by the information revolution, and the gap between developing and developed countries continues to grow. Together, Spacecom and Ignite are determined to make a change and create a new reality which provides digital equality.
The solution comprises of communication through Spacecom’s advanced AMOS-17, digital High Throughput Satellite and Ignite’s sustainable off-grid solar power solutions and diagnostic systems. The mutual solution enables an efficient infrastructure as the basis for digital communities and services to rural locations. It is set to create thousands of jobs while empowering an entire generation of students to new skills and remote learning capabilities, through e-Learning platforms.
AMOS-17 operates over Sub-Saharan Africa, providing C-Band HTS, Ka-Band and Ku-Band coverage, and enables the combination of broad regional beams and high throughput spot beams that maximize throughput and spectral efficiency. It is designed specifically to meet Africa’s fast-growing communication and digital transformation demands, though to-date, many remote communities were unable to enjoy these benefits due to lack of reliable power supply. Until today.
Ignite Power has extensive and efficient solar power operations across Africa and has already connected 1.5 M people in off-grid areas and over 10,000 villages, to power through affordable solar-home systems. All basic home system packages include USB chargers, long-lasting lithium battery, life-prolonging charger, rechargeable radio, and fixed lamps.
Dan Zajicek, SpaceCom’s CEO said today: "Providing internet connectivity to rural areas in Africa is a challenge that we address as a priority. Our partnership with Ignite Power is a huge step towards making a change on a Pan-African scale. Together, no place is too remote for us to tackle. It is an honor to be able to make a difference in people’s lives and it is priceless to see the level of appreciation to something that seems trivial to most. This is only the beginning, we have many plans ahead".
"The combination of off-grid solutions and advanced communication systems is almost inevitable, as it allows for an immediate, affordable and reliable solution to one of the most significant challenges in Africa today", says Yariv Cohen, Ignite’s CEO. "Access to the internet has a tangible potential for impact on a huge scale. We are happy to join forces with a global technology leader such as Spacecom; Together we will advance the realization of this potential, and lead Africa to a brighter, more inclusive future".
