{UAH} Ugandans should celebrate space technology

By Godfrey Nsubuga 

When cell phone technology was first mulled for Uganda its benefits could not be easily appreciated by the country so much so that the forecast for cellphone users in the country in the first two to three years was put at 3000 which resulted in Erickson, the sponsor of the initial survey to drop the project.

 Fortunately for Uganda other investors, lncluding MO Ibrahim were optimistic of the future of cellphone technology and they decided to take up the project. Contrary to the survey report the number of cellphone users in the country in the first two years was in muliltiple thousands and the success story in the penetration of the technology in the country is now well known to all Ugandans. 

Satellite technology is at the Centre of IT and other digital services and development in the world. The pearl satellite that was launched this week is intended to fast truck developments in environmental research but I believe if enhanced further it should be able to do weather forecasts, probably including forecasting such events as seismic activity and so on.

 With the breakthrough in this technology the country may soon develop other satellites on telecommunication. 

When I was in banking I recall banks being advised to pay millions of dollars each to be hooked to the swift service satellite. With our own home satellites this kind of service might be made available to banks perhaps more cheaply. 

About thirty years ago the TV signal could not be transmitted for longer than fifty kilometers using earth transmission stations. Satellite technology enabled transmission of TV globally. 

Internet largely depends on satellite technology and if a country can develop its own satellite technology it would be possible for that country to provide internet services to its citizens more affordably, in my view.

 The developed world, led by THE US has invested heavily in satellite technology and I think it would not be wise for poor countries to sit back and think that the developed world will serve all its information services needs. Yes, they can up to a point but there are instances when they will not avail full information on such matters as those concerning internal security. 

Satellite is like the " eye " on the world and those who master this technology will be much better off by doing so. Because of the prohibitive cost of Internet, Uganda will find it easier and cheaper to carry out education via satellite for its own schools whenever the situation demands like during the Covid 19 pandemic if it has its own telecommunication satellite. 

Uses for satellite technology are numerous and in my view this is probably one of the best investments this country has made.

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