Several companies in the telecommunications sector in the country stressed that the fact that the Angosat-2 being in orbit does not exactly mean that there will be a reduction in communications in Angola and they also advise that civil society does not create false expectations about the geostationary satellite.
The managers who were speaking at the V Edition of the Telecom Forum, by Jornal Expansão, downplayed the immediate effects on telecommunications prices with the launch of the Angolan satellite, given that the problems are structural and there is still a long way to go.
According to Gonçalo Guedes, representative of the Africell, said that he does not believe that prices will come down and adds that everything will depend on the slice of satellite capacity that the State will make available to operators and on the prices that it will ask for its use. In his approach, he also doubted that with the entry of Angosat-2 there will be significant changes in the issue of telecommunications prices in Angola, because the lack of information and the non-existence of contracts signed with the operators, is not encouraging the market. For him, this secrecy puts the project further away from operators and Angolans.
BUT: Angosat-2 will have the management and operation of more than 1000 Angolan technicians
Gauco Ferreira, from DSTV- -Multichoice Angola, recognized the great potential of the Angolan satellite for satellite television companies existing in Angola, noting that Angola has the lowest TV prices, if compared, for example, with Mozambique.
He is convinced that the great impact of the satellite will depend on the prices of the services that the managing entity will offer and what government subsidies are available.
Who was also present at the technological event was SISTEC, where its CEO, Carlos de Melo, warned that Angolans lower expectations so that there are positive results, “because we don't know the service marketing strategy or on which platforms this will be done”, he said, adding that “there will be no direct impact on prices".
The representative also questioned who will pay the costs with the Angosat-2, as it is a very expensive piece of equipment. He questions, on the other hand, whether the Government will subsidize the services and whether the final consumer will be sacrificed. Among so many uncertainties, it is still necessary to legislate and regulate the communications market with the entry into operation of the satellite.
Francisco Pinto Leite, director of PARATUUS, explains that it is necessary to look at the viability of the business, as private. However, he believes that there will be some change, but this will be very residual. He justifies his position with the statement that the expansion of telecommunications coverage will continue to be in optical fiber and microwaves.
