In 2000, through its White Paper Eliminating World Poverty: Making Globalisation Work for the Poor, DFID led the international debate on the growing digital divide that threatens to further deepen the exclusion of parts of sub-Saharan Africa. The White Paper focussed on the advantages of harnessing ICT, including the internet and satellite communications, to share skills and knowledge with developing countries, and to use it to improve education and governance and to create new opportunities.

Future satellite-based broadband services and mobile broadband from space can transform the communications infrastructure and leapfrog Africa into the networked world, permitting Africans to work with information and provide services in world markets without the need for emigration and skills drain. In this vast continent with a lack of ground-based infrastructure, affordable and low-energy broadband technology using satellites offers unrivalled potential for providing improved public infrastructure and services to people in rural areas.

The 2005 G-8 Summit at Gleneagles made a commitment to help developing countries obtain full benefit from the Global Climate Observation System (GCOS) Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS). The potentially disastrous consequences of climate change on water and agriculture in Africa have become a strong concern for DFID. This will lead to increased interest in environmental, vegetation, weather and climate monitoring from space.

One current example for demand-driven involvement by DFID with such space applications is support for the 2006 population and housing census in Nigeria. The bulk of DFID’s investment in this project was on procurement of satellite imagery and related hardware and software for a GIS system that supports the census and can later be used for thematic mapping, including of poverty. Another example of participation in the uses of space by African nations is provided by the UK-led Disaster Monitoring Constellation (DMC).

The African development organisation NEPAD has increasingly become associated with the space interests of Algeria, Nigeria, Libya, South Africa, Gambia and Senegal. These nations already recognise the potential of space to deliver rapid improvement in communications infrastructure. There is now competition among these countries to take a regional economic lead in northern, central and southern Africa. Space offers a disruptive opportunity to bypass missing or outdated infrastructure and a focus for development of much needed scientific and commercial skills.

Space is supporting the development of more sustainable African communities, providing a direct communications infrastructure, access to educational opportunities and enhanced environmental monitoring to deliver basic human rights of freedom from hunger and disease.

UK firms are well placed to supply those needs in Africa. The UK smallsat programme, supported by the DTI, has already enabled the UK to lead the way in building collaborations with African countries and other developing nations in disaster monitoring and humanitarian aid.

Sustainable development can also be facilitated using satellites. Simple educational aids such as self powered radios are now a reality but they require high power terrestrial transmitters. Self powered satellite radios are a sustainable, available alternative. A self powered satellite radio is green in three ways:
• The transmitting satellite is solar powered (no CO2 emission) obviating
   the need to build expensive and power hungry terrestrial infrastructure
• Radios are self powered (no CO2 emission)
• Educational content can create awareness globally of the need to protect
   the environment.

Satellite services represent a tremendous opportunity to focus long term education, communication and science developments direct to local communities in the UK, Europe, Africa and worldwide.

DFID has long been a user of satellite links to ensure access to internal networks for all DFID staff, working with the FCO. Substantial amounts are spent on comsat use every year. Furthermore, the Department’s crisis prevention and response role (jointly with MoD and FCO) uses satellite mapping and high-resolution imagery as well as satcom and navigation equipment.