Sudan rural satellite system (SRSS)

Over 80% of the population of Sudan live in rural areas. Sudan has a very harsh climate and a difficult terrain. Telecommunications, a major problem in the Sudan, is made more complicated by the size of the country and the severe economic difficulties. This chronic lack of telecommunication services hampers development and exploitation of the abundant natural resources. The telephone density in the Sudan is 0.4 per hundred, while that of Khartoum is 2 per hundred. However, the rural telephone density is a poor 0.04 per hundred. Many attempts have been made to improve telecommunications, but these have failed to extend these facilities to the vast rural areas. The authors propose a rural satellite system that will make access to the telephone available to the large rural population. It is the most cost effective solution. The authors briefly discuss the costs, constraints on the system, and the technology to be used