Yahsat, the Middle East’s leading satellite service provider, picked up a highly coveted SatCom Star Award for the “Most Innovative Product/Service for Africa”. The award is a firm endorsement of the potential of Yahsat’s “YahClick” service offering which will provide connectivity to residents in unserved and underserviced areas across 28 countries in the Middle East, Africa and South West Asia.

The SatCom Star Awards are designed to celebrate the continued growth and success of the satellite marketplace and focus on the exceptional and innovative performers within the industry. The awards are judged by an independent board of advisers comprising industry professionals. Winners are selected according to strict criteria, with award recipients reflecting the strong foundation and potential for the satellite industry in serving and developing the African continent.

Commenting on the accolade, Tareq Abdul Raheem Al Hosani, Chief Executive Officer, Yahsat stated: “Winning a SatCom Award is highly significant as a recognizable endorsement of industry excellence and innovation from our peers. We firmly believe our YahClick service has the potential to change the way people live and work by harnessing the power of technology.”

In comparison to traditional methods of connectivity, satellite communication has the advantage of providing instant high speed broadband services, with minimal time required to set up and a consistent service independent of multiple terrestrial points of failure.

“At the moment, the majority of Africans access the Internet through mobile systems which are often highly congested and not consistently reliable. YahClick will offer individuals, schools, governments, and businesses the opportunity to gain much needed connectivity through a reliable, high performance and cost effective solution. YahClick has the potential to connect most of the African communities and contribute to their economic growth and the development of informed societies,” added Shawkat Ahmed, Chief Commercial Officer, Yahsat.

In the coming months Yahsat’s “YahClick” service will be rolled out through reputable national service partners in each country of coverage. These Service Partners will provide the YahClick service subscriptions and install the equipment.

In order to make sure YahClick is effectively rolled out Yahsat has established partnerships across 28 countries within the regional geography, selecting reputable communications companies that understand the needs and conditions of each local market. Yahsat is additionally working closely with key telecommunications providers to ensure comprehensive availability of the YahClick service to homes, schools, governments, and businesses throughout the region.

The SatCom Star Awards programme was launched in 2007 to identify and recognise outstanding new contributions to the field of satellite communications in Africa. Honorees are chosen for accomplishments ranging across a broad spectrum of advanced satellite technology and business applications.

About Al Yah Satellite Communications Company PrJSC “Yahsat”

Visit Yahsat website www.yahsat.ae

Yahsat provides multipurpose satellite solutions (government and commercial) for broadband, broadcast, military and Communications use across the Middle East, Africa and South West Asia. Based in Abu Dhabi, and wholly owned by Mubadala, Yahsat is the first company in the Middle East and Africa to offer multi-purpose satellite services:

• YahClick - the satellite broadband service
• YahSecure - the government satellite service
• YahLink - the satellite connectivity service
• YahService - end to end satellite solutions
• YahCarrier – satellite solutions for telecommunications carriers

Yahsat’s first satellite Y1A was successfully launched in April 2011, and the companies second satellite Y1B was successfully launched in April 2012.