No one depending on Western media for current affairs information would know that it was Gaddafi’s Libya that offered all of Africa its first revolution in modern times – connecting the entire continent by telephone, television, radio broadcasting and several other technological applications such as telemedicine and distance teaching.
Thanks to the WiMAX radio bridge, a low cost connection was made available across the continent, including in rural areas.
Also because of this, Africans of today can watch TV in HD (high definition), communicate with people anywhere in the world with high tech telecommunication satellites, browse at a reduced price and enjoy the services of modern telecommunication devices at a highly reduced price.
It is an established fact that, before Gaddafi brought this revolution to the African people, telephone calls made to Africa and out of Africa were the most expensive in the entire world! Many couldn't make international calls that could last for more than 5 minutes. The bill for such a call was really expensive.
Those were the days when it was only a few wealthy Africans living in Europe and America who could make calls to Africa. It was completely impossible for the ordinary African to make phone calls that could last, because Africa did not have our own communication satellites and we had to rely on using the services of European satellites. Since we had no way of escape, our European masters were charging Africans too much (hundreds of millions of dollars) for this services.
But today in Africa, many people including the young ones are using two or three smart phones and can make free local and international calls that can last over 30 minutes in most cases. As for browsing internet, it is now unlimited! Young Africans can now stay on the internet, browsing the social networks for a whole day. They're are the first to hear of breaking news from the other side of the Atlantic Ocean. Today Africans are using the internet and telecommunication services like never before to stay in touch and get connected. Has anybody taken the pain to even consider how many Africans could enjoy this opportunity if it was not for Gaddafi's bold contribution?
It began in 1992, when 45 African nations established RASCOM (Regional African Satellite Communication Organization) so that Africa would have its own satellite and slash communication costs in the continent. This was a time when phone calls to and from Africa were the most expensive in the world because of the annual US$500 million fee pocketed by Europe for the use of its satellites like INTELSAT for phone conversations, including those within the same country.
An African satellite would cost only a one-time payment of US$400 million and the continent no longer had to pay a US$500 million every year to Europe. Which banker wouldn’t finance such a project? But the problem remained – how can slaves, seeking to free themselves from their master’s exploitation ask the master’s help to achieve that freedom? Not surprisingly, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the USA and Europe only made vague promises for 14 years.
Gaddafi put an end to these futile pleas to the western "benefactors" with their exorbitant interest rates. The Libyan leader put US$300 million on the table; the African Development Bank added US$50 million more and the West African Development Bank a further US$27 million - and that's how Africa got its first communications satellite on 26 December 2007.
China and Russia followed suit and shared their technology and helped launch satellites for South Africa, Nigeria, Angola, Algeria, and a second African satellite was launched in July 2010.
The first satellite totally built and manufactured on African soil by indigenous people is happening in Algeria, which is set for completion in 2020. This satellite is aimed at competing with the best in the world, but at ten times less the cost, a real challenge.
That is how Gaddafi’s symbolic gesture of a mere US$300 million changed the life of an entire continent.
Gaddafi's Libya cost the West, not just depriving it of US$500 million per year but the billions of dollars in debt and interest that the initial loan would generate for years to come and in an exponential manner, literally enslave Africa again in the 21st century thereby helping maintain a system that continues to plunder the continent.
The RASCOM satellites embodied Muammar al Gaddhafi's vision of regional sovereign emancipation and integration.
This is one of major reasons why European and American leaders hated Gaddafi and were therefore looking for any opportunity to murder him at all cost. They therefore resorted to terror tactics, they tried to assassinate Gaddafi on many occasions but they failed. Like they recently did in Syria, these European and American leaders decided to supply weapons to rebels they had trained to cause chaos in Libya while their dishonest media heartlessly blamed it on Gaddafi.
They sought for a UN resolution to then go and protect civilians, when their actual hidden intention was to go and murder Gaddafi. Surprisingly many of the then African leaders, because of their greed and selfishness had secretly accepted bribes from the European and American politicians to betray Gaddafi.
Many of them were personally invited to travel to America and Europe where they held secret meetings with the leaders, by which they agreed to at least stay quiet and allow their puppet masters have their way in Libya. They sold out Gaddafi for a few secrete dollar and Euro accounts, accounts that are loaded with the blood of their own African brothers and sisters.
Gaddafi was murdered without any single one of them (with exception of President Robert Mugabe), saying a thing. Just like Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus Christ, African leaders have now regretted their actions, while the African people pay the price (with their lives) for what happened in Libya.
However to us the African youth, we should not be ungrateful. We should remember Gaddafi, not because he was a saint, but because we know it was him who helped us to be able to fully enjoy the sweetness of the 21st century's unlimited telecommunications services at highly reduced prices.
Any time our mobile phones shall ring, anytime we connect to the internet, we should do so remembering Gaddafi.
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ʄɨʀɛ ɮʊʀռ ɖɛʍ ,Jah wrath pon den,,,self guilt will never let dem alone,,,
Thank you this is important to us.
Ive been trying to verify the cost of US $400 million but there seem to be nothing on the internet. Can plz help with reference if you can
there are still many Judas African presidents drinking the blood of their people
Thanks for this contribution. I was there in the beginning with Dr. Adadja of Benin, it was not easy to get money from most African countries. As the vice President engineering, I traveled to most African countries to sell the idea whose time had come but it was a struggle!
Very and lightning