The launch of the SA-backed US$250m New Dawn satellite has been rescheduled after an aborted first attempt at the end of March.

The satellite, which will launch on an Ariane 5 rocket, will take off from a spaceport in Kourou in French Guiana on 22 April.

According to Intelsat, which co-owns New Dawn with SA’s Convergence Partners, the rocket did not take off in March because of a fault detected in the system, which caused an automatic shutdown of the engines.

New Dawn is expected to provide satellite Internet connectivity to Africa, with a focus in backhaul, wireless and fixed broadband and broadcasting.

The satellite weighs 1 254kg and has been built with an expected lifespan of 17 years.

To bring connectivity to the continent, Ellies Holdings and Q-Kon have created a joint venture Internet company called SkyeVine, which will target, among others, small business and government agencies.

Already, 60% of the capacity on the satellite has been sold to several high-profile operators. Bharti Airtel, which recently bought all of Zain’s African assets, Vodacom, Telkom’s Afsat and Gateway Communications are among the customers to buy capacity. — Staff reporter, TechCentral