Egypt has launched its first ever telecommunications satellite into orbit.

The satellite which is known as Tiba 1, was launched on Tuesday from a space centre in French Guiana in South America.

The launch comes after an agreement between French company Arianespace and the Egyptian government. The Satellite will be owned and operated by Egypt and will cover and provide telecommunication and internet service to all of Egypt.

According to the head of Egyptian Space Agency, Mohamed El-Qousy, the launch for the satellite was slated for last Friday but was delayed due to technical reasons. He mentioned that the launch was postponed due to poor weather conditions and the wind.

Mr El-Qousy added that the launch will improve communications infrastructure, internet services and attract investment in Egypt.

Culled from www.aawsat.com