Miebi Senge
25 June 2008
Lagos — After making a bold statement as one of the world's fastest growing telecommunications market, Nigeria despite its myriad of challenges like inadequate public power supply and dearth of infrastructure continues to attract new technology investments as the sector rakes in billions of dollars into the economy in direct foreign investment, (FDI).
And iIn an era when operators and service providers are constantly seeking solutions for the many telecommunication challenges of the 21st century, Israeli satellite communications provider, Gilat Satcom has succeeded in becoming a premier telecommunications service provider with global spread, and now in Nigeria, hopes to apply same quality into the local market space.
Gilat Satcom which was declared 'Best Satellite Company of 2007' is also regarded as a leading backbone connectivity supplier of top local carriers and ISPs. Gilat Satcom provides fixed and mobile solutions for customers operating beyond the reach of traditional telecommunications. With a global presence in over 40 countries, Gilat Satcom is once again setting a new record with the introduction of premium Ku services in Nigeria.
According to Roy Hess, CEO of SatCom: "The license is further proof of our commitment to the Nigerian market. We are here to stay, develop new markets, and bring to the Nigerian users the best our technology has to offer." Hess stated that the company's commitment to the African market and Nigeria in particular is manifested by several major steps. In 2007, it opened shop in Lagos following a 2006 Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission's Business Permit Certificate. This was followed in March 2007 with an NCC (Nigerian Communication Commission) license for data access. The license, which is valid for 10 years, enables "Gilat Satcom to provide international data access connectivity (one way or two ways) services, point-to-point, point-to-multipoint access for voice, data or any other kind of message for reception in Nigeria or in any other international destination".
After many years as a pioneer in the field of satellite backbone connectivity, the "Gilat Satcom brand", Hess noted, "has come to stand for consistent service reliability combined with optimum support availability". In line with the company's mission to provide "fast, flexible, scalable Internet connectivity to distant locations", it recently introduced high-quality, high-end Ku services into the market. "This new service provides a response to virtually every communication need," Hess said.
The service is rendered using the powerful Intelsat 907 satellite see at the end of this article (the beam is aimed Nigeria). At the same time, a hub located in Washington DC, United States connects directly to the Internet backbone through a tier-1 ISP, to provide Internet connectivity to even the most remote regions. One of the highlights of Gilat Satcom offering is its grade of service. While almost all current Ku providers refrain from committing to any contention ration, Gilat Satcom guarantees the rate. This is achieved thanks to the company's unparalleled technology. Moreover, the unique technology used by Gilat Satcom minimises signal degradation and rain fade. As a result, users benefit from virtually nonstop communications regardless of weather conditions. It's services is based on a well-known Shiron IRG S2 satellite technology application with the newly launched Ku services primarily targeted at the upper-end market. Hess told Vanguard it "will be the first Shiron Ku platform in Africa to provide customers with much better Grade and Quality of Service (GoS/QoS) compared with current solutions in the Ku market".
Overcoming the digital divide with VSAT internet connectivity in today's fast-paced telecommunications era, there are still billions of people living in rural areas that are beyond the reach of traditional telecommunications. Unable to enjoy basic Internet connectivity services, they have poor access to digital information, and are therefore likely to maintain their socio-economic weakness.
The gap in accessibility to communication means is known as the "digital divide". While areas with widespread communication infrastructures provide Internet access virtually to everyone, others with no access to technology and/or the Internet are left behind culturally, socially and economically. This situation perpetuates the marginalisation of certain sectors of society while others benefit from the advances of the digital age.
But the global communications environment is changing. Technological development and economic globalisation have encouraged all countries to become technologically connected. Connectivity is no longer conceived as a luxury, but as the ability to produce, adapt, trade, and take advantage of global innovations. The networking age and its advanced technologies are introducing new opportunities. As a result, remote and rural communities are beginning to benefit from new methods for accessing these technologies.
In the past, physical infrastructure (or rather the lack of an infrastructure) was an obstacle; in today's fast-paced, ever-chancing technology world, this is no longer the case. Technological solutions like VSAT are targeted to transcend the barriers of communication, irrespective of infrastructure, geography, and location. These simple satellite systems can bring Internet and telephone access even to the most remote areas, making communications available to all. Very Small Aperture Terminal, (VSAT) satellite technology is being adopted more and more around the world by major telecommunication service providers and businesses and governments. Due to its availability, relatively low cost and superior reliability, VSAT is perhaps the technology of choice for bridging the digital divide. "VSAT satellite technology is the only telecommunications method that is available everywhere around the world", even in the more remote geographical locations. While other popular technologies like broadband and fiber optics are widely deployed, they are limited in coverage, reaching homes and business only in more affluent areas. This leaves the large majority of the world's population beyond the reach of digital technology
Unlike other platforms in which the uplink is based on Time-Division-Multiple-Access (TDMA), the Shiron platform is designed for the high-end market; the uplink is Burst-Mode/Frequency-Division-Multiple-Access (BM-FDMA) and the downlink is DVB-S2. This means that the service is extremely weather friendly and delivers very high-quality connectivity in virtually any climatic condition.
In addition to the new Ku services, Gilat Satcom provides IP backbone connectivity with VipSAT under the coverage of C-band satellites, which can be received in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Latin America, and Europe. The company's satellite space segments are provided by leading satellite operators, including Intelsat, Eutelsat, Loral Skynet, NewSkies amongst others.
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