ST. HELIER, Jersey, Channel Islands--(BUSINESS WIRE)--O3b Networks and Gilat Satcom have announced that Gilat Satcom has gone live on O3b’s unique ‘Fiber in the Sky’ satellite network, offering latency and throughput comparable to fiber over the O3b satellite-enabled global network.
A member of the Eurocom Group and winner of best satellite service for 2016 in Capacity Africa, Gilat Satcom offers satellite and fiber-based connectivity solutions in Africa, Asia and the Middle East. The company operates three international teleports in Europe and the Middle East, multiple hubs/PoPs in Africa, Europe and the US. Gilat Satcom is currently delivering vital connectivity across the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), including to the capital city of Kinshasa.
Although DRC is connected by terrestrial fiber cables, the country’s population of 80 million experiences occasional challenges with connectivity over the land-based link. O3b was chosen by Gilat Satcom because it is the only satellite network comparable to the performance of fiber both in latency and throughput, while providing superior reliability for voice, video and other data services Gilat Satcom’s customers rely upon.
For Gilat Satcom’s mobile network operator (MNO) and internet service provider (ISP) customers, the improved reliability of O3b’s fiber-in-the-sky solution will make an enormous difference. The O3b link enables high-speed broadband internet access, mobile LTE and 3G data traffic, and is used to backup and compliment the fiber infrastructure. The O3b solution provides superior reliability through both route and site diversity, resulting in a high availability, high performance service.
“We are investing heavily in both our fiber and satellite operations throughout Africa. Our customers need reliable connectivity to make their businesses work, so the redundant high-performance connection O3b provides is essential,” said Ofer Doron, Gilat’s VP Engineering. “Having diverse routing options beyond just fiber provides the vital network stability our customers demand.”
“We are very excited to be working with Gilat, bringing the people of DRC the internet performance over satellite they would normally expect over fiber,” said Carole Kamaitha, VP Africa for O3b Networks. “O3b’s network provides even remote, land-locked locations all the internet capabilities they need, enabling online education, telemedicine and e-government services.”
Additional Resources
About O3b Networks Limited
O3b Networks Ltd. is a provider of global managed communication services and operates both a state-of-the-art fleet of high throughput, low latency satellites and a global terrestrial infrastructure. O3b delivers carrier-grade Data Networking Solutions to ISPs, telcos, mobile network operators, governments and enterprises in the most remote and inaccessible places on the planet. O3b Networks is a wholly owned subsidiary of SES (Euronext Paris and Luxembourg Stock Exchange: SESG).
About Gilat Satcom
Gilat Satcom is a communication solutions provider that offers satellite and fibre-based connectivity solutions in Africa, Asia and the Middle East.
With successful deployments in 50 countries, Gilat Satcom consistently delivers high-quality, cost-effective and efficient communications solutions to telcos, ISPs, governments, enterprise customers and international organizations.
The company operates three international teleports in Europe and the Middle East, multiple hubs/PoPs in Africa, Europe and the US. In addition, Gilat Satcom is a shareholder in WIOCC, owners of the East African Submarine System (EASSy), and in the West Africa Cable System (WACS), with undersea fibre-optic cable systems connecting eastern and western Africa to the rest of the world. Gilat Satcom also provides space segments over numerous satellites including Intelsat, Telesat, Hellas Sat, ABS, SES-NewSkies and others.
For more information please visit http://www.gilat.net/