Satellite telephone, internet product launched for underdeveloped areas

BizSat is powered by Skyevine, a joint venture company between Ellies and Q-KON, and delivers coverage throughout sub-Saharan Africa without the need for supporting copper, fibre, cellular or DECT infrastructure.

"It enables organisations in even the most remote, underdeveloped or under-serviced regions of sub-Saharan Africa to have full telephone and Internet communications that's on par with that available in developed, urban areas," said Graeme Victor, CEO of Du Pont Telecom. "It is also ideal for those areas in which the quality of existing connectivity offerings is inadequate."

Immune to cable and copper theft

The only additional equipment needed - apart from that required for any conventional broadband Internet connectivity or VoIP telephony solution - is a one-metre satellite dish.

With no terrestrial infrastructure that can be compromised, the system is immune to cable and copper theft.

"It can, therefore, provide a viable alternative for those periods when a normal telephone or Internet connection is down, whether this is due to cable theft or even power failures. Indeed, Du Pont BizSat is a lifeline for businesses that cannot afford to have the Internet or their switchboard go down for a few days or even a few hours," Victor added.

Once Du Pont BizSat is installed, its performance is similar to that offered by terrestrial alternatives delivering bandwidth speeds of 256/4096 kbps for upload/download.

In addition, users are less likely to lose signal or suffer interference as a result of adverse weather conditions than they do with their DStv satellite television broadcasts.

Ku, not Ka

Victor explained that one of the reasons why Du Pont opted for the SkyeVine platform is because it utilises the Ku band for communication, rather than the higher bandwidth Ka band.

"Ka delivers focused regionalised beams and does not offer ubiquitous cover. It is far also more susceptible to signal attenuation in rainy conditions, making it less reliable in coastal areas where compensation in the form of larger, more expense antennas is required. Ku is far more robust and is delivered using standardised equipment, thus reducing the cost of equipment.

"In addition, the bandwidth is not subject to any shaping or fair-use policies and the entire system is hosted in, and delivered out of, South Africa, which contributes to the quality of voice and speed of Internet access," he added.

There is a one-off charge for the required hardware of approximately R7500 (excl VAT) and an installation fee of about R2500 (excl VAT) depending on the location.

Thereafter, a 1GB connection costs R850 (excl VAT) per month, which is comparable to the total cost (including line rental, DSL rental and ISP fees) of a basic terrestrial business ADSL service. A Du Pont BizSat3GB connection is R1700 (excl VAT) per month.

Additional bandwidth can be purchased at an average of R555 (excl VAT) per GB.