ETC Acquires New Satelite System

Gilat Satellite Networks has announced that it is providing a broadband satellite communications network to Ethiopia's monopoly telecoms operator, Ethiopian Telecommunication (ETC).

The new network, covering hundreds of sites, will provide an upgrade to ETC's existing Gilat VSAT network and will enable ETC to deliver advanced broadband services, which include video and data-centric applications, to meet the growing demands of its enterprise and government customers. ETC will also deploy Gilat's VSATs at remote community centers nationwide to provide citizens with toll-quality telephony and reliable broadband internet access.

ETC will additionally enhance its service offering by extending the range of cellular services to the country's remote locations, through Gilat's SkyAbis cellular backhaul solution.

"Gilat's technology has proven to be the most reliable, and has enabled us to improve the quality of ICT in Ethiopia," said ETC's CEO, Ato Amare Amsalu. "In addition to being an excellent technology partner, we have also enjoyed outstanding service and support from Gilat for the past 12 years. We look forward to continuing to work together with Gilat to fulfill our commitment to provide advanced services that meet the critical communications requirements of our customers throughout the country."

Gilat to Provide SkyEdge II Network to Nigerian Banks

Gilat Satellite Networks Ltd has announced that its long-time customer, DCC Satellite & Networks Ltd., is deploying a SkyEdge II network to serve hundreds of Nigerian financial institutions. DCC is already serving hundreds of Nigerian corporations through its existing SkyEdge network. 

DCC chose Gilat's SkyEdge II network to provide enhanced voice and data networking services between branches, while meeting the strict requirements of the banking industry. A major requirement for this sector is security, including encryption and firewall applications. Other requirements include: high-speed connectivity to allow high throughput for file transfer; voice quality for telephony; reliability and high availability including satellite redundancy; advanced Quality of Service (QoS) to prioritize application data traffic; and unified networks for multiple branches. 

DCC Managing Director Philip Obioha said, "Gilat has enabled us to significantly enhance our communications offering to the Nigerian banking sector. With SkyEdge and SkyEdge II, we can exceed the demands of Nigerian banks, thereby helping support Nigeria's economic growth and prosperity." 

Gilat's regional vice president, Africa Nir Korman said, "Gilat's SkyEdge II is an excellent solution for the banking sector. With its high efficiency and full adaptivity, SkyEdge II gets the most out of the satellite link while providing a high-performance, reliable solution to DCC's customers. The system's scalability will allow DCC to add more advanced services in the future, such as video conferencing, digital signage on automatic teller machines, and mobile banking." 

SkyEdge II is a standards-based system using DVB-S2 and DVB-RCS. With better efficiencies and full adaptivity for both the inbound and outbound channels, it provides higher performance that serves the growing requirements of end-users. SkyEdge II enables the delivery of high-quality voice, broadband data and video services for diverse environments including enterprises, rural networks, cellular backhaul and government network applications.