O3b Networks going operational with state-of-the-art satellite constellation to serve the other 3 billion
Customers reporting game changing levels of service
Le Centre Spatial Guyanais (CSG), Kourou, French Guiana:
On 10 July, O3b launched 4 satellites from the Space Center in French Guiana, doubling the number of satellites in orbit from 4 to 8. This launch completes the initial constellation allowing O3b to connect Telco’s, ISPs, Enterprises and Governments that serve 3 billion people that are unconnected or poorly connected to the internet. A further 4 satellites will be launched in early 2015, in order to meet growing market demand.
Once the current period of in-orbit testing is completed, the latest 4 satellites will be fully integrated into the network as O3b continues to bring customers up across the world. The company already has customers in commercial service in the Cook Islands, Papua New Guinea, East Timor and the Democratic Republic of Congo. More customers are testing and will go live on the service in the coming weeks.
The O3b system combines the global reach of satellite with the speed of a fiber-optic network, removing the impact that satellite delay has traditionally had on the quality of satellite connections. Once up on the network, O3b customers have been able to launch commercial 3G services trunked over the O3b connection due to the low latency, high throughput characteristics of O3b’s service. In each case, performance over the network has been even better than expected and the end-user response has been extremely positive.
O3b Customers
Gerardo Angelo Carrilho, Director of Engineering and Operations, Timor Telecom said: ‘Once we deployed O3b, all of a sudden the whole situation changed. I used to speak with our customers who were fairly critical of our service. They just came to me with huge smiles on their faces saying, “What did you do? Timor Telecom’s internet is way better now?”’
Philippe Israel, Managing Director, and Raga Sat said: “I had the privilege of trying this technology and the experience was absolutely mind- boggling. Knowing what we had before and what we have now, it is literally day and night. I couldn’t be more thrilled for our customers that we now have the type of technology which is comparable to what they have in the western world.”
Steve Collar, O3b, CEO said:
“We are thrilled to see the response from our customers. To hear from them that we are transforming communities, delivering critical communications or simply enabling businesses and developing local economies is tremendous. We have 30 customers that we will be bringing up onto our satellite network before the end of the year and, as people begin to see the performance and reliability of the network, customer demand is really taking off.”
About O3b Networks Limited
O3b Networks Limited is a global satellite service provider building a next-generation satellite network for telecommunications operators, Internet service providers, enterprise and government customers in emerging markets. The O3b system will combine the global reach of satellite with the speed of a fiber-optic network providing billions of consumers and businesses in nearly 180 countries with low-cost, high-speed, low latency Internet and mobile connectivity. O3b Networks’ investors include SES, Google, Liberty Global, HSBC Principal Investments, Northbridge Venture Partners, Allen & Company, Development Bank of Southern Africa, Sofina, Satya Capital and Luxempart. O3b Networks is headquartered in St. Helier, Jersey, Channel Islands.
