Palau National Communications Corporation goes live on O3b satellite network
Switch to O3b allows PNCC to launch 3G services
St. Helier, Jersey, Channel Islands – O3b Networks today confirmed that its client Palau National Communications Corporation (PNCC) has successfully gone live on O3b’s unique ‘Fiber in the Sky’ satellite network.
Located in the western Pacific Ocean, Palau’s population of around 21,000 is spread across 250 islands, and does not have access to undersea cable. The use of O3b satellites, which are closer to the earth than conventional geostationary satellites, reduces latency, increases, internet speed and improves voice and video quality for the user.
In 2014 PNCC and O3b Networks announced a multi-year agreement for delivering trunking services to meet the growing demand of PNCC’s customers. With the newly available broadband connectivity, communities across the Palau archipelago can use their internet and mobile network in ways that weren’t previously possible. The low latency of the O3b connection supports the use of Skype, streaming HD video, cloud based business applications and crystal clear voice.
O3b’s total contracted capacity in the Pacific region is now more than 5Gbps.
Paul Kingzio, General Manager, PNCC said:
“We are very pleased to have gone live on the O3b network, which will allow us to launch 3G services imminently. Palau National Communications Corporation can now distribute internet through island wide Hotspots and consumers can buy pre-paid internet cards from 150 locations nationwide. By delivering highly affordable and ubiquitous bandwidth with the performance and speed of fiber, customers in Palau can now enjoy much improved connectivity. Since it has much lower up-front costs and a shorter start-up period than fiber cable, O3b has transformed the quality of service to our customers.”
Imran Malik O3b VP – Asia Pacific & the Middle East, said:
“We are delighted to bring Palau National Communications Corporation up onto the network. O3b is providing the highest performance satellite connectivity the world has ever seen. Compared to the conventional Geostationary (GEO) orbit satellites currently available, O3b’s network utilizes Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) satellites at much lower altitudes. This means that O3b can offer fiber-like speeds with lower latency at more affordable wholesale pricing.”
About O3b Networks Limited
O3b Networks Limited is a global satellite service provider operating a next-generation satellite network for telecommunications operators, Internet service providers, enterprise and government customers in emerging markets. The O3b system combines 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.
About Palau National Communications Corporation
The Palau National Communications Corporation (PNCC) is the Republic of Palau’s national carrier for local and international telecommunications services. PNCC offers a full range of telecommunication services nationwide, with over 31,000 subscriptions for Internet, telephone, PalauCel, and digital TV, and has one of the highest telephone penetration rates in the Pacific region. For more information, visit www.palaunet.com.
