Norway-based Nera, a global provider of wireless and satellite communications solutions, has been selected to provide satellite communications equipment for a major network roll-out in Brazil and Latin America.
The strategically important contract includes the delivery of a satellite communications gateway, as well as a considerable number of end user terminals. The satellite communications network will provide voice over IP telephony and broadband Internet access over these terminals to rural areas in Latin America.
A large number of Latin American countries presently have public tenders out to extend Internet access to a wider part of their population.
This is a direct measure of Latin American governments’ objective of bridging the digital divide between urban and rural areas. Satellite communications infrastructure is typically more cost effective than terrestrial networks in such projects.
The Nera SatLink portfolio is based on the industry standard for broadband satellite communications, DVB-RCS (Digital Video Broadcast – Return Channel via Satellite).
This ensures interoperability with standards-based equipment from other vendors as opposed to proprietary solutions, which have dominated this industry for many years.
The DVB-RCS standard was developed to ensure efficient use of network resources and interworking with IP-based terrestrial networks.
Nera has already installed the Nera SatLink Gateway to more than 20 satellite network operators world-wide and is providing service to thousands of subscribers.
The gateway for this project will be installed by Nera America Latina Ltda in Brazil, which is a wholly owned Nera subsidiary.
The Nera SatLink 1000 end user terminals will be ready for delivery as per the contract roll-out schedule, starting with the first batch in March and with full delivery completed during the year.
Nera sees a potential to deliver more terminals for the project in the future, as the service is made available to a larger part of the population.
“This contract is a further confirmation of the growing uptake of the DVB-RCS standard”, comments Mr Terje Ask-Henriksen, president of Nera SatCom, a fully-owned subsidiary of Nera.
“We are extremely pleased with DVB-RCS’s increasing role in providing broadband communications services to people in remote areas world-wide, and with Nera’s leading role in delivering and implementing these systems.”
Nera is a world-leading global supplier of fixed wireless and satellite communication equipment and systems. Nera designs, develops, manufactures and markets point-to-point and point-to-multipoint radio link equipment, satellite terminals and gateways for mobile and fixed satellite communications.
Nera is a major supplier to Inmarsat. The company has delivered satellite gateway and terminal solutions in Europe, Latin & South America, and Asia supporting broadband applications such as Internet access, VPN, Multicasting, Voice over IP and e-learning for business and home users.
Nera is at the very forefront of the development of the global industry standard DVB-RCS, and is listed at the Oslo Stock Exchange.
PRNewswire