11 March 2019 2019

iSAT selects ND SATCOM’s SKYWAN 5G for secure data transmission

Africa / Friedrichshafen, Germany; March 11, 2019 – ND SATCOM is proud to announce the partnership with iSAT Africa, a fast growing fixed-satellite solution service provider in Africa.

iSAT selects ND SATCOM’s SKYWAN 5G for secure data transmission
According to Rakesh Kukreja, Managing Director of iSAT Africa, the company is establishing new VSAT networks using the highly reputable and reliable SKYWAN 5G technology. ND SATCOM FZE, situated in Dubai, UAE, is delivering the product and providing technical support.
In a current project, iSAT is connecting a UK location with multiple stations in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the Union of the Comoros. This network uses channels for data and Internet traffic segregated at the VLAN level with end-to-end VLAN tagging. The available satellite capacity is pooled, with a restricted bandwidth share for data and Internet for the Comoros, and with the potential for DCR stations to get the entire pool capacity when it is not fully used by other stations. With additional MF-TDMA channels, this shared network can grow in the future.
In an interview with ND SATCOM, Rakesh Kukreja explains the reasons iSAT selected SKYWAN 5G technology:
ND SATCOM: iSAT has become a well-known company when it comes to connectivity in Africa. Can you tell us something about your core business?
iSAT: Our customers include the leading media and network companies, multinationals, ISPs, Telcos and governmental agencies and entities. We work closely with our partners and service providers to create the best solutions for Data, Internet, Voice and Video requirements for our customers using satellite and terrestrial infrastructure. Our mission is to transform the way Africa gets and stays connected with the rest of the world through our carrier grade connectivity for voice, Internet, data and video applications increasing business opportunities and improving lives in all kinds of diverse and challenging environments.
ND SATCOM: Your company has been growing at a fast pace since its inception. What are your plans for the future?
iSAT: We want to continue, through our Satellite Teleport Services, to offer solutions that deliver efficient, reliable and affordable data, Internet, voice and video connectivity to enterprises, governments, carriers, media and broadcasting, whilst providing value to our customers through comprehensive end-to-end solutions, turn-key projects, managed network services and network outsourcing. Through these services iSAT Africa will continue to set standards for transmission in rural and urban regions of Sub-Saharan Africa.
ND SATCOM: iSAT’s experts are very knowledgeable when it comes to communications and, especially, satellite communications. What was your major incentive in selecting ND SATCOM knowing you already had two satellite modem vendors in place?
iSAT: It’s all about finding the best solution to fit customer requirements. ND SATCOM’s SKYWAN 5G is not a low-cost modem to be used as a CPE device for best effort internet service. It’s a state-of-the-art modem capable of serving telecom, enterprise, governmental and military customers. When we see requirements for bigger inbound channels we always use the SKYWAN solution. There is no other system with such good return efficiency.
ND SATCOM: What other advantages of the SKYWAN 5G solution would you highlight, and how satisfied are you with ND SATCOM as a technological partner?
iSAT: iSAT Africa  especially like the real pay-as-you-grow concept, where we did not have to invest a great deal to buy a big hub, but we can scale networks as we like, being that any single network node can be upgraded to a hub with just a software licence. We were also amazed with overbooking capabilities of the modem, which are in the range of terrestrial systems like MPLS and microwave. Then, of course, there is the famous mesh capability, which delivers single hop connectivity between any two stations without limitations, slicing the delay and satellite cost in half. As for ND SATCOM, they have an impeccable reputation from decades of serving high-profile customers like governments, air traffic control and the military. Their understanding of the market, their delivery and support are simply first class.
ND SATCOM’s SKYWAN 5G now supports data encryption for security-conscious customers through a hardware module featuring the 256-bit advanced encryption standard (AES-256). SKYWAN 5G customers can simply plug this module into existing VSAT networks to activate the encryption function. Since software release 1.4, this module supports all SKYWAN 5G rack systems delivered to date as well as new SKYWAN outdoor systems.
iSAT's Satellite Solutions, backed by powerful satellites, teleport infrastructure and the latest technology solutions, are unique in the industry, whether it's for transmission of video, internet,  data or voice services.


About ND SATCOM
With over three decades of experience, ND SATCOM is the premier supplier of and integrator for innovative satellite communication equipment systems and solutions to support customers with critical operations anywhere in the world. Customers in more than 130 countries have chosen ND SATCOM as a trusted and reliable source of high-quality and secure turnkey and custom system-engineered communication solutions. The company’s products and solutions are used in more than 200 transnational networks in government, military, telecom and broadcast environments.
ND SATCOM’s unique SKYWAN technology enables international users to communicate securely, effectively and quickly over satellite.
For further information on the SKYWAN 5G product, visit our website at www.ndsatcom.com/SKYWAN5G


Press contact ND SATCOM:
Michael Weixler, Head of Product Management & Marketing, ND SatCom GmbH
michael.weixler@ndsatcom.com, phone: +49 7545 939 8198


Press contact iSAT Africa:
Rakesh Kukreja, Managing Director, iSAT Africa Ltd FZC
rakesh@isatafrica.com, phone: +971 4 3695050