ip.access Collaborates with Blue Arcus Technologies Inc. to Improve Satellite Backhaul for Rural Deployments

London UK, 26 July 2018 – ip.access, a Mavenir company since September 2020, has today announced a collaboration with Blue Arcus Technologies Inc., a company dedicated in providing the best network solution and telecom engineering, to improve satellite backhaul for rural deployments. A trial in Jakarta, Indonesia using 3G technology has demonstrated significant cost savings of an estimated $1,000 per site per month.

Due to the high cost of satellite backhaul and its performance limitations, subscribers in remote and rural portions of the world are typically limited to using voice centric technology such as GSM. At the same time, issues with VoLTE latency mean that LTE is not viable for rural users who require voice services.

To offer a solution to this significant challenge, Blue Arcus Technologies Inc. and VSAT provider Lintasarta carried out a live speed, performance and QOS testing using ip.access’ RAN infrastructure and Blue Arcus’ optimisation software. The test was completed using service provider Indosat Ooredoo’s network and using satellite backhaul with VSAT downlink bandwidth of 1Mbps and an uplink of 512Kbps.

Working together, ip.access and Blue Arcus Technologies Inc. deployed a 3G solution offering voice and data services in one single offering to rural communities in Indonesia. This optimized backhaul solution requires just 1 Mbps bandwidth per RAN, while other non-optimised satellite solutions require between 3 and 8 Mbps per RAN. As a result, the combination of Blue Arcus and ip.access’ technology achieved significant cost savings of over $1,000 per site per month compared to traditional satellite deployments.

Commenting on the partnership, Naren Yanamadala, President and CEO at Blue Arcus said: “The fact that this trial was so successful will open up a whole world of opportunities for communications in rural areas across the globe. These cost savings mean we now have the potential to bring new mobile services to those who have, up until now, been off the grid.”

CTO at ip.access, Nick Johnson, added: “Despite the best efforts of the industry, rural connectivity rates remain poor. The huge technical challenge of solving many of the issues surrounding satellite backhaul – including handling backhaul latency, high power consumption and high bandwidth capacity – means this successful trial represents a significant breakthrough. This joint approach can dramatically improve the connectivity experience for millions of people around the world. ”

Mr Ginandjar, CTO at Lintasarta said: “The outcome of this trial has been significant for Jakarta. Satellite backhaul costs are one of the key barriers to expanding connectivity in rural area in Indonesia. The fact this solution overcomes that cost barrier could have life-changing implications for rural communities.”

“ip.access’ reliable products, combined with Blue Arcus’ unique optimisation and bandwidth saving features, represent a formidable combined solution for rural communities – for both enterprises and individual subscribers.”

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