Intelsat, SoftBank Mobile successfully end 3G service field trial in Kenya

Intelsat, a provider of satellite services, and Japan-based SoftBank Mobile Corp have announced the successful trial of a cost-effective, rural 3G mobile phone service in Kenya. Intelsat supported the demonstration through capacity on the Intelsat 10 satellite and via the company’s teleport in Fuchsstadt, Germany.

The demonstration reinforced Intelsat’s ability to deliver a high-throughput, managed VSAT-based 3G solution through the allocation of capacity based on traffic demands. Intelsat’s fleet and IntelsatOne terrestrial network were instrumental in enabling the deployment in rural Kenya, an area of Africa not supported by traditional land line infrastructure.

“There are still hundreds of millions of people who live outside mobile network coverage areas today,” says Junichi Miyakawa, Executive Vice-President, Director and CTO of SoftBank Mobile. “Harnessing SoftBank’s technology in rural parts of the world literally matches our corporate philosophy, ‘Information Revolution – Happiness for everyone.’  I hope this technology will make communication even more free and convenient for people around the world.”

Intelsat Vice-President of Network Services Product Management Steve Good adds: “The successful field trial of a cost-effective, managed VSAT-based, rural 3G service delivery solution is an excellent example of the collaborative innovation that our industry requires to properly support the demands of its end users.”

“We are confident that technology advancements, such as this and our Intelsat EpicNG platform, will allow mobile operators to provide reliable, ubiquitous support to their most remote users, and provide a robust broadband infrastructure as networks upgrade from 2G to 3G, and eventually to 4G via satellite.”

SoftBank Mobile also utilises the Intelsat 8 satellite and a managed service offering via the IntelsatOne terrestrial network for the delivery of cellular and data backhaul services to its customers across the southern islands of Japan. The agreement enables SoftBank Mobile to expand its service area and enhance the company’s offerings to customers in this geographically dispersed section of Japan.