Israeli firm to take broadband Net to remote Nepal

KATHMANDU, Feb 4: Gilat Satellite Networks Ltd of Israel would provide Nepal Telecom with a SkyEdge broadband satellite communications network covering hundreds of sites, said a press release issued by Gilat Satellite Networks Ltd in Israel, Tuesday.



Gilat Satellite, the Israeli company, announced it has been selected by Telecommunications Consultants India Ltd (TCIL), a leading telecommunications consultancy and engineering company, to provide the Nepali company with the advanced technology. [break]



The NT will use the new VSAT network to deliver broadband Internet connectivity to remote areas and to provide toll-quality telephony to rural citizens, meeting its Universal Service Obligations.



"With a landscape of mountainous terrain and remote villages, Nepalese geography represents one of the most formidable challenges for providing dependable telecom services," said Anoop Ranjan Bhattarai, Director of Nepal Telecom´s Satellite Service Department, after signing the agreement at Petah Tikva, Israel. "We are confident that Gilat´s advanced VSAT technology and customer support ideally suits our demanding requirements, in addition to helping us extend our cellular services to rural Nepal."



Nepal Telecom has also chosen Gilat´s SkyAbis cellular backhaul solution to extend the range of GSM and CDMA services for Nepal´s cellular operators.



Gilat´s SkyAbis is a prepackaged solution for cellular backhaul, based on the SkyEdge multi-service platform. The solution enables operators to deploy hybrid networks that extend the reach of their terrestrial and cellular infrastructure to remote communities. SkyAbis features traffic optimization and dynamic bandwidth allocation for CDMA/GSM backhaul, with much higher space-segment efficiencies when compared to SCPC.



Vimal Wakhlu, Executive Director, TCIL, said, "We are pleased to have partnered with Gilat for this important project. By incorporating Gilat´s advanced VSAT platform as part of the solution, Nepal Telecom will benefit from a low total cost of ownership solution while offering customers high-performance connectivity and a diverse range of services."



N. Ranganathan, Gilat Network System´s RVP, Asia, said, "This is another example of how Gilat partners with its customers to provide solutions that cater to their specific requirements."

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