Aitelecom/APCO Networks partners with Astranis and ST Engineering iDirect to deliver highly competitive enterprise and backhaul services across Mexico

 March 16, 2023

ST Engineering iDirect’s leading Mx-DMA® MRC waveform technology will enable Mexican connectivity service provider Aitelecom/APCO Networks (Aitelecom) to support services on its new MicroGEO satellites that will be built by satellite manufacturer, Astranis Space Technologies (Astranis). The satellites and ground infrastructure will deliver critical connectivity for 4G cellular backhaul and enterprise services across Mexico and part of Central America. Deployed on Aitelecom’s existing Dialog® platform, the services will be made available to hundreds of sites across the country and part of Central America.

This agreement further strengthens the long-standing relationship between ST Engineering iDirect and Aitelecom and creates a roadmap for the future which will see the companies evolve together to meet Aitelecom’s current and future requirements. 

The demand for cellular backhaul services across Mexico has seen a major surge in recent years. In 2022, more than 74 percent of mobile phone users in Mexico accessed the internet through their mobile phone. By 2027, it is projected that this will rise to around 88 percent[1].

AitelecomST Engineering iDirect’s Mx-DMA MRC return technology and GTP acceleration was a critical consideration for Aitelecom as it will enable the company to serve a myriad of use cases in a single return link without making tradeoffs between speed, efficiency and scale. This also lowers their total cost of ownership, whilst minimizing network configuration complexity and creating flexible connectivity for all LTE/4G types of sites. Mx-DMA MRC will empower Aitelecom to scale its services while simplifying its operations, sharing capacity seamlessly and very efficiently amongst its user terminals, and satisfying the most demanding throughput requirements presented by its MNO and enterprise customers.

The MicroGEO satellites from U.S.-based Astranis are small and highly capable spacecraft that are designed and manufactured at a rapid pace in comparison with larger GEO satellites, and at a lower cost. The satellites are slated for launch in Q3 2024 and will enable Aitelecom to go to market rapidly, delivering high-speed, flexible services with advanced ground infrastructure to match.

“We are excited and motivated to take the next step in our company’s evolution towards a fully vertically integrated service provider controlling our own destiny in terms of capacity, technology and service delivery,” said Orlando Castillo, CEO of Aitelecom. “With ST Engineering iDirect´s Mx-DMA MRC as the focal technology, we are confident that service continuity, quality of service and unparalleled support will be paramount in the delivery of our solutions to our customers.”

“We are excited to partner with Aitelecom and ST Engineering iDirect to offer an end-to-end, managed service for our customers,” said Astranis Chief Commercial Officer, Doug Abts. “This offering will allow us to expand high-speed coverage throughout Mexico, offering a turnkey service for an affordable price.”

“The sheer flexibility of Mx-DMA MRC will enable Aitelcom to serve the burgeoning markets in Mexico and Central America in the most operationally and cost optimal manner,” said Darren Ludington, Regional Vice President, Americas at ST Engineering iDirect. “Extending our commitment and partnerships with Aitelecom allows them to augment their service delivery to reach new parts of the region.”