AMOS-5 at 17°E Launches Hybrid Satellite-Cellular Solution in Africa

10 March 2014

Spacecom announced that AMOS-5 at 17°E is now providing a hybrid satellite-cellular communications solution in Africa. The hybrid solution delivered on AMOS Ku-band capacity enhances the quality of affordable high speed Internet connectivity to a telecom provider in Africa.

Spacecom's hybrid solution enables the user to take advantage of satellite for downloading data while relying on cellular or any other terrestrial data network for internet upload requests and data offload. Data downloads typically account for between 80– 90% of Internet traffic.

The solution brings the best of both technologies by connecting the cellular network and satellite to a central hub hybrid platform on one side and a hybrid terminal at the customer's location. The customer’s cellular modem, together with a small, receive-only, DTH-type antenna for satellite reception, allows traffic from the Internet to be delivered over satellite to the customer while traffic from the user to the Internet is delivered over the cellular network. The setup has optional WiFi connectivity for PCs, tablets, and other handheld devices. 

"The AMOS-5 hybrid solution offers greater access to greater bandwidth leading to higher quality of service to a larger group of consumers who are not necessarily located in urban areas. For operators, our cost-effective hybrid solution expands coverage regions, adds bandwidth, enables introduction of new services to more customers and uses existing network infrastructure and channels," stated Eyal Copitt, Spacecom's senior vice president of sales for Africa and Asia and marketing.