As we approach the close of 2024, satellite’s role in ensuring that the world’s population have access to broadband connectivity is clearer than ever — although increased demand for connectivity is driving interest in LEO-based solutions, VSAT remains a dependable technology that customers are not willing to forego in favor of something that is still relatively new.
Unsurprisingly, it’s been another packed year for the team at OASIS Networks. We’ve been delivering broadband solutions to the most remote regions on the planet, launching the OASIS VSAT Backup on Demand (BoD) service for providing continuous connectivity when fiber connectivity drops out, as well as guiding field engineers, NGOs, and agencies in deploying satellite technology in challenging and emergency situations to provide connectivity when and where it’s most needed.
We also successfully opened a unique training center in Ghana, dedicated only for VSAT field engineering courses. The demand for it is huge — more than 500 people applied, showing that VSAT remains vibrant.
Industry trends
shaping our
business
As the delivery and use of more and more essential services relies on being connected to broadband, the need for reliable and fast connectivity around the globe is continually growing.
However, as connected areas benefit from new technology and faster data speeds, the digital divide is widening and becoming more acute.
In regions lacking in infrastructure, such as parts of Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America, which are the regions where OASIS operates, there are many barriers to providing connectivity. These regions often have poor transport infrastructure, challenging topography, high levels of poverty, economic issues, political unrest, and often conflict situations.
In these areas, VSATs are, of course, the obvious solution, as satellite provides wide coverage and does not require other infrastructure in place to operate and user terminals are quick and straight forward to install.
For this same reason, satellite is also ideally suited for use in emergency situations and in disaster response, whereas other infrastructure could well be overloaded or out of action, having been destroyed during a disaster event.
As it becomes increasingly apparent that no single method of connectivity, whether satellite, fiber or cellular, is the perfect solution in every situation, we’re moving towards a world where a ‘network of networks’ will provide customers with a more reliable, efficient and cost-effective service provision.
In this new world, networks will be able to switch between satellite and terrestrial networks whether cellular or cable, and within SATCOM, will also leverage multi-orbit networks in order to meet customer’s diverse needs. This flexibility in service provision will help provide customers with continuous connectivity no matter where they are.
VSAT Backup
on Demand (BoD)
It was the need for seamless connectivity — as well as cost efficiency — that was the driving force behind the OASIS VSAT BoD service that was launched earlier this year.
Although fiber is highly effective, like many other services, it fails to provide connectivity 100% of the time, and outages can be hugely costly and even detrimental to outcomes, especially if connectivity is required for mission critical applications, such as life-saving healthcare.
Using VSAT as a backup service is nothing new; howeve, it tends to be costly to continuously operate, especially when you consider they may only be used occasionally.
This is the reason OASIS has introduced the VSAT BoD service, as it can be switched on and off so users are only paying for it when in use. This makes VSAT a much more cost-effective backup solution for fiber users.
The service provides VSAT-enabled restoration of communication services to remote sites when fiber connectivity falters, thus preventing costly outages. The VSAT BoD service provides reliable connectivity for mission critical applications as well as flexibility because the connectivity can be seamlessly switched on and off as and when needed. The service works globally without any geographical limitations through using a fleet of over one hundred SES satellites.
Looking
at 2024
Throughout 2024, we’ve continued to work across Africa, Asia, and Latin America installing and maintaining a variety of Ku-, Ka-, and C-band satellite internet systems, as well as LEO provision from Starlink.
Recently, Oasis launched a new Ka-band service in Iraq, using Eutelsat’s Konnect Very High Throughput Satellite (KVHTS) network.
In addition to this work, we’ve also spent a great deal of time training local field engineering teams so that we have the boots on the ground to provide quick access to any location, regardless of how remote such may be.
We try to deliver training sessions for SATCOM engineers in different countries each year. This year, our main training sessions were held in West Africa in Ghana, with some smaller sessions in Latin America.
Our experience in rapidly delivering connectivity to extremely challenging locations means that we are perfectly suited to help NGOs and other organizations respond quickly to any situation, using satellite.
Earlier in the year, we exhibited at the Disasters Expo Europe in Frankfurt, Germany, the flagship industry conference and networking event for people working in the field of emergency management.
We believe that training is the key to ensure that satcom technology is being fully used by NGOs and other organizations in order for them to be better able to respond rapidly, using satellite for any situation.
As such, we are delighted to be running an exciting, ongoing training project in partnership with a local university, the UENR in Sunyani, Ghana, which is funded by the World Bank.
Under a structured curriculum of academic courses covering theoretical and practical aspects of SATCOM, we will provide training to future field engineers from Ghana and also from nearby countries.
The first training sessions occurred during the summer, with the course being delivered at a unique VSAT training center in Sunyani that boasts an antenna field for hands-on sessions, and a classroom and laboratory.
The establishment of the dedicated VSAT training center and development of the training course is an exciting step forward for the region and will help to ensure that SATCOM technology is being fully used by NGOs and other organizations so that they are better able to respond rapidly with communications solutions.
There are already more than 500 people interested in this training, which is, of course, much more capacity than we can provide. I think that is evidence of the importance that VSAT holds, especially in these regions where terrestrial connectivity is extremely challenging or even unfeasible.
Plans for
2025
We remain dedicated to delivering tailored broadband and field engineering services that cater to a diverse range of industries and regions.
As bandwidth costs continue to decline and competition rises, the use of VSATs remains robust and OASIS remains a trusted leader, recognized for the company’s reliability and ability to respond quickly with local field teams.
We aim to further solidify our position as a reliable, rapid response partner for businesses across Africa, Latin America, and Asia, where VSATs are helping to connect businesses and remote communities.
Our highly trained, locally based field teams are always within reach, offering timely assistance to customers, particularly those in hard-to-access areas. This immediate support is essential for businesses operating in remote locations, ensuring they receive the help they need when they need it most.
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