This year has seen many key achievements for the company. We commissioned our new Shiron Intersky hub in Hawaii which allows us to deliver high-speed, reliable connections coupled with the latest delivery technologies to anywhere in the Asia Pacific region, including onboard marine vessels.
This year also saw Pactel Mobile (part of Pactel International) appointed by Tuvalu Telecom Corporation to install a replacement mobile phone network to operate on the main Island of Funafuti. The existing network had been damaged by a storm, leaving the Island’s customers without mobile phone coverage. The GSM mobile network system allows prepaid customers to access normal mobile services at extremely reasonable rates, where other current technologies would not make commercial sense. The tragedy of being unable to communicate effectively at a time of crisis was never more evident than when tsunamis hit the Pacific islands earlier this year. The new network installed by Pactel allowed effective and timely communication to be sent to island residents warning them of the possible dangers and giving them vital time to prepare.
As the market moves into 2010, mobile telephony is expected to continue to outpace fixed-line connections growth. Pactel International intends to take full advantage of this market by continuing the roll out of our mobile system throughout Asia Pacific and partnering with like-minded companies (e.g., Shiron, SES New Skies, Intelsat), delivering high speed bandwidth throughout the region, including vessels at sea. In addition, the change in world economies and boom in the resource sector provides a springboard for Pactel International to drive new ventures into these areas, such as oil & gas as well as mining. Pactel plans are quite simple — to grow from being the premiere satellite Internet provider in the Pacific to becoming a true global presence.
Pactel International was co-founded in 2003 by Andrew Taylor and Steffen Holzt, both having more than 20 years of experience in the satellite and telecommunications industry. Pactel is focused on innovative, forward thinking, and flexible telecommunication solutions that provide added value for their customers. Plus, Pactel International prides itself on its ability to understand customers’ unique connectivity requirements and provide bespoke solutions guaranteed to meet individual needs and budgets.