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July 2008

Telecomunicaciones BANTEL Selects iDirect Platform To Offer GSM Satellite Backhaul In Venezuela

Satellite service provider partners with Venezuela’s leading cellular operator Digitel to extend service to underserved regions

Herndon, Va., July 15, 2008 — Singapore Technologies Electronics Limited’s (ST Electronics) related US satellite communication company, today announced that TELECOMUNICACIONES BANTEL (BANTEL) has installed a network of iDirect Series 3000 Remote Satellite Routers, enabling Corporacion Digitel (Digitel) to expand cellular access within Venezuela by backhauling GSM traffic over satellite. BANTEL, a leading service provider in Venezuela, installed the new network on its existing iDirect Series 15000 Universal Satellite Hub. Digitel, the leading cellular operator in Venezuela, will leverage the network to extend the reach of its voice and data services and bolster capacity for existing customers.

BANTEL selected the iDirect system after a series of extensive tests found that other methods of GSM backhaul proved too costly or incapable of managing voice traffic. The iDirect solution lowers bandwidth requirements and guarantees voice quality through advanced traffic optimization capabilities. Service providers can pool bandwidth across multiple sites on a shared IP Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) network and allocate it to each Base Tower System (BTS) based on its immediate bandwidth requirements. For Digitel, the iDirect network will serve as an alternative to microwave backhaul systems that require greater operating and capital investments. 

Current microwave backhaul systems require a hub every 50 miles. In Venezuela, this isn’t cost-effective because the distance between sites often exceeds 700 miles. For years, we’ve been working to develop a more effective GSM backhaul solution. With iDirect, we have now brought a viable solution to market and signed our first customer. This is a major accomplishment for us.

Ricardo OTAOLA
President, BANTEL

There are entire cities in Venezuela whose development is constrained by the limited cellular access. With iDirect’s cost-saving GSM technology, BANTEL is now overcoming this barrier and enabling its customers to deliver service in areas that were previously out of reach.

Mick GARDINA
Senior Vice President of Global Sales, iDirect

TELECOMUNICACIONES BANTEL is the leading provider of satellite communications services in Venezuela. BANTEL was the first company to provide private networks in Venezuela when the market opened in 1991. Since then BANTEL has maintained a leading position in this market, while providing satellite connectivity to the financial sector, government entities and private enterprise.

iDirect, a subsidiary of VT Systems, is transforming the way the world gets and stays connected. The company’s satellite-based IP communications technology enables constant connectivity for voice, video and data applications in diverse and challenging environments. These include extending private networks to remote offices; supporting mobile connectivity across land, sea and air; providing rural telephony and Internet broadband; and maintaining communications in the wake of disasters and network failures. The iDirect Intelligent Platform™ integrates advanced technology into iDirect’s portfolio of hubs, routers and network management software to address the growing complexity of deploying and managing global IP networks. With more than 13 years of global satellite communications experience, iDirect serves customers in 50 countries through a diverse network of channel partners, including some of the largest satellite providers, operators and carriers in the world and seven of the World Teleport Association’s Global Top Ten. Headquartered in Herndon, Virginia, iDirect has offices in Europe, Asia, Middle East, Africa and Latin America. Please visit www.idirect.net.

ST Electronics, the electronics arm of ST Engineering, delivers innovative system solutions to government, commercial, defence, and industrial customers worldwide.  With presence in more than 18 countries and 28 cities, ST Electronics markets its solutions to more than 70 countries internationally.  It specialises in the design, development and integration of advanced electronics and communications systems, such as broadband radio frequency and satellite communication, e-Government solutions, information communications technologies and IT, rail and traffic management, real-time command & control, training and simulation, intelligent building management, and information security and mobile commerce solutions.  Please visit www.stee.stengg.com.

Media contact:

Sarah Thuman
Corporate Communications Manager
VT Systems Inc
Phone: 703-739-2610
Fax: 703-739-2611

Julie Gouldin
Vice President, Corporate Marketing
iDirect
Phone: 703-648-8155
Fax: 703-648-8015
Email: jgouldin@idirect.net