Latest News

November 2008

Gateway Communications Chooses iDirect Evolution
DVB-S2/ACM Network To Expand Services In Africa

Herndon, Va., November 18, 2008 — Singapore Technologies Electronics Limited’s (ST Electronics) related US satellite communication company, VT iDirect, Inc. (iDirect), today announced that Gateway Communications, the largest independent provider of carrier and business network solutions in Africa, will implement a pan-African DVB-S2/ACM satellite network built on iDirect’s Evolution platform. Through the deal, Gateway Communications has purchased three iDirect Universal Satellite Hubs to meet the growing demand for satellite communications in Africa. iDirect is a world leader in satellite-based IP communications technology.

iDirect’s Evolution system will enable Gateway Communications to capitalize on growing demand for its services across Africa’s banking, oil and gas and corporate enterprise markets. Built on the DVB-S2 standard and featuring Adaptive Coding and Modulation (ACM) capabilities, Evolution delivers dramatic gains in bandwidth efficiency, and provides the flexibility to offer high levels of service for advanced applications on which businesses rely. Currently, more than 1,500 multi-national corporations operating in Africa depend on Gateway to deliver business critical information between headquarters, branch offices and remote locations.

We needed a reliable platform to meet the rigorous demands of our business customers. With iDirect’s Evolution system we are able to deliver enterprise-class bandwidth efficiency to our customers and greatly expand market reach across a diverse and growing range of vertical markets.

Chris YOUNG
Chief Technology Officer, Gateway Communications

Gateway Communications is the first satellite hub operator in Africa and a long time, strategic iDirect partner. Their decision to launch an expansive DVB-S2 network demonstrates the magnitude of business demand for satellite communications and the strength of Gateway’s reputation for reliability and customer support.

Rash JHANJEE
Regional Vice President for Middle East and Africa, iDirect

Extensive tests show that the Evolution product line can deliver a 30 percent improvement in bandwidth efficiency over DVB-S systems. An additional gain of 50 percent is possible through ACM, an advanced feature of the DVB-S2 standard which iDirect has built into its Evolution product line.  These dramatic gains open new opportunities for service providers to improve support for a range of IP applications, including virtual private networks (VPN), voice over IP (VoIP), videoconferencing, enterprise networks, point of sale, SCADA, telemetry, multimedia and Internet cafes.

Gateway Communications owns and operates the largest and most advanced pan-African communications network, with customers in 40 African countries. Established in 2001, Gateway Communications has been responsible for pioneering the delivery of high quality, cost effective voice, data and e-commerce services throughout the continent. Gateway Communications has developed the local presence, skills and expertise combined with the global infrastructure and relationships to uniquely meet the voice and data communications needs of local telecommunications operators and businesses operating within Africa. For more information see www.gatewaycomms.com.

iDirect, 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 20 countries and 30 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 and control, modelling and simulation, interactive digital media, intelligent building management and information security. Please visit www.stee.stengg.com.

Media contact:

Magdalen Loh
AVP/Head, Corporate Communications
ST Electronics
Tel: (65) 6413 1788
Fax: (65) 6484 8840
Email: magloh@stee.stengg.com