Narrowband  |   Satellite  |  2011-05-11

Afcom Satellite Network Deploys First Dual Mode Satellite/TETRA Communication System

Source: The Critical Communications Review | Gert Jan Wolf editor

system to be used for Emergency Response Vehicle in the Niger Delta

PORT HARCOURT, Nigeria--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Afcom Satellite Network (Afcomsat), a provider of high quality VSAT services to businesses, governments and individuals, today announced the deployment of the first dual mode Satellite/TETRA system in a fleet of Emergency Response Vehicles (ERVs) in the Niger-Delta region of Nigeria. Equipped with the latest VSAT technology and integrated into Motorola’s TETRA Mobile System, the Afcomsat system is deployed for a major multinational oil company and provides full IP connectivity to the company’s network
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The dual mode system enables communication with the company's field hand held radios, which turns the ERV into a command post. Afcomsat makes the full capacity of the oil company’s Internet gateway and communications network available to the ERV. Streaming live broadcast quality video can now be sent from the ERV and data files can be exchanged with the oil company network. Additionally, the terminal enables high-quality voice calls from the ERV. All services can be deployed within a few minutes of arriving at a site and without the need for technical support.

The Afcomsat Ku-band VSAT terminal on the ERV comprises an iNetVu 1.2m auto-pointing antenna http://www.c-comsat.com/ mounted on a 4WD vehicle connected to an STM Modem http://www.stmi.com. Special features designed into the Afcomsat system are tailored to provide reliable communication links in the worst rain-fade situations. This technology has been proven to be highly reliable and effective in heavy rain-fade conditions.

“Reliable and effective communications play an important role in helping emergency responders to perform their important work,” said Dr. Afolabi Mabogunje, Chief Operating Officer of Afcomsat. “This particularly is a challenge in the Niger Delta. We are proud to be providing emergency workers with the most state of the art technology.”

In the near future, Afcomsat will be deploying its system in other ERVs in locations around Nigeria. Afcomsat is constantly developing innovative ways of meeting the needs of clients whose businesses rely on connection speed, link reliability and process effectiveness.

Source: www.businesswire.com