Intelsat has deployed a dual-satellite connectivity solution for the Palau National Communications Corporation (PNCC) that gives the archipelago extra backup international capacity if its only subsea cable link fails.
The solution uses software-defined wide area networking (SD-WAN) technology to seamlessly combine signals from two Intelsat geostationary satellites in separate orbital slots.
PNCC will prioritise C-band connectivity for critical infrastructure prioritizes during outages, while the broader population gets increased capacity from the Ku-band for services such as entertainment, telehealth and remote educational resources. PNCC also has the ability to seamlessly scale Ku-band capacity as needed in the future.
Intelsat also noted that the satellite solution also enables PNCC to provide internet services to Palau’s Southwest islands for the first time, which also creates a new revenue stream for PNCC.
The satellite solution also gives Palau another fallback option for international connectivity, the importance of which was highlighted in July last year when Palau found itself cut off the internet for five days while the SEA-US transpacific club cable was being repaired due to damage from Typhoon Mawar.
SEA-US is currently Palau’s only subsea connection via the Palau 1 subsea cable. A second cable, Palau 2, is currently under construction that will connect Palau to the Echo subsea cable owned by Google and Meta, which is scheduled to be fully ready for service next year.