Egypt’s National Company for Telecommunications Services (NCTS) has selected the Hughes Jupiter System Series 3 to meet the ground segment requirements for the operation of the Ka-band TIBA-1 satellite.
The deployment of the Egyptian government-owned TIBA-1 satellite is a significant milestone in the country’s mission to connect the non-connected; the Hughes Jupiter System will allow access to internet and telecom services to millions of people in remote and rural areas of Egypt.
Under the agreement, Hughes will provide its Jupiter VSAT System to help NCTS accomplish this mission. NCTS will initially utilise two Jupiter System gateways, a network management system an initial delivery of remote terminals, and an OSS/BSS solution, all of which is scheduled for installation next year.
NCTS will first employ two Jupiter System gateways, a network management system, an initial delivery of remote terminals and an OSS/BSS solution, with installation planned in 2022. As public adoption of broadband services expands, NCTS may order additional end-user terminals. The financial details of the contract were not disclosed.
Arianespace launched TIBA-1 to its geostationary orbit located at 35.5 East in 2019.
In a statement, Dr Abdelhamid Mostafa, Chairman of the Board of Directors of NCTS, said: “Our mission is to provide reliable, affordable broadband connectivity for the whole of Egypt, including remote and rural areas – the satellite is essential to achieve our goal. We will optimise the performance of our TIBA-1 satellite with the superior ground system, both technically and commercially, for the job. The Hughes Jupiter System provides efficiency, reliability, flexibility and high performance to ensure the best service delivery.”
Rameed Ramaswamy, executive vice president and general manager, International division, Hughes, added: “Hughes is pleased to provide the technology to power the massive effort to connect the unconnected in Egypt. The Jupiter System is a crucial component in establishing obstructible, reliable broadband infrastructure that will help Egypt in powering social and economic development.”