Page 66 - SAMENA Trends - July-August 2023

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Telefonica Signs Worldwide Partnership Deal with Starlink

Starlink, the satellite constellation arm of stores, operational centres, warehouses, Enterprise to offer new generation solu-
Space X, launched its business solutions and other places,” according to Rafael Ar- tions to our customers.” Starlink connec-
early this year. Spanish telco Telefónica has turo González, Country Director for Movis- tivity is intended to be used in addition to
signed a deal with Starlink to become its tar Empresas Mexico. Telefónica debuted existing connectivity solutions rather than
worldwide partner, through its global busi- this Starlink offering in Mexico in June to replace them. In Mexico currently, the
ness division Telefónica Global Solutions this year but is now extending the service service uses a subscription-based model
(TGS). The deal will allow TGS to access to five other key markets– Chile, Colom- which is priced between MXN 1,000–5,000
Starlink’s Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite bia, Peru, Brazil, and Spain – of which the ($52.52–292.60) per month. It is uncertain
constellation, incorporating the satellite latter two are two of its four core markets. whether the same subscription-based the
services into its existing global portfolio “The satellite industry is undergoing an un- model with be used in other countries. This
of connectivity services. The Starlink ser- precedent revolution,” said Julio Beamonte, is not the first satellite deal that Telefonica
vice can deliver high speed internet (up to CEO of Telefónica Global Solutions. “Sat- has signed in recent months. Last month,
350 Mbps downstream) across the world, ellite enables connectivity projects to be the firm signed a deal with Hispasat to re-
including to rural and hard-to-reach areas. executed very quickly and efficiently. At sell their rural satellite broadband to iso-
The service is focused on the business Telefónica Global Solutions, we have been lated areas of Spain, and Telefonica has
sector and “[allows] them to connect to offering added value satellite solutions for also partnered with Spanish satellite group
existing networks, thus providing a com- many years and with this partnership, we Sateliot to connect the Internet of Things
plement to their connectivity services in start working hand in hand with Starlink (IoT) through satellite and 5G technology.

CNT Inaugurates New O3b mPOWER Satellite Terminals in Galapagos

Ecuadorian state-owned operator corporate and government customers with and plans to roll out 4G networks to the
Corporacion de Telecomunicaciones (CNT) MEO connectivity on Santa Cruz Island, neighboring islands.
and satellite operator SES inaugurated
the first O3b mPOWER satellite terminal
on Santa Cruz Island in the Galapagos on
Wednesday. The enhanced connectivity
provided by SES will enable the expansion
of Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) satellite
capacity in the archipelago, allowing
CNT to offer fixed and mobile broadband
services at double the current speed. CNT
announced an upgrade deal with SES
earlier this year to significantly increases
its MEO capacity from 1.5Gbps to 2.5Gbps
on the O3b constellation and migrate
to the recently launched next-gen O3b
mPOWER system, which is scheduled to
start providing services at the end of the
year. CNT is already serving its residential,

Starlink Launches Satellite Internet Services in Malawi

Malawi has become the latest country and rural locations across the globe. The common internet activity like email, online
in Africa to see a commercial launch of service is currently priced at MWK52,000 shopping, or streaming a movie, but will not
satellite broadband services by Starlink, (USD48.9) per month, while hardware costs be able to engage in activities like online
the satellite internet business of SpaceX. MWK655,000. Starlink says that users can gaming or video calls’. The firm adds that
The firm’s Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites expect ‘typical high speed internet with the service will improve ‘dramatically’ over
are designed to offer high speed, low brief periods of intermittent service and the next year.
latency broadband internet in remote high latency’, and will be able to ‘engage in

66 JULY-AUGUST 2023