Page 34 - SAMENA Trends - September-October 2020

REGIONAL & MEMBERS UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

access and services to the 574 federally “We began our journey to deploy an end- and reach underserved communities.
recognized, sovereign, Native American to-end IP architecture with Cisco five This Fall, the company will unveil its Rural
Tribes (close to three million people) years ago, and throughout they have been Broadband Innovation Center, in Raleigh,
to foster better economic, health and a guiding light, helping us work through North Carolina where it will showcase
educational opportunities. Approximately pros and cons to make more intelligent to customers the steps for converging
1.5 million people on these reservations decisions,” said Sam Fitzgerald, Senior wireline and wireless infrastructure and
do not have basic wireless services, and Director of Engineering and Operations, services to enable more cost-effective
more than a third of those living on Tribal TruVista. “Since deployment, we have yet broadband networking. The innovation
lands don’t have access to high-speed to see a single glitch -- not one. When you lab will feature Cisco’s routing and optical
broadband. Cisco is providing financial find a great partner up front and can choose platforms, including the new Cisco 8000
support, legal, technical and market the right solutions that scale, it just works.” Series routers powered by Cisco Silicon
expertise, among other resources. Through “Closing the digital divide is an imperative One, Cisco Cloud Services Stack providing
a series of programs involving $37 billion in for government decision makers and a validated Telco Cloud environment and
federal funding, the U.S. Government has all of society,” said Ron Westfall, Senior its service provider network automation
committed to closing the digital divide in Analyst + Research Director, Futurum and security solutions. “I’m proud that
America, particularly in rural areas where Research. “The necessary move to more Cisco has been very vocal and actionable
broadband is insufficient. TruVista, a telco remote working and learning is proving in our effort to bridge the digital divide,”
service provider in Chester, South Carolina, that access to affordable, reliable internet said Jonathan Davidson, Senior Vice
is planning to deploy 257 miles of fiber- access is essential to fulfilling the unique President and General Manager, Mass-
optic cables to expand its network and demands of rural communities in top- Scale Infrastructure Group, Cisco.
offer high quality, low latency broadband priority areas such as public safety, public “Everyone should be able to connect to
services to 81 square miles of unserved health, education, and communications. the internet. As technology leaders, we
communities. Thanks to a $9.1 million Rural communities must be able to join the have the power to change lives and shape
grant from the USDA Re-Connect program, emerging digital workforce and ecosystem the future through inclusion. It is critical
it can cost-effectively extend broadband to survive and prosper.” Stemming from its for people to be connected to each other
services to reach over 1,700 additional Internet for the Future launch in December and to information now more than ever
homes. With the addition of Cisco’s Rural 2019, Cisco has been actively investing in before. With our network solutions for rural
Broadband network solutions, TruVista’s an inclusive future, working with service broadband, we are providing our customers
best-in-class IP transport network will providers around the world to transform with the critical tech infrastructure they
have the increased backbone capacity to the economics of networking and improve need to reach the underserved rural
meet both current and growing demand. the cost structure to connect more people communities as soon as possible.”

Eutelsat Awarded Service Contract by Ovzon for

Operation of OVZON-3 Satellite

Eutelsat Communications (Euronext Paris: newly developed On Board Processor. To operation of Ovzon-3. Eutelsat shares our
ETL) and Ovzon AB have entered into a be launched in the fourth quarter of 2021, vision to bring high performance mobile
long-term agreement for the provision it will address the mobile connectivity broadband to users unserved by terrestrial
of satellite control services following a segment. Commenting on the deal, infrastructure”. ”Arlen Kassighian, Director
competitive bidding process involving Magnus René, Chief executive Officer of of Satellites Engineering and Operations at
all major satellite operators. Under the Ovzon AB said: “Ovzon’s current service Eutelsat communications added: “We are
agreement, Eutelsat will ensure the control offering, through leased capacity, will be proud to build on our long term relationship
of Ovzon-3, the first satellite procured by significantly expanded with the launch of with Ovzon and to be entrusted with the
Ovzon, over its full operational life. The our new satellite, Ovzon-3, in 2021. Ovzon-3 operation of Ovzon-3. The award of this
agreement reinforces a long-standing will provide dramatically enhanced contract is a testimony to the skills and
cooperation between Ovzon and Eutelsat, performance and functionality and is an reliability of Eutelsat’s satellite service
where Ovzon has operated capacity on a important step to further revolutionize teams, and demonstrates our ability to
number of Eutelsat satellites since 2012. mobile broadband by satellite, offering provide a diversity of support services
Ovzon-3 is a powerful geostationary the highest bandwidth with the smallest to our customers in the commercial and
satellite with multiple high-performance terminals. We are delighted to rely on government services fields.”
steerable beams and a revolutionary the expertise of Eutelsat to assure the

34 SEP-OCT 2020