World Teleport Association (WTA) announced that it will explore development of a quality certification program for teleports based on clearly defined technical and operational standards. The proposed Teleport Certification Program aims to provide customers, satellite operators and other service providers with an objective, third-party assessment of a teleport’s ability to meet service level requirements. The first step in evaluating a potential certification program is a survey of the membership, which is now being conducted by the association.

“The idea is to introduce greater transparency about quality of service,” said WTA executive director Robert Bell.  “Customers want to know about the teleport operator’s quality of service.  High-quality operators want customers to understand the value of what they do.  Satellite operators want to do business with the best, because their own customer contracts depend on it.  By providing an independent rating of quality, WTA hopes to drive continued improvement while giving customers the information they need to select the right vendor for their needs.”

The Certification Program will measure technical and operational standards, such as conditioned and uninterruptible power and professional-level equipment racks and cabling. To ensure that the certification meets the needs of the industry, WTA will be forming a multi-level committee made up of executives from teleport operators and satellite companies to develop the full list of standards. Individuals interested in serving on this committee should contact WTA Executive Director Robert Bell at [email protected]. 

WTA members will receive a special link to the survey, which they are asked to complete within the next 30 days. WTA members who have not received this link should contact WTA Communications Manager, Matthew Owen ([email protected]) for access to the survey.