BICS, a global wholesale carrier for voice, mobile data and capacity services, has launched their on-demand connectivity solution for African telecom operators, in partnership with Eutelsat (Paris:ETL).
Using BICS’ RouteFlex, the joint solution allows mobile operators and service providers to raise the bar of network availability and manage surges in bandwidth needs in challenging environments. Robust back-up capacity is vital in countries where geographic and environmental conditions can jeopardize quality data and voice services. Being able to ensure the provision of high-quality services distinguishes operators from the competition. With RouteFlex, BICS has put business continuity at the heart of its offering to telcos with a system that automatically detects anomalies and reroutes critical traffic through the best available path.
The new solution offered by BICS and Eutelsat will enable telecom operators to offer their end users access to consistent, cost-effective and high-quality services at all times, even in the event of a terrestrial network outage. This is achieved by combining C-band capacity on the EUTELSAT 8 West B satellite with the BICS’ teleport in La Ciotat, France, the firm's IP transit global network and an automated on-demand solution for IP traffic. The resulting service comes in three product variations: open community, closed community and occasional use.
Michel Azibert, the Chief Commercial and Development Officer at Eutelsat, commented that through this new agreement with BICS, the pan-African footprint of the EUTELSAT 8 West B satellite will step in to provide business continuity for telecom operators and service providers in challenging environments.
According to Johan Wouters, the Vice President of the Capacity Business Unit, Operations and Customer Services at BICS, his firm is dedicated to supporting customers across the African continent, particularly the 30 percent of countries that are landlocked and often depend on poor terrestrial connectivity. In countries with limited access to submarine cables, which are often prone to damage or incidents, RouteFlex can also change the way operators use satellite to back up their services.