Intelsat, operator of the world’s largest integrated satellite and terrestrial network, has entered into a synergistic partnership with coreNOC, Audio Union International, KM Systems and an undisclosed capital fund. The group is working in collaboration with the government of the Dominican Republic to deliver cost-effective high-speed internet to rural areas of the country as part of a nationwide wireless internet and infrastructure system for the Ministry of Education.
Recently, the team showcased the network solution to government dignitaries visiting the region. The system combines wireless fixed broadband and distributed satellite connectivity. The government’s vision to increase availability and quality education to all Dominican students is often hindered by the lack of power and telecom infrastructure in remote areas. The demonstration validated a system that will easily scale to support growing connectivity needs across the Dominican Republic and other countries where limited infrastructure presents an obstacle to delivering needed broadband services.
The system is based on The Simple Site solution first presented by coreNOC at the Telecom Infra Project (TIP) Rural Best Practices event in 2020. coreNOC, a Telecom Infra Project (TIP) Solution Provider and Blueprint Badge recipient, provided the rapid-deploy tower and LTE Fixed Broadband Wireless (EPC-Radio-CPE) for the solution. High-speed internet connectivity was provided by Intelsat via its satellite, Intelsat 37e (IS-37e), and managed Agilecore Dialog service. K&M Systems performed the radio frequency design, while Wi-Fi and application integration on the network was performed by Audio Union International.
“Connectivity is a necessity of life, no longer just a nicety,” said Tim Schermerhorn, Regional Vice President of Sales, Intelsat. ”Students should be able to learn, live and grow with knowledge just a click away. By helping to expand high speed internet to remote areas of the Dominican Republic, we are able to take education in the DR to the next level.”
“Officials in the Dominican Republic recognize that high-speed internet connectivity is crucial to their student’s success,” stated Ben Ealey, CIO with coreNOC, Inc. “By helping to expand high-speed internet to remote areas of the Dominican Republic, students will be able to access the tools and training they need to further their education and future career opportunities.”
The onsite demonstration team included a Facebook Connectivity Engineer, with remote support provided by Intelsat Engineering and the Facebook Consolidated Continuous Connectivity Lab (C3L). The combined team will use lab testing and experience gained from field demonstrations, like that in the Dominican Republic, to develop best practices that improve rural broadband solutions and expand the reach of The Simple Site program.