Internet users urged to embrace satellite solutions

Speaking at a recent conference on Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) connectivity in Kampala, Michael Mukasa, Chief Commercial Officer at a telecom company said, “Ugandans should embrace satellite Internet connectivity because it’s available even in places where mobile or fixed internet networks are unreliable. It is a fail-safe option that provides fixed-line connectivity to ensure continuity of service and it works well in most rural locations miles from a telephone exchange as it does in the most urban centres.”

VSAT is a technology that delivers Internet directly to the end user location from a satellite in outer space as opposed to fibre optic or microwave/wireless broadband that is terrestrial, and targets mostly remote areas that may not have fibre or wireless internet infrastructure.

Users are assured of working remotely with uninterrupted internet with solutions that come with VSAT. With satellite, Ugandans in even the remotest areas can access fast and reliable internet in public places, restaurants, NGOs, hostels, and offices just as easily as those in urban areas.

The conference was attended by, among others, Eutelsat, who are the VSAT technical partners at a local telecom company.

Commenting on the VSAT technology, Jesse Ntale, a Brand and Marketing Manager in telecoms said; “One doesn’t need to understand all of the technicalities of modern data communications to get to grips with the basics of satellite internet technology, but rather, use it, once it is up and running in your organization or business premises."

The technology behind satellite data connectivity is very different when compared with telephone line technology and even fibre-optic broadband.

“The need for reliable, affordable, and fast internet manifested during the Covid-19 lockdown when more and more companies adapted from traditional office physical meetings to virtual communication and has since continued to take root,” Ntale added.

VSAT is a solution for individuals, businesses, and organizations working in remote areas that cannot access mobile and fibre networks.