Connecting the Other 3 billion

For network operators in emerging markets, providing a user-friendly, cost-affordable internet service can be very challenging. The founder of O3b Networks, Greg Wyler, learned first-hand as he set out to build Terracom, and Internet Service Provider, in Rwanda in the 2003.

As Mr. Wyler quickly learned, “there was no shortage of last mile solutions available. The challenge was addressing the ‘first five thousand miles’ ”. Located in Central Africa, Rwanda is landlocked and has no immediate access to the undersea fibre cable. For most other developing countries, they are simply bypassed.

Recognizing the lack of affordable connectivity options available for emerging market operators, Mr. Wyler formed O3b Networks placing a constellation of satellites in 2010 in a Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) at approximately 8 000km above the earth unlike a traditional GEO stationary satellite orbit which is located some 35 000km above the earth. Being in a MEO orbit means that travel delay round trip from an O3b satellite will be 130 ms which complies with the ITU standards for a voice grade network whereas a GEO orbit would induce a 400 ms delay. In terms of affordability, in October of 2008, O3b Networks announced services at USD 700 per Mbps/month whereas using GEO stationary satellite capacity had traditionally been in the USD 3 000 - USD 5 000 per Mbps/month price range.

Beyond providing a trunking solution to the global fibre infrastructure, the O3b network can also be used to help operators expand their wireless networks into remote regions. By providing cellular backhaul capacity, O3b allows operators the ability to make the internet and IP services ubiquitous throughout their service region.

Source: Mike Serrano, Director of Marketing, O3b Network.