By Andrew Aroh

Turnkey Broadband Network solutions exist for connecting remote sites into the network where reliable internet or leased lines services are not readily available. The solution for the remote connectivity services bring secure voice, data and video services to remote sites, increasing user productivity and integrating remote and local operations.

Remote connectivity solution ensure that distant customers, field employees and partners share the benefits of access to information and services, while maintaining security measures.

Through the Integration of Terrestrial Wireless, Fiber and Satellite Communications, ICT professionals can design, and deliver a customized solution that is optimized for cost efficiency, performance and flexibility.

 Creating a Customer Solution

A dedicated team is appointed for every aspect of the project:

• Systems Analysis
• The Initial Design & Review
• The final Design
• Supplier Selection
• Licensing Application
• Site Surveys
• Procurement
• Staging
• Deployment
• Testing
• Network Management and Support

End- to-end designs often include over-sight projects and the integration of data networks with radio systems or microwave/ satellite systems.

Matching business needs to the platform technologies requires an understanding of the role of the network link.

The analysis and design phase matches business requirements and customer applications to the most appropriate technologies.

The required solution provides a secure, global broadband infrastructure through high-speed networks of terrestrial wireless, Fiber and Satellite connectivity, local partnering networks and network operations centers/Gateways.

Properly engineered solutions for remote connectivity services will offer:

• Global voice, data and video communication to remote offices, residents and SMEs.
• Requirement analysis and technology-independent design to determine the most appropriate solution for remote location connectivity.
• End-to-end solutions for design, project management and deployment, including integration of radio systems with microwave/Satellite network systems and applications.
• Proven project management methodologies ensuring that project are delivered on time, within budget and client-agreed specifications.
• Suite of services on the platform allows customers to leverage the expertise and partnerships that extend support across a wide range of broadband technologies.

Broadband technology offers single site, portable communications for short projects, data to Gigabytes range with voice and video.

• VSAT technology offers access to a wide range of cost-effective; satellite-based services regardless of location.
• SCPC technology offers point-to-point solutions for longer projects, a full range of data options for multiple voice channels and high performance data and video.
• Fast deployment options are available for short-term projects, typically up to 2048kbps with a maximum of 100Mbps.
• TDMA-(VBM/MF) technology offers solutions that are particularly valuable in regions with little infrastructure, yet requiring a fully-meshed operating environment.
• The solution is suitable for medium to long-term projects with bit-rates up to 8x2048kbps possible and well-suited to busty applications.
• Traffic can vary dynamically using SCPC or TDMA techniques, such as data plus occasional video conferencing, providing cost-effective bandwidth management.
• To enable the promise of the digital enterprise, emerging broadband Network solutions combines:
• Specialized technologies
• Domain experience
• Global infrastructure
• Supported by industry –certified technical consulting capabilities, the growing suite of services provides:
• Secure global IP infrastructure
• Integrated information security solutions
• Wireless and remote network connectivity
• Complete network managed services.

Secure Connectivity Centers Provide Secure Broadband Gateways: Creating a flexible center:

• Secure connectivity centers can be configured with several powerful options to add features and performance as business requirement grow:
• A redundancy module is available to eliminate any single secure point of failure.
• Reporting options allow central monitoring of security policy modifications and enforcement.
• The Virtual Private Network (VPN) connectivity module brings all of the other capabilities of the secure connectivity center to VPN configurations, providing the same elements of secure connectivity that protect dedicated Intranets and
• The secure connectivity center can be designed to function smoothly as a complete turnkey solution, installed on an enterprise’s premise and operated by the organization’s ICT professionals.
• We provide essential skills transfer to bring ICT professionals up to speed on the exceptional capabilities of this innovative approach to security management.
• The secure connectivity center offers:
• A remarkable reduction in deployment time, allowing an enterprise to stay well ahead of the competition and the technology curve.
• A quick-time-to-market and a more rapid addition and removal of new services and partner connections, which can be a powerful enabler in a growing e-business enterprise.
• Protected connectivity between multiple customers and multiple services in multiple locations.

This is because as an organization grows, more network connections and greater demands on functionality create exponentially greater costs for management and administration of security policies and procedures.

Many companies take a piecemeal approach, adding new firewalls and security protocols on an incremental basis, resulting in bewildering management complexity.

However, a secure connectivity center enables protected connectivity between multiple customers and multiple services in multiple locations.

• This flexible, centralized management and control system replaces a myraid of individual security solutions with an integrated, network-wide implementation allowing end-to-end solutions from corporate web access to multi-system connectivity.
• Secure connectivity centers provide secure broadband gateways to the internet with centrally managed application and database sharing, providing an unparallel level of sophistication and flexibility.
• Enterprises today are also faced with increasing demand to access and share applications and data.

Secure connectivity centers simplify Network sharing i.e. simply secure interconnection of networks with incompatible routing or address conflicts, and create secure enclaves that can extend geographically to sites anywhere an enterprise does business.

In General, secure connectivity centers offers:

• Lower cost of management for multiple business partners networks
• A proven, turnkey solution for complex extranet problems
• Reduced time-to-market and time-to-savings for secure, multi-network connectivity
• Easy to manage control for enterprise-wide security
• A powerful enabler for security-critical e-business opportunities
• Secure, seamless connections for multiple partners, locations and platforms
• Integration into a Secure Private Network

Managed VPN Broadband Services Provide Secure Connectivity with remote or mobile locations

• Virtual Private Network (VPN) is a restricted network that uses public domain to connect nodes, providing a way to encapsulate, or ‘’tunnel’’ private data cheaply, reliably, and securely through a public network, usually the internet.
• The development of VPN technologies provides new opportunities to leverage the universal availability of the INTERNET for even the most security-critical streams of network communication.
• Traffic that formally moved over dedicated lines now travels securely over public infrastructure.
• To ensure security through this powerful business enabler called VPN, emerging broadband solutions can bring together all the essential resources, including:
• Firewalls
• Public key Infrastructure (PKI) encryption
• Remote authentication with smart cards.
• A host of other complex and evolving technologies.
• Keeping mobile employees connected to business-critical data, applications and project-team collaboration channels is becoming increasingly essentials.
• Again, moving extranet traffic to a VPN often results in significant cost savings, especially for business with widespread locations and highly mobile users.
• The broadband solutions can provide exceptional resources and field-tested solutions for reaching mobile locations.
• A broadband managed VPN uses an extensive network of local resources and leverages firsthand knowledge of reliable vendors, products and services.
• Independence from particular software and hardware vendors allows a business to bring exactly the right technologies together to meet an enterprise’s unique and specific VPN needs.
• Whether linking a limited number of desktop sites to network resources or integrating hundreds of sites and thousands of users in a multinational deployment, managed broadband VPN solution offers unmatched flexibility in creating effective and innovative virtual private network solutions.

Creating the Most Reliable Managed VPN Services:

• Managed VPN services select and manage the most reliable internet service providers to offer the best-in-class service
• By optimizing local internet infrastructure and managing compliance with the bewildering array of regulations, the required broadband solution creates an effective solution for enterprises needing reliable, site-to-site VPN capabilities as part of the total enterprise connectivity scheme.
• Managed VPN services provide greater flexibility in responding to immediate e-business opportunities and enable the establishment of secure connectivity with remote or mobile locations where dedicated infrastructure would be cost-prohibitive or logistically impossible.
• Therefore, broadband solutions with managed VPN services offer:
• Utilization of existing internet infrastructure and bandwidth for secure connectivity.
• The ability to add and change sites quickly for project-specific connectivity.
• Lower operating costs without compromising intellectual property or network security.
• A Secure network for rapid growth and seamless migration to new technologies.
• Maintenance of quality-of-service (QoS) and improved service level agreements (SLAs).

Quality-of-service evaluations are required to determine system performance and optimization.

Broadband IP Networking Solutions

• There are currently so many business sites and locations out of reach of land-based broadband connections around the world, including Nigeria.
• These locations need cost-efficient solutions to turn their businesses
• Different approach to delivering broadband IP networking via satellite delivers a high-performance private, secure and cost-effective way for organizations to extend the reach of broadband IP network to locations that are currently not cost-effectively served by land-based services.
• Emerging Satellite Access Modems address a large, underserved and fast growing market for business, government, agencies, carriers and other organizations seeking an expedient way to develop or extend broadband IP networks.
• Emerging High-performance, satellite-based IP networking delivers services that are:
• Ubiquitous:

No location on the planet is beyond reach

• Simple:

Ease of deployment and implementation, with self-installation

• Safe:

Private, secure and reliable networking solution

• Profitable:
• Cost-effectively extends the reach of smaller IP networks
• The solution requires no acquisition of large infrastructure
• Improves corporate communications and productivity by enabling better and faster decisions through access to real-time information.
• High Growth:
• New revenue opportunities for users through instantaneous, around-the-clock access to information from all business sites, no matter what location.
• Channel partners win by being able to deploy a new product in a large and underserved market that was not accessible previously.
• Emerging IP networking solutions requires businesses to extend the reach of any broadband IP network to remote locations, rural and sub-urban areas for the benefit of:
• Internet service providers
• Telecom carriers
• Corporations
• Governments
• Communities
• Multi-site organizations
• Competitive advantage based on technology:
• To achieve expected level of performance, virtual Bandwidth Manager (core proprietary) technology combines a state-of-the-art Software Defined Radio (SDR) Platform which provides greater flexibility and performance.
• The integration comes together as New Satellite Access Modem. Which address a large, underserved and fast growing market for:
  • Businesses
  • Government agencies in the rural and remote areas of the states
  • Carriers
  • Other organizations
• All these need an expedient way to develop or extend broadband IP networks.

CORE DESIGN PRINCIPLES DRIVE INNOVATION FOR NGNs

The overarching development philosophy is simple: make it efficient. Make it scalable. Make it work anyplace, anytime no matter what the connectivity requirements.

Satellite innovative technology is developed to a universal set of requirements to enable service providers to meet any customer need, no matter the application, bandwidth, and satellite or topology.

INTELLIGENT PLATFORM WITH ENDLESS IP APPLICATIONS

The intelligent platform is a single, integrated scalable communications system that enables service providers to meet any customer requirement. It integrates advanced, technology into a portfolio of hubs, routers and network management software to answer the growing complexity of deploying and managing global IP networks.

• Software: integrates advanced features throughout the entire product portfolio: advanced IP Routing, Automated Beam Switching, Global NMS, Security, Quality-of-service, spread spectrum.
• Hubs: a range of universal satellite hubs provides network operations with greater flexibility to deliver the highest-level connectivity regardless of application, bandwidth, and satellite or network topology.
• Remote Routers: a series of routers designed to suit the needs of any size organization as a ‘’single-box’’ all-in-one solution.
• Network Management System: a complete suite of highly intuitive software-based tools for configuring, monitoring and controlling satellite networks from one location.

So, how do we summarize the design principles?

• Everything is Integrated:

An integrated system brings greater choice and control from configuration to deployment and maintenance

• Efficiency Rules:

We apply the industry’s most ambitious, aggressive approach toward delivering better and better bandwidth efficiency.

• Scalability Pays:

The required product port folio enables service providers to enter markets affordably, scale quickly to seize new business opportunities and stay one step ahead of competition

• Flexibility Matters:

Customers can act quickly, prioritizing bandwidth and applications on the fly with zero barriers.

• Intuitive Management Takes Priority :

This brings ‘’Big Data’’ into play, making management of large, complex global networks second nature.

• Staying Ahead:

While some retail locations must wait for high-speed terrestrial circuits to arrive before opening their doors, others don’t waste any time.  They use satellite technology for all voice, data and video applications immediately, opening stores for business faster.

Andrew Aroh is President of SSPI Nigeria