NTT Data, formerly known as Dimension Data, has joined the growing number of IT services firms offering low-earth orbit (LEO) satellite services to customers across the African continent.
In a statement, the IT infrastructure and services company says it has expanded its offerings to include LEO-based connectivity for clients in the Middle East and Africa region.
It says the connectivity solution improves network performance and allows access to high-speed, low-latency satellite broadband services for clients in various sectors in the region, such as retail, banking, mining and logistics.
In April, Dimension Data rebranded to become NTT Data, which forms part of Japan-headquartered NTT – a $30 billion company.
As it diversifies, NTT Data says its LEO satellite services aim to mitigate the frequent disruptions caused by fibre cable breaks and power disruptions, ensuring a more reliable and continuous connection for businesses across the region.
“Our approach is to provide LEO-based connectivity solutions using industry-specific full-stack architecture,” explains Greg Hatfield, VP of infrastructure solutions at NTT Data.
“This enables business transformation for our clients, as opposed to simply connecting their locations. The enhanced attributes of LEO only reach their full potential when used in an integrated infrastructure and application ecosystem tailored to the requirements of the organisation.”
The satellite service, also available in SA, is being rolled out to nine key clients in the Middle East and Africa.
While NTT Data has been offering satellite services for several years, it points out the new integrated GEO-LEO solution, together with established fibre and wireless alternatives, is expected to enhance connectivity for multiple use-cases, including access to latency-sensitive applications and real-time services, such as video conferencing.
A growing number of sector players have over the last few years announced partnerships to offer LEO satellite technology across the continent, including Eutelsat, Liquid Intelligent Technologies, Paratus, Seacom and OneWeb.
The demand for satellite services on the continent is amplified by the attributes of LEO, which offer benefits such as lower latency and improved coverage.
NTT Data says its service is premised on a programme of deployments, which take a vertical and tailored approach.
“Our aim is to ensure LEO satellite is an option for our clients, no matter where they are on the continent. We can integrate LEO-based connectivity solutions into any other element of their infrastructure,” concludes Hatfield.
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