ST Engineering iDirect and Gilat Telecom have completed remote installation and commissioning of two Newtec Dialog hubs to power cellular backhaul services for mobile network operator, Vodacom, in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the largest country in Sub-Saharan Africa.
The new hubs enabled Vodacom to migrate its VSAT-based 2G network to 3G across 150 Base Tranceiver Station (BTS) sites with the Base Station Controller located in Kinshasa. The new deployment replaces traditional SCPC links and increases efficiency in facilitating 3G data traffic.
Dialog’s Mx-DMA return technology was a key consideration in Vodacom’s selection as it enables the network to automatically adjust in real-time with daily fluctuations in bandwidth demand, saving both bandwidth and cost and offering enhanced optimization of cellular traffic. Dialog also enables effective management of a variety of different modems all on the same platform, simplifying and streamlining an otherwise complex operation.
The Dialog platform will also accommodate Vodacom’s future growth, enabling increased satellite network coverage and to deliver a large amount of capacity when it is ready to expand. The network is used primarily for cellular backhaul services, for applications such as social media, video sharing platforms, as well as enterprise applications such as video conferencing and data transfer applications with some sites also offering IP services. Access to these applications will have a profound impact on remote communities, enabling them to stay in touch with friends and family, and to market their businesses and connect to important sources of news and information. For many, these services have previously been unavailable.
Jordan Dayan, System Engineer, Gilat Telecom
To expedite the project, we were in constant contact with the ST Engineering iDirect team in Belgium. We also installed a camera in the Teleport in Kinshasa so that they were able to see what was happening, and shared detailed images to ensure that every step was completed correctly.
Jean-Bedel Nyanga, Transmission Director, Vodacom DRC
Thanks to its Mx-DMA return technology, the reliability of the VSAT links has increased significantly, especially in heavy rain. As a consequence, we have also seen an increase in user traffic on the links migrated to Dialog. Additionally, in comparison with SCPC links, we have also noticed that Dialog enables us to perform network changes much more easily and rapidly, with less human resources and no intervention on remote sites.
