June 6, 2018

NigComSat Upgrades iDirect Network to Expand Into Growing West Africa Market

Satellite operator to leverage DVB-S2X efficiency gains to enhance customer experience

NigComSat Upgrades iDirect Network to Expand Into Growing West Africa MarketHerndon, VA, June 6, 2018 – VT iDirect, Inc. (iDirect), a company of
Vision Technologies Systems, Inc. (VT Systems), today announced that Nigerian Communications Satellite (NigComSat), a leading satellite operator and service provider based in Nigeria, has upgraded its iDirect network to the latest Evolution 4.1 software to achieve significant gains in bandwidth efficiency and enhance customer experience. With the upgrade of its extensive C-band and Ku-band networks, NigComSat, which manages iDirect hubs in Lagos and Abuja, will be able to expand further into key markets such as government, defense, maritime, education, enterprise and cellular backhaul.

Evolution 4.1 enables service providers to launch DVB-S2X networks and increase the performance and efficiency of DVB-S2 networks, unlocking High Throughput Satellite (HTS) capacity to maximize throughput and offer cost-effective services. As part of the second phase of the upgrade to DVB-S2X, NigComSat will install iDirect’s high-performance Universal Line Cards and Intelligent Gateway (iGW) virtualization appliance to improve hub density and network processing.

“Our customers demand a greater amount of bandwidth at more economic service plans,” said Kazeem Kolawole Raji, Executive Director, Engineering Services, NigComSat. “While satellite connectivity has unique advantages, satellite service providers must compete with terrestrial and cellular networks on speed and value. Upgrading our iDirect network provides a powerful efficiency boost and gives us the confidence to meet end-user expectations. This is absolutely critical to win business in the African market.”

“NigComSat is in the forefront in bringing the latest innovations to market to meet escalating customer expectations,” said John Arnold, Senior Vice President of Global Sales, VT iDirect. “Our DVB-S2X offering will enable NigComSat to make their services more competitive and deliver the value of satellite connectivity to more businesses and organizations in West Africa, driving broad economic and social development.”