Ekinops and IEC Telecom Group deliver compact portable satellite communication solution

April 20, 2021

EKINOPS and IEC Telecom Grouplaunch OneGate Compact, a lightweight and portable plug-and-play solution that provides critical communications functions for both terrestrial and maritime applications.

OneGate Compact, purpose built for performance in tight spaces, seamlessly reroutes available bandwidth to essential processes to ensure vital communications remain online, whatever the circumstances. The hybrid satellite and GSM solution also supports the continuity of governmental and business operations in rural areas, enabling applications such as connected cars for first responders, telemedical support for doctors in remote areas, and mobile offices for public services such as e-banking and e-learning.

Powered by the Ekinops Open Virtualization Platform (OVP), OneGate Compact delivers vital digitalization and network optimization capabilities to regions with unstable infrastructure, such as field mission teams, and small and medium-sized maritime vessels. Operating from a digital environment, the solution is equipped with bandwidth optimization and advanced filtration tools to offer a VSAT-like experience over a Mobile Satellite Services (MSS) terminal. Together, the technologies enable full connectivity in the most inaccessible areas while reducing the need for onsite staff and hardware updates.

"Offering affordable and reliable digitalization for niche and underserved sectors sits at the heart of what we do," says Nabil Ben Soussia, VP Maritime, IEC Telecom Group. "Following the success of the original OneGate network management system, we partnered with Ekinops again to deliver this compact and portable version designed to make digitalization accessible to an even wider range of customers working in remote areas. Whether a vessel is trapped in the middle of a storm or a mobile rescue team is on a mission in an area without comms infrastructure, OneGate Compact will maintain connections and protect vital operations."

Operating on Ekinops' OVP also enables the creation of value-added hybrid WAN services as needed, including video conferencing, remote maintenance, telemedicine and reliable file transfers. The solution has been particularly well received by the offshore sector. Offshore Support Vessel (OSV) operators report that virtualization of telecommunication services offered by OneGate Compact helped them to improve performance of their fleets and significantly increased visibility over maritime operations at the drilling site.

Frank Dedobbeleer, Group VP Sales EMEA & APAC at Ekinops said: "We are delighted to have grown our long-standing partnership with IEC Telecom to deliver another pioneering solution. The OneGate Compact is a real extension of its portfolio, allowing IEC Telecom to empower some of the world's most remote regions with reliable global coverage, and address a wider range of smaller vessels in which every centimetre of space comes at a premium. Our virtualization technology sits at the core of the solution, enabling seamless connectivity on-the-go and making digital available to a new range of end-users."