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 clients in various regional sectors, such as retail, banking, mining, and logistics, to access high-speed, low-latency satellite broadband services.
In April, Dimension Data rebranded to become NTT Data, which is part of Japan-headquartered NTT, a US$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 instead of 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 organisation’s requirements.”
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 that 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.
Over the last few years, many sector players, including Eutelsat, Liquid Intelligent Technologies, Paratus, Seacom, and OneWeb, have announced partnerships to offer LEO satellite technology across the continent.
LEO’s attributes, such as lower latency and improved coverage, amplify the demand for satellite services on the continent.
NTT Data says its service is premised on a programme of deployments, which take a vertical and tailored approach.
“We aim 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.
