Johannesburg, 21 Apr 2020
Connectivity is critical in the modern world. Without a high-speed connection to the Internet, most businesses would simply grind to a halt. The immense value that telecommunications services provide has been more than proven during the COVID-19 lockdown, where global businesses are able to support millions of employees across the globe in remote locations.
The change in usage patterns, with dramatically elevated bandwidth requirements from residential areas during working hours, has left users frustrated as networks struggle to cope. For people who require reliable, high-speed network access to do their jobs, high throughput satellite connectivity provides an option that circumvents these issues.
Tackling network traffic jams
Jacques Malherbe, Chief Technology Officer at Axiz, explains that one of the key services impacted by network congestion is video conferencing. “This used to be seen as something of a luxury when everyone was in the office. People were happy to do a phone call with external participants, but this has all changed. Video conferencing has become a critical tool in keeping organisations functioning smoothly and ensuring team cohesion. For some people, it’s the closest they get to human contact on a daily basis.
“When the networks get congested, ISPs implement traffic management policies, throttling high-bandwidth applications in order to provide a consistent, if sub-par, service to all users. Unfortunately, this means that a person trying to get a day’s work in and another watching Netflix are treated equally.”
When bandwidth is restricted, it’s not just collaboration systems that suffer. Many users rely on remote access to corporate applications, including those hosted in the cloud. Reduced bandwidth makes accessing these slow and sometimes impossible.
“In these situations, satellite connectivity delivers a far superior experience,” says Malherbe. “Because you have a direct connection to the satellite, you are linking directly to the data centres hosting your applications without having to share network capacity with people playing Call of Duty.”
High throughput satellite connectivity can also be deployed anywhere, and significantly faster than fibre. “Our Axiz HTS team has access to all the necessary hardware, so there is no delay between you placing an order and installation. Because this is an essential service, it can be installed in hours rather than waiting for days or even weeks,” he comments.
Faster speeds, less congestion
In areas where fibre infrastructure hasn’t been rolled out, and with ADSL coming to the end of its life, high throughput satellite is the only way to deliver a consistent, high-speed connection to users. “Anyone who has been frustrated by the recent breaks in the undersea cables linking South Africa to the rest of the world should take note that these satellite services link directly into European data centres, so even when everyone else is struggling, your connection will remain fully available,” says Malherbe.
“At Axiz we are proud to introduce Axiz HTS for high throughput satellite services, and we are invested in ensuring that we have the hardware on hand, allowing us to get our customers up and running as fast as possible. In these uncertain times, we understand the importance of staying connected, and this empowers people to keep working, no matter where they are.”
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