Press Releases
SkyPilot Partners with SwiftTalk to Bring Carrier-Class
Mesh Networking to Africa
Nigeria-based Carrier selects SkyPilot Gear for Advanced
Mesh Infrastructure,
Unparalleled VoIP QoS and Deployability
Santa Clara, January 31, 2006 - SkyPilot Networks, the leader in carrier-class mesh solutions, today announced that SwiftTalk Ltd ., an Internet Service Provider and network operator headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria, has selected SkyPilot equipment to roll out advanced wireless voice, data and Internet access services in that country. SwiftTalk is currently deploying in three Nigerian cities: Lagos (where it operates five networks), Port Harcourt (with three networks) and Warri. Future deployments in Nigeria – some of which will involve strategic partners and alliances – will expand network coverage to Abuja , Ibadan , Jos, Onitsha and Aba.
SwiftTalk serves business and residential markets, providing a combination of data communications, Internet access and telephony services. For businesses, the SkyPilot-powered wireless network will provide intra-city virtual private network (VPN) links between company locations, interconnectivity for POS/Credit card/ATM terminals, multi-site voice over IP (VoIP) / IP private branch exchange (PBX) services, and home Internet access and home office links for company employees. For residential subscribers, the network provides Internet access, peer-to-peer VoIP and international VoIP calling.
“Internet access to the home and small offices is still a novelty in Nigeria ,” said Oyom Ojo CEO of SwiftTalk . There is a ‘greenfield’ opportunity in virtually every city in Nigeria – both large and small – that we can capitalize on with SkyPilot’s mesh architecture and cost-effective coverage capabilities. This will allow us to deploy wireless access rapidly and cost-efficiently in our current and planned operating areas. It will also let us quickly scale that network as demand requires.”
SwiftTalk’s network rollout is deploying SkyPilot’s full product family including the SkyGateway carrier-class base station, SkyExtender high-capacity mesh backhaul device, and SkyConnector CPE.
“We put a high priority on low equipment costs for our customers,” says Irabor Ighedosa , Sales Manager of SwiftTalk, “so the relatively low cost of the SkyConnector is an important benefit.” SwiftTalk’s own deployment costs are minimized because the SkyConnectors are discovered automatically by the network and use visual feedback of signal strength to ensure proper installation.
“The ability to expand our offering into WiFi access with SkyPilot’s SkyExtender DualBand is another significant benefit,” says Austin Uwudia CTO of SwiftTalk . The SkyExtender DualBand combines 802.11b/g access point functionality with long-range mesh backhaul, so WiFi clients can connect directly to it, without the need for intermediate CPE. Its dual-radio architecture eliminates interference between subscriber access and network backhaul services, boosting network capacity.
SwiftTalk also selected the SkyPilot solution for its ease of deployment and support, cost-effectiveness and long-range coverage. Non-line of sight (NLOS) capabilities were also important – particularly in dense urban areas such as Lagos , where high-rise buildings block signal paths and produce high levels of multipath interference.
“Telephony is a core business segment for us,” said Oyom Ojo , “so we needed a wireless network that could deliver toll-quality support for voice as well as data. Low latency is a demand that’s tough for most wireless technologies to meet, but SkyPilot’s mesh architecture and synchronous mesh protocol excel at delivering the lowest possible latency and highest quality of service (QoS).”
“To us, our new partnership with SwiftTalk is an important milestone,” said SkyPilot’s CEO Bob Machlin. “Not only is this another validation of SkyPilot’s technology and cost-effectiveness, but much of the continent of Africa can be considered a greenfield opportunity for broadband wireless access.”
About SwiftTalk Ltd.
SwiftTalk Limited is a leading Internet and communication services
company , focusing on the growing and emerging telecommunications market in Nigeria
and Africa . The services provided by the company are VSAT services, Microwave
Radio Installation, Metropolitan Area Networks (MAN), ISP Services using Wifi
and Hotspots, VOIP services, International Telephone calling card services and
Cybercafé card services. The Company’s key strengths are substantial
market goodwill, superior customer service ability, highly skilled, experienced
and substantial technical strength, superior project management expertise and
finally a compliment of valuable partnerships. SwiftTalk Limited is a privately
owned company with head office in Lagos , Nigeria . For more information on SwiftTalk
and its solutions, contact info@swifttalk.com or
visit http://www.swifttalk.com.
About SkyPilot Networks
SkyPilot Networks is a leading provider of carrier-class mesh networking
systems that enable carriers, service providers, and municipalities of all sizes
to easily deploy cost-effective voice and data services. The SkyPilot solution
offers quick time-to-revenue and a compelling return-on-investment by extending
reach, routing around obstacles, and increasing deployment flexibility, thereby
dramatically reducing equipment and operating costs. The SkyPilot products provide
a highly scalable and reliable wireless mesh backhaul with a choice of CPE or
Wi-Fi access. SkyPilot Networks is a principal member of the WiMAX Forum™ and
is a privately held company based in Santa Clara , California . For more information
on SkyPilot and its solutions, contact pr@skypilot.com or
visit http://www.skypilot.com.
