Pure unveils 'mobile' satellite broadband

Business broadband provider Pure Telecom has launched a new transportable service which will allow users to set up a satellite broadband link at short notice.

The service is primarily targeted at emergency services and event organisers. Pure claims the system can establish a broadband link in under five minutes. Though transportable, the system must be stationary in order to pick up the signal.

The system can offer services such as internet access, telephony, video conferencing, and Virtual Private Networks.

"It would be suitable for event-based operations. Concert promoters at a festival like Oxegen would benefit from it, for example," Pure Telecom director Alan McGonnell told ENN. "From a corporate perspective, if a branch of a bank lost its connection this would allow them to re-connect and get their services back up and running."

McGonnell said transportable broadband systems were already in use among some emergency service providers in Europe, including the German police. He said there was no price as yet for the service and that Pure is researching potential customers. "We are looking at the market to see who might be interested. It's very early days yet."

This new service is an add-on to Pure's Broadband Anywhere offering, which delivers broadband to Irish companies based anywhere in the country, generally through a satellite service.

McGonnell said satellite broadband was often the only option available to rural users as they could not access broadband any other way. ComReg's trends survey, which was released in December, showed that 39 per cent of dial-up users in Munster and 42 per cent in Connaught and Ulster were unsuccessful in their attempts to get broadband. In comparison only 15 per cent of dial-up users in Dublin failed in their efforts to convert to broadband.

"Satellite broadband is a good option for businesses in a rural location," said McGonnell. "A system costs about €1,200 to get up and running, but once that's out of the way the savings available make it attractive compared to dial-up."

He said the new system would not be suitable for standard business or home users of satellite broadband as it is primarily aimed at those who need a mobile service.

Pure Telecom was set up in March 2002 and its headquarters are located in Cornelscourt, County Dublin.

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