ST Engineering iDirect, Paratus, KNS Bring Connectivity to African Mining Ships

Photo: ST Engineering iDirect

ST Engineering iDirect revealed Tuesday that its long-term customer Paratus, an African telecommunications provider, deployed its iDirect modems with marine antenna from manufacturer and integrator KNS Inc. These modems and antennas will provide connectivity to mining ships based in Guinea, West Africa.

The vessels and their crew require constant and reliable communications to keep in permanent contact with their headquarters on land, and with other shipping vessels during operations at the Boffa port in Guinea, where 3G/4G connectivity is poor and internet services are limited. The ships were installed with the iDirect modem and KNS 1.2m Maritime Antenna Z12Mk2 in Shanghai, China, enabling applications including video, email and WeChat. Paratus remotely configured the modems and commissioned the antennas for the ships when they arrived in Boffa.

“We are excited to extend our relationship with Paratus, whom we have worked with for many years to provide data rates and multi-service capabilities to their customers,” said Pieter-Paul Mooijman, Regional Vice President for Africa at ST Engineering iDirect. “Paratus is already utilizing ST Engineering iDirect hubs to power connectivity in Angola, Namibia and South Africa. This collaboration further demonstrates how satellite is an effective and reliable form of connectivity for traditionally hard-to-reach locations, with the versatility to serve diverse markets and applications.”