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O3b Networks Signs UNITECH as First Education Customer

By Caleb Henry | March 25, 2015
Unitech O3b Papua

UNITECH’s Matheson Library. Photo: Wikipedia

[Via Satellite 03-25-2015] O3b Network’s inked a contract with the Papua New Guinea University of Technology (UNITECH) for trunking services, making it the company’s first education customer. The university will use O3b’s Ka-band High Throughput Satellite (HTS) system located in Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) for Internet access, replacing terrestrial fiber and lower throughput satellites in Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO).

“UNITECH will immediately make the jump to cloud computing, moving to Google education apps, and reducing reliance on servers and the local power grid. Our students are extremely excited to get this first-hand experience with such cutting-edge technology, and will be involved in installing, maintaining and running the O3b system,” said Albert Schram, vice-chancellor and CEO of UNITECH, adding that starting next month all first year students will receive O3b-connected laptops. “Every one of them will be able to use the Internet just like students in Sydney or Hong Kong, and will be equipped to be leaders in the global digital revolution. We couldn’t afford for another generation of our students to be left behind.”

UNITECH serves approximately 3,000 students, which come mainly from Papua New Guinea and nearby Pacific countries. The school is the only South Pacific technological university outside of Australia and New Zealand.