• Vox has partnered with Q-Kon to launch Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite services, providing rapid, reliable and affordable high-speed connectivity for South African enterprises in remote areas.
  • LEO satellites orbit approximately 1,000km from Earth, offering latency under 100 milliseconds with committed capacity of 100Mbps downloads and 20Mbps uploads.
  • The technology requires minimal infrastructure investment while delivering immediate connectivity regardless of geographic conditions, making it ideal for sectors affected by floods or poor infrastructure.
  • Although costlier than fibre, Microwave or 5G, LEO packages can be designed for high uptime and redundancy that prioritise critical business applications.
  • The service enables technologies like automation, AI and IoT that can transform operations across commercial, agricultural, renewable power, hospitality, mining and manufacturing sectors.

 

Vox, a market leading, end-to-end internet service provider in South Africa, has partnered with Q-Kon to launch LEO (Low Earth Orbit) satellite services for South African enterprises. The satellite network provides rapid and reliable access to affordable, high-speed connectivity capable of handling communications, real-time data transfer, video conferencing, cloud application friendly, full MPLS/SDWAN integration and more. For the commercial, agricultural, renewable power, hospitality, mining and manufacturing sectors operating in remote areas that are affected by floods or poor infrastructure, it’s an immediate solution to a long-term problem.

“Companies that operate in hard-to-reach areas of the country need a solution that reduces downtime, enhances their data capabilities, has low latency, and doesn’t limit their ability to explore the potential of emerging technologies,” says Kathleen Morris, Satellite Product Manager at Vox. “In the hospitality sector, for example, high-end estates need to provide their guests with always-on Wi-Fi; while in the mining sector, real-time data and always-on connectivity ensure seamless operations. All this is delivered by LEO.”

LEO satellites, often called a constellation, sit approximately 1,000kms from the Earth’s orbit offering a latency less than 100 milliseconds with a committed capacity of 100Mbps downloads and 20Mbps uploads. Currently, there are more than 648 OneWeb satellites in orbit, their proximity to Earth allowing them to deliver global coverage regardless of geographic conditions or location. The technology requires minimal infrastructure investment and delivers immediate high-speed connectivity at low latencies.

While the cost of LEO isn’t as accessible as fibre or 5G, it has come down enough to lower the barrier to entry for most companies. Packages can be designed to deliver high uptime and redundancy capabilities that prioritise critical business applications and are well suited to organisations that have critical communication requirements. The value of LEO is that the constellations are designed to provide continuity and are a safeguard to ensure companies remain connected at all times.

“Leo is changing the nature of communications in South Africa,” says Morris. “Think of how automation and AI are changing the ways in which organisations manufacture products or protect their workers – this is enabled by connectivity. Think of how IoT is changing predictive maintenance and reducing downtime, saving companies millions – again, this is thanks to reliable connectivity. Companies rely on connectivity to ensure their operations run smoothly and productivity on track and LEO is now perfectly positioned to help them do just that.”

In a country where rain can remove a road and digital infrastructure continues to lag, LEO services from Vox ensure companies can rely on their connectivity. From complex ecosystems to challenging operating conditions, LEO is capable of providing the capacity, speed, latency and connectivity organisations require.