“The rapid deployment of our Hughes satellite network will allow Telefónica to provide a high-quality, cost-effective service to meet its legal obligation to provide the Universal Service mandated by Spanish law,” said Christopher Britton, CEO of Hughes Europe. “Customers living in rural and remote areas can, for the first time, access all the benefits of broadband communications, such as internet access, data transmission, and faxing.”
and access to emergency services,” Britton said.
The development of the rural network by Hughes is the latest achievement in a long and successful working relationship with the Spanish telecommunications giant. For Telefónica Spain, the Hughes solution offered the ideal combination of optimal equipment performance, low operating costs, and minimal implementation risk.
With the installation of a second connection center linking the rural VoIP satellite network to the national telephone network, new communication services will be possible. These services will be available to new customers in rural or remote areas and to current customers who wish to migrate from the existing TRAC (Rural Cellular Access Telephony) network to the VoIP satellite network. The network comprises approximately 8,000 terminals, of which 80 percent are residential, 15 percent are public telephones for cities, and 5 percent are designated for SMEs.
The satellite platform also incorporates a complete VoIP support equipment, including IP gateways and voice servers and shared sources with other satellite networks to provide broadband Internet access to rural areas of Spain, as well as residential and SME access.
Hughes Europe also develops, implements, and supports broadband satellite platforms for major telecommunications distributors across Europe. “Our relationship with Telefónica reflects a broad and total commitment to our customers, for whom we solve complex technical problems through proven, cost-effective, and tailored solutions,” Britton concluded.